Agreed. we suffered in the pre IL days of throwing all of our cap at marquee players and not having a team/squad to build around them (assuming that they lived up to their billing of course, which didnt happen quite a lot)

This hard-nosed approach could be the best thing to happen for GB International status.
If our better plays get experience down under, and we are forced to blood locals rather than expensive imports, I am certain we will start to unearth talent that would not have previously been given an opportunity.

I believe if we had made an offer earlier which matched what Finch wanted then he would have stayed. However the club waited to see how Finch performed this season, rightly as well because you can imagine the criticism if he had been given say a 3 year deal before the start of the season and then been awful. However this more hardline approach ended up backfiring and in many ways Finch's great form has been the reason why he has ended up going as it made him a wanted man and he had offeres galore. It is just one of those things imo and you cant blame him for wanting to return home nor can you blame the club for wanting to see how Finch performed. I am sure most fans have grown sick of imports being stuck at their clubs on long deals when they are past their best and not performing.

We also must accept that there's a bigger demand than usual Down Under. The NRL has got more cash and cap-space to play with than ever before, whereas we are still stuck in black and white, ration-riddled Britain.

True, in the long run though I think it will actually be good for the game here and for England i.e clubs producing more English players and more English players getting chances. It will certainly be very good for Wigan. If it means less average imports then I am all for it (I still think that clubs will be be to attract 2 or 3 good quality imports if they so desire.)

I also believe had we made him an offer in March he would have taken it but I don't agree it was right to wait and see how he performed because the club already knew Tommy was leaving before the season started and by March when Finch said he wanted to stay he was already standing out as the class player he is. I don't think this was what the club was doing anyway. They have always known how good a player he is. I think it is far simpler. They just made a big mistake!

Bottom line is we have ended up in a position with both first choice half backs leaving at the same time and at the same time as the experience (and skills) of Lima and Carmont also goes. That is not good management whatever theoretical excuses people can dream up for it.

Hanley was still the best player in the league four years later so he wasn't misplaced in pushing for a top salary. His age was never an issue because of how fit he was.

But yes Wigan didn't do badly out of the deal as you were then cashed up and able to sign Offiah and had enough great players to still be the best without him.

Yeah but that's just Aussies for you, there were always people on Aussie forums saying Finch was crap.

Any Aussie that comes here is crap and/or past it though according to those types.

He's clearly wanted to go back to Australia for a while.

I don't know how you get through the day with your attitude. Everything is 'glass half full', IL is at fault. Woe is me.

We offered him the contract he wanted and he decided to turn it down. End of discussion. Good luck to him in Australia, but we have to move on and think about ourselves now.

Dave, you also are dreaming things up.

It will only be bad management if we arrive at next season with no-one to replace these guys.

I thought you'd have learned by now to stop issuing dire warnings when you don't know the full facts.

When we signed the Melbourne trio we were very fortunate to do so, having took full advantage of a unique situation. Never at any time did I honsetly think we would re-sign any of them over and above their original contracts.

These were Champion players at the top of their game in the NRL, they could choose where they wanted to play if needed be.

Let's get behind Jeff, Brett, Tommy and George and send them on their way with a sack of trophies this year. Let IL and SW sort out next years playing squad covertly so as not to bump up salaries in a tug of war for players...Only announce anything once a signature is on a contract....lol

would chase and smith at 6,7 but such a bad thing under this coaching staff and players that will be surround them ?

one of my biggest concerns about both Tommy and Finch departing is regarding there defence on the fringes.

For two of the smaller guys they possibly have (pound for pound) the best technique of any half-backs in the league and in Tommy's case the world.

They might not be specifically critiqued on there defence and they primarily earn there money by being an offensive player, but in the modern game there is not room for any hangers on in defence.

That is why i am not to concerned about Smith and Chase being linked. One thing for sure is that they are both pretty sound defenders. Chase has pulled of some cracking hits when i have watched him (The Ropati incident aside).

I don't want us to be signing another Tim Smith

no, Chase would create tries for fun with this team and behind the Wigan pack