It's like a mass suicide cult on here at times.

Lets wait to see what actually happens (if anything does) and the facts if Hock does go before slitting our wrists, or putting a horse's head in Lenagan's or Hock's bed.

I'm all for not making a loss each year but come on! Yes, I know we didn't reach a final this year which will affect our profits but we can't just keep letting players go to balance the books otherwise we will never reach anymore finals and the problem will just continue. Why spend a three figure sum on Blake Green if the club is so concerned about not making a loss, he's hardly a world beater. Another financial issue is the fact we should have a very significant amount of salary cap free for next season with big earners such as Tommy, Finch, Lima and now Hock going coupled with Fielden and Carmont who won't have been on peanuts. We should be spending this on a quality short term replacement for Carmont and signing an experienced prop, then the rest spent on increasing younger players' wages. Slightly concerned at the moment about where we are heading!

Did you not finish top of the pile this year???

Yep an absolutely awful year for the Wigan Warriors. Finishing top how dreadful must that have been.

It was in response to this




If IL did not care about the fans, then I would suggest that the poster is ignoring the on the field success IL has brought to Wigan since he came.

But we are talking about the loss of players and potential players in this offseason and going forward, not last season.

Given he has four years left on his contract and his standing in the game at least the reported amount received for Joel T. That isn't the question that bothers me and I am not sure why you are interested in my valuation either. The question that bothers me is why, given the high esteem he is held as a player in the game why any offers of that ilk were not just declined. A players value is measured more than by just what you can sell him for IMO.

Maybe Wigan will have knocked any offers back and maybe this is all a twitter fuelled rumour that has got out of hand. What do you think?

I think part of the problem is a player having his head turned by a glamorous (NRL against SL) suitor. When a player is being approached it's bound to get them thinking. IF Hock goes it's more likely IL's cashing in on a player who doesn't want to stay and that makes sense (distasteful as it is for fans).

And yes, contracts mean jack when it's a buyers market.

Makes you wonder if IL had an inkling he would leave, and got the lengthy contract as a way of raising funds... shrewd if so...

I am not sure what scape goats has got to do with the issue of whether or not replacing the quality we have lost form the side is as easy and as matter of fact as you seem to think. I do not wish to be insulting or offensive but if you really think its as simple as you imply I think you are a bit deluded. I can't rememberer the last time we let so many experienced players go at once and replaced them with so many inexperienced or lesser players (and that applies whether Hock has gone or not). Yes in 10 years time it will all be history but its about what happens in the meantime as well - success or mediocrity.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Has he got the lottery numbers for next week to hand while he is at it?

Sad to see him go if he leaves, we'll miss his impact, but we have plenty depth in the squad in terms a second rowers. At the end of the day, he's 29, he's hit his peak and for every good thing he does in attack, he generally does something equally stupid and he's one of our poorest defenders in terms of both effort and technique. They may not be as flashy, but I'd be content that a Hansen, Farrell and Lockers back three with Tuson, Hughes and Lloyd waiting in the wings will fill the gap adequately. Hughes and Lloyd in particular have massive potential improvements to come. As good as Hock is, the big trophies won in 2010 and 2011 were without him, so he is far from irreplaceable.

I'm far more concerned about the unproven halves, the depth in the centres and how reliant we'll be on Sam / how he'll be replaced in the long term.

The year we lost Lam, O'Connor, Smith along with others springs to mind, and the repercussions were devastating to our team for several seasons that followed.

In which case as Hansen has reportedly been approached by Dean Bell why doesn't IL offer Hansen to the NZ Warriors now and get a fee rather than wait until his contract has expired next year and Wigan get nothing?

What about Mossop? He's on along term deal and rumours about him gong to the NRL have been knocking about. IL ought be able to raise a tidy sum for him as well.

Anyone else of interest to the NRL who we had better get shut of while we can make some money?



Try telling Bradford that.

rlhttp://web.orange.co.uk/article/sports/parramatta_confirm_hock_talksrl