I agree with that you say with regards to unity, hard work, toughness and commitment jonh but you can only get so far with that.

There has to be an element of talent in there. I have to be totally honest and say I'm disappointed that we have signed Jordan James again. He wasn't good enough for Salford last season when they were languishing around the bottom so how he is good enough for a title winning team is beyond me.

I am willing to support him 100% though and I am hopeful that I will be proved wrong. It'll just take some convincing IMHO.

Building two teams, so top players can be rested and we can still field a team which can compete with the times from the lower end of the table.

Team 1

Bowen
Charnley Goulding Thornley Gelling
Green Smith
Flower McM Taylor
Pettybourne Faz
Lockers

Hampshire
Manfredi Thornley/Gelling AN Other Sarge Burgess
Williams Powell
James Tomkins Dudson
Clubb Hughes
Hopkins

With lots others to pick from.

Personally I think Sarge and Burgess will make their way into the first team this season. I also think we'll see Bowen rested allowing Hampshire some game time, I see him as our first choice FB in 2015.

Same here. This signing smacks of desperation with the exit of Lauaki and Powell leaving us short of experienced props.

It also highlights the madness of selling Hansen.

Baggsy having him as a scape goat for this season.

You really are a miserable b*****d aren't you, I really don't know why you bother. James isn't a world beater but he's an ex marine and will give it his all as he did in his first stint. He's also a member of the club staff so I will trust that the senior management know what they are doing........

Isn't that already reserved for knackered knees Bowen???

Nothing to lose adding him to the playing staff. He will be an excellent influence for the young players (and old alike actually) with his dedication and determination. His story is an interesting one and I'm pleased for him that he's been given this chance.

Not for me. I had Eric last year so James seems to be the obvious choice for me. I'm still hoping that Shaun Wane will fail big style and I'll still have Gelling as a back up. Three is enough for any doom monger.

Rubbish Wigan. Get the kids in.....

Just wait till he finds out that we've been looking at Karl Pryce again!

I'd have to have a complete overhaul of my scapegoat strategy if that happened.

I'm covering my bases this year and have decided that the squad no.18 is my chosen scapegoat this season. Why pick on one person when you can blame thousands?

Desparation would be signing him as our starting prop or paying a lot for him. What it has to do with Hansen is beyond me. He and Tuson are replaced by Clubb, Bateman and Hopkin, not someone we've signed as injury cover for a year at prop until Greenwood/Sutton is ready to play the odd game

It was either sell Hansen now or him leave without us getting a fee and the end of this season.
I can see Clubb being a staight replacement for HH. Clubb is a right sided player both as centre and 2nd row.
Perhaps Bateman is the replacement for Tuson. As much as I liked Chris T, Bateman is never the less a very good buy.
The signing of James is a back up signing. He has plenty in front of him but will probably play around a dozen to 15 games I'd think. The additional cost to the club will probably be very little.
After this number of years now with Mcguire and Wane, we don't get too much wrong and not here either.

decent back up prop, and i trust Wane's judgement.

They better not try and pass him off as a marquee signing!