Masterplan.

I'd have rather kept Flanagan if we'd had the choice but we didn't.

Hope all goes well for the lad over there and will be keeping an eye out for him if anybody decides to bother with the NRL coverage over here.

I don't really want Flanagan to go, he has impressed me when I've seen him in the first team this season.

Hopefully, if he is indeed going, that he'll come back to Wigan after his time in Oz.

I agree with you, I'm happy for him to go to aus, but I would be after a garentee for him to be back at wigan. I'm not sure how you could do this, maybe offer him a contract for 2012? but even then thats risky.

i dont think these deals exist do they?

Lost loads of collisions last night didn't he?

Can't say I really noticed him to be honest, apart from to say that when the subs were made and he came on we certainly again seemed to lose our way, not his fault by any means but not his best game last night, went about his work quietly did not stand out.

2 year deal for Flanny, should be a greta experience over there for him

if Flanagan's g/friend is an Aussie whats the guarantee he will come back at all. he may settle there with her.

good luck to him i hope it works out for him

That's a good point a lot of us have been assuming he'll come back after a couple of years, but there's nothing to say he will, but if he does I hope it's to us because his experience over there will only make him a better player.

So when we signed Flanagan from Bradford, its reported we paid a five figure sum for him. Well considering he's only managed to break into the first team within the last few months and now he's off to the NRL on a free, plus there's no guarantee of him ever coming back to Wigan, would you say that was money well spent? That's one hell of an expensive reserve!!

If he does well he won't come back. If he flops ala Tansey and Mathers he'll come back. Will we really want an NRL failure?

It depends on the situation with his girl friend as well I suppose. Decisions like this have a lot more to do with things other than rugby.

Well if he's less than brilliant he won't get an NRL contract. So if he does want to stay over there for his girlfriend he'll have to play reserve/Jim Beam rugby or get a job.

Yeah spot on

IMO

Taking a big risk in saying this, I think he'll be a huge hit over there, he's proven over here in recent weeks what his defence is like, almost Nathan Hindmarsh like. His fitness is through the room, and a pre-season over there will turn him into a machine.

Think he'll be back in SL, every player wants both NRL medals and SL medals. Whether it be net year or in 4years time.

Didn't he cost 70k? Not bad money compared to the big fat, lazy Karl Pryce in the reserves! I think Flanagan, always had it in the back for his head, with a fully fit Locker's were would his place be?

Whats to say he'll be with his gf in 12months?

We'll see tho, I suppose

Could be a starting centre next season...

Who for? Not a chance at Wigan unless Goulding hasn't recovered and either Carmont of Gleeson goes lame in pre season.

I personally would be surprised if Flanagan makes more than a couple of appearances at first grade down under.

Isn't it a two year contract? Maybe it'll take him a year to get up to speed.

Good luck to him I say. IMO he certainly has the ability to do well in the NRL.

It would be great to see him play well and get called up for England next time we go over there.

Too right it would.

And it would throw it back in some posters face's who have written him off before he's even gone.

Not knocking his ability, I simply doubt he will be given the time or opportunities to establish himself.

I do not believe for one second an NRL club would give an English player a contract unless they thought he could play some roll in the team. Why would they sign a player just to play in the reserves. I am sure he will get a chance in 2 years in the first team.

Do you think we signed him with the intention of playing him in the reserves? Or did we want to develop him into a great player to play in the first team?

It has happened before, they go over on nothing contracts for the experience, looking for an outside chance of making it, not saying that is the case with Flannigan but it has happened in the past.