Same here.

If he is taken back on he should only displace someone from the side on merit not reputation. And that implies the player already in the team isn't delivering the goods as well which is by no means certain.

has he actually signed, or is this speculation?
personally i wouldnt touch him with a barge pole..........let us down by doing drugs, now expects to breeze back into a side which in honesty dosnt need him.

ok...hes a big tough enforcer type.......but he gives too many silly penalties away.
we have plenty like that , who dont give penalties.

our penalty machine at the moment is Joel.....but no way would i leave him out for hock........and we have enough props.

its difficult to see where we would fit him in the side.............remembering that he was an average player in a struggling side....how can anyone justify putting him in a championship winning side

I think average is unfair; he put the work in and often looked to be one most likely to break the line. However, I do agree he shouldn't displace those in form without already showing some form (and shaking off the rust) in the Reserves first.

That's a spot on analysis. I doubt that any other team would want him and his off field baggage,(not even Crusaders) and Wigan is his only SL option. For the life of me, I can't see why or where he fits into your current squad. If it's simply as injury cover, then giving that chance to one of the young players would be a better choice for the future. Hock is part of your recent unsuccessful past, and brings little to your present set up.

He always was a penalty machine, and to have him and Tomkins J on the field at the same time would simply mean an awfull lot of the game would be played in your half.

Having re read that last paragraph, please get him onto the field soonest!

FFS will all you doom mongers out there saying they wouldn't touch him with a barge pole give the fella a break. He's done the crime (with the most shame and damage on himself and family ) and he's doing his time.

Which is why I posted.

First of all, where has there been any suggestion from Gaz Hock himself or the club that he "expects" to just breeze back into the side? I'm quite sure there hasnt been any suggestion of this and that he knows he will have to pull his weight before he is even considered.

Secondly to call him average is laughable!! He has given his share of penalties and was stupid enough to be caught taking a banned substance but on his day he is one of, if not the best second row in the country.

Anyone else thought of loaning the guy out to get some much needed 1st grade Rl under his belt??

IMO he would walk into any starting 13 in SL. He will be an asset to us , more so next year as hoffman is only meant to be here for 12 months. All this talk of him being average is . I hope he gets up to speed and is an intregal part of the team come the end of the season and play offs.

The Union player at Saracens who came back after a ban played something like within a week of the ban ending.
Surely he must have had a training period prior to playing however small?
If that's the case then Hock will have that same training period.
Both Coley and Hoffman are on one year deals with a further year's option. He could replace either.
If Wigan don't play Hock there would be 13 other clubs that would!