Ryan Hampshire will have another season learning from him is Wanes most pleasing comment.

Saints fans better scrub his name off their team sheets for next year.

Would a more pleasing comment not have been "Ryan Hampshire will be our fullback next year".

No offence to Bowen who has found some real form in recent weeks, but is he really going to be significantly better than Hampshire next year? If not, surely Hampshire should be getting the nod for the year? He looks immense from what I've seen of him.

So, with the addition of Tautai, next year we will have 13 players that didnt come from our academy?

I don't really see why it matters anyway, but it's pretty difficult to state that so confidently when we don't know the full extent of next year's incomings and outgoings. Green is confirmed as leaving plus Taylor, Dudson and James have all been rumoured to be.

It's getting to the point now where people are so fixated on where players are from rather than on the quality they add to the squad. Our youth system keeps producing quality juniors but you are always going to need quality additions from elsewhere. We've used over 30 players in the first team this season, they can't all be from Wigan.

Delighted Bowen has decided to go around again, he was immense on Saturday. He adds quality and experience to a young squad. Rocky's been unlucky with injuries this season, I'm sure he'll get plenty of opportunities next season to stake his claim to be first choice in 2016.

I did wonder...

I personally see Hampshire as more of a 6 or 7 so that versatility will get him plenty of opportunities. I think he's an unbelievable talent but as a fullback Bowen is currently a better option. He's safe as houses under the high ball (after a strangely shaky start) whereas Hampshire really struggles. He's better defensively as well although I'd already have Hampshire on a par in attack which is a big rap because Bowen is outstanding.

Bowen at 1, Powell at 6, Smith at 7 and Hampshire and Williams backing them up is fine by me! Including a bench spot that's 5 players for 4 positions which will mean plenty of game time for them all.

Rocky has been unlucky this year. The weeks when Bowen has been injured or rested he has also been injured meaning he has had much less game time than Wigan would have hoped. To give him the #1 shirt next year would be a big risk.

It's been a really unfortunate coincidence that hasn't it! Hampshire would have got a decent number of games recently if he'd been fit but instead Sarginson has had to fill in or they've had to put Bowen through a fitness test to play.