Percival - sargînson
Turner - gelling
Jones - thornley

Dawson - Charnley/Burgess (played there numerous times at academy & u19 level) j Tomkins (who's also won a GF playing centre) & Bateman
(Silly argument but you started it) LMS - tony clubb (who's played internationals at centre).

Ashworth - Gildart

I think we're pretty well off and wouldn't swap our "depth" and options for any other clubs.

If and I know it is a big if a quality centre became available I would have Gelling and Thornley as the back up.
I totally agree that there is a dearth of quality centres partly due I think to the general thought that it's ok to play players out of position to cover this role. We wouldn't do this with a half back or a loose forward but all teams seem to do it consistently with the centre position.
Maybe if coaches looked at developing more centres as a specialist role rather than concentrating on bulk, impact players, prop come second rowers and "taking the ball in" we may see a more balanced approach to squads and style of play.
Rant over .
A good debate which only makes February seem a long way off!

Tierney
Manfredi
Thornley
Gildart
AN Other
Hampshire
Powell
Mossop
Tomkins
Dudson
Tautai
Patrick
Bateman

Subs
Sutton
Lloyd
Greenwood
Farrell

Sure I've missed some off, but that's not a bad reserve team is it? Most have reasonable super league experience, and there are a few internationals in there too.

Lever can play prop or in the back row and Doran can play in the halves and hooker to be added to that list.

Fair play, i'd forgotten about Clubb. But he's never won a Grand Final at centre.. You seriously compare Dawson to Charnley???

Surely Gildart needs to play a few games at Super League level and prove himself before being dubbed as the "best young centre in the game?"

The step up from 19's to Super League is astronomical; Gildart has done nothing yet.

Burgess is an out and out winger IMO, he's never played as centre at Super League level has he? The lads that haven't played at Super League level are out and out centres so i've included them. Fair play Tomkins though, but upon his return from Union he's done nothing to make me envious at second row, never mind centre to make me envious of your obviously unrivaled depth.



Well Charnley is a winger for me, Dawson is a centre/winger. I could just as easily include Makinson instead who's probably played as many games at Super League level at centre as Charnley and was a centre at academy level. I can't comment on whether Charnley was, I don't know on that matter.


Still, it wasn't an argument of who's got better options at centre as we've both got decent options and better than most of the league (even if you have Gelling ), it was more of me replying to someone saying you've got unrivaled depth, which i've show you haven't. You just keep including different players who've covered at centre during games so i'm doing the same.

Who've I ignored though, genuinely? Burgess? I've gave my reasons for that, same reason I don't include Makinson. I've not discounted Charnley at all, I said he's a winger for me then asked whether he's played centre, while still including him during my list of comparing depth. You then go on to mention Tomkins, who spent a season at centre, so did Lance Hohaia in 07. Still counts doesn't it. Don't compare LMS, but then goes onto say Bateman counts as depth as he ripped us a new one in the single game he played there, okay then. LMS won a Grand Final playing centre, Bateman never. I went through the rest which you do kindly acknowledge.

Still, as you say, it's getting a bit boring and we'll agree to disagree. The only centres I'd take from you anyway are Sarginson for how he played for England in the Autumn and Gildart as a youth player with very high potential. Likewise you'd probably only take Percival from us. Oh, and obviously Dawson

At Warrington Bridge and Atkins have been allocated the 3 and 4 shirt but no surprise if Ratchford slots in there as a first choice. Also Gary Wheeler is in reserve whilst both Monaghan and Evans have previously switched from there wing positions to play at centre in Super League. From the second row we also have Grix when back from injury who has played a lot of Super League games at centre whilst Currie has also been selected at centre in the past. Beyond that we have Toby King who has already played first grade and was the stand-out centre in the recent academy series against the Aussies.

Admittedly biased but to be honest I think you'd find it difficult to argue against the experience at centre provided by Bridge, Atkins, Ratchford, Wheeler, Monaghan, Evans, Grix, Currie and King providing as good as if not better depth than Wigan have in the position.

Naming all those as PY has done for their possibilities at Wire they probably have more depth at centre than us but that is our "thinnest" position.
I think Wigan's is as good a squad as any and better than most. Us and Wire IMO have the strongest squads with the most depth, Saints have quality but not depth in the pivitol positions.
Looking at 1,6,7,9,& 13 then Wigan and Wire are better off than Saints. Saints don't have an U19 threatening Lomax at 1, Burns at 6, Walsh 7, Roby 9 although I don't think 13 is a position for someone from the U19s. Wigan and Wire have an abundence of talent for those postions both young and experienced.
Wigan's main advantage is pace. Wire, Saints., Leeds and Catalan have quality players but none with the pace of Wigan's squad.
Iain Thornley is a quality centre who through bad luck with injury has lost his place and shirt number to a player who when signed last year didn't have a position to hold down. Shows the competition for places when Sarginson can come from the defensive debacle at Cas to being an outstanding player in the England squad.