He's not set the world alight in his second spell. To have his wage off the books and a significant fee received for a player who was not worth what he was being paid is a good deal for the club.

Did we keep James McDonnells receipt?

I’d be trying to get him back asap or Matty Nicholson and use KPP in Batemans position with Nsemba/McDonnell/Nicholson or even Beardsworth as back up.

As an outsider I do think not weakens Wigan, as though not the player he was, is as fierce a competitor as there is. I know Who I’d prefer to have in my team in a playoff game from Bateman or KPP…….

Personally, I'd rather have a 27-year-old Ellery Hanley, but that choice isn't open to us either.

We've got Isa, Farrell, KPP, Smithies, Shorrocks, Ellis, Havard and Nsemba who can all play second row/loose forward, no need to panic.

Edit
Add Brad O'Neil to that list, played a lot at #13 at academy level.

The big news is yet to come.

I can’t say I’m not frustrated in losing yet another English player. The management of the overseas quota hasn’t been great and that means we’ve no room to bring anyone in, whilst carrying a couple of lads not guaranteed to start games. Combine them both and it’s hurting us but it’s done now and we move on.

One thing I desperately want to see is us tie down our best young players long term. Lose Bateman and strip the squad of depth and that leaves you little wiggle room. We can make that worthwhile by getting lads like Smithies, Havard, Byrne and Smith tied to new 4 or 5 year deals and also making sure another Nicholson doesn’t happen with guys like Hill or Nsemba. If good can come from the loss of a top player, it at least helps soften the blow.

I wish 'tying players down to long-term contracts' was an actual thing, but it clearly isn't. We'd supposedly tied Bateman down, but the first sniff of an even better deal in Aus and he wants to go back.

Okay, we got good cash for him, but it's still frustrating that the contract system, while it clearly offers the players security, never seems to do the same for the clubs.

I know what you’re saying but it at least helps turn the momentum of players clearly planning on going at some point by only signing 2 or 3 year deals. Havard has always done that IIRC, others have signed for longer but have had them full of exit clauses at set points. If we could get those 4 I mention signed on 5 year deals, it just gives the place a different feel IMO. Just starting on making sure there are no more Nicholson type exit would be a start.

The problem is that we don't have a LF and we haven't replaced SOL.
A starting backrow of Isa, Farrell and Smithies is too small and there are no natural ball handlers in any combination from your listing Brian apart from KPP whose workrate at times, i find questionable.
Putting a prop at LF is pretty old school and for me isn't the way forward.
Brad O'Neil maybe the answer but you couldn't play Isa, Farrell and O'Neil together.

Come on Brian tantalise us a bit more

Ellis played most of his NRL games at LF

Will it be soon?

I agree we are comfortable with lads who can drop into 13 however I think we are thin on the ground with quality second rows.

Faz is obviously top class, KPP has fantastic potential but he is still far from the finished article, Isa I have really rated at Wigan but he is clearly on the decline and Nsemba is an unknown.

The rest of the lads are “middles” not specialist backrows with the exception of Smithies.

No need to panic as you say however it is an area that needs addressing but it has to be the right player with quota spots opening next year and from what I can see no real top secondrows becoming available who are non quota in 24.

He may have played 20 games or so sticking his head in the third row of a scrum but I don't think that he played LF.
Playing a prop at LF is normally done to beef up the front row because of concerns on their ability to dominate the forward battle.. By doing so I suspect that it could reduce our attacking threat.

Smithies came on leaps and bounds last season and may yet develop into a fine LF and I hope that 2023 we will see more ball skills from him. At the time of writing he may have the 13 shirt and coming along quite nicely but he isn't a LF yet. This in itself wouldn't be a problem if we had a strong second row but unfortunately at the moment we haven't and if Farrell should get any long term injuries then we will be in a right mess.