If the club were to sign Richardson, they would be signing a player who is no better or worse than Josh Woods who was released.

So the coach picks the targets then?

I missed the last forum but have been at every other one before that and it’s certainly not how I’ve ever interpreted what they say. I recall one forum where Lenagan explained how him and Radlinski have a document of which players contracts run out when, which academy lads are coming through in certain positions, who they expect could step up and they discuss targets well in advance of going for them.

Mitch Clark, Joe Bullock and Jarrod Sammut for starters weren’t the coaches picks surely?

Sammut was brought in specifically at Lam's request

Nope
Not solely
And I do believe Jarrod Sammut was Adrian Lam's pick

Below has always been my understanding
Coach, Assistant coaches,Scouts etc. etc. all bring suggestions to the table - Players are discussed and proposals put forward to Senior Management
Areas of requirements are discussed by Senior management & Coaching staff and people are tasked with looking into those situations and again info fed back into the Senior management

What is categorically NOT DONE in the simplistic way put forward, is KR & IL just pick a player and sign him

Ultimately there is a budget that sits behind everything and KR is in charge of that budget
Of Course he will say we have a list of academy players coming through and contracts etc. what else are they supposed to say - We have no idea who's on what contract and for how long?

The explanation they gave at the last fans forum also explains why it has to be a more nuanced approach than "The coach picks a player and signs him".

Heaven forbid the club would be as professional as this. You know it's more fun believing IL just spins a dice and hopes for the best.

I did say they consider the coaches input, so that’s the part I’ve taken from past conversations at fans forums. They always made it sound to me like they identify the players, put them to the coach and if there are no concrete objections, they’ll go ahead with negotiations. Your explanation is more detailed then anything I’ve seen them come out with at past fans forums and it sounds a good way of going about things. I noticed in an interview recently that they mentioned Matty Peet having scouted Mago and Ellis, so that is what got me thinking it had changed somewhat. I’m pretty sure Wane will have a fair input in to things going forward as well.

I realised when I mentioned Sammut that I’d read somewhere Lam wanted him. There’s no way he brought forward names like Joe Bullock or Mitch Clark though, so clearly there’s always been a more complex system then what Saints look to be using for example. Their coach is clearly having a massive input in to who they sign, as he’s worked with the majority of them in the past.

Not sure anybody put that to be fair

He may have specfically requested him but at the end of the day, the decision to sign him or any player is made by the Owner/Chairman/Management and has always been the case at Wigan!

At the time of John Monie being Head Coach, he wanted to sign Phil Blake but was overruled by the then management who signed Frano Botica instead.

I wonder with the Lee Briers connection would Wigan look at Gareth O'Brien?
Goalkicking halfback.

Mitch Clark left the club according to the MEN

And we had to pay him off which probably counts on the salary cap

A Cas fan on their own forum reckons he’s been given permission to discuss a move elsewhere but everyone else has shot the bloke down.

A far better player than Richardson for my money.

Newcastle bound, apparently.

blake left in 89 and we signed frano in 90, so we already had blake...