Winning at Saints is never easy, it wasn’t in the 80’s and 90’s and it won’t be in 2024.

Both Walters and Nsembe dwarf Joel. Junior is 6’5” and 17st 5lbs and Walters is bigger. Happy days

That was a good spot mate.

in regards to who would you choose from each side, sometimes you have to admit that players are different / have a different skillset and perhaps fit or dont fit a style of play

Roby is undoubtedly one of the best hookers (if not the best) of the SL era. However, at the point we had McIllorum i wouldnt have swopped them but that is more because they are different players and both suited the styles of Saints and Wigan respectively at that point in time. Roby was very much about getting Saints on the front foot with ball in hand, off the back of Graham / Walmsley etc getting a quick play of the ball, however, McIllorum was our defensive lead, taking the game to the opposition physicall and aggressively in defence. So 2 very different players, but one that both Wigan and Saints fans would argue they wouldnt swop

onto current teams and i like Isa as an example, but you would look at Sironen, Batchelor and Whitely and could argue that all 3 are better players, and you'd be kidding yourself if you chose to say that they werent. However, again Isa fits our current 2nd row model of grafting for 80mins with nowt flashy. There's no coincidence he's still here despite what Wigan or other clubs fans think about him

Isa has been an amazing signing for Wigan and he has been so valuable to us over the years. I still think he is but it's probably more now in a role of leading the culture and setting standards away from the field. I think as the season goes on he may well be on the outer, with Walters and Nsemba being two physical freaks, who I think we'll have to find places in the 17. Whatever happens though you know Isa will just keep working hard and helping the squad and he's probably been getting written out of peoples first choice teams since day one, yet he's rarely been anything other than a first 17 player. It's a testament to his fitness, injury record and determination.

He has, and not many of us would have thought he'd still be in the starting 17. It seems that many fans, including Wiganers havent or didnt really rate him, but as i alluded to there's no coincidence that he is still at Wigan and in the starting 17 week in, week out.

it will be interesting to see if / how he is phased out from the starting 17 if Nsemba and Walters are both fully fit. The competition will be good from a Wigan perspective and hopefully drive the 2 young ones on to deliver what we all feel they can do. Attack wise i think they will both add a different dimension to Isa, but equally the defensive prowess of Isa cannot be under-estimated and its evident how different our defence is when he is playing

Isa has been brilliant for Wigan,but you can't put him against Sironen,Batchelor and Whitely and say they are better but what you could say is are they better than Isa,Nsemba and Walters which I would say no combined as a unit I think I would still have ours.The Saints players are very good though who have reached their potential as Nsemba and Walters havn't yet.

Spot on Mark, and that's what I was alluding to. O'Neil/Clark would be a similar comparison. Saints need Clark's speed around the ruck as they don't have it elsewhere whereas we have pace to burn so O'Neil setting the defensive intensity is a more valuable commodity for us. Its horses for courses and why I kept saying 'better for Wigan' when discussing this.

The combined team approach just doesn't answer the question that was being raised; "would we currently take any Saints players for Wigan" It was never a "who's the better player" discussion (unless I misunderstood the OP).

If Isa retires at the end of 2024 I hope Wigan find him a position as head of development/community. He is a fantastic ambassador for the club and IMO would be perfect for that position.

Agreed and I've said the same many times.

There's literally no one I can think of who'd be better equipped to fill such a role. As a player he "failed" at the storm and had to rebuild in the UK. He chipped away at Widnes, moved to Wigan and has been an undoubted success. He's been coached by Bellamy, Wane, Peet etc. He's seen good culture, bad culture etc. The fact he's still playing at his age, shows that he looks after himself off the pitch.

If you wanted a role model for the next generation of Wigan lads, Isa ticks every box.

Isa a role model?? Ye gods

It was at Wembley in 1989.

In every way possible, yes he is.

Saints fans have a downer on Isa based on him losing his head for 10 or so minutes against them in '21, actions he was suspended for and released an unreserved apology for. Other than that game his discipline has been pretty solid for years, he's played wherever he's asked to, always leading from the front, defensively always been fantastic.
He's exactly the sort of player great Wigan sides have always been built around, good solid 100% professionals, willing to turn up and graft whenever asked and allow the star players around him to shine.

I can probably guess what you're referring to, was it three or four seasons ago when for whatever reason he lost it against you men in about three consecutive matches ?
Apart from that he's been exceptional, a real club man, dare I say Sam Panapaesque, just gets on with the job wherever he's asked to play, never a whisper of off field shenanigans or being anything other than totally professional in his attitude.
100% a role model for any junior coming through the ranks.