No but their salaries will go up year on year.

Shorrocks, KPP will be next.

It’s just too many forwards, all at a similar level getting upgraded / inflated contracts at the same time.

For me we should only really have two young props, two young second towers at the same time. We actually have 3 props and 3 second rowers all first team regulars

Aye. Something stinks rotten and the stench is coming from the skeletons in the boardroom closet.

My personal feeling is that it's number 1 as in the fans forum they pleaded poverty starting that they're £450 grand worse off a season, while also stating that we offered Williams our largest ever contract. You can't have both.

If Byrne, Shorrocks, Smithies and Partington are on £100k each that’s shocking and no wonder our side looks weak on paper. I’m sure that’s not the case.
Havard I can understand because there was interest from plenty of other clubs including the NRL and I’m sure he’s a potential star in the making.

It’s easy to jump on this and get angry but honestly I can’t see it being the case, even with Havard. £50k each tops.

What are the cap rules? First 25 only count on the cap or does everyone count if they've played first team rugby?

Why not?

I agree, we need to start being ruthless like Saints are

Made to coach with his hands tied behind his back? Really ha ha ha hes not coached anything to anyone. Hes made us gradually worse.

He wanted to sign Sammutt and Lenegan backed him. Then Lam didnt pick him

End of the day, lam is gone and we are a better team already by the fact he isnt here.

Its not breaking the bank no, but it all has to be fitted into the cap doesn’t it? 3 or 4 players getting 20k extra is another average players value. French and hastings both got pay rises last year which basically meant we ran with a player less this year.

Maybe we should just let the young lads go elsewhere then complain when it happens?

It’s a fine balancing act for sure. Damned if you let young lads go and damned if you keep them and don’t sign more experienced players. Lam played a huge part in it looking so unbalanced IMO by putting out full packs of kids when he could’ve got guys like Bullock and Clark in there. Having 2 or 3 kids in is great but having 6 young forwards in your 17 for a play off tie is overkill.

Ultimately it’s about firstly keeping your best kids and then choosing the best ones to be in your first 17. I look at them all and Havard, Smithies and Pearce-Paul are the stand outs for me and are ones I’d see as first 17 players next season. The likes of Partington, Byrne and Shorrocks are good lads and decent players and all have places in a squad but realistically they should be around your squad positions 18-23 IMO and should be pushing for starting places. All will improve and get better over the years but only in the right environment. Having them all in at once is hurting us and hurting them. Byrne should be fighting Havard for a spot, KPP should be fighting Shorrocks and Partington should be fighting Smithies and all driving each other on. They should not be all playing side by side in a superleague pack, not yet. That should be the aim for 3 or 4 years time but it’s far too early. The club takes some blame for that being the case but Lam had a weird fetish for putting them all in. I trust Peet and Wanes knowledge of developing youngsters to not over burden them all as part of the same pack next season, unless it’s an absolute emergency. It has to be the first priority going in to 2022.

As I said, I don’t believe that to be true.

The gospel according to IL and KR maybe...but I hope we get to hear lams story just like we’ve heard the more accurate one from Edwards!
The ‘fans forum’ that was nothing but a damage limitation exercise where they attempted to spin the truth, absolve themselves and scapegoat lam for their own failures. anyone can see the problems go a lot deeper than lam!

How do you hold a coach accountable who gets no choice of players or investment in the team? Given IL & KR pick all the players I find the sammut ‘story’ unlikely! More likely is IL thought he was getting a superstar and lam didn’t rate him. Would love to hear from lam on it!

After listening to Lam's after match comments I wouldn't put any value on his view of Wigan Rugby League.

Remind me why we should be more like Warrington?

You can always trust them to cheer you up a little. I thought we were bad last night but wow, this is different level.