I know people like to bang on about contracts here, but it's obvious to all and sundry that they are just not as binding as we the fans would like them to be, and will probably never be so. Many have this IL hobby-horse, and i suppose he is at fault for Burgess going to the RFU..!!!! It would appear that contract are open to being broken, and i can only assume, that that is the way they are written as a norm...

Money talks, end of, and players will not sign contract they can't get out of. The choice about whether to honour them, is as much down to the player as the club.

Thanks, its was a great night!!! Cant believe how many turned up, I thought we would get a decent turn out but that was something else.

Bondi Warrior thanks for organising a great night at The KSB . Me and my lad have had a fantastic time in Oz. We are now 36000 ft above Australia heading home

Bowen, for all his reputation, reminds me of David Moyes, big boots to fill and it's too much for him to live up to.

Wigan are a team in transition, from memory alone in the last three years or so you've lost Hock, Hansen, J Tomkins, S Tomkins, Leuleuai, Lima, Luaki, Fielden, Prescott, Richards, Finch, Carmont and Hoffman. That's one he'll of a player drain but I admire the production line and the goal of fielding an all Wigan system produced team.

Mossop, Coley, Deacon...

The Moyes comparison doesn't work for me. Moyes will work until he drops to be a success. If he doesn't achieve, it won't be through lack of effort, it'll be because he isn't good enough. The exact opposite of Bowen it seems to me.

I get the feeling Bowen is struggling to settle. Now that's not anything I know for sure but he just doesn't seem his usual bubbly self. A very good point was made by Bilko who mentioned all the travelling he's done since he came to the club. He did a day in Wigan before going to Florida then a couple of weeks before heading back to Australia and then coming back to a place he's not settled in to yet. He's done that without his family as well hasn't he? I think I read they were coming back after this WCC.

If that is the case he can now hopefully get his head down and settle in. Once he's done that hopefully we'll see a guy more focussed and switched on. If we don't then we've git the best up and coming player in the country to come in.

I really wish this game could of happened two weeks after the Grand Final - for me Wigan suffered more than ever because of this and in the end I thought we did quite well to keep it respectable.

I am not saying for one moment that Wigan would of beaten Sydney had this been the case but I do think the score-line would of been closer.

Its a shame that this does not seem possible.

Looking at the stats from the game they were all pretty close especially the metres made which to me indicates how heavily we could have been in the game but for silly mistakes and poor missed tackles. We certainly didn't get steam rolled which considering the size if their pack is a real plus. I thought the way we dealt with Hargreaves, Moa, Nuiasala and co was impressive in the main yet we miss those two silly tackles on the line. We missed a shocker on Jennings for the first try and gave him that one just after half time.

All if only's at the end of the day but I feel comfort in feeling that on another day we could have pushed them really closely.

Where did you get the stats from?

Do you think Hansen. Richards and Tomkins could of made a difference?

Agree with what you have said - considering the start we had we did really well to come back into and I am sure that Roosters will do a similar job on a number of NRL sides this season.

Can't help but think that goal kicking may haunt us this season...

I doubt Hansen had a get out clause whereas we now know know Mossop and Sam had such clauses. I doubt Hansen was the least bit dewy eyed about playing for Salford as was made out and had the club offered an extension mid way through last season when Hansen himself said he was happy to stay I think he'd still be our player. So it is not all down to players wanting away IMO but also at least in this case the clubs desire to sell. The club also does not have to agree to get out clauses such as Mossop and Sam had in the first place and needs to decide if it is worth signing players to so called long term deals when they are anything but if players insist on such clauses. The first I heard of Mossop's get out clause was after he left and I don't think it is fair to fans to give the impression certain players are here for 5 or whatever years when the club are virtually certain they won't be.

While I am under no illusion due to the poor deal the RFL have done with Sky we as a sport have ruled out keeping any world class players it needs to manage this so at the end of each season we don't start the next season with virtually a new side. It can do that by not being so keen to sell good players who it could realistically keep like Hansen and not seemingly being taken by surprise that we end up losing the likes of Mossop and Sam at the same time as others such as Richards have contracts that have actually run their course.

If Green leaves at the end of this season as he says he wants to I have no problem with that. He signed for two years and he is going to do two years. I always thought he wasn't given longer because the club had an eye to junior players being ready to take over and if so this looks like a good plan. IMO this is far better than saying you have signed someone for five years for them to leave after two as soon as someone comes knocking.

We won't get a fee for Green but then we won't have a player on a contract with a get out clause which means he has his mind elsewhere or will be distracted by endless speculation. This has got to be preferable to wondering just when RU for the NRL are going to make a bid and must make Wane's job easier.

Wigan getting hammered, hadn't even reached half time and there you were more than happy to stick the boot in and the first person to comment on the game on this board. Couldn't wait could you!!!

Sad

The game reminded me on many ways of the Challenge Cup Semi Final v Leeds in 2012. So many mistakes, then get back into the game and make another soft error.

I believe Bilko has posted a photo showing that the Jennings try from our loose pass was "debatable"