You can't compare that era to this. Edwards,Schofield and Hanley and other GB players also went the other way to Aus on short term deals as well in the off season.

I agree, but I had to make a comparable point considering Matty was discussing Kenny etc. I think focusing on our homegrown talent is even more so important in the SC era.

Primarily it was poor SC management, if any quality import is willing to fit within the SC constraints they should be welcomed to the club.

I think the more UK (wouldn't restrict it to just Wigan - ala Mossop/Cumbria) players we have in our squad of 30 the better. I just think we should always have room for 3-4 "QUALITY" imports to complement them. I still think we have too many imports (currently 7), we should have 3 or 4.

By having only 3 or 4 we could perhaps recruit of a slightly higher standard than the 7. At the same time allowing three additional UK players to develop in the first team squad.

I agree, but not at the expense of strong Wigan talent. Hence my original post of focusing and welcoming a wigan coaching staff who will be more loyal to the club and help its development for the club, not to advertise themselves to the NRL.

Perhaps. I think we see each others points. Currently, out of our current team I feel only Carmont. Tommy and Pat are proven successes. Even Carmont came in the twilight of his career.

But TOP NRL players often only come to a UK club at the back end of their career, I'd sooner have a Wigan lad who it means something to taking up the cap.

There are several UK players not at Wigan who I would gladly welcome into the team and feel more comfortable about their length of stay and dediication to the club.

I'd go with that and lets not forget if we could recruit real quality they do put bums on seats and excite the fans more than a team of all UK players would. Harsh on the UK players but that is just the way it is. I am sure there is more interest in Aus in the odd UK player who goes down under these days than your average NRL player.

Much of it is down to the individual, look at Dean Bell an overseas player but nobody could ever question his commitment & loyalty to the Wigan club.

Exactly, but I think the investment of the SC should be in the home grown system first. A Dean Bell is VERY hard to find. Plus his stint at Wigan was pre-cap.

+1

I agree that it should not be restricted to Wiganers, any British Player should be looked at especially at the youth stage. There is nothing wrong with overseas players or managers as long as they are New Zealanders who never let you down, think of all the great Kiwis that have played for us. When I started supporting Wigan in the 1940s, the team was all born within 10 miles of Wigan plus 2 Kiwis, Cec Mountford and Brian Nordgen and we were world beaters.

Crazy, when we signed Lam that season he was MOM for queensland as he hammered NSW. As for Renouf, was one of the ebst centres we ever had...look at how many he and his winger scored.