If that's the case then fair enough - we need to keep pushing the academy lads in the way we have been. Maybe the one minor error was signing another middle in Chan and not looking for a project backrower.

I'm not sure we even need any more signings. It could be counter productive in that there's already players who need to be brought through. Eckersley, Forber, Douglas, Makin, Eseh and Chan to name but 6. Some major potential right there. In addition, many of our first teamers are in the early parts of their careers. Havard, Walters, Nsemba, O'Neil, Dupree, Smith etc still have most of their careers in front of them.

For the first time in a long time, signing more senior players is probably not the way to go.

Yeah, I agree with that, maybe Chan could play second row? He looks better built for playing on the edges but I know he sees himself as a middle but I think his lack of size will mean he will struggle to reach the top.

Looks like a great bloke with a fantastic attitude but seems an unnecessary signing atm.

i think the club made some signings last year, certainly with rule changes in mind with Eseh, Chan and Walters, with all 3 of them being between 20-22. All have potential, some 1st team games under their belts and potential to develop into 1st team players at Wigan. As we've seen we havent started with what anyone would consider our 1st choice rotation of props (Thompson, Cooper, Havard, Dupree - subject to personal opinion to add in Hill, Byrne and Mago), so our large number of props is looking justified at the minute as we've been able to hold our own with a rotation last night that is probably way down the pecking order (Thompson, Hill, Chan, Mago)

if you look at a couple of the other threads about our best rotation of props for this year, and all see Eseh / Chan outside of that initial rotation, especially given Harvie Hill is really stepping up

whether the club see Chan as a prop or backrow, is probably yet to be seen fully and he certainly wouldnt be anywhere near the current starting 17 if everyone was fit

He runs in hard but he must be the lightest prop in the league, or not far off it. He must be 6 foot and 15 stone if that.

If we are looking at a returning player I’d prioritise McDonnel, he looks every bit a Wigan type player who could drop into that Isa role.

I’m thinking more about a loose forward Jon.

Don’t don’t think we need a 13 any time soon with the amount of middle forwards we currently have.

They are both off contact at the end of next season, it will be interesting to see what happens if Isa and Farrell call it a day within that timeframe. Personally, I don’t think we will make a move for either it is more likely that we extend the contracts of our younger players and look to promote from within.

According to the press we made a move for Tyler Offiah, Martin’s son, who had recently been playing for England U18s in the 15 man code however he has chosen to stay in Union with Bath.

I think they likely see him as a back up loose forward and that makes sense given Smithies and Shorrocks went through the door. His lack of size doesn't seem to impact him too heavily in terms of making ground but it's been tough for him to really make much of an impression due to a lack of minutes. He looks another Partington/Shorrocks type of forward in that to see what he really can do, you'd need him to be playing 70/80 minutes every week.

On a side note with him, the main area he clearly needs to work on is his discipline. I was staggered to see on the Superleague site that he is our most penalised player on 6 this season. He's made 3 appearances but has probably played less than 80 minutes in total (and maybe less than an hour off the top of my head) so that is pretty incredible.

According to Wiki he's 6' 1" and 15 1/2 stone. Not the biggest as you say. He does run it in above his weight though and he seems pretty mobile. I'd like to see him given longer minutes to see what he can do but, build wise at least, he does seem to suit the back row better.

Reading these comments I’m getting flashbacks to the posts from when we signed Isa.

Lack of size and pedigree and nobody was overly excited, some were bemused and none of us really saw where he fit in positionally.

I’m comfortable with him and his place in the squad at the moment.

He needs a bit of time and an opportunity to find his place.

He does remind me of a younger Isa playing with a smile on his face,full of energy and 100% commitment.