Does anyone think Joel Tomkins and Darrel Goulding will be in these categories in 2 or 3 years??

IMO its a big season for both of them. Joel needs to create something extra in his game, i think he should be making at least 2 clean breaks in a game, thats what we need from him. He was running good lines off Barrett at the end of the 08 season and he looked top class. Our back row looks very defensive since Hock left.

Personally i don't think DG is good enough. Lacks the pace, size and skill needed to be a quality centre. He has shown the odd glimpse that he's got a bit of skill, but hasn't done it on a regular basis imo.

I think you are slightly off topic here. The players being discussed in Roughes first post were players who could have been greats e.g. Wright if he had not got injured and Haughton who just didn't apply himself but clearly had the talent.

What you are saying here is you think these two players are simply not good enough which is not the same thing.

Dave

Both these players clearly have the talent though. I specifically remember everyone raving about DG when he was coming through the ranks so he "could" be a Wigan great, but probably won't be. I suppose i am slightly off topic in that they are not ex-players so its all a bit hypothetical.

Nigel Wright and Simon Haughton are the obvious ones for me because they showed the class, at times. It wasn't just about potential with them, we knew they could deliver. Both men could have been fixtures at test level, never mind just in the Wigan team.

Spot on. It's always a shame when you know a player can deliver but they fail to do so. Normally it's injury as it was with Wright that gets in the way but when it's lack of application as it was with Haughton that is very frustrating.

I can't remember if it was on this board, Mike's "other" Wigan forum even one of the other small Wigan forums that have come and gone but Simon Haughon's Dad used to post! It made for some interesting threads!

Dave

The reason my first choice as "could have" was Chris Melling was that having watched him graduate through the lower teams you could see that he was a class player.

He was quick, had good hands,was evasive and an excellent kicker of the ball from both open play and at goal.
However, his biggest asset was (thinking about the captain thread) that he was a great communicator (talker) and organiser from the fullback position.
I really believe that he could have been the regular England fullback and Wigan captain by now.

It's such a pity that the two knee injuries (re-constructions) robbed him of those opportunities.

Would agree with Wright and Haughton.

Also would include Hock in that bracket. I think he had the potential to be one of the best British 2nd rowers in the last 20 years, and look what happened.

Sure he did "ok", he may even have done "well" , but he could have been so much better.

Danny is a diabetic and I'm sure that has a bearing on his erratic form.

My eldest daughter is a practice nurse and monitors him on a regular basis.

Paul Johnson anyone? His brother's death hit him hard and he never really came back to form playingwise, I remember when he was back of the series for GB in 2001, could have easily been England's first choice centre by now. Luke Robinson's a good call too, he never really seemed to improve after he left.

What about Bryan fletcher?... To be honest missed most of the season we had him as I was travelling, just wondering what people thought of him? I no he had a big rep before signing.

He was well past his prime when he came to us and still did a great job in a poor side, wouldn't put him in this thread at all.

You could always tell that Fletch was top class, just a pity he played in a dog sh! t team.

Aye, he'd have still had a place in today's team (would do a better job at prop than Fielden!).