If the forwards make room for Matty Smith he'll certainly be an improvement on Finch or Leuluai in the kicking department. In games they don't though he may struggle ala Wire away last year. He looks a cracking player when he's got time but does seem somebody you can get at and knock off his game.

Him and Green will decide our fate this year. There's talk of us needing a centre or an experienced prop and maybe we do but I think there's enough quality to challenge if these 2 fire and get Tomkins and Hock stay fit all year.

Saints have revealed their squad today, less depth than we have IMO.

I couldn't agree more, the half-backs will be the key for use next season. The forwards are ok, pretty much the same as last year - hopefully Prescott will play more games and make up for the loss of Lima, the backs are mostly the same. Green for me could be the difference - he could offer something a little different than Finch who at times was a bit one dimensional, and he is supposed to be quick - so having someone able to take the line on more could be a significant advantage.I just hope that some of the fans given the half-backs a chance - it will take a few games for them to find their feet, patience will be needed. Also as options/cover we have Powell and Tomkins can also slot into the halves so we are probably as well off as most teams.

not sure if its the way the wind is blowing but lots of people on here now getting at finch - easy target i understand having left but for the first 2/3 of last season he was the stand out player for us who were the stand out team in the league.

I don't think people are disputing his quality. They are just raising the issue that the Leeds loss wasn't just down to Murphy dropping a bomb and probably had as much to do with a few poor kick options by Finch.

The kicking is one thing but the amount of stray passes he threw in big games (usually on our left flank) was beyond a joke.

More than a couple of these resulted in intercepts and a full length try.

Big, big fan of Finch from day 1, but he really let us down at the back end of this year.

I'm not a Wigan fan, but you have been easily the best team through the year in the last 3 years. But looking at the squad where has the cap space gone? Off the top of my head you've lost Lima, Fielden, Carmont, Leuluia (sp) & Finch. That has to be around 500K? Where has that money gone

IN Smith, Green, Thornley

Plus major upgrades for a lot of the younger players - long term contracts and pay increases.

I suspect there is still some room left on the SC as well.

On Wigan Tv Shaun Wane spoke of Taylor and Green as new signings to replace the lads that have left and said "we've got Green and Taylor as well as anybody else that may come in before the end of the year".

Words to that effect anyway so he didn't sound like a bloke that had given up on the idea of new players coming in.

No doubting Finch's quality, but as people have said, in the semi's last year he bottled it big time. Poor kicking, stray passes & the ones that found there mark were generally flat passes to Hock into a wall of defenders. He was a great player for most of his time here no doubt and leaves us with some great memories, but I think Tommy's time out injured showed us who was really making the team tick.

A few of us have been asking that very same question. £500k out of £1.7m is a hell of a big number to lose.

It happens all the time and I have mentioned it before. Player leaves and so he was rubbish. Look at some of the posts about Hock. When it looked like he was off the criticism mounted about his wayward off-loading and discipline that if you mentioned it when he was a nailed on Wigan player these things were minor blemishes on a great players game.

I am not suggesting everyone is as fickle as this but there are certainly some who will slag off players to justify the clubs current signings because as we know, the club can do no wrong.

Bottom line is no matter how good or bad Finch and Tommy where what counts now is how good Green and Smith are. Slagging off former players who clearly were class won't change that.

For most of the season Wane exceeded my expectations, by the end he had just about lived up to them.

To be fair though I've seen players who are considered natural centres who have looking unconvincing against 'proper centres' in games that count. In fact young centres generally have lots of flaws in their game so why would Hughes be any exception? Stefan Marsh was considered an out and out centre but he looked less convincing than Hughes but I'd hazard a guess that if Marsh was still at the club you'd be all for his selection at centre, regardless of whether he's the best option purely because you want someone you consider 'a centre' at centre.

Tomkins wasn't a natural fullback, he had flaws in his game and still does but he's adapted to the role over time. The only way we really got to see how effective Tomkins was at fullback was by giving him a chance and he proved himself to be the best available option.

Versatility isn't a bad thing. It's not like Hughes is going to become a terrible player if he's played at centre. If he plays there and is absolutely awful he'll be dropped and Thornley will play instead. In fact it's not even guaranteed that Hughes will be first choice centre as both he and Thornley will get an opportunity in pre-season.

There's nothing wrong with finding out about a players versatility and in young players it can often be beneficial to give them chances in different positions. Playing on the wing certainly seems to have helped Goulding.

Hughes has only started 6 games at centre for the first team. In Goulding's first 6 starts at Wigan he was far from convincing! (Admittedly the team was garbage). In many games later than that he looked unconvincing.

From what I've seen of Hughes at centre he's had a couple of disappointing games, a couple of very good games and four games where he looked like a decent stand in. I think it's worth giving him a few more opportunities at centre to see whether he's the best option.