We needed to pay for Vealiki...

That turned out well

But Noble doesnt know what he is doing with youngsters.

I think Robinson would be a better foil for Tomkins than either Leuluai or Brown.

how many years will it be before we are saying the same thing when we allow more players to go as people get on there backs as they dont think they are good enough or the changing of managers every couple of years,keep the faith with this team,just needs fine tuning.just let these young lads come through who care about wigan and stop bringing players in for big paydays who dont give a damm!

That depends on people seeing Tomkins as a SO or SH.

IMO of past players Dobson would be perfect.

The idea situation for me would been Barrett for a year or two with Sam at SH, then Dobson coming back and Sam moving to stand off when he's perhaps become a bit more of a physical presence.

If we still had Barret, Tomkins would not even of got in the team yet. I see your point though.

I don't think it really matters, you need a player with more of an organisational game at the moment, whether that be a SH like Dobson or a SO like Barrett.

Though I don't think Dobson is much better than average tbh, he looked to excel at your place because you'd been that used to the dross that was Moran. He's doing well at HKR, but again he's just playing a fairly decent game however he's doing it consistently.

I think you are right about us needing someone to organize and it would be great to have someone teaching Sam this side of the game however he is still just one player in a team of 17 therefore surely it is best to try and find his best position.

It's a difficult scenario.

Probably to keep the likes of Wild, Brown, Robinson (ignoring any off field issues) etc. on, you have to up their wages, and guarantee them first team opportunities. Thus you have to cut back on over seas signings.

If the club cut bak on over seas signings in favour of promoting youth, they cut get shouted down from the fans (as is the case now).

I'd like to think a happy medium could be achieved under the current staff at the club, but such idealism was never realistic under Lindsay.

i think everyone is in favour of keeping youth over getting overseas players, but the whole point of allowing overseas players is to get a higher standard of player that isn't available in the form of a british player, or a ready made youngster.

The case at the moment is that we are calling out for a top quality prop, theres no top class british props currently available and with a quota spot open we should be using it to bulk up the front row.

I personally also agree with what lenegan is ccurrently doing, he's got to work hard to get rid of the idea that wigan will pay over the odds for average aussies. The only player i'm gutted we missed out on is Tronc, and [no offense to wakefield] i can only think we can't have gone in for him, we have enough room on the cap and must surely be a more attractive proposition than wakefield. To think of the players that they are signing for next year, there isn't a huge amount leaving that would free up a stupid amount of capspace.

I think they're going to be a team to watch next year, although a lot depends on whether they ccan keep brough.

Absolute nail on head with that post!

Exactly and the very reason we HAVE to get rid of nobby and get a decent coach in next year. If you compare the line ups from the semis position for position we beat them virtually in every department, yet they are in a challenge cup final and 3rd in the league!!

Comparing the two semi final line ups -
B. Hodgson > Phelps
Cudjoe < Richards
Lolesi < Carmont
Whaturia < Gleeson
D. Hodgson, = Roberts
Brown < Tomkins.
Robinson <Leuleui> Prescott
Moore = Riddell
Griffin < Coley
Wild < Bailey
Fulton < Hansen
Faiumu <Oloughlin> Fielden
Jackson < Feka
Kirmond < Tomkins
Lunt < Flanagan

So player for player in each position id have us running out as convincing at 12 - 3 winners with two players pretty much like for like.

Shows you what a decent coach can do! If brown or smith would have come to wigan at the start of the season we would be at wembley and top two IMO.