Having just won Super League with half a team and no kicker to speak of, the evidence might suggest not. I'm interested why you think that. IMO it goes under the category - nice to have but not essential. A kicker who kicks 2/3 seems to be fine.

A kicker in a successful team might have around 100 attempts a season. So the difference between a 72% kicker (rubbish, like Matty Smith, apparently) and 78% kicker (Sinfield standard) is literally only around six occasions per season. Of those six, in how many games did the result hinge on a kick? Probably very few, maybe none.

Big Bad Ben for next season?

Agreed. IIRC in 2015 we played Leeds four times and there was I think four points between the teams over the games with one try the difference. So kicking wasn't an issue.

But one thing we will almost certainly miss is Matty's drop goals.

We should push for a rule change so that we adopt the NFL system of a special team. Then we could bring back Richards or somebody like him just to kick goals.

Possibly, but we are likely to score more tries instead with Leuluai replacing him so hopefully not having to edge quite as many games by a point. I'm sure Williams can knock us a drop goal over if required.

rlhttps://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-warriors/wane-reveals-goal-kicking-plan-for-2017-1-8191036rl

Out of those four I would imagine Williams would be the favourite. He's kicked goals a few times for the academy although he wasn't the most accurate and was usually second choice behind Hampshire. Shorrocks has more potential to be a top kicker in my opinion but he's not likely to start many games. I don't think Leuluai has ever kicked goals before and his kicking range from hand doesn't seem very impressive. Whether he'd be any better kicking from a tee remains to be seen. Tomkins was hit and miss when he had kicking duties previously.

I'd have thought others players might have put their hand up to give goalkicking a go in the hope of making themselves more valuable to the team. Players like Powell, Tierney and Escare.

Me to. There is an opportunity for someone to "do a Frano" and make themselves more valuable to the team here.

Whoever gets the job they need to take a leaf out of Frano's book and practice like mad. He didn't get that accurate just because he volunteered!

Williams has to be first choice as he will play the 80 mins.
At the start of the season I'd go for Escare. Full back, out at the back, will play 80 mins and has kicked for Catalans.
Hope Waney is selecting his drop goal kicker. Given that Smith won us around 6-7 games with his drop goals that aspect cannot be ignored.

I hope you are right. But I suspect that we won't see much of Tommy. He seems susceptible to injury these days. He was like the iron man up until that injury playing for the Exiles.

Am I the only one who is surprised that Sam Powell isn't amongst the kicking possibles? For me he is likely to get quite a lot of game time next year at half back or at hooker - and defo in the 17.

Whilst Powell played well beyond expectations last year, I can't see him getting much more than 25 mins per game when Williams, Leuluai and McIlorum are all fit, plus he will be under immense pressure for his bench spot from Shorrocks or an extra forward. No point considering him barring (god forbid) a long term injury to GW/TL/MM IMO.

Well. We will see. But I have a feeling he will get a lot more game time than that if this season is anything to go by.