Apart from Hull signing Ellis and Catalan signing Zeb Taia what other signings have been announced?

Oh, Ian Thornley to Wigan, does that count?

Front Row is Wigans strongest position, Mossop, Prescott, Lauaki, Dudson, Spencer, Flower, Crosby, and Fielden (if he recovers) Then there is Greg Burke out on loan who is a tremendous prospect.

We do need to get the halfback position sorted and maybe centre to replace George though.

Can't work out if I want to see Lima benched or run into the ground. Probably the latter. Take him off the rotation policy send him to South's with miles more tread taken off his tires.

Or, forget about next year, focus on the 2 trophies we're fighting for and keep him doing what he's done so far this year which is clearly working well. He may be off to Souths next year, but until Wigan finish our season, he's ours and that should be the only concern in relation to how he plays.

Exactly.

Not as if he's been like some of the others and started going to the press saying he wants out, if anything I think it's a huge credit to Lima (+ agent) that this was such a suprise. I know there was a few leaks a couple of days before but on the whole it caught everyone off guard.

Makes you wonder how many other players Maguire is going to try and persuade to leave us - where does it stop? Would he like Sam and Josh for starters and maybe a few others along the way? Don't get me wrong I thought Maguire was brilliant for us in his first year but things changed dramatically for me when he got his new job part way through season 2. Players didn't get rotated in the same way and the team sometimes looked like Noble had picked it, it was also clear that he spent a goodly part of the remainder of his time with us recruiting new players for himself rather than concentrating on us - maybe that is a bit OTT on my part but I'm sure most of you will know what I mean - he made an art form out of being an opportunist. The funny thing about Jeff Lima to me is that he seems to have played much much better under Wane than he ever did under Maguire but if he wants to go then so be it, no point in trying to hang on to folk who don't want to play for us

Wigan have been aware of his intention for some time. On the plus side (there is always one) its our strongest position and it releases money and an over seas spot that both can be used filling a position we are not as strong in. Its about the team not individuals, that's a route we have been down before!

Lets send Tommy early too then..,

I thought Maguire was excellent in his first year here and merely good in his second. He blooded no youngsters in that second year and ran the starters into the ground. It's why he fell flat on our faces during the playoffs.

Why? He's run his contract out and been here for 6+ years.

Lima is going home early. Entirely different ball game. I don't blame him for leaving, I just don't think we have a duty of care for him anymore.

A huge credit? Good grief his agent and the player have failed to fulfil his contract. He deserves no credit at all. If he had seen his three years out and then followed Madge, no problem.

Exactly. Tommy is seeing his contract out and Lima is not. There is huge difference.

What happens to Lima between now and the end of the season depends on his attitude. If he switches off as he and his team mates did last season after winning the cup then there is little point playing him. If he keeps up his current form then we can't afford to drop him (which is why we should have kept him for the full three years) but it really does rest on how professional he is. If he is like Tommy who I am sure no one has any doubts over Wane would be mad not to pick him. If he starts to coast that will really affect us this season never mind next.

Stop being so disingenuous. You know very well the comments about lack of news from the club regarding signings is not just related to the here and now. If we have re-signed Finch now would be a great time to announce it to offset the disappointment of losing Lima but the clubs PR department have not got the brains to think of that.



Are you seriously implying Lima's loss is no big deal because that is how the above reads?

I don't see what being aware of his intention has to do with it. There is no guarantee we will be able to sign a comparable player in any position and the recent past tends to back that up. We have seen contracts expire and players leave but more often than not recently that has not led to the signing of an International class player. I also don't see how on earth this is about an individual as opposed to the team given as a team we will be weaker with him gone.

Lima should have been at the Riversiders meeting on May1st, he didnt come because his wife had just had an operation, and sent Finch in his place. It must have been something to happen suddenly or he wouldnt have agreed to come. Maybe this has some bearing on things, as all this has happened in the last week or so.

Not too surprised or disapointed by this to be fair as it was totally expected, when we signed Finch, Hoff & Lima I said to a mate of mine that I couldn't really see any of them staying longer than a year so anymore would be a bonus. I do think we need a truly world class prop with abit of menace to replace him though even with the depth we have in the pack at the moment.