So would I, but given that I can't afford to move to Australia I'll have to hang on here and make do.

What you and I want has no bearing on the reality of sporting economics.

Repeat after me "Not all young players make it."

Im still waiting for all the people who have written him off on this thread to tell me who they actually want instead. Id love to meet this top class Australian that is out of contract that wants to move to Wigan for less money and a worse lifestyle.

In all fairness we have to see how Blake goes before casting a judgement, and give the Smith/Green time to bed in before passing serious judgement.

My only gripe is concern over the development of younger players who might prove to be superstars if given a run in the first team. I was very pro Sam to 1, but over time I would like to see him return to 6 playing off a controlling 7.

I can't help but remember how Sam got his first team break, when Tim Smith broke his arm, before that Smith was picked over Sam. I just wonder how it would go if we used Sam as a 6 with either Russell or Murphy at 1.

Yes both are fresh, but so was Sam. With this Powell could be the first man into the halves if anything happened to either Smith or Sam, giving him some first team game time. With this we have 2 up and coming youngsters who won't be far behind.

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Quote: Last Son of Wigan "In all fairness we have to see how Blake goes before casting a judgement, and give the Smith/Green time to bed in before passing serious judgement. My only gripe is concern over the development of younger players who might prove to be superstars if given a run in the first team. I was very pro Sam to 1, but over time I would like to see him return to 6 playing off a controlling 7. I can't help but remember how Sam got his first team break, when Tim Smith broke his arm, before that Smith was picked over Sam. I just wonder how it would go if we used Sam as a 6 with either Russell or Murphy at 1. Yes both are fresh, but so was Sam. With this Powell could be the first man into the halves if anything happened to either Smith or Sam, giving him some first team game time. With this we have 2 up and coming youngsters who won't be far behind. Guess we'll have to wait and see.'" If you include substitute appearances, Tomkins had played more games than Smith up to that point and he was only 2 games behind on starts. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1509 I think Blake Green has been signed as a stop gap for the halfbacks we've got coming through in Powell, Hampshire & Williams and then further down the line Shorrocks & Whittaker

Quote: Last Son of Wigan "In all fairness we have to see how Blake goes before casting a judgement, and give the Smith/Green time to bed in before passing serious judgement. My only gripe is concern over the development of younger players who might prove to be superstars if given a run in the first team. I was very pro Sam to 1, but over time I would like to see him return to 6 playing off a controlling 7. I can't help but remember how Sam got his first team break, when Tim Smith broke his arm, before that Smith was picked over Sam. I just wonder how it would go if we used Sam as a 6 with either Russell or Murphy at 1. Yes both are fresh, but so was Sam. With this Powell could be the first man into the halves if anything happened to either Smith or Sam, giving him some first team game time. With this we have 2 up and coming youngsters who won't be far behind. Guess we'll have to wait and see.'" If you include substitute appearances, Tomkins had played more games than Smith up to that point and he was only 2 games behind on starts. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1509 I think Blake Green has been signed as a stop gap for the halfbacks we've got coming through in Powell, Hampshire & Williams and then further down the line Shorrocks & Whittaker

They probably do but they don't have to like it. It is also a ready made "happy clappers" excuse when the club signs an average player.

Not that I am saying this in relation to Green (don't know much about him) but the fact it is hard to sign top overseas players doesn't warrant a head in the sand approach about the potential of the players we [ido[/i sign. It won't elevate average players to being good players and if people are less than impressed by a signing they have every right to say so.

A darn sight better than if he hadn't been.



Your memory is failing you. The club deferred wages of some players to sign Fielden and Dobson and this was a common practice in Oz at the time which was Mo's argument for doing it.

Possibly. I do know that Nobby did plan to use Sam at FB at the Quins game but an injury to Smith during the game scuppered that plan.


We do have expectations and I'd love to see us sign another Barrett or Finch but unfortunately it's not going to happen, as I'm sure you're aware.

I'm quite looking forward to seeing Green play but I'm a little less enthusiastic about Smith. If we surround them with a good pack I think they'll do well though and I would expect another finish in the top 2.

FWIW, I don't think Green is a brilliant signing. His injury record alone worries me. But from what I've seen of him, he isn't by any means a bad signing, and he's certainly not a one-trick pony a la Dennis Moran. Time will tell on this one.

But I get exhausted seeing posts from people harping back to the Trent Barrett era as if it doesn't happen any more because of incompetence on our part. Yes, TB was a great player, but he cost us so much money that we didn't have a whole lot left to spend elsewhere. David Vaeliki (sic) was a another expensive signing and that one turned out really badly. In addition to our own salary cap constraints, we now have the Aussies' massive extra spending power to contend with. 99% of these guys only came over here to get more money. Now they don't need to.

I just think that people who constantly talk about the massive signings of yesteryear are only setting themselves up to be disappointed. It may happen now and then, but not regularly. Call me a happy clapper if you wish, but I like to think I'm just being a realist.

It's going to get worse. The finances of most SL clubs are in a shocking state. Revenue is flat and costs are rising despite the SC. The SC and franchising have been abject failures. Those running the game seem unable to attract a good sponsorship deal for SL and, even more importantly, unable to secure a good TV deal.

The RU clubs have just signed a new TV deal with BT and will have even more money to spend (£38m a year for the Premiership clubs to share out between them, and they have a separate deal for the Heineken Cup!).

Despite RL having much bigger TV audiences for club matches than RU (though given the growth of their game and the stagnation/decline of ours that may not last) the clowns running our game are unable to secure a similar deal for RL. £38m would be £2.7m per SL club.....

We need to forget about marquee signings and enjoy full time professional rugby at a largely mediocre standard because things are going to get worse, not better from here on in.

With the lack of leadership and vision and the failure of financial and operational management that we have at the RFL and SL clubs we are heading in the medium/long term for a semi-pro game nearer to the standard of the French domestic competition than the standard of the early days of SL.

Try that on the VT mate but don the Kevlar first!

I have faith in Smith, I think he's a good 7, he'll become better at organising and leading the team, plus he has a kicking game. As much as Finch is a better 7, he nor Tommy rarely turn the fb around making them work.

What about smith spelling Micky with green and Powell at halfs

I think blake will add a new dimension to our attack in that he has the pace to take the ball up the mddle. He will put more doubt in the defence who are now getting better at reading theshift to sam.

Smith also adds a better kicking game - something we are lacking at the moment.

They may not have the craft of finch or the defence of tommy but they do bring othr positives that we have been lacking.

I can seePowell coming into the team and rotatin smith at 9 next season.