Sorry but am I the only one that expected no silveware at all last season? Given the losses of quality, experienced players like Deacon, Coley, Hoffman & Joel I definitely didn't! I thought we'd have finished 3rd at best. Wane exceeded my expectations and I think the attack for most of the season was better than we'd seen under Maguire. It was the crunch clashes where I thought some of our experienced "big name" players didn't perform as expected & really stifled our attack by being too predictable. Hence me not being too bothered about our lack of "big" signings. We've signed lads that have a lot to prove & I think they'll deliver

It's a natural progression for some great players from wing, to centre, to stand off, to loose forward.

I thought you only had Hoffman, Lima and Finch in 2011 (and 2012 for the last two), not 2010. If anything the 2010 side was less special on paper.

Correct. The 2010 GF winning side was as follows -

S Tomkins; Goulding, Gleeson, Carmont, Richards; Deacon, Leuluai; Fielden, McIlorum, Coley; J Tomkins, Hansen, O'Loughlin -- Prescott, Riddell, Feka, Farrell

Compared to this years likely team -

Tomkins (Better than he was 2 years ago)
Charnley (Better winger than Goulding)
Goulding (Actually had a better season than Gleeson ever had at Wigan)
[iHughes[/i (Not as good as Carmont)
[iRichards[/i (Not as good as he used to be - still a decent player)
Green (We won't know until he plays, but Deacon was past his best in 2010)
[iSmith[/i (Can't see him being better than Leuluai but stronger kicking game)
Mossop (Has every chance of being better than Fielden was in 2010)
McIlorum (Much better than he was in 2010)
[iLauaki[/i (We'll gloss over this one)
Hansen (Better than he was in 2010)
Hock (Better than Joel Tomkins)
O'Loughlin (Just as good as ever if not better)

Prescott (Should be better than he was in 2010)
Taylor (Should offer a more balanced game than Feka)
Farrell (Better than he was in 2010)
[iTuson[/i (Someone will have to explain the point of his 15 minute spells because I can't understand it)

Bold is where we're stronger - plain text is where it's uncertain and italic is where we're weaker.

On the £500k and where has it gone. One name missing was Roberts who was rumoured to be on a tidy wedge.
We have Green, Taylor, Smith and Thornley coming in and I don't think the first three would have been cheap or in the bargain style of signing. Thornley will probably be on a decent wage too.
Any surplus money will have gone on incremental increases to players already under contract. Can't imagine there being too much spare cash available after those have been taken into account.

Do you think so? Honestly?

Green, Taylor Smith Thornley would command the same money as Fielden, Roberts, Lululai, Finch, J Tomkins (all the preceeding 4 were on books before he left).

You have a different interpretation than I do if that's the case.

I think you're being very kind to Hansen and O'Loughlin there, I would say they both had their best seasons to date that year. Hansen was doing his usual hard graft in defence but also running some great lines and making himself a threat in attack. O'Loughlin seemed to be more of an attacking threat also but I'd accept he's not much different. Prescott and Farrell are debatable too. Prescott's effectiveness depends largely on whether he can steer clear of injury and keep hold of the ball, Farrell's not really any different to 2010 as far as I've noticed

What you are failing to appreciate is that it was the tactics that Madge brought to SL that had more to do with the 2010 GF than the playing personnel.

That's not, of course, to say that the players didn't perform, they did, and did it well, but imo the main difference between Wigan and the rest of SL then was the introduction of new "unusual" tactics......... Ask John Kear!

No but you also have to understand that there have been upgrades of contracts and the signing of twelve of the best U16 side I have ever seen. There is obviously still some money available (from Wanes comments) but it has to be spent wisely on the right player(s) and that depends on availability.

Nothing wrong with strengthening the depth of a side but every side needs gamebreakers. At the moment we have Sam............

Whereas all the other squads in SL are jam-packed with gamebreakers arent they...

Well, Cas have one...

<edit> wait... sorry, wasn't wearing my specs.. I thought you'd said "jawbreakers"

I wouldn't be at all worried about Jack Hughes at 4, Leeds have blagged two GF wins with Ablett at centre.

Quite, just get Hughes to run at Lee Briers.

This is very true. Madge got a virtually identical side to that which Noble had in his last season to go up several notches. Same personnel bar one and a transformation in terms of performances. If ever you wanted evidence of the impact and influence a coach has on a side Madge's arrival was it. You have more evidence of this based on our 2012 season. Wane inherited a CC winning side from Madge decided he knew better and proved he didn't (to everyone but himself I suspect).

All talk of the squad and the relatives merits of Green v Finch etc is just ignoring the coaching and how that will influence our chances.