To buy a top player from another SL club would cost a fortune and I would imagine you would need to up his wages.
To sign a top player from the NRL would impact on the salary cap and possibly also cost a fortune.

Yes we have money available, but it doesn't mean we have to throw it around willy nilly as though it's 1992. You just can't do that in this day and age (turns out you couldn't back then either but people didn't seem to care about that)

Some very unrealistic options being thrown around here - how many of the names being suggested are options Kirmond - really? he has just singed a new deal and would cost a fortune to buy out when we have Pettybourne arriving. Briscoe - possibly (unless he really is going tom Leeds). Lomax - do we really need another half/full back when we have Green / Smith / Powell / Hampshire / Williams and Bowen? Even if we could get him which I seriously doubt.

Of the others all would require large transfer fees (all the more so now it is known the club have money) and would ask for top wages - even if they were tempted which I suspect most would not be. The days when Wigan wanted a player and he would jump to be here are long long gone. Surely there must be better value looking at the Championship level if we need players.

Bowen is an excelent goal kicker. He would be kicking for NQ if JT wasn't their kicker. He is also very accurate with his drop goals.

Back up will still be Smith/Charnley

Although, apparently now we have all this money we can sign who we want, so lets get Cam Smith.

I'm sorry but i don't fully agree with some point here cadoo

1 There is no i in team yes Sam is a quality player one of if not the best in a Wigan shirt but it's his team mates what give him space when our forwards get a hiding and he's got no room it shows

2 Why go chucking coin about at big name players? Yes Watkins or someone along the lines would be good to have but not needed someone like Craig Hall or Kris Welham would do a good job for us and not demand big coin

It's been shown by Leeds and us that youth is the way forward yes you need to bring them through with experienced players but we have them lets not go back to spending on players who don't give a ****, these young lads have grown up watching us and want to put that shirt on some would play for £0 thats what wins you trophies

No you are wrong.

You need a balance.


There is no doubt that no-one would like a return to the "Moranesqe" days of just playing for the £££.

However, do you think Hanley would have "played for £0"??

The worry is that we are swinging too much the other way.

I agree.

Wigan have always had the policy of 'only the best will do' in terms of recruitment. And that is why Wigan have always had the highest attendances in UK Rugby League. Even surpassing the attendances at big city clubs like Leeds, Bradford or the Hull clubs.

And what was it that attracted those crowds for over 100 years ?

Not Wigans bank balance.

It was the star players.

Wigan always offered great entertainment. And that is what we are, a form of entertainment that nowadays has to compete with other forms of entertainment.

Mr Lenegan and others ought to remember that we are not all just 'walking £20 notes' . Unfortunately many businessmen having viewed their 'business plans' for far too long and far too often, assume we are.

I think both of you have hit the nail on the head. Particularly Cadoo's comment about the money being spent on the backroom stuff.

I don't think that any big names are realistic at present but there are players that people are not talking about now who will be talked about once the World Cup kicks off and the trick is to identify which of those players can fit into our squad.

Don't rule out Wigan to pick up a bargain during the WC.

It's pretty obvious really Dave.

Wigans population is tiny compared with the big city clubs.

But for longer than 100 years, Wigan has led the attendances for crowds for RL. (For RU as well for that matter at club level.)

And why is this ?

My Dad and his Dad before him have all supported Wigan having been born there. My Grandad was born in 1881 and my Dad was 90 this week.

They and I, were brought up on Wigan being the '[icreme de la creme[/i' of Rugby League, so it pains us to see what is going on today.

Does Wigan have to sell our best players to survive ? Or are we being asset stripped ?

We have decent attendances again this season plus a Wembley Cup Final win 'under our belt' so why the sales ?

Even Salford are buying, but we are behind them in the stakes this time.

Problem with going out and spending money is there's no one to buy that is any good.

Look at Salford, the big spenders, who are doing what Warrington did 8 or 9 years ago just after Simon Moran had taken over. At that time we were signing Gleeson and Johns, look at Salford's signings - some decent players but nobody that's going to make you think they are game changers that will challenge the top 4.

The danger with having money and having pressure to spend it is just spending big doesn't guarantee the player does well. Liverpool got £50m for Torres and they made sure they weren't criticised for sitting on the cash by spending £35m straight away on Andy Carroll.....

Good points mate. I think your correct in many ways but there or one or two players out there, that we could get for reasonable money that would definitely strengthen the team.

It is only a couple tbh but guys like Clark and Kirmond wouldn't cost the earth and your meant to be in for them. If the rumours about BJB to Wire are correct he's another that would have improved us but it looks like we're only willing to move for players that nobody else bids on (Taylor aside) for fear that the price will creep up.

Wire make decent players available by cherry picking them.

Great idea.