To be honest with you, looking through my window at the weather we're currently enduring, and knowing that it's unlikely to change any time soon (if ever), it really doesn't surprise me that some players find the prospect of Southern France very enticing. Not that I'm happy about it on this occasion.

As for Gells ... if this means he's gone to NZ without a club, then he is seriously endangering his career. But he came to us with a rep for being a wayward lad, and there was always a chance that this side of his character would reappear.

That’s the key point for me.

If several clubs were interested then that tells its own tale. On the other hand I presume we’ve had no interest in Leuluai or Powell and clearly none in the likes of Nuuausala or Tautai so we’re sat here making do.

Phil Wilkinson says we were very close to the cap with Micky Mac but we do now have some room so it surprises me a little that he’s been let go. Micky Mac has already hinted it was Wigan who told him he was leaving and not the other way round.

The ideal scenario now is that Ganson bangs the door down and becomes the creative hooker many have been crying out for but I’d have rather seen him do that in tandem with a tough nugget of a hooker like Micky Mac.

I put a thread on your forum a week or so back asking about McIlorum and it was deleted.

Not too bothered with Gelling. But the release of McIlorum further weakens the pack for me. I only posted the other day that we need an 'enforcer' in there, a big prop probably. I am led to believe that McIlorum is a bit of an 'hard case' - that on it's own would have intimidated some opposition forwards. Old players like Brian McTigue certainly did that with his reputation.

If this is due to 'salary cap' then even my poor maths could do better as whom ever is doing the sums at the club is not doing very well.

The eve of a new season and further weakening ?

Probably because we have a rumours thread at the top of the board and it was already being discussed widely in there.

I guess I'm in the small minority who think that Gelling is a bigger loss than MM. For me, we have three decent (if not amazing) options to replace MM. And we've managed fine without him for lengthy periods in the past. We can't say the same for Gelling.

I agree with you Moto,Gelling was average at best last season but he was clearly playing injured for the most of it.I had him down for a big season.

At last, an announcement

Okay, thanks.

Perhaps it might have been better had a mod replied suggesting as much then locking it, at least I'd have known then.

No mischief intended, never thought I'd see the day McIlorum wore anything but a Wigan shirt at club level, I'm amazed.

If Phil Wilkinson is right then that destroys IL's reputation as some sort of financial wizard because he's reduced the club to having to offload one of its best players due to obviously paying far too many average players far too much money. Instead of being pleased with his return to form it's been used as a big "for sale" sign (though I know we let him leave for free, you get the point) and is left having to convince the fans to accept second best.



The way MM played for Ireland suggests the only reason he wasn't more creative at Wigan was he was told not to be. Wane will have Powell, Ganson and TL playing the same way.

How come wigan knew about Gelling and it would now appear Mcilorum quite sometime before Christmas yet decide to only publicise this once the season ticket deadline had passed. Yet again the fans are treated like fools.

Sad about Gelling, think he’s a better centre than Sarginson. But this is the risk you take with overseas players - 6 years has been a good stint.

Some may disagree but I feel the decision on McIlorum was correct.

Despite a good showing in the World Cup, his performance at Wigan was quite average. Only doing 20min stints.

His contract was up after this year, think the club had no interest in giving him a new deal at age 30. So out of respect let him go find a good 2 year deal.

Better let him go a season too soon that a season too late.

Going forward I like the look of this spine compared to last year

1.) Escare
6.) Williams
7.) STomkins
9.) Lealuai
13.) Lockers

14.) Powell

Back up - Mullen, Sharrocks, Gason


Great servant to Wigan though Micky, one of the toughest S.O.Bs to ever wear the shirt. His try in the 2013 grand final and his performance against Leeds at the Magic in 2014 will always be remembered by me.

NSW!!!!

Get with the program, you are ONLY suppose to post criticism, of absolutely anything that happens..

I would have shone at hooker in the World Cup against Wales , PNG and Italy

McIlorum has been at the club for so long that he's almost certainly one of our highest earners. His form over the last few years now probably hasn't been good enough to justify such a huge chunk of the salary cap going to him when we have several other options at hooker.

We played no better with McIlorum at hooker than with Powell. I know Powell has his issue but last year they were both inconsistent, rarely very good but when one played well the other didn't, and it often changed from week to week. I think Powell plays better when starting at hooker (as quite a few 9's do) rather than coming off the bench so I reckon we'll see more from him this year. Hopefully Leuluai does better at hooker than at scrum half. When he played hooker for us the last time round he was outstanding but it remains to be seen whether he's still good enough for Super League.

What I'm looking forward to more is the chance of Ganson breaking through. He's an exceptional hooker, did really well when he was given a chance in the first team and is such a clever player that he's exactly the sort of hooker we need. People say that McIlorum was stifled by Wigan's attacking play but Ganson was more effective in attack playing in the same system.

Powell should be more solid defensively. Last year must surely have busted the myth about McIlorum being so strong defensively. He missed tackles far too often and was exposed frequently as a result, both playing for Wigan and for Ireland in the world cup. Powell doesn't hit anywhere near as hard but his defence is more composed and disciplined.

Perhaps McIlorum will be a huge success at Catalans. It wouldn't surprise me but I just didn't see anything from him over the last few years to make me think he'd have been any better for us this year.