We have Fielden regardless because of his contract. O'Carroll has never played more than a handful of games before getting injured. So I am not sure why you are bleating about his loss.

Not keen on this decision tbh but time will tell.

The club offered him a new contract, but he rejected it. Granted the terms are likely to have been less than brilliant, but given his injury record, it is unfair to have expected Wigan to have offered much more than a year.

It would be a pity if the departure of O'Carroll was allowed to turn into the same type of melodrama that we had following the departure of Shaun Ainscough, a player who has not been missed by any stretch of the imagination.

I honestly don't see why O'Carroll, who - though it's down to injuries, to be fair to him - has barely played for Wigan in the Michael Maguire era, is suddenly such a loss.

Given what Wigan have achieved in the last two years, why is this kind of thing even an issue? With the best will in the world, we can't keep everyone - surely we all realise that? And Eamon O'Carroll's long-term absence up until now has not exactly been a blow to us.

We also have an excellent prospect coming through the ranks Tom Spencer who is much bigger than Eamon and I mean bigger in height not girth. Just ask Rogues.

No, that isn't my beef.



It never ceases to amaze me how people will do down a player to suit their argument. According to Madge, O'Carroll has worked his backside off to get fit and put himself into contention for games and now he is fit he is just as much a member of the squad as any other player. The fact he has been missing for 18 months is no more relevant to his future worth to Wigan than the fact Hock has been missing for two years. Both are in the past.

My beef is that for some unknown reason we have signed (supposedly) four players who if I had come on here three months ago and said lets sign any one of them YOU would have been in the queue dishing up the ridicule. And to sign those players we will have restricted our ability to offer O'Carroll a suitable deal because they won't be playing for free.

Given in my opinion none of them are good enough and O'Carroll is easily good enough for our squad I don't agree with signing that lot if it meant losing O'Carroll. The two events are related in my opinion.



As I said if I had come on here three months ago and said lets sign any one of them YOU would have been in the queue dishing up the ridicule. Especially Thomas.

I think some people would jump in the canal if IL said so!

Dave, the bottom line with O'Carroll is that Wigan would have been silly to offer him anything more than a 1 year deal considering his injury troubles and it would also be crazy to offer him any sort of wage increase.
Hull have taken a chance to gamble on a player with a bad injury history by offering him a 3 year deal and perhaps a bigger wage than at Wigan.

There's also the fact that O'Carroll wants first team rugby. Even if Wigan matched Hull's offer or offered even more, the player doesn't want to remain at Wigan because he wants first team rugby. It was the players decision. The club wanted to keep him but since he has left it makes sense to look for suitable replacements. Given that there are already 4 first choice prop forwards signed for next year it would be hard to make a big name signing so common sense suggests making a shrewd signing. Targeting a player who has the potential to be an very dangerous player is an option, as is signing a young player with plenty of potential. Lauaki and Dudson/Flower would fit the bill if that's what the club are looking for.

And some people spend all their time looking for any perceivable chink in his armour through which they can attack him.

Dave, why don't you wait and see if these signings have actually happened before you publically slit your own throat (again)?

You need to cool it about O'Carroll as well. However you try to spin it, we're hardly going to miss a player who we've barely fielded in two years (and there's no way we can guarantee him the first-team action that he's requested). With all the achievements at Wigan in recent seasons, to make such a fuss over so little is making you look a fool. Remember, you got on a similar hobby-horse over both Higham and Ainsough, and nothing negative came of those departures.

Ohhh err missus !!!!!!!!!!!!

There's always one isn't there

daveO wrotewill do nothing to help season ticket sales maintain their current level never mind increase.'"

That is just your warped response to anything I post that disagrees with something the club does these days. If you bothered to look you will find plenty of positive acknowledgement from me about IL's tenure at the club but you don't want to see it as that doesn't suit your argument.



Given some people are arguing in favour of these so called signings and making a case for them are they slitting their throats as well? We all know they have not signed yet (and may not even do so) but are debating the merits one way or the other if they do. That is blindingly obvious I would have thought.



Give it a rest with the "fool" comments. If you can't construct an argument without resorting to that sort of snide comment you ought not to bother.

That aside, just which players do we guarantee first team football to? I thought it was a meritocracy here and O'Carroll would have as much chance of getting a go as any of the other props.

It happens to be my opinion he is worth a place in our squad more than any of the players rumoured to have been signed. That is not some way out of left field position given the players being mentioned as our new recruits.

So you think if we signed Thomas, Dudson and Flower that will help season ticket sales? Really?

i think winning the challenge cup, having a good run in the playoffs and making the grand final(hopefully) will have more of an impact on season ticket sales!