In the dark as usual.

Do you remember the good old days when nobody knew who Wigan were going to sign until they actually did?

As an outsider, i've not read every page of this thread so apologies if it's already been mentioned, but doesn't this remind ppl of the way bradford were going about trying to sign Ellis a few years back?

Which was?

Will IL pay for him seems to be the question, given the short time left on his contract, Wire surely can't want that much.

Come on Mr Chairman, splash out, treat the loyal fans putting up with the mind numbing rugby.

That's not the issue. It's releasing players to make way for Gleeson that is the problem.

Here's my take on the whole saga. Firstly I dont see how the whole deal stacks up. It was posted on here that Lenegan said we only have 30k left to spend on the cap. I would be fairly certain that Goulding gets less than 40k and I wouldnt have though that Mathers gets much more. This would mean that Gleeson would have to take a huge pay cut to leave Warrington, which I cant see. I have heard that this all came about because Warrington wanted to sign Goulding, who Wigan dont want to let go, who then mentioned a swap involving Gleeson. I actually believe that Smith tried to sign Goulding whilst at Leeds a few years ago and I guess that is where the interest comes from. However unless we get rid of a real high earner like Bailey I cant see how it is going to happen.

I have to say though I would be gutted if this deal went through if it does mean us losing Goulding. Gleeson is nearly 29 and only has 2 or 3 good years left in him. The entire deal just sounds like Noble's short term desperation to keep his job. Gleeson is a player that has underperformed for years and has very few good games and lots of very average ones. He has built a big reputation on very little, largely because we are so short of decent English centres. In addition we all know about his off field antics and we have too many of these types of players as it is and we should be looking at reducing the number of players like this that are at the club, not doing the opposite. He will also be on a big wage, a wage that could be much better spent on 2 good forwards or a stand off. With the team that we have at the moment Gleeson will make absolutely no difference at all and will just eat up money that needs to be used elsewhere.

Goulding is a very promising player and and could be the Wigan centre for the next decade and is a player who I believe has the potential to be one of the England centre's in the future. He has been made a scapegoat by Noble, and indeed some fans, and I guess that is why he wants to leave, that is if that rumour is true. Indeed he should be playing now at the expense of an overpaid and very average import in Bailey but despite him scoring tries for fun in the academy and being the stand out player in the last few weeks but he still doesnt get picked and by all accounts Noble wont even tell him why so that he can improve. It will be a big mistake imo from the club if Wigan do let him go.

You're not saying there might be some connection between the two are you?

Lets face it Rogues had the interweb been around in the 80s like it is today, we'd have been signing every single member of the Aussie Test Team FACT!

Don't see how it is, we could shed 2/3 players easily. The problem is the fee wanted by Wire. I reckon all deals are in place, outside of the fee.

Short time left on his contract = end of the 2010 season.

Which means in the end there will be no deal tbh.

Right or wrong Ian Lenagan won't pay big transfer fees and Wire will want one. If needs be we'll be able to offload the likes of Goulding/Mossop and even somebody like K Pryce out on loan but it's pointless if we won't pay the transfer fee.

I agreed with Lenagans policy of not being held to ransom when he first took over but always thought his policy of not paying out a big wedge to 'anybody' would have to change at some point if we wanted to move forward. I'm not 100% certain the Gleeson deal is really the one to throw any serious cash at but i'm pretty certain that soon enough a player will become available that we simply cannot turn down if we want to get back to the top.

One things for sure were not going to get there taking punts on the likes of Mathers/Pryce/Phelps etc etc.

I agree. Well said

Someone I trust, who's been right in the past. I'm guessing that puts him in a roughly similar court to your informant. Don't bother asking for a name, because I'm obviously not going to give one to you.

I'd also suggest that you don't take posters on the other forum too seriously. A couple of them have axes to grind with the current Wigan management, which appear to colour their every post.

Gleesons signed.
Annouced tomorrow.
May Play Sunday.

You heard it here first