If we are cutting our cloth then that is fine, I would have no complaints.

I’d play French on the wing...because he is a fullback or winger.

Fairly simple really.

A back 3 of Field at 1 with Bibby and French on the wings still leaves us in a very strong position given this will only be when we are down to using our 4th choice winger.

I don’t know of any other team in SL that could be without their first choice wingers and be looking at the quality of Bibby and French on the wings.

Hardaker can do a jobs 1. Field is more than capable at 1. I’ve a strong feeling he will replace French at 1 after this season.

The point is we have combinations that can normally account for this kind of thing however with the issues around French’s return it’s given us a headache but only a short term one, very short term so no need to make a knee jerk signing.

We can keep our powder dry until we identify the right type of player.

How many wingers are we having in the squad on 1st choice wages?

Saints have Makinson and Grace. If one gets injured they don't draft in another, they play a kid, a utility kid that hasn't nailed down a spot yet (Welsby) or stick someone else there (Naquima probably)

We on the other hand are expected to have 3 first choice wingers.

Yeah.... Ok

Tom Davies left because he wanted to be first choice every week, which was far from guaranteed at Wigan. It would still have been the same situation this year, why on earth would he come? I don't think you understand that these players make decisions in their own interests. It's not a PlayStation game where you can sign whoever you want.

I don't know exactly what a reserve winger earns (or rather a reserve - reserve winger in this case, as Bibby would be the reserve), but I comprehend that we have a salary cap to work to for our top 20 earners. We have Manfredi and Marshall under contract, as well as Bibby in reserve, who will be in that top 20. Any new winger coming in this season would need to be paid like a reserve - reserve winger, otherwise we end up not having enough cap space for the starters. Any winger who is willing to take that wage, knowing he will be in competition with Manfredi, Marshall and Bibby, is willing to accept that for a reason - ie no other SL club wanted them as a starter. We could probably attract someone better than Hanley/Halsall but not better than Bibby. Then after a couple of weeks when players start returning he would be sat in the stands like Hankinson was all last season.

How the hell did Radlinski know that Manfredi was going to break his thumb seven months before it happened? He should have warned him! Armed with this information, which of French/Hastings/Leuluai should Radlinski not have retained, so that we could recruit a backup - backup winger?

He didn't. I wasn't referring to Manfredi, if you think about it for one minute I was referring to Marshy and Budgie. Don't know where hell came into it.
Tell me why one of the players you have mentioned would have had to been released as I am a tad confused? We have not spent the full cap. For the second time, tell me where I stated that we should sign a back up winger!!!!

Did Tom tell you that? Why would it have been the same situation this year, are you saying that Manfredi and Marshall are automatically selected? I am well aware that players make decisions based on their own interests, who doesn't? It is about making the best use of your resources and the Club still has some available. Obviously, it will come down to choice and when Rads gets it right he should be applauded (which to be fair he has done on most occasions), but if you think he hasn't then you should be able to voice your opinion.

You keep referring to a reserve winger, why? The Salary Cap doesn't apply to the top 20 earners, it is a good job that you are not in charge of monitoring it, on the Club's behalf, or we would finish up playing Clubb and Isa on the wing. Yes, Manfredi, Marshall and Bibby will count against our cap. Any new winger would not have to be paid as a 'reserve', as you wish to call it, if his salary could be accommodated under the salary cap. Let me give you an example, Wigan could sign Sivo the Fijian winger and pay him £500k per season providing that we have either £500k spare under the cap or if we make him a Marquee Player and we have £150k available. Does that make sense?

Manfredi and Marshall will not be back in a couple of weeks. We need wingers who can finish in our team not guys who can fill a spot.

As many as we can afford! We don't even have two first choice wingers. By the way all three of those Saints players can finish, can you see any of ours scoring more tries this season?

One other point, in case you forgot, we had three first choice wingers in our squad last season.

Field, French and Bibby would be fine unless French is further delayed or one of the other two are injured. Having said that, I don't see Bibby as a winger due to his lack of speed. Hardaker's not got the pace to play 1 anymore and Lam knows it. I agree, I think that French will return to Australia at the end of the season. I wasn't suggesting that we make a knee jerk signing, I was simply pointing out that Rads should have had a better plan given that he was aware of several issues i.e. Budgie being released, Marshall's long-term injury, French being given extended leave. We have what we have and hopefully it will be enough.

And one left. Why do you think that was?

Pray tell.

The extended leave to this extent was not part of the plan.

This has been as a result of circumstances totally out of the clubs control.

Well I would guess at one of the two reasons but they are linked:

One didn't want to sit in the stands
The club can't afford to pay top wages for a winger to sit in the stands all season

As plenty of people have pointed out, we have adequate cover on the wing but injury and personal issues have led to an issue for a handful of games out of a full season.

We could have looked for even more cover, but who is available? Everyone is currently signed up so we now need space on the cap AND a transfer fee.

This isn't 1992, we can't sign who we want when we want.

The club have said they are possibly looking for a winger but it will be the right signing at the right time and not just because we may have an issue vs Leigh.

Budgie wasn't released. Once again, he left to be first choice elsewhere because he wasn't here. That's two players in a row you have bought up to defeat your own argument . Before GB left they said that we were very close to the cap. So either we only recently got some cap space, or it may be that we still don't have much if GB leaving was already factored into the equation as Jukesays hints at.