Look at the first paragraph on the Sky Sports Website: Harris is moving on from his role as Crusaders head coach following their exit from Super League and is expected to join Wigan as assistant to new head coach Shaun Wane, but he was giving little away after his side's 42-10 defeat by the Warriors www.skysports.com/story/0,,15612_7166621,00.html

Look at the first paragraph on the Sky Sports Website: Harris is moving on from his role as Crusaders head coach following their exit from Super League and is expected to join Wigan as assistant to new head coach Shaun Wane, but he was giving little away after his side's 42-10 defeat by the Warriors www.skysports.com/story/0,,15612_7166621,00.html

Wane as head coach, Harris as one of assistants, G Thomas signed at no cost and no bearing on salary cap, Luaki signed. All are 100% certain.

Not confirmed officially, but it'll be wane. When asked if he knew who was taking over last night Madge replied "Awh I'm sure you can work it out".*



*I may have added the "Awh" for effect, the rest is true.

Steve McBanana taking over, with John Kear as Assistant... heard it in a field this morning... Strangely, the field was full of bulls...

I still think this Thomas signing is an attempt at a door opening to Welsh Union players. GT will know almost everyone in Union and their agents. It has been known for somewhile that many players in Wales are fed up with their situation.
He maybe being enlisted to try and tempt one or two to switch to League and Wigan RL. After their World Cup perhaps some may look elsewhere to play their rugby.
Otherwise it really doesn't make any sense at all.
Playing wise he's nowhere near Wigan standard.

What's the rumour on Chase with Deacon finishing.

Which players in Welsh RU are good enough for Wigan?

I am not a union knocker - in the days of Scott Gibbs, Jonathan Davies, Scott Quinnell etc there were world class Welsh union players who could come to league and be amongst the best players.

There are Aussie or NZ players that would be worth signing and a few England players but Welsh ones? Can't see which Welsh RU player would be an improvement on any of the current Wigan squad.

My understanding is that it relates more to youngsters than current profesional union player. Good thinking to extend your catchment area to Wales. I dont have any stats but i would imagine that wales develop more "rugby" players per head of capita than any other in the UK. They are not all going to become Union player and it would be a good thing to pinch a few whilst they are still young.

That's all it is, a rumour.

Why?

Aren't there enough young RL players to scout? I would say more than enough given the number we promote to the first team and the number we still have to release. There is simply no shortage of young RL players around and while we may be looking in Wales we may well miss picking up a gem from the traditional RL area because we do not have infinite resources to be looking everywhere.

As to Thomas coming for free, nothing is life is free and there will be a price to pay.

Over on Mike's forum the rumour is that price is the RFL will want Wigan to promote RL in Wales. If correct that is not our clubs job and it will be a complete distraction.

For the record, i would be mortified if we signed Thomas so i think you may have targeted the wrong person. I have also not mentioned ANYWHERE in my post, ANYTHING about Thomas coming to Wigan free or not. So far as i can tell, neither has Sally Cinnamon who i replied to.

As for signing up welsh players, i fail to see how anyone could see a negative. Are you genuinely going to tell me that the quality of English players throughout the top 2 English competitions is of a high standard?. The more people we get playing the game the better. I dont care if they where Rugby Union, Football, Basket ball or Ballerinas. If they have potential we should get them playing the game. Do you think it a bad thing that there are a few Londoners playing that may have snatched a professional contract from under the nose of a salt of the earth Northerner?

So what happens if we miss a gem from other areas. Ever thought of that. If a gem is missed in the North West it will be more to do with Saints or Wire getting in first than anything else. The competition is fierce and some will go to other clubs. I would be looking at even youth union players in Upper half of North Wales standards is better than 10-20 years ago. As Tuggles78 says Wales does produce loads of players but most is done in the South with only 1 or 2 making it to the regional sides. North is so untapped its untrue standards is improving year on year but families cannot support thier children going to South Wales 1 or 2 times a week for training sessions. YES they did and i am certain still do made people go to South Wales or at best Mid Wales for training. My suggestion is now that Widnes will no longer get som many players from us on dual contrats i would form an alliance of sort with Crusaders and help them out be having dual contracts with them. Use that then to promote the game outside of Wrexham. Though i would stay out of South Wales i dont see any harm that can be dome in promoting the game and the club outside of Wigan. After all aren't we supposedly World famous.

As for promoting the game in Wales its the responsibility of all clubs to do so including Wigan. You would be surprised at how many people that come from North Wales to watch RL at Wigan and Saints. RU has a major dominance in South Wales even i would not be looking at promoting SL so far away from the M62 Corridor. Man U, Liverpool etc promote all over the world surely Wigan and the RFL should be looking further than Wigan and a 10 miles radius. I started coming to Wigan in 95-96 season every season more and more come up. I almost took a picture of someone in the East Stand last season as he looked like someone from the street i live. Thing was it was him. The world is bigger than just Wigan and its surrounding areas and to generate more income and promoting the game then its upto all to do so. If it annoys people this is done then tough as it neds to be done. More fans you get more income you generate.

We promote the game as much as we can and have a great marketing set up. If the RFL ask us to help them by doing some promoting or whatever I would tell them to get stuffed because they do fook all for us. Weve got to do whats best for Wigan, stuff everybody else. Im sick of us bending over backwards to drag our game forward but the RFL mess up everything they touch and most other clubs are happy just existing.

He ran with great aggression last night, might be useful if he can cut out the mistakes at the play the ball and get himself fit.

I dont really buy comments like this tbh. Keep reading that players might do better under a better coach or if they get fitter or if they can add something to/cut something out of their game. For a raw, young British player with potential then maybe but Lauaki is 27 and would take up a quota space.

For me, as we are currently one of, if not the best team in the league we should be going for players from other SL teams who are playing well week in week out, not taking chances on players who might bring something but on current form aren't good enough. No disrepect to Hull FC, but a player should be rewarded for outstanding form by a move to a bigger club, not just taking a punt on them cos they are out of contract.