Re: Arthur In : Tue Aug 06, 2024 5:17 pm  

[quote="Trebor1"]
45 years for me, and while I can recall some hideous days (70 point thrashings against the pies) there's never been such a period of prolonged mediocrity. I don't think I'll ever stop going, but these last couple of months have really started to feel like a drag.

Re: Arthur In : Tue Aug 06, 2024 8:27 pm  

christopher wrote:

Lets have it right though Jim bar Frawley (who in fairness is one of those thats in form) most people were happy with those signings you mention, and I personally still am.

Get some decent forwards in and we’ll look a totally different side.

The mistakes in recruitment were relying on Holroyd as a starting prop snd not adding another big prop.

I don’t think it was a mistake, I think we ran out of quota and cap to bring the right player in. We were sniffing around a couple of players.

Arthur definitely looks to be getting more out of Frawley since he’s come in.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 7:58 am  

Pack mistakes also extend to contract extensions for sangare (I've no idea what the club saw in him to make that signing in the first place) and lisone and Bentley and Donaldson (though Im on the fence with him as he'll not be on much and you need some players like that in your squad). Compound that with singing Goudemand and we're left with naming holroyd at 10 Which given his appearance record and lack of fulfilling his early promise was a massive gamble. Of all the project signings too only McDonnell has worked out.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 8:37 am  

Seth wrote:

Pack mistakes also extend to contract extensions for sangare (I've no idea what the club saw in him to make that signing in the first place) and lisone and Bentley and Donaldson (though Im on the fence with him as he'll not be on much and you need some players like that in your squad). Compound that with singing Goudemand and we're left with naming holroyd at 10 Which given his appearance record and lack of fulfilling his early promise was a massive gamble. Of all the project signings too only McDonnell has worked out.

Might nit be popular but Ive no issue with Donna being around - he will be on a small wage and he is the type of player that can help drive attitudes and standards.

Lisone is a luxury player and one that we cannot afford at the moment.

Something jus isn't right with the whole Holroyd thing IMO, hasn't he had a couple of scrapes with players in the past - I'm just not sure if his attitude is where it needs to be, but that's just speculation on my part. Which would be a shame as he does have potential.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the pack totally overhauled in the off season, Mike is carrying them and has for a couple of seasons, he needs help urgently.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 11:17 am  

christopher wrote:

Lets have it right though Jim bar Frawley (who in fairness is one of those thats in form) most people were happy with those signings you mention, and I personally still am.

Get some decent forwards in and we’ll look a totally different side.

The mistakes in recruitment were relying on Holroyd as a starting prop snd not adding another big prop.

Agree Chris. Though i think a mistake was not having enough cap space to sort it..

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 11:52 am  

[quote="ArthurClues"]
I’m about 38 years of support, for many years I used to go to all the away games. In spite of our usual thumping at Central Park I used to enjoy that particular game. Wigan fans in those days were a decent bunch. The ground to me had a special atmosphere. I am more than happy to continue my support, however the club seems to have acquired a collective madness on the rugby side of things. Looking at some of the latest sub standard players we have signed. The phrase due diligence springs to mind, obviously not applicable in most cases. Anyway looking forward to the Wigan match. Had us down for a win, highly unlikely now due to our prop shortage. Still one can live in hope.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 12:33 pm  

[quote="Backwoodsman"]
Yes. Central Park was a great ground. Used to love going to test matches there. Wigan has always been my favourite fixture but will be going with a queasy feeling on Saturday.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 12:53 pm  

Due diligence is absolutely correct.
Whoever identified the players presumably Smith. Then who is it who runs the rule over them to make sure they are what we require or once the coach says get me so and so it`s down to GH to negotiate the contract?
McDonnel like what`s been said is probably the only one to come out with any credit.
Bentley would go ok with a bigger pack but not with what we have now.
Martin will be a miss more so for his 80% kicking success.
So we now need to find a kicker that isn`t Miller!
With the players we currently have in our squad and the length of some of their contracts I doubt we will see us in the top 4 for another 3 years even with BA.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 2:40 pm  

christopher wrote:

Might nit be popular but Ive no issue with Donna being around - he will be on a small wage and he is the type of player that can help drive attitudes and standards.

Lisone is a luxury player and one that we cannot afford at the moment.

Something jus isn't right with the whole Holroyd thing IMO, hasn't he had a couple of scrapes with players in the past - I'm just not sure if his attitude is where it needs to be, but that's just speculation on my part. Which would be a shame as he does have potential.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the pack totally overhauled in the off season, Mike is carrying them and has for a couple of seasons, he needs help urgently.

Would you look to exit Lisone if the club do decide to pay off contracted players? On Saturday I would have willingly lit the fuse that would have shot him out of a very large cannon, but he does offer a lot more than Sangare (not hard) and the more props we try and get the harder it will be to get good ones. No easy answers.

Re: Arthur In : Wed Aug 07, 2024 2:54 pm  

ArthurClues wrote:

Would you look to exit Lisone if the club do decide to pay off contracted players? On Saturday I would have willingly lit the fuse that would have shot him out of a very large cannon, but he does offer a lot more than Sangare (not hard) and the more props we try and get the harder it will be to get good ones. No easy answers.

If we're looking at moving contracted players on I'd look at moving Sangare on before Lisone, who as you say can actually add something. We need IMO two extra decent starting grade props minimum.