Why is it good to have players who have been at the club for a long while? The only players who should be at the club are players who consistantly prove to be outstanding. If they're standards drop, they're out.

So we should only be interested in players who Wire etc are? I don't agree, we spot talent and go for it. Plus, how do we even know what other clubs are upto?



And no, Collis looked good playing origin. And no, Wigan aren't great.



Standards are everything.

Can't recall many occasions this season (or last for that matter) where he has used pace or footwork to get Charnley away.



He also always seems to come in too far when defending, leaving Charnley no option but to leave the touchline and go with him thus creating easily exploited space for opposition wingers.



A decent, unspectacular player but doubt he'd replace any of the RH centres from any of the teams with us in the top 5.

Stability is important. Look at Danny Maguire, Rob Burrow, Kylie Leuluai, Ryan Bailey, Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Carl Ablett at Leeds. They have all played in all 5 of Leeds' recent Grand Final victories, and yet none of them are particularly outstanding, technically better players will have been available in that time in most if not all of their positions, but Leeds kept a settled squad of solid players together with a few stars and it paid dividends, big time.





I'm not saying we shouldn't look at players unless other clubs are in for them, it's just surprising that a player who is apparently clearly of a higher calibre than Darrell Goulding would sign up to Wakefield for three years with little fuss, particularly when there is a lack of quality centres even at the top clubs.





Yes he played one game for City origin (not to be confused with state of origin) 6 years ago, scraping the barrel a bit mentioning that

I meant Wigan are great in comparison to Wakefield rather than us being a team of world beaters.

He tends to get the ball to Charnley early, even in difficult situations which is what I rate him for, granted his defence could improve though and he does seldom try to do anything himself

Ok you seem to want to argue the merits of Goulding, I feel your standards are evidently lower than mine. Disreguard Collis and I still think Goulding isn't good enough.



Stability only works if you've got quality players long term, not 'solid' players. Those sort of players can always be improved upon. Goulding is clearly in that bracket.



It would be interesting to know how old you are or when you started watching Wigan, I don't mean that in an offensive manner, I've just noticed fans who grew up in the Farrell/Radz era have a lower expection and rate players higher than those who grew up watching the likes of Edwards, Greg, Hanley, Bell etc.

I'm not saying Goulding's brilliant, even at his best I've never said he should ply for England (as loads of others did) and I was originally sceptical about him being given the 3 shirt last year. I'm just saying I'm not convinced there are many better options out there, it's only worth getting rid of him if we can bring in someone markedly better. As much as I'd like to, we can't just go out and sign an Iro or a Renouf in the current era. We're limited to failed/over the hill NRL players or players from mid-low table SL clubs, who I tend to think are there for a reason more often than not.

Exactly, it's not about how good he is relative to past wigan centres but how good he is compared to the others available now.



Goulding has our third most try assists and I think is solid in defence. Charnley seems to me to have been solid when playing with Goulding and left isolated when not. He also has a really good short kicking game which is great for forcing restarts.



I know its only a couple of people but I really can't believe Goulding can be coming in for criticism. With the constant turnover we've experienced and are continuing to have, to call for Goulding to be replaced is bizarre to me.

In the modern day superleague Goulding is more then adequate. He's solid enough in defence and gets good early ball to Charnley.



He probably wouldn't have been a first choice player for a too end club 5 years back though. That shows the standards of the competition up.



If we were to make a play for a centre you'd think it would be one to play left side but I don't think we will.

Sam now wants to play Rugby Union in 2015.



“I am not one of these people who is all about league and says union is rubbish,” said Tomkins, who was at Saracens’ ground at Allianz Park on Wednesday as the new ambassador for Shock Doctor, the sports protection range.

“Seeing England play at Twickenham in front of tens of thousands of people, that is what would do it for me.



"The international scene in rurgby union would be what I would want to get into at some point if I could.”



"How players get looked after in union off the field far outweighs league by 10 times.”



The next few weeks will be his last in a Wigan shirt for a long time, I just wish he'd stop selling him self at every opportunity and concentrate on Wigan.

[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/10286811/Wigan-Warriors-rugby-league-star-Sam-Tomkins-keen-to-switch-codes-in-time-for-2015-World-Cup.html[/url

Funny that I'm sure his contract with Wigan was for five years.





(although obviously we are all fully aware that he has signed for NZ Warriors so that five year contract is irrelevant).

What annoys me is that Sam and IL have repeatedly told us he can't speak to the NRL or Union for 3 years yet 2 years into the agreement of that clause he has decided to field offers from left right and centre, I just wish the club and Sam would have some decency to the people who have lined his pocket.

Tomkins is meant to have a 2 year contract with the NZ Warriors that would take him through until October 2015 and the Union world cup starts in September 2015 so it's a bit of a non story tbh. If he does go to Union after the NZ Warriors his first game would probably be a league fixture around Christmas time in 2015 and he'd have to wait 4 years for a crack at a World Cup.



I'm not saying he'll be coming back here after the Warriors but he won't be involved in the 2015 Union World Cup

Chris Irvine tweeted that union journos were speaking to Sam a few days ago, was waiting for an article like that to appear tbh.

I do agree with the body of your point, and I would stick with him until someone better comes along. For me it's in a 'solid yet not great' bracket. I would be always looking for a potential replacement as he's not good enough to be left alone.

Sam Tomkins, the Anakin Skywalker of Rugby. He's been given everything by RL, they changed the salary cap rules granting him a massive contract, gets his own TV show on sky tv and segment on another sky sports how. Clearly painted as the 'golden boy' of league, and yet he comes outs with negative flippant comments about RL, if the golden boy calls the sport which has made him, what's left for us?

We are constantly fighting a battle to positively promote RL, this was a kick in the nuts from Sam, wheather he meant it or not.



So yes he might want to play Union or the NRL, fair enough, but please Sam, conduct your requests or future plans behind closed doors, and not at the cost of the sport which constantly does all it can to promote you.



Is this isn't a just an issue for Wigan, but for RL. Furthermore something needs to be done about his current situation at Wigan, I understand the idea of not announcing him signing for NZW, if he has, but a 'no comment' from the club policy is too old-fashioned. With social media people talk, rumours and 'private deals' are quickly discovered and passed around online, it's about time the club recognised the current climate and did something about this situation, with Sam's comments to boot, it leaves an uneasy feeling with the fans.



Additionally there is another angle to this, perhaps Sam was firing a 'Media warning shot' to English RL, 'treat players better, do more or else we will find work elsewhere, NRL or Union', if so I admire his balls, but all he's done is fed the Union boys a meal right out of the mouths of those who look after him and pay his wages.

Well said.

Jack Deardem just tweeted that Hock is confirmed as one of the 12 players to be unveiled at Salford today.

obviously IL doesn't see salford as a top club.

meanwhile, we sign a scout for Cumbria... marvelous

are you really saying you would want hock back? lol

Haha not really, but I wouldn't say no to Rangi Chase in our halves considering we currently have the creativity of a dead slug there

I wonder if we have taken a fee for Hock?



It would seem strange to let him sign for Salford without some fee involved especially when you consider there was a fee involved with his collapsed move to the Eels.

Phil Wilkinson (Wigan Observer editor) said on Twitter Wigan had been paid a 6 figure sum by Salford.

Phil is usaully not far away from what's going on.

So Hock's signing for Salford and not going on loan!

Then it is Goodbye Gareth!

Finally rid. Cash in the bank.



Move on.