Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 1:48 pm  

Not sure how much any of you have watched Thornley over the last 2 years but as a Leigh fan he is not really a loss for us. and a 3 year deal is a fair old contract at 31, considering his first season was PT with us on relative peanuts.

There are 2 types of Ian Thornley, the one that turns up and is a real handful and carries out of yardage like a steam train and then there is the one that you don't even know is on the pitch for 80 minutes, unfortunately both of them are weak in defence and guarantee at least 2 knock ons & 2 forward passes every game.

Very surprising pick up by WIgan and i suspect done purely because he had one of his relatively better games against you early last year.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:02 pm  

Binosh wrote:

Not sure how much any of you have watched Thornley over the last 2 years but as a Leigh fan he is not really a loss for us. and a 3 year deal is a fair old contract at 31, considering his first season was PT with us on relative peanuts.

There are 2 types of Ian Thornley, the one that turns up and is a real handful and carries out of yardage like a steam train and then there is the one that you don't even know is on the pitch for 80 minutes, unfortunately both of them are weak in defence and guarantee at least 2 knock ons & 2 forward passes every game.

Very surprising pick up by WIgan and i suspect done purely because he had one of his relatively better games against you early last year.

thats how we ended up with Mitch Clark

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:18 pm  

Pieman wrote:

thats how we ended up with Mitch Clark

Dennis Moran Taulima Tautai, it's a theme

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 3:29 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

Dennis Moran Taulima Tautai, it's a theme

yep

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 4:45 pm  

Binosh wrote:

Not sure how much any of you have watched Thornley over the last 2 years but as a Leigh fan he is not really a loss for us. and a 3 year deal is a fair old contract at 31, considering his first season was PT with us on relative peanuts.

There are 2 types of Ian Thornley, the one that turns up and is a real handful and carries out of yardage like a steam train and then there is the one that you don't even know is on the pitch for 80 minutes, unfortunately both of them are weak in defence and guarantee at least 2 knock ons & 2 forward passes every game.

Very surprising pick up by WIgan and i suspect done purely because he had one of his relatively better games against you early last year.

I agree. I wish the lad nothing but the best of luck but I’m still amazed we went in for him. I suppose though when you’re trying to cut costs and look for reliability and stability without that special spark - even with the 2nd type of IT you mention, he’s the type you’d look to.

I mean I’m not saying I think it’s a decent signing, I don’t. I think it’s a terrible signing and there’s far better out there for what we want and for what we want to spend but ultimately he’s a Wigan player (apparently, STILL not been officially announced yet) so I’ll back him to succeed naturally despite my misgivings.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:44 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

I agree. I wish the lad nothing but the best of luck but I’m still amazed we went in for him. I suppose though when you’re trying to cut costs and look for reliability and stability without that special spark - even with the 2nd type of IT you mention, he’s the type you’d look to.

I mean I’m not saying I think it’s a decent signing, I don’t. I think it’s a terrible signing and there’s far better out there for what we want and for what we want to spend but ultimately he’s a Wigan player (apparently, STILL not been officially announced yet) so I’ll back him to succeed naturally despite my misgivings.

Unfortuanally, it sums up the present financial situation at the club when for next season which will be the 150th anniversity, it has only signed a unkown winger from London Broncos, two equally unknown prop forwards from down under and a player who was released a decade ago because he was consider not good enough.

Not to mention, the appointment of a head coach who's only experinece as a player from what I have been told was as a prop forward for Wigan St Patricks in Amateur Rugby.

Hardly giving loyal supporters the incentive to buy season tickests, is it!

Even former Wigan Legend Martin Offiah has expressed concerns about what is happening at the club!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 01, 2021 1:04 am  

With regards to Thornley I think we need to put things in to perspective financially. The club needed season ticket holders to not take their refunds last season. Tells you a lot about the money available to spend if things are that bad. We would all love to see Tommy Turbo or Joseph Manu at centre next season but it’s not realistic.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 01, 2021 1:40 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

Unfortuanally, it sums up the present financial situation at the club when for next season which will be the 150th anniversity, it has only signed a unkown winger from London Broncos, two equally unknown prop forwards from down under and a player who was released a decade ago because he was consider not good enough.

Not to mention, the appointment of a head coach who's only experinece as a player from what I have been told was as a prop forward for Wigan St Patricks in Amateur Rugby.

Hardly giving loyal supporters the incentive to buy season tickests, is it!

Even former Wigan Legend Martin Offiah has expressed concerns about what is happening at the club!

IFL said we will be using our full salary cap in 2022!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 01, 2021 2:02 am  

We have a significant amount of money invested in those in their early 20’s who between them are taking up a fair chunk of the cap. I suppose it is a question of balance, I’d guess we are spending more than any other team on squad players.

On the Thornley subject. We are running a reserve team again next season and need players for that. I don’t know how much he’s on but I’d hazard a guess he was signed as a squad player to provide cover and competition for the centre spots. I’d be surprised (unless one leaves) if our centres aren’t Bibby and Hardaker.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Nov 01, 2021 7:26 am  

Sweaty Betty's wrote:

IFL said we will be using our full salary cap in 2022!

Already spent or will be spent?

Hopefully, it is the latter because the present first team squad only consists of twenty six players and not the normal near three dozen or so for Super League and Reserve Rugby.

If Reserve Rugby is to happen, I can only see a above normal number of players being promoted from the Under 19 Academy as IL has intimated that the club will be only making one more signing from outside the club.

As that signing has still not been made, is it only to replace French who is rumoured not to be returning or is it a replacement for Hardacre if he leaves?