Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:59 pm  

MattyB wrote:

It's important to rectify one of the issues last season with regards to a solid goalkicker , which scenario looks most likely?

1) New signing - Half Back or Centre with a better % strike rate than what we had in 2021? Upwards of 75%.

2) Existing player - Hardaker with a 50% strike rate last season but with additional kicking practice (Briers?) to improve this? This assumes he's in sound mind to play on in 2022.

3) Existing player - such as Smith with Tommy filling in, again with additional kicking practice to try improve on last years poor rate. Unknown %.

There can’t have been a club as big as Wigan, who have gone as long without a recognised top level goal kicker for so long before. We’re going in to our ninth season now since Pat Richards left and we haven’t had a kicker in that time who has been a regular first choice at another club before (other than spells by default) or even one who did it on a regular basis for our academy (Up until Harry Smith last season).

I’m not sure it’s been a particularly big issue for us tbh but it’s been an unbelievably long period. I read Catalans are close to deals for Napa, Pearce and Taukeiaho earlier. I’d love to have their financial backer and sadly they look to have beaten us to Wires accountant. I could be wrong but if Zane Tetevano is on marquee money at Leeds, you’d think it’s safe to assume Pearce and Taukeiaho would be at Catalans but presumably Sam Tomkins also is and then guys like Whare and Kasiano can’t be on buttons. I’m not sure how these clubs are doing it but all power to them. To think we’ve had prop issues and needed a reliable goal kicker for years and haven’t even been in the rumours columns for Taukeiaho is a shame. He’d have solved a couple of issues for us.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 6:37 am  

It's embarrassing. If IL can't or won't fund big signings anymore then it pains me to say it, but it's then time he put the club up for sale.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:02 am  

Pie_Eyter wrote:

It's embarrassing. If IL can't or won't fund big signings anymore then it pains me to say it, but it's then time he put the club up for sale.

Judging by the silence coming out of the club, especially on the signing of better quality players, how do you know that he is not already in the process of doing it?

When he bought the club from Whelan, his purchase came out of the blue with no indication that Whelan was selling it.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:19 am  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

Judging by the silence coming out of the club, especially on the signing of better quality players, how do you know that he is not already in the process of doing it?

When he bought the club from Whelan, his purchase came out of the blue with no indication that Whelan was selling it.

whelan said he was selling the club weeks before it sold

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:51 am  

Encouraging quotes about French, I know people will want him back in Wigan this side of Christmas but I’m mainly bothered about him coming back at all.

Bevan French is still recovering from injury, but Peet insisted he is in safe hands. "We're as hands-on as we can be with Bevan," Peet said. "We're having daily Zoom chats with him and we're being supported by some experts over there who we trust.

"It's important to make sure we support him as well as he can and when he gets here he will be fit and raring to go, we've no doubt about that."

Pre season starts Monday, Jai Field fully fit. Ellis is arriving this week and Mago in 2 weeks (as his season finished later than Ellis).

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:19 am  

100% Warrior wrote:

I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t rate Hank at all so I am struggling to understand the uproar about him leaving - not so much on here but in social media you’d believe we’ve just released a prime Greg Inglis.

I get he’s a goal kicker but seriously are we clamouring over him for that? I want a lot more from our players than that. I mean no malice to the lad and genuinely wish him well wherever he goes next and every success to boot, but admittedly I’m not sad to see him go.

For me he was solid, decent defence and really good goal kicker which we desperately need. I don’t see Thornley or Bibby as big upgrades on him and that’s without factoring in his kicking. That’s said it’s hardly a disaster he’s gone as he will never be a top centre but in a salary cap sport he’s someone I could see slotting in and doing well in a successful superleague side.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:54 am  

NSW wrote:

Encouraging quotes about French, I know people will want him back in Wigan this side of Christmas but I’m mainly bothered about him coming back at all.

Bevan French is still recovering from injury, but Peet insisted he is in safe hands. "We're as hands-on as we can be with Bevan," Peet said. "We're having daily Zoom chats with him and we're being supported by some experts over there who we trust.

"It's important to make sure we support him as well as he can and when he gets here he will be fit and raring to go, we've no doubt about that."

Pre season starts Monday, Jai Field fully fit. Ellis is arriving this week and Mago in 2 weeks (as his season finished later than Ellis).

It is but IMO he must be back with us for pre season training this side of Christmas. He had an extended break last season and has spent the vast majority of the season in Australia. We’ve given good will and then some, it’s time for a return.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:07 am  

[list=][/list]

100% Warrior wrote:

It is but IMO he must be back with us for pre season training this side of Christmas. He had an extended break last season and has spent the vast majority of the season in Australia. We’ve given good will and then some, it’s time for a return.

Id be very surprised if we bave a fit Bevan French by the start of the year. Might be wrong but the note from the club about the difficulties he's had in his recovery gives the impression he's still got a way to go.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:23 am  

MadDogg wrote:

[list=][/list]Id be very surprised if we bave a fit Bevan French by the start of the year. Might be wrong but the note from the club about the difficulties he's had in his recovery gives the impression he's still got a way to go.

The big advantage we'll have is that there is a reserve league this coming season so he should be able to get a couple of games to ease himself back in.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:33 am  

Pieman wrote:

whelan said he was selling the club weeks before it sold

Ruddy doesn't let facts get in the way of a good moan though