Sick of people with the rose tinted glasses on saying that Tony Clubb has potential etc. The guy is average at best and that is the reason he didn't leave London earlier. The other signings we've made I can see the logic behind, even Sarginson as he is only 20 and looks a good attacking prospect. However, this one I really can't understand and if he takes the place of Gelling/Thornley or even a back rower like Hughes etc its ridiculous

Interesting to see Clubb being touted as a centre in the WEP, when he's played Loose Forward/Prop for most of the last couple seasons. He could be a replacement for Tuson as opposed to a back.

Clubb as a centre?

Surely he moved to prop due to his height and weight.

Bowen yes, a top quality experienced player which is what we need.

Sarginson, an awful lot to prove after two dreadful seasons for London.

Clubb, just don't get it I really don't!

Could be worse, we're looking at signing Feka Paleaasina!!

Tony Clubb scored 4 tries at centre for England against PNG and hasn't been picked since. He scored a length of the field interception against us at the JJB back in 2009 or 10 when no-one laid a finger on him.



But...I recall reading a Louis McCarthy Scarsbrook article in the 40/20 last year saying he'd put so much weight on he was going to play prop...and that's where he played in 2011. He's hardly played at all this year.



You'd have thought the time to buy him has long gone. Can't see him getting a game - either as a centre or as a forward. Hope he doesn't take the squad place of one of our own youngsters who have done so well this season.

You can't turn around and say Tomkins and Richards are being replaced in a straight swap with Clubb and Sarginson because that simple isn't true. Looking at rumours so far were looking at...



OUT... Tomkins, Richards, Tuson, Spencer and poss Luauki.



IN ... Bowen, Pettybourne, Sarginson, Clubb and poss Briscoe.



If we end up with that I'd be more than happy and think we had done extremely well recruiting, even without Briscoe I'd be pretty happy and content with the squad for next year.



Bowen

Briscoe/Burgess/Manfredi/Thornley

Gelling/Thornley/Clubb

Goulding

Charnley

Green

Smith

Powell

McLlorum

Flower

Farrell

Hansen

O'Loughlin



Tomkins/Powell/Hampshire/Williams/Sarginson

Taylor

Dudson/Crosby/Hopkins/Pettybourne

Pettybourne/Hughes/Clubb

I'd genuinely go for Feka.



Sick of these project signings.

We just look like we've gone for an X Factor player in Bowen to enable us to carry on playing our current tactics and then decided to full the squad out with cheap gambles.



I keep saying it but that's going to catch up with us. We should have gone for Kirmond instead of Clubb IMO (if he's being signed as a back row/prop) or if he's being brought in as a back (which I don't want to believe is true) then go for Dean Collis.



We must be way under the cap for 2014.

Clubb is a shocking signing for you lot although pleased we are rid as his attitude is a disgrace. His days of playing centre are long gone, his out wide defence is terrible.. He can hit a ball up OK but no better than the young lads you have already. I can half understand Sarginson but again not in the same bracket as your academy guys as he struggles with the fundamentals.

[urlhttp://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-warriors/clubb-on-brink-of-wigan-move-1-6056085[/url

I'm not usually one to slag off signings before they've even pulled on the shirt, but I have no idea what we're thinking signing Clubb. Baffling signing.

Why, because it helps the Ruddy balance sheet. Wigan are in danger of going from the Harrods of R/L to Tesco's.

To think we have let tuson leave to sign this fella is a joke.

Tuson chose to leave, to say we let him go to sign Clubb is nonsense.

Sarginson and Clubb are underwhelming but they're cheap gambles at the end of the day. Neither will be planned to start every week so if they don't work out it's no massive loss. We have a very good squad for next season with a hell of a lot of competition for places. I don't remember anyone predicting Flower would be this good when we picked him up for cheap from Crusaders.....

You'd leave your place of work sharpish if your employers suddenly dropped your salary would you not?

Feka signed by Hull. Thank goodness!

Feka signed by Hull. Thank goodness!

Feka signed by Hull. Thank goodness!

Probably yes. But it was suggested that we offloaded Tuson to sign Clubb which is nonsense.

Feka may be a good signing for Hull. The quote from Gentle says he's never seen him looking so fit.



We were right to get rid when we did however if Bitcon had been at the club when Feka was we'd have seen a far better player.

I know we shouldn't slag off signings before they even play, but surely we're in our right to voice our concerns, especially when we've all seen the named signings play many times over.



So what is our recruitment policy? Yes RL is a squad game, rotating players keeping them fresh for the playoffs/CC, covering for injured players and suspension is a must, but who are what are we signing?



Firstly we 'appear' to be going backward with our squad, we've lost quality over the past few years:

J Tomkins

Hoffman (although he was never staying over a season)

Finch

Lima

Tommy

Carmont

Fielden (was crocked most of the time)

Mossop

Richards

Poss Sam

ETC



And it truth the players we have bought in haven't been as good.



Looking at where we stand to do we're on the verge of losing Sam Tomkins and replacing him with Matty Bowen. Bowen is a class act with bags of experience to add to our backline, furthermore he's ending his NRL career playing very well... but at his age etc, is he a step backward from Sam? Yes. Another backward step from the club, was this move unavoidable? Many think not, many think as he's still contracted to Wigan so it is avoidable. Which ever way the black and white of it is; we're losing another quality player, our star.



Who else are we signing? Pettybourne.. the man may as well end the spelling of his name with a question mark after the season he's had in the NRL.

The two from London, unispiring, don't seem like worthy signings, so I revisit my original statement what is our recruitment policy?



This season, now the league is over, we can forget about the poor form over the last few games and look at where we're at, 80mins from the GL and CC holders-all in all, this looks pretty good.



But wouldn't it have been better to be able to rest our stars and still field a team which can win? Maybe this is were the likes of Clubb etc step in. Not a player to feature in the 13/17 when everyone is fit but to play a portion of the season to cover injuries and when players are rested/rotated, experience from the likes of Clubb etc could possibly gell with the younger up and coming players to get us wins in games against weaker teams allowing us to rest players from our select 13/17.



So what characteristics are we looking for in this type of player?

Experience, will play for a lower salary etc (Clubb fits the bill)

Abilty to cover a wide range of positions/low salary/SL experience (Sarginson fits the bill)



Maybe this is what the club are developing. In effect, we could field a team minus several first teamers and beat weaker teams.



First 13

Bowen

Briscoe (fingers crossed) Thornley Goulding Charnley

Green Smith

Flower MM Taylor

Hansen Faz

Lockers

----------------------------

Second team

Tierney

Manfredi Sarginson (Experienced) Gelling (SL Experienced) Burgess

Hampshire Powell

Powell (Experienced RUGBY player) Logan (SL Experienced) Dudson (SL Experienced)

Pettybourne (NRL Experienced) Hughes (SL Experienced

Clubb (SL Experienced player)

(Some of the younger lads also have already played a handful of games in the SL)



With other players being involved throughout the season and obviously on the bench.



This looks sound considering the structure of the season considering the CC and playoff structure, all of which fits under the SC.



My concern is the lack of class and quality, players who are good enough to help you win the big games in the finals v the likes of Leeds and Wire, we seem to have a lack of said players.



Today it's difficult to sign such quality from Aus, you either target the young exceptional talent, bascially on loan for a season or two offering them experience at a top level rather than playing Toyota Cup, also allowing them to grow up as they experience life in another country.

Or you almost take a punt on a player coming to the back end of his career hoping he still has enough in his tank to add the flair we need (Bowen).



IMO both options aren't solid.



Naturally theres Union to target, then the players will need time to get up to speed (Powell) and might not ever be good enough, again another risk.



So who should we be looking at? Possibly after our own development systems; we should look at the quality players in SL. Might be harder to take a Watkins from Leeds for example, but players move to and from clubs all the time in Aus.

We could look at this, especially players from lower league teams who want to move on to have the opportunity to win the finals or dare I say put themselves in a 'bigger shop window' at Wigan for the NRL.



Who potentially falls into the bracket?



Kirkmond

Carney

Clark

Collis

Eden

Lineham

Burns

Etc



And from the stars list:



Briscoe

Lomax

Hall

Watkins

Moon

Hardaker

Burrow (still looks great)

Roby

Atkins

Etc



Signing 1 from the stars list and 3 from the 'stars' of the lower brackett could really change the look of our first team, FOR EXAMPLE:



Bowen

Charnley Goulding WATKINS CARNEY

Smith Green

Flower McM Taylor

Hansen Faz

Lockers

------------------------------------

CLARK Dudson Powell KIRKMOND



It's now all a blancing act, developing a squad and having the players who have what it takes to win the big games and of course, keeping all this under the SC.

Missed out on Feka so looks like were in the market for another Prop how many does Waney want? I hear Heskey might be interested in changing codes. Hel' be our next target.

Yeah - Feka has been training with us for a few weeks - back to his NRL playing weight and fitness levels, so could be a bit of a coup to get him to supplement Micky Paea as our 2 impact props