Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:44 pm  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

Miski and Halsall are currently, based on 2022 selections, perhaps considered not good enough by Peet due to the lack of first team appearances even with the injuries we had during the season and the exit of Hardaker?

Miski has improved marginally but his debut was one the worst debuts I've ever seen in a Wigan shirt.

Wouldn't surprise me if Thornley retires. He had awful luck with injuries and maybe his time has gone? He's at age where injuries are going to be an ever present and I'm not sure that he has the willpower or the capacity to keep struggling through
.
I stand to be corrected but I think Halsall played FB in his amatuer days so his experience at centre is somewhat limited and maybe that is what is preventing him from commanding a first team place at centre?

Apologies if that sounds negative Jon but we have been delinquent for many years in recruiting specialist centres and for me, even with King coming in we are short of top quality centres with decent backup.
Maybe I've mentally, incorrectly, "accepted" that Thornley won't be coming back and feel that we still require more experienced cover in the three quarters.

I'm quite hopeful that Wardle will join us per your prediction which will be a big improvement on recent years in the centres.

Miski is a great back up winger. Can’t think of many sides that have a better reserve winger should the main 2 get injured. I agree his debut was poor however beyond that I think he has done a great job when he has come in. He’s not a flier but he has a great carry probably better than our starting wingers but he doesn’t have their threat.

Thornley is here next year as far as I know and can do a good job when fit, with him not being expected to be involved every week that should assist.

Halsall played most of his pro rugby at centre.

He is still young and I think next year needs to be the year he plays 10 plus games he is clearly way too good for Championship rugby but not quite taken his chances for me when given a run with the first team.

Either way we will have 2 specialist first grade centres and 2 back ups who are genuine backs before we need to look at secondrows dropping in.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:47 pm  

jonh wrote:

Miski is a great back up winger. Can’t think of many sides that have a better reserve winger should the main 2 get injured. I agree his debut was poor however beyond that I think he has done a great job when he has come in. He’s not a flier but he has a great carry probably better than our starting wingers but he doesn’t have their threat.

Thornley is here next year as far as I know and can do a good job when fit, with him not being expected to be involved every week that should assist.

Halsall played most of his pro rugby at centre.

He is still young and I think next year needs to be the year he plays 10 plus games he is clearly way too good for Championship rugby but not quite taken his chances for me when given a run with the first team.

Either way we will have 2 specialist first grade centres and 2 back ups who are genuine backs before we need to look at secondrows dropping in.

The issue with Miski is that he's a quota player. Good or not, it seems a waste to a spot ied up for a guy who plays 10 games a year & against weaker sides too. It's good to either have them used on regular starters, or in the bank for a mid season recruit - say when you lose a centre and the other one gets injured for 90% of the campaign.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:57 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

The issue with Miski is that he's a quota player. Good or not, it seems a waste to one tied up for a guy who plays 10 games a year & against weaker sides too.

couldnt agree more

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 28, 2022 4:05 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

The issue with Miski is that he's a quota player. Good or not, it seems a waste to one tied up for a guy who plays 10 games a year & against weaker sides too.

Agree with that to be honest I’d like to see both him and Isa off the books.

I’d prefer us to only use quota spaces on genuine week in week out 17 players.

A club like Wigan in my opinion with such a strong youth system should never be reliant on having a full quota of overseas players.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Sep 28, 2022 8:10 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

The issue with Miski is that he's a quota player. Good or not, it seems a waste to a spot ied up for a guy who plays 10 games a year & against weaker sides too. It's good to either have them used on regular starters, or in the bank for a mid season recruit - say when you lose a centre and the other one gets injured for 90% of the campaign.

I agree but much would depend on the level of player that could be recruited on comparable salaries. Some very average British players are getting paid more than Miski and Isa. Having said that, we my have been better advised matching Wire’s offer for Nicholson.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Sep 29, 2022 10:20 am  

Are we going to hear about Wardle anytime soon, or are the club just going to keep us waiting around whilst they post happy birthday messages and pictures of places who've left?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Sep 29, 2022 11:07 am  

Hard to say to be fair. As much as there are rumours we’ve signed him, we might not have done. The King deal came out the blue and I can’t help wonder if that was Wire making us an offer to step aside on Wardle. Total guesswork but we’ll see. His season is still ongoing as things stand, so maybe they’re just being respectful of that.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:07 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Hard to say to be fair. As much as there are rumours we’ve signed him, we might not have done. The King deal came out the blue and I can’t help wonder if that was Wire making us an offer to step aside on Wardle. Total guesswork but we’ll see. His season is still ongoing as things stand, so maybe they’re just being respectful of that.

Agree, stuff has changed.

King to Wigan

Wardle to Wire

Bibby to Hudds.

Can’t see us having Thornely Wardle King Halsall and KPP

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:45 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Hard to say to be fair. As much as there are rumours we’ve signed him, we might not have done. The King deal came out the blue and I can’t help wonder if that was Wire making us an offer to step aside on Wardle. Total guesswork but we’ll see. His season is still ongoing as things stand, so maybe they’re just being respectful of that.

What’s the infamous’Dan’ saying on Wardle?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:59 pm  

NSW wrote:

Agree, stuff has changed.

King to Wigan

Wardle to Wire

Bibby to Hudds.

Can’t see us having Thornely Wardle King Halsall and KPP

I don’t get the logic that because we haven’t announced him yet he must be going elsewhere…yet nobody else has announced him.

I’m not directing that at you necessarily but it seems to be the underlying thoughts lately.

KPP isn’t a centre. He’s a secondrow. King is the only specialist centre in the squad for next year as it stands with Thornley being a utility back and maybe the same for Halsall.

Time will tell I guess but if it’s not Wardle we sign we still need another centre in this squad regardless of who we currently have signed.