Trainman wrote:
I wonder exactly the same. It’s not like our players are far superior to others in the league. I know the NRL teams have targeted the odd player who for personal reasons didn’t want to go. I don’t know if we let them go and other clubs play hardball. Whatever the reason I am bemused by it.
We let them go.
IL said in an interview, circa 2011/2012, when we were losing the likes of Tomkins, Mossop and Tommy to the NRL. He said they wouldn't stand in the way of a player who wanted to try their hand in the NRL, under the notion that they would come back to Wigan in several years a better player having experienced a higher level of competition in the NRL.
(I wish I had the interview, hopefully others remember this)
That was the theory, but in practice the results were very different. Mossop was badly injured, play 2 or 3 games? At Parra then was back. Tomkins had a bad injury, which was misdiagnosed by NZW medical staff which compounded the issue and kept him on the sidelines on his return, with it; he seemed to lose so much of his electric pace which he left with.
It's debatable to say who's had a stint over there and come back better.
-Tommy?
-Burgess?
-Sarge?
-Tomkins?
-Mossop?
And if they were a great success would they ever come back?