given our problem since the Asiata injury why not give him a go at 13

It's a tricky business, especially for a club like Wigan that produce so many players. I imagine it's gotten even trickier with the change in the tampering deadline.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but signing too many players with bad injury records likely means you will have a few out regularly as we've seen this season which impacts your chances of challenging near the top.

If our main 2nd row options next year are batchelor, cartwright and bell, my guess is only 1 of those will play in more than half the games.  Let's hope bailey is a star in the making

I actually like the change in the deadline as its sort of forced clubs to look at their recruitment / retention much earlier, and gives players opportunity to negotiate for their futures sooner too, which IMO is the key part of it. As we've seen this year, Wigan offered contracts to both Byrne and Hill, and they have chosen to move on. I dont have any inside knowledge about details, but you would think that financially both players may have been offered a better deal than Wigan put on the table given they are both squad type players, as opposed to nailed on starters, and the lure of 1st team rugby elsewhere could have been a big sway. Like you say, its a tricky business but the beauty of producing your own players is that they are initially cheaper to manage on the cap, but when it comes to contract negotiations, they are in a good place if they have got 1st team experience under their belts. With both Byrne and Hill this year, Wire and Hull are getting good players with a decent amount of 1st team experience, but luckily for Wigan we have 2-3 more youngsters coming through who can fulfil the role within a squad over the next couple of seasons when we have injuries to our prop rotation, so utilising the loan system and the odd game in the 1st team gets them ready for becoming a regular squad member

You keep mentioning Bell, but he has an excellent injury record, apart from this year.


Bell, Hardraker, Bailey and Chamberlain isn't too bad anyway. Add Kirby in too.


We've signed 4 players, only one is injury probe and  he probably the best British backrower to move clubs, worth the risk IMO.


Definitely need another prop and I'd like another outside back too.

I was meaning bell will be the only one likely to play regularly out of him, cartwright and batchelor.  Batchelor's issues aren't just this season.  3 years is too long IMO for a player already struggling to get on the field regularly.


We can play kids and makeshift back rowers but will be in the same position we are now, lacking in much threat out wide.