Wigan's local heroes may pay price of Aussie raid

League leaders add star Melbourne players to their squad but, asks Dave Hadfield, will it hamper development of homegrown talent?

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There is a delicious irony about it. Wigan, Super League's worst salary cap transgressors four years ago, have emerged as the main beneficiaries of the Melbourne Storm's much bigger scam on the opposite side of the world.

Wigan announced yesterday that they have signed three international-class players from the Storm, who have already been heavily fined and docked all this season's competition points and are now trying desperately to cut more than $1m from their wage bill without having to lose the likes of Greg Inglis and Billy Slater.

The Australian Test second-rower, Ryan Hoffman, has signed for one year with another year's option, the New South Wales half-back, Brett Finch, for two and the New Zealand prop, Jeff Lima, for three seasons.

"Having worked with all three of them during my time at Melbourne, I'm delighted that they will be joining us from next season," said the Wigan coach, Michael Maguire, whose former role as assistant at the Storm gave his current club the inside track to profit from the salary cap fall-out.

"All three are champion players with great experience at the highest level. They have a great work ethic and are top quality additions who will complement our playing staff."

They also represent a subtle change of emphasis for Britain's most famous club. Since the arrival of Ian Lenagan as chairman at the end of the 2007 season, heavy stress has been laid on the importance of basing future success on a solid foundation of locally produced players.

Nine of the players beaten by Warrington on Friday night to reduce Wigan's lead at the top of Super League to two points are products of their own development system.

Next season, however, more of their salary cap will be tied up on expensive imports. There are other implications as well, like the prodigiously talented Sam Tomkins spending more and more time at full-back in order to accommodate Finch, rather than in the stand-off role he plays for England.

For some Wigan supporters, it will all carry unwelcome echoes of the way virtually an entire generation of young Wigan-bred players were allowed to drift off under the previous regime as money was spent on underwhelming overseas signings.

Lenagan says that they should not worry that the club might be lurching in that direction again. For one thing, the players recruited are of indisputable calibre; for another, they will take the places of existing imports like Phil Bailey and Iafeta Paleaaesina, rather than young Poms.

"They are all in the prime of their careers and are hungry for success with us," said Lenagan. "Their presence will offer mature experience and a winning culture in direct support of the young players in our squad, such as Stefan Marsh, Chris Tuson, Liam Farrell, Lee Mossop, Ben Davies, Joe Heaton and all the other excellent young prospects coming towards the first team.

"The Wigan strategy is to bring through and retain talented young players and complement them with a limited number of world-class players. These signings are entirely consistent with that policy. Nobody's progress is going to be blocked."

Most of the players Lenagan cites have benefited from going out on loan or playing for other clubs under the new dual registration system.

The danger is that having sampled first-team rugby elsewhere, some of them might not be content to come back to Wigan and wait their turn.

Already this week, Lenagan has had to deny persistent rumours that Marsh, who has had a taste of the first team for Wigan as a centre, has signed to play for Sale. He is still in the middle of a two-year contract, but he and others could grow impatient.

Lenagan is adamant that will not happen, while McGuire has shown a willingness to select the young up-and-comer ahead of the more established star when form justifies it.

That was something his predecessor, Brian Noble, sometimes seemed reluctant to do, as in the case of Tomkins, who had to wait for the Australian, Tim Smith, to get injured last season before he could call the stand-off spot his own.

As usual, there is a balance to be struck. Yesterday's announcement of three big names might have looked like the sort of transfer coup the previous chairman, Maurice Lindsay, would have pulled out of the hat, but if they dovetail with the young talent, rather than creating a logjam, Wigan could have their strongest squad since their glory days.

And Melbourne might just keep Inglis, the best player in the world and the true equivalent of some of the signings Wigan made in the 80s, out of the clutches of the Brisbane Broncos, rugby union or Aussie rules.

Future stars or future at stake? Wigan's youngsters

Chris Tuson, 22

Hard-working back-rower who impressed on loan at Castleford and has pushed his way to the front of the queue for a place in the pack at Wigan

Josh Charnley, 18

Centre who has yet to make his debut for Wigan, but has played a couple of blinders for Hull KR on loan

Lee Mossop, 21

Superbly built second-rower who blossomed on loan at Huddersfield but has been hampered by shoulder injuries

Shaun Ainscough, 20

Prolific on the wing at the start of last season, but mistakes saw him loaned out to Castleford and now Widnes

Liam Farrell, 20

Cousin of the great Andy and a gifted, if not particularly big, forward with great hands and an instinct for the try-line

Ben Davies, 19

Strong, mobile prop, who has the Wigan coaching staff really excited. Like Ainscough, played for Widnes in the Northern Rail Cup final