'Who should be Wigan Warriors' next captain?'

If Sean O’Loughlin retires at the end of this season, who – of the current players – should become captain?

Robert Kenyon: He’s really come on in terms of ability and leadership these last few years and he’s captaining the England Knights, I don’t think you can look past Sam Powell. Liam Farrell was a very close call but I think Powell is a bit more vocal on the pitch.

Jon Lyon: Presuming Tommy Leuluai also retires it’s hard to look past Liam Farrell or Sam Powell. Both are Wigan born and bred and love the club. Both have longevity on their side and their committed, all-action performances earn them automatic respect from the rest of the players as well as the fans. Powell is maybe slightly more vocal, but I would be happy with either to take on the tough task of replacing the legend that is Lockers.

I would also throw Zak Hardaker into the mix. He might not be a Wiganer but his performances have got better and better with every game. His attitude on the pitch is outstanding, leading kick chases, encouraging players who make mistakes or need pumping up. He certainly plays like a captain.

Darren Wrudd: I have pondered this question for a while now and don’t envy the job of Adrian Lam to select his next team captain as, let’s be honest, Sean O’Loughlin will be a hard act to follow. But this is the nature of our sport and a new player must be handed the honour. I can only suggest this from a spectator’s point of view of course, and much of the actual selection will come down to individuals personality and his interaction with the team, information to which we are simply not privy. So my choice would be a player who does long minutes and is a pivotal influence on the game as a whole, who is a smart cookie and can read and react to how a game is progressing, and who commands the respect of his peers and the fans in bucketloads too. Sam Powell is a genuine young man who measures up perfectly to the standard we like to see at Wigan, and I would simply love to see him given the job of captain from 2021 onwards.

Sean Lawless: I think the sensible thing would be a return to the leadership group that we had under Michael Maguire and see who shines from there. Sometimes, the danger of making someone a captain is the weight of that added responsibility and how that may affect performance. I know the team currently has a leadership group which includes Clubb, Farrell, Leuluai and O’Loughlin – with a few of those players set to leave or possibly retire. I would like to see a new group of Farrell, Isa, Powell, Hardaker and Hastings – should he stay. Add Bateman in the mix, when he returns ...

Alex Graham: The two front runners to replace SOL as captain for me are Liam Farrell and Sam Powell. It’s a tough choice and Farrell, who is approaching 30 and in his testimonial year, would be the best immediate choic. But I think Powell, who is only 2,7 would go up a level or two if given the captaincy.

There’s something about Powell which makes me think that, despite what he has achieved, he’s still yet to peak and the captaincy could well help to achieve that. Another unexpected suggestion is Zak Hardaker who, since joining Wigan, seems to have matured and has since been introduced to the leadership group. Another possibility we may have to consider is new potential signings, as Benji Marshall would certainly make a good captain....

Canberra are pursuing academy forward Harry Rushton and Melbourne have previously tried to sign Ethan Havard. Should clubs be concerned?

Robert Kenyon: Very concerned. It’s not like in the past where we have had a few good seasons return on the investment the club have put into the players development. It’s taking them before they’ve had chance to show us what they can do. I think it would be detrimental for their careers to go so early anyway, John Bateman and George Williams have been successes because they were established international players and were ready for the move. Whereas a youngster may have to play Toyota Cup and NSW/Queensland Cup for a good few years before they got their chance in the first team, they may get impatient and come back after one or two years without playing a game for the club they signed for. This would be detrimental as they’d feel like a failure. In my opinion, if you are going to go to the NRL, go when you’ve at least established yourself after 100 games in Super League.

Jon Lyon: Very much so, although I have no idea what we can do about it. Salary cap differences between Super League and the NRL make it impossible to stop. You can’t blame the players for doubling their wage and trying the Aussie lifestyle, but British clubs are going to wonder why they make the effort of spending money scouting and developing these kids from such a young age only for Australian clubs to reap the rewards. It also doesn’t say much for the Aussie game that they are reduced to pinching our youngsters. Gone are the days when they had a dozen world class players in every position.

Darren Wrudd: Concerned, perhaps, but let’s not be hitting the panic button just yet. When does a healthy interest become a threat to the long-term success of a club? If we keep producing these talented youngsters, Canberra Raiders will look like a Catalans B side, with almost as many ex-Wigan players as they have. But I like the aspect that some of the best talent in the world is being produced in a little northern town, known for a good pie and a sparking clog. When the reality is that Wigan folk are a tough lot and love their rugby league at all levels. Youngsters will want to sign for Wigan above all others as our system is proven to get the best from them, and if they are given a chance on the bigger stage, who are we to stand in their way, providing the right amount of compensation is paid for our investment. So I am more flattered than worried, and am convinced that, with staff at the club who put the young lads welfare first, the correct choices can be made for each case and we will still have an embarrassment of talent at this great club.

Sean Lawless: I think this is now very much the future of Super League, and the fact Wigan’s academy is now producing top-class NRL talent is testament to the work of Wigan. The comments last week from Gus Gould, regarding the NRL should be looking at buying Super League, becomes more and more feasible as, with each signing made, the closer to a feeder competition we become.

Alex Graham: I think it’s of huge concern. Usually players who leave for the NRL are proven and have achieved success, therefore clubs gain a return on the production, development and investment from the player by either winning competitions and/or gaining a substantial transfer fee. However, if NRL clubs start poaching academy products before or early on in their first-team career, there will be zero return on a club’s investment to develop the player. I understand that if a Super League academy product moves between Super League clubs under contract or not a compensation fee is involved. The RFL/Super League must work with the NRL to replicate this agreement to protect and encourage clubs to keep producing players. Also, the club may have to be more open to agreeing better and longer contracts to prospects they identify within the youth systems.

Martin ‘Chariots’ Offiah has been in the news this week. Raising the question... what’s your favourite player’s nickname?!

Robert Kenyon: My favourite nickname is ‘Waltzing’ Matt Hilder, who used to play in the NRL for Cronulla, Gold Coast and Newcastle. Away from rugby league, it’s got to be ‘One Size’ Fitz Hall.

Jon Lyon: I had to research a few for this question and there have been some belters. Luke ‘General’ Patten was quite clever, though it’s a bit cringy when the referees refer to him just as General in the ref’s bunker in Australia. David Williams’ beard made the ‘Wolfman’ moniker very apt. Glenn ‘The Brick With Eyes’ Lazarus is pretty funny and ‘Waltzing’ Matt Hilder is clever too. My favourite and the most appropriate would be Gorden ‘Raging Bull’ Tallis. Gorden was 6”2’ of pure angry and someone I loved watching, even when he lost his rag with our own Terry O’Connor in 1997. For 80 minutes every week, Tallis was Raging Bull personified.

Darren Wrudd: There have been a few over the years, I particularly like ‘Grub’, a nickname the lads at St Helens gave Paul Wellens, apparently due to the sheer amount of foot fungus he had on a regular basis. Billy Whizz was always a favourite too, for Jason Robinson and anyone of a certain age with a penchant for the odd read of the Beano will know why. Gary Connolly was called ‘Lager’ by the lads, but I cannot think why. However, as nicknames go, ‘The Pearl’ takes the biscuit. Steve Renouf was the guy in question and he really was a Pearl of a player. In full flight, the red blur of a scrum cap shot down the left side and lads like Radlinski would mop up the tries on the back of it. Held in such high regard, it makes me smile when Liam Farrell is called the ‘Ginger Pearl’ as it too is a huge compliment. But Renouf will always be the Pearl, and one of the finest we have ever seen.

Sean Lawless: In terms of nicknames, the one most recently for Liam Forsyth, just simply being known as ‘Brucey’. As a young player trying to make your way in the game, being referred to as Brucey, must have created some interesting comments on the pitch. Strictly speaking, he couldn’t play his cards right and his Wigan career ended before it began, but it was nice to see him, to see him...

Alex Graham: There has always been an associaion with ‘The Pearl’ with Wigan players Ellery Hanley, Steve Renouf and Liam Farrell earning the tag in various forms. It came to a point when Mark Riddell might have well as been christened ‘Piggy’ because everyone called him it, but you simply can’t go wrong with ‘Lager’ for Gary Connolly.