Wigan Sign Halfback Cade Cust from Manly

[EastLondonMike]

Haven't seen much of him other than in highlight form, but seems a decent enough halfback with some potential. Only 23 years old as well.

[DoubleD]

Never impressed me when I saw Manly play. Think he's actually a better hooker than half. I'd see him as a useful back-up/squad player but little else

[Saint Toppy]

Serious "bargain basement" signing if they're expecting him to be their 1st choice half next year. 

[Eddie]

Never heard of him but it’s a great name. 

[binosh]

The kind of signing you would expect from a bottom 4 SL/top 4 Championship team. I think Wigan could really struggle this year.

[M j M]

Do Wigan have any free quota spots to be signing this player?

[Damien]

A pretty underwhelming signing.

[Man of Kent]

Hard to tell how good he is, really, as biding your time being understudy to Daly Cherry-Evans is a long wait.

Very likely a cheapish signing but not necessarily a bad one. 

[DavidM]

I quite liked him when he got his chance tbh , but he had little chance with the players infront of him . He’s pretty lively around the ruck 

[EastLondonMike]

Highlights on youtube (admittedly 'highlights') suggest he has a good short kicking game too. Apparently Manly have a buy back/first refusal clause for any return to the NRL.

[Superb Chops]

Cust is (erm) cream signing, says Mole.

 

[Scubby]

Wigan miss out of George Williams after offering him the biggest deal in the club's history. Then lose Jackson Hastings.

They sign an NRL utility squad player  

[Gerrumonside ref]

Sounds like a cowboy from the old Wild West…

[JohnM]

This thread really warms my heart. I was getting worried that people had stopped rubbishing Wigans signings, a sure sign of Wigans fall from grace. Now I know I was wrong.

[EagleEyePie]

Happy with this. We really needed to bring someone in but the quality available hasn't been great. It was always likely to mean taking a risk on someone who isn't proven but has potential. No he's not a big name player but Hastings wasn't either when he signed for Salford and Blake Green wasn't when he signed for Hull KR and those are two of the best halves Wigan have had in recent history. We're just hoping to cut out the middle men in this instance.

We needed a new halfback but also cover at hooker with Powell underperforming and O'Neill lacking experience, so he's providing the cover we need.

[Mr Frisky]

Looking at the Sea Eagles forum their fans seem to rate him and are disappointed he has gone - most saying he was a good player not given a chance.

[Davo5]

Promising player who was highly thought of at Manly,likes to take the line on which we lacked last year but we are still seriously lacking at centre,can’t wait for the Thornley announcement

[Davo5]

4 hours ago, M j M said:

Do Wigan have any free quota spots to be signing this player?

Rumour is that Field might be on his way out,one can only hope so.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Intelligent buy, he’s a very good player, surprised he didn’t go to another NRL club but then maybe he (and Manly) have seen the Jackson Hastings pathway and see it as a better way to a first choice NRL halves spot in 2 years time. Manly have a brilliant halves combination and Moran as back-up, you can’t judge him on not making the squad often for them. 

[WN83]

Our strategy recently has been to try and get players from Down Under with a point to prove, rather than high earning, big names, who may just come over for a paid holiday. It’s tough to say if it’s paying off yet due to injury problems. It certainly was with French up until his injury and we’ve not seen anything of Field to judge him. We now carry it on in 2022 with those two (hopefully) plus Miski, Mago, Ellis and Cust, who are all in that same boat of having played NRL and in most cases impressing in their games but without nailing a regular starting spot. 
 

I think we’ve looked at signings like Hastings going to Salford and Chris Satae going to Hull and thought we’re best served going down that route. We should know more come the end of 2022 as to how successful it’s looking. They leave themselves open to criticism if it doesn’t work as people will say you get what you pay for. 

[Whippet13]

Hopefully this puts the Danny Richardson and Jacob Miller rumours to bed.

[Damien]

2 hours ago, WN83 said:

Our strategy recently has been to try and get players from Down Under with a point to prove, rather than high earning, big names, who may just come over for a paid holiday. It’s tough to say if it’s paying off yet due to injury problems. It certainly was with French up until his injury and we’ve not seen anything of Field to judge him. We now carry it on in 2022 with those two (hopefully) plus Miski, Mago, Ellis and Cust, who are all in that same boat of having played NRL and in most cases impressing in their games but without nailing a regular starting spot. 
 

I think we’ve looked at signings like Hastings going to Salford and Chris Satae going to Hull and thought we’re best served going down that route. We should know more come the end of 2022 as to how successful it’s looking. They leave themselves open to criticism if it doesn’t work as people will say you get what you pay for. 

Its hardly a new approach or a recent strategy. The club have been signing players like this for years whether that is the likes of French or Field or going back further the likes of Gabe Hamlin, Gelling or Carmont. Unfortunately our big name sgnings from Down Under have often been returning players being given a 2nd chance or players like George Burgess.

[Scubby]

2 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Promising player who was highly thought of at Manly,likes to take the line on which we lacked last year but we are still seriously lacking at centre,can’t wait for the Thornley announcement

 The club is desperate for some crowd pleasers. Get some cash out and sign a James Roberts or Blake Ferguson who would be open to a new challenge I'm sure. They wouldn't even be that expensive given their chequered past. 

[MZH]

15 hours ago, Damien said:

Its hardly a new approach or a recent strategy. The club have been signing players like this for years whether that is the likes of French or Field or going back further the likes of Gabe Hamlin, Gelling or Carmont. Unfortunately our big name sgnings from Down Under have often been returning players being given a 2nd chance or players like George Burgess.

Its probably the smart way to go about it. SL clubs just can't afford the slam dunk NRL signings any more. It's either big names who are past their sell by date, or up and comers who have a point to prove. When I think about my club the better overseas signings we have made in recent times have generally been the guys who were fairly unknown. I'd say two of the best, most reliable players in our squad are Chris Satae and Carlos Tuimavave, and tbh I hadn't heard of either of them when they were announced. Of our new signings this year the one I'm by far looking forward to seeing the most is Joe Lovodua.

I don't know anything about Cade Cust, but that certainly doesn't mean he's a poor signing. We will all just have to wait and see.

[Jinking Jimmy]

On 12/11/2021 at 12:14, Saint Toppy said:

Serious "bargain basement" signing if they're expecting him to be their 1st choice half next year. 

 

On 12/11/2021 at 12:25, binosh said:

The kind of signing you would expect from a bottom 4 SL/top 4 Championship team. I think Wigan could really struggle this year.

Check out the Manly Facebook page; the comments there suggest otherwise.