[quote="Clearwing":1belopib]Fair point though the championship approach has hardly been an unmitigated success either.[/quote:1belopib] Any other position yes, but half backs would get little benefit from playing in a battered team. .

[quote="exiledrhino":3t2eh91j]No doubt Blease will already be looking at successors. From Arthur's recent interview saying he was missing his family, and couldn't ask his wife and daughter to stay another year, it seems nailed on that this will be his final season. We now need to look at a long term successor that will build on what Brad has brought. Is Shaun Wane that similar kind of mentality? I didn't always love the way Wigan played under him until his last season, but he's a proven leader. Rowley could be great given the Salford situation, but Leeds is a lot more pressure than Salford. Can't think of anyone else right now, unless it's an up and coming NRL coach, or if the club massively rate Jamie Langley as a potential successor.[/quote:3t2eh91j] I'm not quite sure that BA is nailed on to leave this year. He doesn't have an obvious job for 26, and even if a vacancy does pop up there is no guarantee he'll get it. In the NRL, out of sight is out of mind. The family angle is probably more pressing for him, but - his daughter is currently over here and could feasibly attend university in the UK, and his two sons haven't cracked the NRL in a meaningful way as yet. Could they end up in the UK playing SL? Stranger things have happened.

Wane hasn't ever proven himself outside Wigan. He's been a failure as England coach, I really wouldn't want to take a gamble on him.

Would he get the free reign of the set up at Leeds that he did at Wigan? - doubtful. Would he even leave the excellent set up he's currently enjoying at England / Wigan? - Again doubtful. Theres a lot that Leeds could use with the appointment of Wane, hes a proven super league coach, he knows how to link the various levels of teams within his club and isnt scared to ruffle a few feathers by bring through youth players into the first team if needed as he makes sure the teams all play the same way. Hes a tough uncompromising coach who stocks to his guns / style of play - probably why he wasnt hired / considered last time under Gawwy. Personally? I dont like his style of play and how he sets his teams up, but by god its effective and dare I say ruthless, thats two things already weve been miles off from for years.

[quote="MjM":28z2iubs]Wane hasn't ever proven himself outside Wigan. He's been a failure as England coach, I really wouldn't want to take a gamble on him.[/quote:28z2iubs] So he didn't get England to the world cup final but apart from that he's done alright. You're a pretty tough judge.

[quote="Bullseye":rh9ltxm4]So he didn't get England to the world cup final but apart from that he's done alright. You're a pretty tough judge.[/quote:rh9ltxm4] He didn’t get them to that World Cup final when the draw was pretty much created to give them the easiest route to the final, it was a massive failure and a huge opportunity missed

[quote="christopher":3e10p7wk]He didn’t get them to that World Cup final when the draw was pretty much created to give them the easiest route to the final, it was a massive failure and a huge opportunity missed[/quote:3e10p7wk] Totally agree, the draw was rigged to give them a clear route to the final. He should have been sacked for squandering a huge chance for England to get to a WC final with all the potential that had for the wider sport. [quote="Bullseye":3e10p7wk][quote="MjM":3e10p7wk]Wane hasn't ever proven himself outside Wigan. He's been a failure as England coach, I really wouldn't want to take a gamble on him.[/quote:3e10p7wk] So he didn't get England to the world cup final but apart from that he's done alright. You're a pretty tough judge.[/quote:3e10p7wk]I will concede that I may be ill disposed towards Wane based on the last time he tried to ply his club trade outside the Wigan bubble.

I think you're indulging in a bit of British exceptionalism here. GB may not have had to play Aus or NZ on the way to the semi final but the game has moved on since the 1990s and now Samoa and to some degree Tonga are both capable of beating us as well as Australia and NZ. To lose to Samoa in a close semi final was disappointing bit shouldn't have been unexpected. They had some excellent players in the side.

wanes selections, picking his mates when they were obviously wrong choices is his biggest failing. I can't see it stopping

Anybody heard anything beyond paper talk regards our bid to sign Watkins?

[quote="tad rhino":3m72586z]wanes selections, picking his mates when they were obviously wrong choices is his biggest failing. I can't see it stopping[/quote:3m72586z] Sorry Tad but I'm just seeing the usual club based bias there.

you think mcillorum should have been picked? that's just for starters. wigan are head and shoulders our best team, no issues there, but some selections and not just wigan players were a joke. Chris hill for another

Where is Chris Hill from? Oh yes…

Not for me and not convinced he'd give up a directorship at wigan in any case. The model that developed wane as a coach - and Matt Peet too - is something we should look at though.

[quote="tad rhino":2nu2sg5n]you think mcillorum should have been picked? that's just for starters. wigan are head and shoulders our best team, no issues there, but some selections and not just wigan players were a joke. Chris hill for another[/quote:2nu2sg5n] I'll give you that one but I thought Hill did alright in the world cup.

Hetherington to London Broncos LOL. Didn't see that one coming

[quote="FGB":12gmg1qb]Hetherington to London Broncos LOL. Didn't see that one coming[/quote:12gmg1qb]It's about as likely as some of the rumours on here. But it's good he is helping them find some new investors.

[quote="MjM":3sbhrbyq]It's about as likely as some of the rumours on here. But it's good he is helping them find some new investors.[/quote:3sbhrbyq] Good to see the Brisbane Broncos looking to invest in London. They've done brilliantly in the face of huge odds in their last two seasons in SL. The potential is there if properly harnessed.

[quote="MjM":2hcvfsb4]It's about as likely as some of the rumours on here. But it's good he is helping them find some new investors.[/quote:2hcvfsb4] Whatever anyone thinks about Gary Hetherington,and that net is cast far and wide, and to fans of all SL clubs. He has the very best interests of the game in this hemisphere, both in his head and also in his heart with all of the clubs in our competition. By comparison, how many SL chairmen could be describes as being only interested in their own clubs? Personally speaking, I would love to see a very strong and successful SL club in London and if Gary can help broker that deal,then good on him

After 8 years of serial underperformance, I trust the club is being paid a consultancy fee for our CEO to do this work rather than concentrate on turning around our ongoing failure.

Only Wakefield, Castleford, Leigh, and Hull can bid for any Salford players at the moment, but that may change after the next meeting on Wednesday.

[quote="Jack Burton":5phyev54]Only Wakefield, Castleford, Leigh, and Hull can bid for any Salford players at the moment, but that may change after the next meeting on Wednesday.[/quote:5phyev54] How come?

[quote="Clearwing":1om2hj2u]How come?[/quote:1om2hj2u] They`re under the cap I think.

Pretty sure I read an interview with Burgess to the effect the wolfs are in the market too. Though it sounds like there may be some sort of dispensation drawn up

[quote="The Biffs Back":3pc6ns90]Whatever anyone thinks about Gary Hetherington,and that net is cast far and wide, and to fans of all SL clubs. He has the very best interests of the game in this hemisphere, both in his head and also in his heart with all of the clubs in our competition. By comparison, how many SL chairmen could be describes as being only interested in their own clubs? Personally speaking, I would love to see a very strong and successful SL club in London and if Gary can help broker that deal,then good on him[/quote:3pc6ns90] I've been to a few RL literature events, usually as part of Ilkley Lit Fest. I think I have seen GH at every one, but no other chairmen. That says everything about his passion for the game.