Fair play to Widnes - they've come out of this looking good.

Wigan on the other hand, regardless of the why's and wherefores, look like a shambles at absolute best, or cynical, arrogant,'bigger than the game', selfish, spectator unfriendly s at worst!

What is clear from this whole mess is that the RFL need to put Policies in place to protect against this type of thing. Forget this example, if the pitch/stadium of a home team is playable at the time of the game, the game simply has to go ahead as planned - if teams in SL cannot guarantee this because of ground sharing top trumps, then they should be forced to have an alternative venue available at all times, or face severe consequences. In the amateur game, the match would have been forfeited, the club fined, and repeated offences would lead to expulsion.

Re - Widnes "looking good"

Not sure that dropping the general admission to £10 will please their season ticket holders (i.e. the erosion of the "benefit" of being a ST holder).

Right.

Not sure about them looking like bigger than the game. They come out of it looking like small fry in a town they thought they owned.

That was the 'shambles' option... if they've done it cynically for the extra rest period, then that is the whole 'bigger than the game' thinking.

At least its ours and we don't have to answer to anybody. Or are you just upset that DP hasn't congratulated Wane on the WCC?

Of course they have. To quote a Saints fan I was talking to at our game at Saints last year 'They have been cheating b******s all of my life and it will never change'

To says it's amateurish is doing a disservice to all amateur clubs.

Saints fans have always been known for their unbiassed opinions when it comes to Wigan. Bit rich anyway.

Besides, I don't think this is as cynical in terms of getting rest - I think this is a case that Lenegan has been told where to go - Latics don't want the rugby messing the pitch up and Lenegan has bent over and said yes sir. Then tried - and failed miserably - to save face with a wreck of a press release.

I reckon this is right - they've lost the DW stadium top trumps battle and then added insult to injury in the way they've mis-handled it.

Either way, as I said earlier, the RFL must put Policies in place that either prevent this happening in the future, or have serious consequences - points deductions, fine and potential expulsion for repeated offences.

As a sport, we're already pretty small time, and do a good enough job of playing to that small time tag on our own - we can't afford to start letting other sports dictate where and when we play, so if that means taking a hard stance with our clubs who choose to ground share, then so be it. We should be setting a standard that as a Super League club, if you're ground sharing, your agreement should be strong enough that you cannot be dictated to and only the RFL (probably in conjunction with Sky) and the club itself can make a decision on where/when a game is played - if not, you're not fit for Super League in my eyes.

We need to set higher standards and expectations in all areas of the game - this is a great example of where we look Mickey Mouse as a sport. Set the bar higher, accept no less and start building a winning culture from a 'whole of game' perspective.

Likely. Hopefully this'll galvanise Lenegan a bit when it happens again. Which it will.

What a farce



What about stewards/turnstile operators/catering staff etc giving them a few hours notice when they weren't meant to be on shift? Feel sorry for Widnes fair play to them getting it on, farcical from Wigan.

Agree with all that, Superted.

I see no reason to doubt that Wigan RL were effectively given an ultimatum by the football club, and had little option but to go along with it. Of course, plenty here apparently *know* better...



But, that said, it's not satisfactory, or fair to other clubs, Wigan fans, lots of people. So talk of Lenegan needing to "grow a pair" is just daft: this isn't a school play-ground where he who shouts loudest wins. But yes, the club deserves to be sanctioned, and Widnes deserve to be financially compensated.

Going into the future, hard questions have to be asked about the viability of the DW share, if this kind of thing is going to happen again. We already have the annual pitch-relaying saga to put up with...

Agree with all that.

As a Wigan fan I'd love to know the terms of our tenancy. Doubt I'll ever find out though. This could well be the result of whoever signed the agreement in the first place which was well before the current regimes time. Leneghan has said previously the amount we pay is very favourable, it would be fairly safe to assume that comes with concessions.

As well as the compensation to the club, Widnes's season ticket holders should gain free entry when the reverse fixture is held in Wigan. Very unfair on them to lose out on a home game later in the year.

According to the press release this is the Widnes away game. The next game is the Wigan home game so season tickets will be valid for that.

We had no choice but to move a game to Leigh sports Village against Wakefield a couple of years back because Sky had decided we were on tv and our "rugger" ground share club were on BT Sport, there was no chance of us saying no to the powers that be so a little disappointed that Wigan felt they could just call a game off

Wigan have gone from thinking they were world champions to realising they're not even champions of their own town.

wish I could give this quote a like

Brilliant quote!

I think all Wigan fans agree this a total farce, and it won't be the last time this happens even if there is points deductions and fines, unless we somehow find £30-40 million quid down the back of the sofa to build a new stadium.

Why not ask Leigh if you can share with them.

Well we almost share the same kit....

Err I'm pretty sure we ARE world champions



Silver linings though, we now get to watch Wire get a pasting

Why would we ask them?
It's not their stadium?
It's Wigan councils.