Sadly, I think your pessimism is fully warranted.

The absolute minimum that we needed after the "performances" for the back half of last season, was an attacking coach for the backs, to (finally) replace Paul Deacon/Iestyn Harris.

We have done bugger all about that, and I suspect that we are expecting Leuluai to fulfil that role - Well, he didn't do it last season, and I don't expect any more from him this year.

I think we are in for even worse than last year - At least we won some silverware before the rot set in. This year, I foresee nothing but slow, boring rugby, with little end-product, which could well see us scrapping to stay in the top 8.

OK, we have had just a little coaching in kicking, but unless this RU guy is also teaching the halves some new tricks for the attack, I honestly don't see us finishing in the top 4 again this year.

I have never been this blazé or negative going in to a season before and, whilst I have retained our season tickets, I have almost zero excitement about it - It feels like a duty, rather than a pleasure.

I really hope I'm wrong, and SW will set the team loose, with Sam back in the halves and Escare at FB, and that we see some of the flare return...... But who am I kidding? More of the same - Plod, wrestle, kick (poorly) and repeat.

Intereting stuff from Rads re the Mick Mac / Gells departures https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-8949792

Intereting stuff from Rads re the Mick Mac / Gells departures https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-8949792

Quote ="exiled Warrior"Intereting stuff from Rads re the Mick Mac / Gells departures https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-8949792'" Think the comments about MM are a joke and is just the clubs side of the story. He cites age when his replacement is three years older and form from a player coming back from a broken ankle when plenty of the rest of the team had poor form last season. It's obvious MM looked for a chance to play in Oz but when that fell through he wasn't going anywhere until the club told him he ought to look at going to Les Cats. You don't point players you want to keep towards the exit door so when MM said it was made plain his future lay elsewhere now you know what he meant. The biggest revelation though is how much we pay in wages. £2.2m for[i that[/i squad? Very poor value for money IMO. I know IL when he arrived was unhappy about a small number of players taking up a large chunk of the cap and I also remember Rads mentioning Leeds have a pay structure where players progress up a pay scale that Wigan were looking at doing similar. Well it looks to me like such automatic pay rises have led to far too many average players being paid too much and a massive wage bill.

Quote ="exiled Warrior"Intereting stuff from Rads re the Mick Mac / Gells departures https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-8949792'" Think the comments about MM are a joke and is just the clubs side of the story. He cites age when his replacement is three years older and form from a player coming back from a broken ankle when plenty of the rest of the team had poor form last season. It's obvious MM looked for a chance to play in Oz but when that fell through he wasn't going anywhere until the club told him he ought to look at going to Les Cats. You don't point players you want to keep towards the exit door so when MM said it was made plain his future lay elsewhere now you know what he meant. The biggest revelation though is how much we pay in wages. £2.2m for[i that[/i squad? Very poor value for money IMO. I know IL when he arrived was unhappy about a small number of players taking up a large chunk of the cap and I also remember Rads mentioning Leeds have a pay structure where players progress up a pay scale that Wigan were looking at doing similar. Well it looks to me like such automatic pay rises have led to far too many average players being paid too much and a massive wage bill.

According to MM yesterday he didn't want to go to Aus because of his dogs(?), and that was a genuine reason.

I can believe that. Not a dog lover myself but we have friends who are and the way they treat the things better than some of the human members of the family never ceases to amaze me

Hate to be pedantic mate but GW got it in 2015, it was Tom Johnstone in 2016.



On Williams, I personally think he's a cracking player, yes he still has parts of his game to work on, like Kicking but give him a pack that can make plenty of yards and he will shine behind them and he's still only 23.

The 'he's only 23' line is a copout, as is the idea of needing a winning pack to play well (obviously it helps). Compare Williams' skill with the likes of Mitchell Moses (23), Nathan Cleary (20) and what's severely lacking is exactly those core basic skills without which you won't have a future in the NRL - kicking, passing and organising.

That's not bashing Williams BTW, every young halfback Britain has produced for years has lacked one or more of the skills to the sorts of levels required. Its why I hope that Williams, unlike so many before him actually does develop them. To me its down to lack of quality coaching for juniors, but also as someone else mentioned the sad fact that halfbacks simply don't need to get that good to play regularly and win things in SL.

Couldn't agree more.

Spot on

So it is official, Gelling has signed for the other Warriors.

Well that is a new way to get out of a contract. Seek compassionate leave, get a release on that basis and then you are free to sign for another club and your new club gets you for free.

Very cynical. He’ll be playing for absolute peanuts at NZW, night not even play for them at all and is on a one year contract.

I know yeah, all he had to do was get his girlfriend involved in a bad car crash

It's pretty clear it was always his intention to try and get a go with NZW despite denials from Gelling himself.

Based on what?

Wigan wouldn’t have asked for a fee anyway even if NZW had come straight to us. They’ve managed to squeeze him in as back up so they were never going to put any cash up.

I think Gelling has given us enough of his life to enable us to feel pleased for him.

Agreed. In 9/10 cases, there's plenty of reasons to be cynical when players break their contracts - but not in this case. His girlfriend had a serious accident, he didn't want to sit out her recovery on the other side of the world and he's taken an opportunity to keep playing. Is it really more complicated than that?

AFAIAC the Gelling issue is not about how he has behaved but about communication between club and fan base. I hope that he can get a start and it is probably a good thing for both parties. TBH Anthony did not have a great season and he took a lot of stick from fans when he put his hand up to play whilst unfit. I wish him well.
What annoys me is the cackhanded way the club manage this situation, rather than giving some more definitive response. We live in an instant news world where a lack of information creates a void which is always filled with the most extreme rumours. These in turn have a negative effect. Probably the best response would have been a swift announcement saying that A G was tacking a leave of absence for........and we will be looking for a replacement who will strengthen the squad..... After that the club would have had room to manouver.

One issue still stands out in the Gelling saga, and that is choice of club. This is a marriage of convenience between player and club but the fit does not seem a good one. Firstly we are led to believe that NZ Warriors do not really need him so he will be a bit part player, which would be a shame. Secondly, in the recent past, NZW were not known for a strongly disciplined approach that would keep a free spirit like Gelling on the straight and narrow. I hope that It works out for the lad but cannot help thinking that his heart is ruling his head.

Without wishing to sound funny I guess his choice of club has nothing to do with it.
It wasn't a choice, it was pretty much his only professional rugby league option.

Good luck to him

Ridiculous statement.

I agree with you but then fate makes strange bedfellows. It may be Hobson's choice but I still cannot think of another club less suited to getting the best out of him. I would not be surprised to see him ending up at a Queensland Cup side when the family/relationship issues are ironed out.

Playing for NZ Warriors allows him to stay in the game and close to his family (GF) for a season whilst she continues recovery.

The nearest other NRL club from Auckland is a similar distance as from Wigan to Rome meaning time away from his family which obviously is something he’s not interested in at the moment.

Not at all, Gelling was rumoured to have signed for NZW well before christmas by a very reliable poster on another Wigan Forum, and that was before he had even left Wigan and was in the process of gaining British citizenship at the time. Since then his girlfriend has been in a car crash for which I can fully understand him wanting to go back and was entirely coincidental. But since his signing was rumoured by said poster, Gelling got his citizenship, left Wigan , denied he had signed with anyone and Wigan have also denied he was going to anyone else. Then despite having no room........boom!!! NZW suddenly have room and sign Gells!!!



Matt

The same poster that told me