The standard of Super League has certainly gone down. The reason for this is the massive increase in the NRL salary cap ($9.6M in 2019 from $4.1M in 2010) which means the vast majority of the best players in the World play in that competition. Super League can’t compete financially but our cap should go up with inflation. I don’t however think this is a valid excuse for Wigan’s drop in attendances.

I have a nasty fear that it will go down the tubes, been thinking that for a few years now.

Too many clubs clinging on and not striving to be excellent.

And this is the reason there is no point increasing our salary cap limit. Unless it’s going to increase to at least 5 times it’s current level we just won’t compete with the NRL. We’ll have the same pool of players to choose from but they’d be paid a bit more. We just need to scrap the cap and give those who can afford it the opportunity to attract the best players.

The irony of a Wire fan lecturing us about success and finals.

If that is true the fan in question should be banned for life from the DW,if i had been there i would have given him a piece of my mind

There was a bit of that sort of nonsense down in London,some trolley off his meds and cheap lager,players clearly heard him but ignored it for what it was,if that tweet is true I would expect a lifetime ban from the ground nothing less for my money,the club doesn’t need that sort of fan

Sadly true, not just Lockers either, other players too.

If you don’t think British RL is on its you’ve either got your head in the sand, or you’ve got a s**t life.
It’s a beige as can be.

Sorry pal. I've so much shat in my life I couldn't possibly except anymore...hey but thanks for the offer. See you Thursday.

Let’s hope your team turn up Thursday as well

I'm hoping only 1/2 of it turns up to level things up.

Sorry about that...not really wanting to troll. Just jibbing back at the previous rude poster.

No need to be sorry, just hope it’s the same half that turned up to the grand final last October!

Quote ="Azul"If you don’t think British RL is on its booty you’ve either got your head in the sand, or you’ve got a s**t life. It’s a beige as can be.'" Have some of this... https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... increased/

Quote ="Azul"If you don’t think British RL is on its booty you’ve either got your head in the sand, or you’ve got a s**t life. It’s a beige as can be.'" Have some of this... https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... increased/

Quote ="rubber duckie"Have some of this... https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... increased/'" Hardly a fair comparison taking in the first four games though which included the the two big Superleague derbies, Saints v Wigan, HKR v Hull and a crowd puller in Wire v Leeds. Last week for instance just over 9K at Wire and Saints and just over 10K at Wigan. Let's do the comparisons towards the end of the season.

Quote ="rubber duckie"Have some of this... https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... increased/'" Hardly a fair comparison taking in the first four games though which included the the two big Superleague derbies, Saints v Wigan, HKR v Hull and a crowd puller in Wire v Leeds. Last week for instance just over 9K at Wire and Saints and just over 10K at Wigan. Let's do the comparisons towards the end of the season.

Yes I agree but the leading statement about the game going to pot etc is rubbish.
Attendences are in demise at Wigan but across the leagues there are gains...especially the championship and gains in SL.

Some posters just look at Wigan as the centre of all things RL and when it doesn't go well for them...it doesn't go well period.

I can even see that with my head in the sand or a 's..t life'.

Yes I do.

I know what you are implying - that I'm only saying it because we have had a poor start to the season, but I'm not. I have thought this for a while.

You've huge differences in the cap from the NRL/Union that sees us not only fail to attract box office talent anymore, but lose the ones we develop ourselves. We've lost the reserves league (or what little remains of it) and expanded the SL competition without the playing pool to support it. This has led to a thinning of the talent across the competition hence more championship players being bought. As such, the product has been poorer for it. At this stage I am not sure what we can do. Who in SL could we market as the box office attraction to watch the sport? I believe the salary cap hasn't even gone up with inflation let alone shown any ambition to push it higher. The marquee player spot we have now is being used to keep our best talent rather than attract the best talent. We are playing a defensive game constantly desperately trying to keep our best players rather than an attacking game to hunt the best.

It's one of many reasons for it. We lag so far behind other sports. I think the whole Sky presentation of the sport is pedestrian compared to other sports (football absolutely blows it away) too.

The biggest frustration is this sport, on its day, is absolutely brilliant. There isn't anything that compares to it.

Yep I agree with the top line, but other sports have coped haven't they. Businesses have had to adapt to technological and social changes around how people interact with their product. Do we have the minds to embrace that change and grow the sport?

Agreed entirely with the second paragraph. Ian Lenegan declared the NRL market dead after we took advantage of the Melbourne salary cap scandal in 2011. We have relied heavily and capitalised on our outstanding youth development and that has taken us so far. Sadly, I feel it has reached breaking point. The squad needs investment. Trouble is - who is out there who we can afford and attract to SL?

Top Aussie/Kiwi talent don't come to Super League. Home sick English players do. That's about it. Rugby Union? Forget it.

No we don't...well I for one sure don't.

Okay - how come? What evidence do you have to the contrary?

Whilst I sympathise with Wigan's plight at present, I fail to see how we (London) are lucky to be in SL, given we battled our way to 5th place in the middle 8's, then traveled to the hot favourites on a different continent and then won an arm wrestle of a game by sticking to our game plan. We're not lucky to be in SL, we earned our spot and with a team filled with as much home grown talent as any other now in SL.
Good luck for the rest of the season.

to wigan fans every other teams achievements are down to luck...

Excellent post.

He doesn’t speak on behalf of all Wigan fans. Thanks for coming.

And to the rest of SL, Wigan's achievements are down to cheating, thuggery, etc.

cadoo>

I don't deny that the sport in the UK is not in great shape, although I think fears of it going semi-pro in the foreseeable future are over-stated. But we should let Wigan's current travails bleed too much into our view of SL as a whole. To those who say, the standard of SL is plummeting, I generally respond, if that we true, the Aussies would be putting 50-60 on us every game, but in fact we're arguably as competitive against them now as we were in the 'good old days'. to which the response is, but that's only the case because of the NRL experience in the England side. At any rate, there are enough good players kicking around SL to provide some great entertainment, as we see on TV every week. Just not at the DW at the moment.