I'm not saying I agree with everything WK is saying, but I think people are missing some of the points he's trying to make. We undoubtedly had success under IL - that's a fact & one shown by the stats. It was a decent period trophy wise.

The point was however that we should have had way more & I agree with that. You look at that 2010 team and there was a core to it that, if IL had kept it together for a decade, could have been absolutely dominant. Instead we've come out even with two other sides. I don't think that's massively controversial to say.

If I had one criticism of IL, he never seemed (imo) to want to be dominant. He was happy picking up and sharing the trophies. Of course he wanted to win everything, but not winning everything didn't seem to cut him as deep as it should.

I want to see us become absolutely ruthless under Danson. Simply the best on and off the field. I want the 80's and 90's Wigan back. I want opposition fans to already know, in Jan, that both trophies will have cherry and white tassels on them by the end of the season.

Realistic? Probably not, but it has been done before.

I don't have a problem with this, but I am concerned - and this is a strange thing for a Wigan fan to admit - that other clubs are simply not strong enough to make this the competition it needs to be.

Don't get me wrong. I want to win everything, but I don't think that will happen. I'm not one of these who cheerfully forecasts that we'll go all season without losing. I remember Bradford doing that and then losing the next three games. But because we want the game to be a great spectacle, I find it frustrating that outside of Wigan, Saints, Catalan and, maybe this year, Warrington - the other clubs still seem to be plodding along.

Leigh and Hull KR are going the right way, but I suspect that 8 times out of 10 they would lose crucial fixtures against the clubs named above. I don't know where Leeds are, but they very clearly haven't yet replaced their golden generation and I don't rate their coach at all. Hull always flatter to deceive, and Cas no longer seem able to compete in the top half of the table.

It would be great to win everything this year, but back in the mid 90s, winning most matches by 40 points was what brought our crowds down from 15,000 a week to about 7,000.

I do agree. Thinking of the greater good of the sport another saintsesq run of trophies would not sell this sport. I imagine it becomes a hard sell for IMG and RFL to say to tv companies and fans this sport is exciting but we only have the same names cropping up on the trophy. I would love Wigan to go back to back as we haven’t done it and maybe do the full sweep next year. If I was a wire fan and Wigan did win everything next year I’d be thinking what’s the point things aren’t going to change. I really do think a new name on the trophy possibly Catalan is the next in line would do wonders for us. We have an exciting product 100% but it could be sold so much easier if someone like Salford or Cas had of won their GF. It’s still talked about today in the Prem when Leicester did it and it must boost other lower table clubs to push theirselves.

That 2010 team had quite a few older players in it to be fair and it felt like we pretty much did keep who we needed to keep for a period. The obvious loss was Sam Tomkins but guys like Micky Mac, Lockers and Faz were here for as long as we wanted them to be here. Joel Tomkins left but then that highlights how things move on because we then had Hansen and Farrell starting and Bateman came not long after, so you’re probably in a better position. Guys like Carmont, Deacon, Coley, Fielden, Riddell etc just hit the end of their careers, Richards wanted to go back to Oz and Gleeson got himself in bother.

I’m the first to become frustrated with constant player exits but the club has been really good at making sure there is a succession plan in place most of the time. We should’ve won more, without a doubt but that was mainly down to us bombing a few finals/semi finals. The only period of the 15 years Lenagan owned us I felt he got badly wrong was the Edwards/Lam situation. We’re Wigan and we shouldn’t wait 12 months for anybody but I’ll forgive him that one.

Redvee’s comments on Field in their rumours thread is a brilliant read

The problem I have with it is that it's a sweeping statement that makes the argument that "Everything" is/was wrong with what Tuesday club did when in reality they got (and I appreciate this is opinion) 80/90% of things of right.
The statement (and don't forget certain people have pushed this argument/narrative for years and years, usually after a defeat but strangely never after a Win or any success) doesn't acknowledge that if the club had taken the opposite stance 100% of the time that they think created any issues, such as resigning certain players, or not offering coaching roles etc to certain players we "May" not have been as successful as we have been.
As NK said, we deffo left 3 or 4 trophies out there whilst Sts/Leeds imo maximised their trophy haul better with maybe each only not winning 1 or 3 trophies they maybe could have, and winning a couple they maybe in hindsight shouldn't have.
But even with all that we finished level with them. But pretty much none of that had anything to do with IL

As for IL not caring about defeats as much as he should have, and it not cutting him deep. Seriously?
Not sure what you want him to do, have hissy fits in the press, scream and shout at players/coaches in public?
I'm glad to say that they way he conducted himself over his tenure was very professional, very considered and was well respected by pretty much everyone, every club and administrators within the game (I'm not sure Gazza Hetheringron may agree but who cares).

The 2010 team improved in some ways after that, Charnley/finch/Hoffman etc
It had to develop in later years with natural elements such as Deacon retiring, carmont retiring plus others such as Riddell, Coley, Fielden issues such as Hock and Gleeson
Salary cap issues constrict certain things as Saints are finding out now, as Leeds are finding out and have done for the last 5/6 years

We made 4 GFs in. Row and won 2, we should have won all 4
We made 5 Gfs in 6 years and our bad year in the league we still WON a WCC and had a Wembley final that we should have won.

I see people praising the club for its spirit now and togetherness, the way Peet galvanised the club etc.
But dont forget the same people wanting to criticise every minute aspect of the the club if we don't win anything, basically intimating that if wed have just done this or just done that like they suggest we would have won more or won everything, if they'd have had their way would have got rid of, created a different culture at the club that could have made things worse.
A lot of them are the same people that wouldn't have given Peet the job, would have fired Radlinksi, would have forced Leneghan to sell to get any old no mark in for short term money gain, would have got rid of respected players that played significant roles in winning trophies long after so called experts would have got rid of them, and then expect the players to feel exactly as connected to the club as they do now and still sign long term contracts etc etc.
Without rads/leneghans understanding there's no way Bevan French comes back, without the stuff they do behind the scenes who's tonsay players would have signed for the club, because they admire the pathways and opportunities the club provide outside of rugby.
As I've always said, players may not have signed contracts and left earlier than they did without the pragmatic approach the club took, take Sam Tomkins, he basically said he was going 2011, but leneghan managed to get him to sign a 4 Yr deal and even though he only did 2 of those we got £1 million and Sam Tomkins back in 16-18

I could go on, but those that want to slag/criticise Lenegan, Rads, Wane etc will continue to do so and will take every opportunity to do so. I'll state my position clearly, NONE OF THEM have the slightest idea about how to run a club and treat players and staff etc successfully

All.of which whilst dealing with a salary capped sport, competing against what Leeds fans will tell you was the greatest Leeds teams they've ever had in their history, a very good St Helens for the last 4 years, a Warrington team that in 2010 through to about 18 should have won more than they did who spent big, and did a lot of the things these people suggest we should have done!
All of this whilst taking over a basket case of a club on 2008, dealing with Covid and all of that for the last 2/3 years
All of that whilst the scales of balance have tipped heavily in the NRL and RU favour

The bloke could easily be the best chairman, certainly owner, we've ever had, he also did it with his own money

To state that we could have dominated if we just wanted it more etc is, we'll I can't find them words

Building a dynasty is incredibly difficult - Leeds did it in the past (and Saints to some degree recently) but that relies on so many factors outside the control of the club, players getting hurt and players retiring, players with off-field issues and in recent years the ever increasing lure of NRL (lets face it money talks in a short career - despite all the waffle of best comp/test themselves etc money is a huge driver which SL cannot match).

Anyway back to the topic - great news on Field signing on, we have the spine of the team looking strong and hopefully if we can get French to sign for longer ..............

I hate talk of a dynasty full stop. It come all from the media talking about it thankfully and I’m sure the players and coaching staff don’t buy in to it. To win one GF is hard enough, the same as the cup and the LLS and to form a dynasty you need to be taking out at least a trophy, if not 2, each and every year. I think the media are jumping on it because of Saints run this past 5 years and they think Wigan might be the next one. It takes all sorts to go on a run like that, including huge slices of luck.

"Irrespective of stats, Welsby and French have the ability to change a big game, Field doesn’t".

"I strongly suspect the majority of Fields try involvements come from games where Wigan are putting teams to the sword".

"I don’t consider him a good player, fast and dangerous definitely. We have a few better players than him as do Wigan."

"Field is a good player dont get me wrong, but his “excitement” comes mainly from his pace in broken field rather than “rugby ability”.

He wouldn’t make their bench

If we keep the team relatively healthy throughout the season then we're definitely in there with a shot. Priority has to be the WCC, to have five stars on our shirts would be sublime.

I’ve never really got the criticism about fast players not being good players. They are just using their natural talent. I will admit I never got the hype around Reagan Grace and thought what he did offer going forward he did have some defensive issues just because of the size of him, same with Marshy really, the CC final sticks out when Fanou just bulldozed him (obviously he was a lot younger then). Fields is fast and pointing out try’s like his one man effort against Leigh last year avoiding 3 players to go over was class. Plus his tackle on Hurrell I think it was on GF. He’s a great player but people just can’t see get past his pace. I do think French and Welsby do have more of a rugby brain and can sometimes be wizards with the ball but Fields hasn’t had to do much of that as he’s so fast. Only criticism I have is Fields passing ability but he can nail a good ball at times

To go back to back with Grand Final wins would be my number one priority because we’ve never done it but winning any trophy will be tough. All the predictions I see have us finishing 1st and the bookies have us as favourites for the lot but it’s easier said than done. I’m confident the coach and this group of players won’t get carried away with themselves and if they don’t, they’ve got a good chance of having plenty of success.

Redvee is a better read than the Beano.

4 more years for Miski announced also. https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... -new-deal/ He’s no Ritson but we’ll have to make do.

4 more years for Miski announced also. https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... -new-deal/ He’s no Ritson but we’ll have to make do.

Quote ="NickyKiss"4 more years for Miski announced also. https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... -new-deal/ He’s no Ritson but we’ll have to make do.'" Yet more great news, Bevan French Tomorrow and the future looks very good

Quote ="NickyKiss"4 more years for Miski announced also. https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/01/ ... -new-deal/ He’s no Ritson but we’ll have to make do.'" Yet more great news, Bevan French Tomorrow and the future looks very good

Brett Kenny was like that too.

It’s true though. He’s an exceptional broken field runner. Apart from that he has nothing to his game. Which is why there is absolutely zero interest from the NRL

If you look carefully into this statement you can actually hear and feel the fear of someone who knows whats about to come over the next few years. He's petrified.

The trick with trolling is NOT to show your backside in public. It's a trick you haven't learned yet.

This is the reason we think you are a joke as it is obvious you know jack sh*t about RL,stick to onion is my advise.
And stop being a pathetic troll please.

An example of the kind of person that posts on Redvee

Quite sad really. Makes you wonder how they manage to attract sponsors for their site

He's a very naughty boy by the sounds of it.

Had you been around 30 years ago you would have been one of those supporters who would say "all Offiah can do is score tries".

Agree. This is where I see a bit of similarity between Field and Offiah, both speedster but both have/had great defensive qualities about them.