You're very wrong about the upgrades. All the club's best juniors have had their wages upped from peanuts to quite respectable levels since IL took over. That's definitely one thing we can't complain about him for.

I personally am being patient about signing players as we still have loads of high earners who were not IL fault.

Once Fielden goes along with a few others who get maybe more than they should then we should have some dosh to spend.

I agree about the quality of players we should be signing but we still need some average grafters in the team and some good young talent. I am sick of us looking abroad and getting average players! If they have not played SOO or played for a national team then it is unlikely they will cut it in super league IMO, we need top players otherwise we may as well just get some more young players coming through.

I seem to recall when IL first bought Wigan that he said he would not make any big signings or spend any money until he had got to grips with the salary cap infringements. Fair play he spent a bit and the cap is under control. He also said as I recall that the club were going through a transitional period and said 2010 was to be our year. Its time Ian, lets see what you got!

Next year will go ok I feel but we can only begin to make signings next year for 2011 which I am guessing is what IL means. I am sure we have players in mind.

We have not got loads of high earners any more. With Bailey off-contract at the end of this season we have three signed by Mo. Hansen, Fielden and Feka will be the only players not on contracts signed under IL. That is it. There are not any "few others" on OTT wages unless IL is following in Mo's footsteps.

Everybody else was signed or re-signed by IL.

We need a prop and a half back because Fielden has not lived up to his billing and TL isn't a great 7 (but we re-signed him and given we are not getting a half back by the looks of it will keep him at 7).

If we have substantially upgraded young players contracts that is good news and if that means we can't get the class players we need for 2010 that is a balancing act IL will have to take the hit or the credit for depending how things turn out.

Come 2011 though when those three players are off contract he must deliver some real quality players either home grown or brought in, I don't care but by then the Wigan fans will be fed up of wishing their lives away waiting for "next year" when the constraints of old contracts excuse no longer applies. Especially as when he said himself just after he arrived it would be 2010 before we could move for players not 2011.

Dave

Don't get me wrong I think IL is doing a fantastic job on the whole especially with the junior development and that hard work will pay off ten fold in the next few years and way beyond, I'm not just your typical moaner who wants everything I am happy with our squad we really need a prop like Morley/Peacock/Webb which is there for everone to see.

Maybe a change of coach might bring Fielden back to his best?

Apologies, I know everyone has a 'close source' story but the above is exactly what my close source told me tonight.

Shaun Wane will be his number 2 for two years with the intention being that he steps up when McGuire moves on.

Sounds like we'll be the first club ever to have three joint coaches:

Wane
McGuire
Sharp

I know who my money would be on if there was a disagreement.

Was that one be who worn the famous cherry and white jersey with pride?

That will do for me, gratefull for what Noble has done for us but it's time to move on for both parties and I'm sure every fan feels the same.

New coach, new ideas, fresh slate for the players so roll on next year! After we win the GF of course.

We need Hampo as conditioner to whip them into shape. No offence to Forshaw he himself looks the picture of health and fitness but since he took over we look really unfit. Warrington looked the same when he was there too.

I would hope Maguire would be around longer than 2 years

I really hope this is true!!!!!!!

I don't know if this is true but my mate who went in the bar after the game on Sunday claims that Shaun Wane was asked the question by a fan is he the new head coach of Wigan. Shaun grinned and said "I can't say anything yet!" more or less suggesting he is. Can anyone else recall or confirm this?

P.s don't shoot the messenger, just what my mate said!

I know very little about Wane (as a coach) and even less about McGuire.

What I will say is that if we appoint either, then it's a very big gamble by IL.

One word. Unproven.

There is a very real danger that two above will get torn to shreds by the more experienced coaches out there.


As I said before I do not want next season to be a "learning curve" for a new coach.

Who would you have gone for? Realistic coaches only please.

I dont have a problem with wane, could be like Mike Gregory was. Back him, lets have done with it and look forward.

Steve Hampson doesn't work as a conditioner anymore. He was on BBC Radio Manchester a few months ago (talking about Steve Prescott's challenge) and talked about how he has retrained and is now doing something connected with Health & Safety. He does safety courses IIRC

I heard that. However he also said he'd be open to getting back into the game, which suggests he hasn't given up the conditioning side completely.

I can't answer that as I am not in the position of being a Chairman who is on the lookout for a new coach.

I don't know how much money IL offered other coaches, nor do I know their availability.


What I do know is that this is Wigan RL that we are talking about here, not St Pat's second team.

Wigan RL is the biggest club side in the world and we need, and deserve, the best coach that money can buy.

Maybe we have got the best our money could buy.
As you said, you're not the chairman so have no idea how much we had or have to play with.

Agreed.

However, as I have said this is Wigan RL we are talking about. Any chairman who runs the club has to be expected to pay for the calibre of coach that that name requires.

Given the CC, chairmen effectively get to run the club "on the cheap" as the amount they are able to pay players is limited.

Is it too much to ask that the chairman of the biggest club side in the world puts his hand in his pocket and secures the best possible coach that money can buy?

It could come down to who was available. Ideally we'd all want a Wayne Bennett but if they're not willing to leave the drab weather in Aus and come to sunny England, what can we do?

Could well be. We will never know I guess.


The point I am making is that I really hope that IL has tried everything to secure us a proven world class coach and not just tried to "do a deal on the cheap".

With the clubs that have supposedly been sniffing around McGuire, I don't think he'll be coming on the cheap.