Agreed, get rid of inflatables, mascots, cheerleaders, stop pretending to be American, get rid of the cringeworthy "Warriors" tag and re-claim the working mans sport that RL once was.

Brought a lump to my throat...



The problem is the world we live in, image is all, look at the "celebs" and "politicians" cardboard bloody cut-outs. Its the world we live in sadly....

Pray all ya like fella, it aint going to happen. We are competing for air-time and fans with a global sporting arena, 20 years ago, very few British people watched American Football, Ice Hockey, Baseball etc - if we want bums on seats (which we need to survive), we have to compete, and the only way to do that, is to attract mums, dads, teens, kids, every body.

From a marketing perspective, Wigan Rugby League, Wigan RL, Wigan RLFC - is boring, it means nothing, it's a shrug-worthy title, now when you add Warriors on the end, it opens a whole new doorway in marketing. The mascot's and cheerleaders are a way of removing that boring period in between entering the turnstyles and kick off... it also gives the club an extra pathway into the community where players may not be available...

Like it or loath it, the Warriors brand name, mascots, cheerleaders etc are good marketing and are here to stay.

Get out of my pub!!!

Wigan RL is the biggest name in the sport. We have plenty we can market.

Conroy, to us, yes... but sell it to someone who knows nothing of Rugby League...

I have to agree that world-wide, it's the Wigan name that's famous - Not the "Warriors" tag.

I remember in 1998, on holiday in Dominican Republic, a local wanted to buy my shirt as he knew of Wigan.

But thats the point thats trying to be made, it was one local, and not many locals. And your example is over 10 years old. I hate the tag, but it is neccesary, sadly.

I just don't know how we managed to ever fill central park without the name warriors, it's obviously the be all and end all of marketing.

I wouldn't worry, it will only apply to Premiership Clubs.

You gotta love the anti warriors tag snobs. Such an irrelevant issue its unreal.

Lets drop the Warriors tag and lose out on potentially thousands of pounds on merchandise and so so just so a bunch of grown men on an internet forum with a stick up their about it are happy

Where did you get this loss of "thousands of pounds" from? are people really more inclined on buying a product because it has the Warriors tag?

Hull FC must be financially f*cked.

Bad example as Hull does not have masses of competition on its doorstep. Like Newcastle, in wendyball, they have big followings because their Cities are isolated, relatively speaking.

Apart from Hull KR.

My point exactly... Would you like to run off a list of competing sporting clubs?

I see what you say, we have Wigan, Wire, Saints, Widnes, Leigh, Salford, Swinton in league
Man Utd/City, Bolton, Everton, Wigan, Liverpool in football
Sale in Union
Lancashire in cricket
Plus countless more smaller sports

Hull have 2 RL teams and a championship league football team

But to be fair how many Wiganers are going to support Wire, Saints, Widnes, Leigh, Salford or Swinton? Judging by their regular crowds I'd say the effect of LCC and Sale Sharks is also negligible.

My points being for every extra team or sport that is 'potentially' one season ticket or one match ticket or shirt less, it all adds up, if say we had only ever had Wigan and Wire RL and Wigan Ath in this area how much bigger would the crowds be. Imagine if Saints and all the other clubs had never existed in this area.
I would imagine Wire's ground would probably be about 20k and the DW selling out for both teams RL+FC.

The point is you need to get a persons imagination when they are young. Many of us were taken to games by older family members, or we walked up with our mates when older, but access to other sports is everywhere now. When i was young there was no internet and mass TV coverage of sports, generally you followed your local team, or a team having some success (my grandson has a friend at school who is a Warrington fan "cause they are good", this is in Blackpool). Much as i hate the Warriors" tag, we need to use marketing ploys to get people through the gates, and buying the merchandise.

Think of marketing like a road sign... Its not for people who know where something is, its for those who don't...

All adults from the old school era hate warriors or wolves tagged on but the kids love it, take away the kids and you taken away current child merchandise and future adult merchandise. It's here to stay, it sucks but it works otherwise they wouldn't bother.

This

Well it's made it into the local rag: www.wigantoday.net/news/brady_re ... _1_4103996 Let the comments begin.

Well it's made it into the local rag: www.wigantoday.net/news/brady_re ... _1_4103996 Let the comments begin.

Only took em 10 days to get the story in there... Though, perhaps news doesn't happen over the Festive period

From someone who studies marketing, I personally think it would be better if the name reflected the proud history of the club.

You could still have a warriors mascot, a max club, 'Team W.A.R.R.I.O.R' on the wall in the dressing room etc.

I think it is sad that I hear people talking about us as the Warriors... I would rather we be called Wigan, Warriors means nothing to us.

A good strong traditional club can be just as attractive as the silly names you find in America.

Hull and St Helens seem to do fine without a silly name.

Saying all that, it would cost a lot of money and I am not sure the money spent changing the name would be worth the return.

Like it or not, the global nature of the Premier League means that you're in direct competition with Latics to use the 'Wigan' name, and it's nowhere near as clear cut as it used to be. Not only have you got an entire generation of fans used to using the name (and plenty a lot older, I might add), but you need something to differentiate your identity from the Latics. The only viable alternative would probably just be 'Wigan Rugby' in the same way that Gloucester RU use it.