Excellent news.

He seems to have been quiet in the press in the build up to Wembley, learning from last year?

So what are we doing with Shaun Wane? Is he going to NZ with Sam Tompkins?

He seems to have learnt a general lesson from last year about shooting his mouth off too much which has been pleasing.

I don't have a problem with a young coach making errors but they must learn from them, I think he's done that.

I think he's done that with his team selections as well TBH

Agree. He's rested players and managed the squad a lot better.

Wanes acid test will always be can he coach a side to success minus Sam Tomkins but that's for another day.

That's true, I'd have liked to have seen Crosby and Hampshire getting a game this weekend (I presume they won't), but generally he seems to have put us in a much better position with regard to strength in depth. Last year when Sam, Carmont, Leuluai or McIlorum got injured/banned for key games (not all at the same time) we were goosed because Murphy, Thornley, Gelling and Powell hadn't been given enough game time, so we were forced to either play players out of position (Hughes at centre, O'Loughlin in the halves, then later in the season at hooker) or throw them in at the deep end (Murphy playing his second ever game in a semi final v Leeds). This year even if it did hit the fan, we do have reserves in every position who have played a decent amount of game time at Super League level. He's also regularly rotated the squad so no one should be knackered come play off time (bar possibly Lockers who's weeks off have been when he's been injured). The big question remains though, can we win big games against top teams? This weekend will be a big indicator, he has been given a far easier shot at winning the cup than Noble or Maguire ever got.

Makes it much easier to sign or re-sign players if they know who their coach is going to be. Who would want to come here knowing a load of players AND the coach are all off?

He just needs to win the Challenge Cup and/or Super League trophy to prove himself, its that simple.

Roll on Saturday...

Well that depends if they rate the coach doesn't it? It works both ways.

True and I think with the departures this weekend is a chance he needs to take or he might not get another next season.

I'd love to know the last time we played the same side form one week to the next or only made a change to the subs.

I think a big reason why we go into the final in such poor form is because we have had a very unsettled side. This may not be by design but due to injuries but IMO he should have given up resting players a while ago if he could. Some of our senior players are actually lacking game time and if you have injuries and rest/rotate players at the same time then this is too many changes for a side to gell. He's also possibly been over-protective of some of the younger players. I was surprised to see Tuscon at 13 the other week. Why not Burke? He looked the natural replacement for Lockers, didn't look burnt out so in the same way you mention younger players getting more of a run out why not play the best reserves toward the business end rather than continue to play different players in positions? I also have no idea who will partner Goulding in the centres and I think we ought to have that worked out by now.

I know he is not every-bodies cup of tea, but just seen this on Twitter..

Neil Barraclough @neilbarraclough
Ian Lenagan has just revealed today's win at Wembley means an extra year for Shaun Wane. He's now got a deal running until the end of 2015.

Excellent news.

Well deserved, in what could easily have been a transitional period for us.
He has shown he can win the big games.

I have to say I really like Shaun Wane, he's always courteous and respectful with whoever he speaks to and whoever or whatever he speaks about.

The guy is a real credit to the game as a whole.

Looking at the way the players embraced Wane after the final whistle, he doesn’t look unpopular. So maybe that rumour can be put to bed.

With regard to David Furner, the players apparently revolted because he was too lenient with players who stepped out of line.

Thanks for the Furner info MM, I only phrased it that way as people have different views on the guy. How boring would it be if we all agreed..

I am made up for Shaun Wane after reading some of the nonesense that I have seen posted about him on these forums. From Day 1 he wasnt even given a chance by some posters who have tried to leap onto anything that has gone wrong to blame Wane. These attacks often seem to stem from a personal dislike than any rugby ones. well done Shaun

Did i just hear someone open a can of worms....

He said he would do this [ibefore[/i the final. If he won it, Wane would get an extra year. I must admit I found it a very strange thing because had we lost, Wane would have the one year extension already agreed so he'd have still been the coach minus the vote of confidence from IL of an extra year.

It's all by the by now but I thought it was weird.

I thought the whole business of Wane's future has been badly handled in the weeks before the Final. My take on it is like this: the coach wanted to know where he stood but the chairman wanted to hold a win at Wembley over him before he'd agree to any discussion. The coach got miffed and started to explore other options whilst not that subtly letting slip that he was talking to NZ Warriors (although probably not for a head coach role). In combination with the soap opera surrounding Sam's situation, this created a lot of uncertainty off-the-field which showed itself on the field as our form dipped. Chairman saw this and thought "oh crap, we may blow the final because of this" and offered Wane another year just before the Final with the promise of a further extension if he won.

All speculation on my part of course, but not too impressed with IL if I'm only half right.

Probably not far off the mark - it's no coincidence that the form has dipped whilst this farcical "who's in, who's out" bovine excrement has been carrying on - if we can thrash Leeds one year with the creche, then can't string a coherent play together with "only" an couple of key players out the next, there has to be something else wrong.

Aside from the uncertainty it can't but help create for the squad, it's insulting to the fans who pay good money to trot along every other week.
I listened to 606 over the weekend (on the drive back from Laahndan) & had a good giggle at the whining about who's thrown their dummy out in Newcastle, or whether Shrek was being held back by his vindictive new/old boss. But then you look at our own saga & I wonder is there really much difference in the way the fee payers are being tret?

I think it fair to assume that we know little/nothing about the dealings between the chairman and his staff, just as we know little about your dealings with your employer. But, it won't stop people speculating on scant or little concrete information.. My view is, i don't know, and no amount of speculation will give me an answer.

What i would add is that overall i'm very happy with where IL has taken the club, from the dark dark days of 2006. Whether you like him or not, i'm sure many other teams, or indeed most other teams would like to be in our position right now.

That's what speculation is and I don't understand why speculation or guesswork isn't legitimate fodder for discussion. This is a discussion board after all.

I agree with everything you say in the second paragraph, I've met the chairman and he seems like a really sound bloke who cares passionately about the club. But the timing of Wane's contract extension and the wording was odd and that's the only thing I was referring to and speculating about.

You don't have to be 100% for him or 100% against him, you do understand that don't you?

Indeed i do, and have been critical about the lack of, what i would call, top quality signings.