Why are we not able to retain players?

[Kittwazzer]

Perhaps its because better ones are coming off the conveyor belt!

When you have a large squad of good players of all ages like Wigan, it is only to be expected that there will be a lot of comings and goings, especially if they fail to deliver on a consistent basis.

Totally agree. If we 'retained' everyone as some people obviously want, we would quickly accrue a squad of some 50 players, many of whom would never even see the DW, much less play on it!

[OJ]

Without the players telling us the real reason themselves we'll always be guessing as to why it happens. There could be any number of reasons but I must admit I don't look forward to the end of the season and the announcements about who will not be with us the following year. Personally I think player's agents have more to do with it than anything else coupled with the fact that Wigan is such a hotbed of young talent that the squad is bigger than most other super league clubs which brings it's own problems in a way. We only need to think what has happened over recent weeks when so many first teamers have been injured - we have had enough talented younger players to step up and play like they've never been anywhere else but in a super league team but what happens to them when the injured player returns? Where do they get their adrenalin rush and competitive game time then?
It's only human nature that the player with the high squad number wants to play week in week out and so he has no option but to move on for regular game time.
Are all our players "looked after" by an agent? I have no idea, I just know I wish they would keep their noses out sometimes, they will claim they are touting round for the player's welfare - I could be wrong here but I always feel the agent is more interested in getting the most commission for themselves. No question it is a short career where you could get injured for life so players do need to make what money they can while they can. There are comments on here about some players wages being poor, again I have no idea about that but can imagine they may well be on some kind of minimum wage while they are an unknown quantity but surely either they or their beloved agent can negotiate a wage they are happy with when once they make their mark because given the choice of all things being equal I can't see why they would want to go to another UK team when so many of them come out with the comment that it has always been their dream to play for Wigan. How many players that have left have gone on to do better than they would have done had they stayed? None spring readily to mind for me so it must be either game time or money or both.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I am not sure I agree with the starting point, tbh.
Aside from Sam (amd Joel I suppose), and players retiring/going back home, is there anyone else we recently wanted to keep, but couldn't?
Or is the question why do we choose to let players go who seem to be good players?
On wages, i get sent the annual report as a shareholder and we pay way over the salary cap on employees. The ony quote I can recall from Wane on the salary cap was after a recent game which was to do with how much of our salary cap was in the stands for the game.
I know I am the happiest of clappers, but the only aspect of this that annoys me is the amount of uncertainty that surrounds our club seemingly compared other clubs whose business seems much less dramatic.

[markill]

Perhaps its because better ones are coming off the conveyor belt!

When you have a large squad of good players of all ages like Wigan, it is only to be expected that there will be a lot of comings and goings, especially if they fail to deliver on a consistent basis.

Totally agree. If we 'retained' everyone as some people obviously want, we would quickly accrue a squad of some 50 players, many of whom would never even see the DW, much less play on it!

A balance has to be attained. You might not have much chance to keep a star like Sam who is coveted by everyone, so there you have little choice than to get what you can. But you still sign an NRL legend and start bringing in another kid with star potential. You might have players closer to the end than the start of their career who are more valuable to a team seeking success than one steeped in it like us, so you lose the odd Hansen. But then you sign the odd Bateman as a top young player from a poorly run club. You might have to sacrifice the odd Tuson because they won't quite fit in that top bracket and there are young players coming up that might who you have to fit in a salary cap structure and give a chance to. Taylor becomes a different story though. He is developing and growing into a to class front row at Wigan. He is still young, he isn't quite attracting NRL star level attention but is in the England gene, he has clearly got what it takes to become a top bracket player on the upwards curve he is on, but he is seemingly going to an inferior Super League club, I see no reason why we shouldn't be retaining him over Hull FC taking him.

[Kaii]

I know I am the happiest of clappers, but the only aspect of this that annoys me is the amount of uncertainty that surrounds our club seemingly compared other clubs whose business seems much less dramatic.

Every club has this rubbish going on rugby and football, blame the internet

[cpwigan]

Ordinarily, the name (Wigan) and success means that player rarely if ever want to leave unless they are well past their best. Yet, we have had several players all seeking to leave Or forced to leave? Sportsmen rarely leave successful clubs so why is this happening at Wigan?

It's simple isn't it? Shaun Wane's poor man management skills, is that the response you was looking for?

Far from it. I would suggest Shaun Wane has a very small role in contract negotiations etc and that Rads / IL deal in the main with contracts.

Something is not right TBW. Players should not be leaving a successful club in such numbers. We had some incredibly difficult highly strung players with huge egos who spat their dummy out with the best but they always remained at Wigan until we no longer wanted them. I cannot believe that is the case today?

Look at Taylor; improving, near his peak, yet supposedly he would rather play for Hull albeit his home town but a huge backward step.

[cpwigan]

I know I am the happiest of clappers, but the only aspect of this that annoys me is the amount of uncertainty that surrounds our club seemingly compared other clubs whose business seems much less dramatic.

Every club has this rubbish going on rugby and football, blame the internet

Far from it, anything connected to this great club was scrutinised on every shop floor of factories, in local pubs / WMC before internet

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Ordinarily, the name (Wigan) and success means that player rarely if ever want to leave unless they are well past their best. Yet, we have had several players all seeking to leave Or forced to leave? Sportsmen rarely leave successful clubs so why is this happening at Wigan?

It's simple isn't it? Shaun Wane's poor man management skills, is that the response you was looking for?

Far from it. I would suggest Shaun Wane has a very small role in contract negotiations etc and that Rads / IL deal in the main with contracts.

Something is not right TBW. Players should not be leaving a successful club in such numbers. We had some incredibly difficult highly strung players with huge egos who spat their dummy out with the best but they always remained at Wigan until we no longer wanted them. I cannot believe that is the case today?

Look at Taylor; improving, near his peak, yet supposedly he would rather play for Hull albeit his home town but a huge backward step.

We might not be quite as successful after this season!!

[TSB]

They are paid peanuts and have to be thankful of living the dream at the moment.

Only investment players are paid well but when sold a profit will be made.

Yes younger players get paid peanuts and many have rejected much more lucrative offers from elsewhere to play for their home town club. They expect to be rewarded down the line and considering the amount of players that leave for better offers in their mid 20s this does not happen. Players like Hansen and Goulding have been at Wigan since kids and the fact they gave up, or are going to give up, testimonials to leave says it all. Apart from O'Loughlin and McIlorum, who is rumoured to be off to the NRL when his contract is up
anyway, who are our home grown senior players?


I certainly do think the club sometimes pushes this loyalty too far. Fans may love things like contract extensions in the clubs favour and Lenegan playing hard ball at contract time and think that its great business but I am sure that players do not. They however accept these things because they dont want to leave the club. I think though that after a while players think enough is enough, particularly when they have already won everything, and it is no surprise that they leave.

Well said Dobby Exactly the Point

:eusa2: :eusa2: :eusa2: :eusa2: :eusa2:

[cpwigan]

Well we are going backwards in a declining competition. Thus far in the WCC and CC we have come up empty leaving only the SL GF to aim for.