Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

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josie andrews
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Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by josie andrews »

Around 6pm last Friday night, Ian Lenagan formally responded to the Shaun Edwards saga through a club-issued statement. He admitted he only had a handshake deal with him to take over as coach in 2020 – not a written contract – and that Edwards had asked, and been granted, more time to consider his options.

Some may have welcomed his statement. For others, it may have been too little, days too late.

But there was one part which would have had everyone nodding along in agreement – the part about “we need to clear up this situation as quickly as possible.”

Damn right we do. This has now dragged into a second week and now, Wigan have been left looking like the guy who has been told by the girl he fancies that she will go out with him... but only if she can’t find anyone better.

Lenagan wants Edwards as coach. That much is obvious. In the 11 years I’ve known him I can’t recall him being as excited as at the press conference last August when he unveiled him alongside Adrian Lam as Shaun Wane’s successors.

And he thought he had his man.

But Edwards had already hinted of a delayed return home and as soon as the Six Nations finished, he put himself firmly in the shop-window, telling a journalist that he would be "unemployed" after the World Cup and was open to offers.

Three days ago, there was a near-full page interview with him in the Sunday Times. The journalist who wrote the piece, David Walsh (a sensei of sports writers, for it was he who brought down Lance Armstrong) brushed over his agreement for 2020 with the phrase “there was talk that Edwards would return to Wigan.”

There was more than talk. Edwards appeared in a Wigan polo T-shirt, posed for pictures, conducted interviews.

He spoke about his ambitions, his intentions, his hopes for Wigan. How he would continue Wane’s legacy of producing home-grown players and target rugby union players.

There was everything you would expect from a prospective coach. Everything, it seemed, but a written contract. And in that sense, perhaps Walsh had a point – it, literally, was all talk. Maybe a handshake, too.

Yet while Wigan can be accused of acting naively in this process – and Lenagan’s admission he has done business “on many occasions on the basis of an oral agreement over a handshake” caught me by surprise – they have also acted with integrity. There’s no suggestion they wanted to back out. So what has happened since?

Edwards has helped Wales to a Six Nations title, earned gushing praise and his stock has soared. And, not surprisingly, he has had interest from others. Wasps have admitted holding talks with him. Wales say they are interested, too, while Edwards has discussed the attraction a job at Twickenham would present... a position many believe he is holding out for.

When Edwards very publicly declared himself a free agent - “I’ll consider all offers, league, union" - I wish Wigan had, at that point, wished him well and said they would look elsewhere. Instead, they said – in short – they were trying their best to phone him to find out what he wanted to do.

Imagine, for a minute, if this was the other way round. That the parties had a verbal agreement, that they had announced at a press conference, that Edwards was excited and planning to honour it in 2020... and then Wigan went and appointed a different coach. Edwards would, in that situation, have every right to be miffed.

Yes, I know, some will say he has every right to look after No.1. Has every right to change his mind. And I get that. But it isn't his decision which grates me as much as the way it has played out. I’d argue he would have been better talking to the club, rather than a reporter, about any concerns over a missing, written contract - or if he'd had a change of heart. Because I honestly believe that had this been handled better, he could have made a U-turn, stayed in union and his reputation among Wigan fans would have remained intact.

There would have been disappointment, sure, but much more understanding if it had been managed with more dignity. Instead, we've been left with this mess, and I've seen some say this will tarnish his legacy. Others have gone further and said it will ruin it completely.

That’s a big call (and also a subjective one... people will have different views). Time is the best healer, and I can’t think of anyone who has spilled more blood for the Wigan club as a player than Shaun Edwards. It appears highly unlikely he will now serve his hometown club as a coach, although Lenagan has left the door open for him to take over from Lam later this year.

If he does, he would have a hard job convincing people it’s what he really wants!

And so it drags on, a sorry circus backdropping the current side's attempts to put their campaign back on track. Has it had an impact? Who knows.

But don't tell me players are immune from off-field issues - when Wane announced his resignation last year, Warriors' form nose-dived.

The players, like the fans, deserve some clarity.

We can only guess what will happen next.

And hope it happens soon.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9674691
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
josie andrews
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by josie andrews »

A well written piece by Phil Wilkinson IMO & which replicates the feelings among fans.

I referred to this ongoing saga as a pantomime! Oh yes it is 😉
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
josie andrews
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by josie andrews »

SHAUN EDWARDS SITUATION SHOWS WIGAN ARE IN CRISIS OFF THE FIELD

When Shaun Edwards was announced as coming back to Wigan for the 2020 season at a press conference in August last year, most of us thought it was a reason for optimism.

Here was rugby league’s ‘Prodigal Son’, returning from the other code to the sport where he made his name with his thrilling displays as a player in the 1980s and 90s.

Many of us took it as a sign that our game was starting to find its feet again in the UK, that it was looking like a sport which meant business again.

It looks now as though we were massively mistaken.

Edwards revealed recently that he had not signed a contract with the Warriors. Instead, he had been offered some kind of verbal assurance.

The lack of signed document has meant that Edwards has drip fed the media a series of quotes where he has basically said he is available to anyone who makes an acceptable offer.

Whether he should have appeared at a press conference when things were not yet set in stone is a question that only he and Wigan can answer.

But it is beginning to look like a piece of cynical marketing that has gone wrong.

There are also rumours that the Wigan club is for sale, which adds another interesting dynamic to things.

A sports lawyer has told Wigan that a verbal contract should be binding, according to reports in the local press in Wigan.

Even so, to not have put anything in writing before holding a press conference that confirmed Edwards was coming to the club is naive at best, and rank amateurism at worst.



The club do not own their own stadium, something else which does not work in their favour when it comes to attracting a buyer.

The glory days of the 1980s and 90s, in which Shaun Edwards was an active participant, now look like ancient history.

Rather than buying up the biggest stars from both codes of rugby, as they once did, Wigan now sell their best players to the NRL.

They replace them with journeymen and prospects from the lower leagues. The club’s own yourh products add plenty of talent, but the safety net of senior pros that is usually in place around young players is growing thinner by the day at the DW Stadium.

At the moment, though, the replacements for the likes of Bateman, Sutton and the rest are not being replaced with like-for-like quality.

The club looks like it is tumbling from its lofty perch of recent years in pretty quick and embarrassing manner.

The news also broke last week that now it looks as though the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is looking to open negotiations with Edwards about him staying on as defence coach.

The new Wales head coach, Wayne Pivac, was expected to bring in a new coach in the role, but it now looks like Edwards is being considered.

“The defence coach is down to Wayne,” the Welsh Rugby Union chief executive, Martyn Phillips, said, according to The Guardian.

"One of the reasons we appointed him early was that he would have the luxury of time to look at the coaching team he wanted. I know he had a conversation with Shaun early on and was told about the potential job at Wigan.

“Wayne wanted to take his time and my understanding was that Shaun had signed for Wigan. Then I read at the weekend that he did not have a contract and I spoke to Shaun on Monday. I told him he was a great coach and someone Wales would always have a conversation with.

“He has gone on holiday and we will pick up when he gets back. If he is open to other things, and I do not know where he is with Wigan, we would want to talk with him.”

The whole thing is beginning to look like a ruse intended to leverage as good a deal as possible from the world of rugby union by Edwards and his representatives.

If Wigan turn out to be an unwitting participant in that kind of scheme, that is the saddest indictment of the lot on the club’s current regime.

The whole thing looks shambolic and amateurish. That is bad enough for Wigan and the club’s fans.

But it also makes the whole of rugby league look shoddy, and that is unforgiveable.

Ian Lenagan reacted to the situation last week by issuing a statement admitting that he and the club had made an error not getting a commitment in writing from Edwards.

“Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club’s position is that it has an oral agreement with Shaun Edwards to become Head Coach from 2020, cemented by a handshake and announced publicly in a Press Conference by both parties in August 2018,” he said.

“I take full responsibility for missing the mention of a signed contract in Wigan’s Press Release at the time of Shaun’s appointment.

“I have done business on many occasions on the basis of an oral agreement over a handshake. Shaun and I have known each other for a long time, have great respect for each other and share a passion for all things Wigan – of course the main focus for that being Wigan Warriors and its supporters.

“Rather than debating the merits and legalities of an oral or written agreement, I have had constructive dialogue with Shaun this week to make it clear that, despite our desire for him to take up the Wigan Warriors head coach role as agreed, we would not attempt to hold Shaun to any agreement - disputed or otherwise - if he now preferred to take up a different option.

“During our conversations, Shaun asked for more time to consider his options. I agreed to his request and fully understand his reasons for doing so.

“It is obvious we need to clear up this situation as quickly as possible in a dignified manner for the best interests of Wigan Warriors and Shaun.

“It is proving to be a difficult and emotive situation for us all to navigate, but I am determined to provide our loyal fans with the clarity they deserve once Shaun has come to his decision.

“We will support whatever decision he reaches.”

There is a clear disparity of power in this situation, and it is Edwards who appears to hold all the cards.

How it ends will tell us a lot about whether Wigan are still a force in the world of UK sport, or just yesterday’s men.

http://everythingrugbyleague.com/shaun- ... field.html
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
DaveO
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by DaveO »

The press quote from the everything rugby league site is more or less what I think.

The interesting thing is the rumour about Wigan being up for sale and the mention of not owning its own ground.

The for sale rumour mention is the first time I can recall that hitting the press but I take it with a pinch of salt unless anyone can offer any more insight.

As to Wigan not owning its own ground making a sale problematic, that is just daft. A ground is only an asset if either a) you intent sell it to realise that asset or b) it generates an income 12 months of the year and makes a profit.

You might also mortgage it to raise cash but that only works once I would have thought and then it becomes a liability anyway.

No one buys an RL club for the potential income!
pearsy
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by pearsy »

Send in the clowns don't worry there all ready there so the song goes
sheepsteeth
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by sheepsteeth »

Lenagan has been naive yes but I don’t like the inference that he was cynically trying to market the club.
The only person who has acted cynically is Edwards, he’s played Wigan and he’s a hypocrite. He stayed at Wales for the World Cup as he’d given his word yet his word now apparently means nothing.
Even if he’d signed a contract he’d still be doing this the only difference is the club could lay claim to some compensation.
What we need to now do is tell Edwards to do one.
Wintergreen
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by Wintergreen »

As I posted before, no-one comes out of this with any credit.

IL surely must know that a verbal contract is meaningless. If not then he isn't fit to be in charge. Either way the buck ultimately stops with him and he is the reason this shambles has taken place. Signed contract = no situation.

That said, SE is not blameless. If he had no contract, why on earth did he agree to appear in front of the TV cameras?

He mentions he has tried 3 times to get a contract out of Wigan. If this is so and Wigan refused/ignored him, then the first point has greater emphasis and you cannot blame SE for his post 6N comments.

If this wasn't the case and instead there genuinely was a "gentlemans agreement" between them and SE effectively broke it with his comments post 6N, then he has done irreparable harm to his reputation and it will be very hard for him to have any further association with the club that he once represented so well.
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Wigan_forever1985
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by Wigan_forever1985 »

DaveO wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:58 am The press quote from the everything rugby league site is more or less what I think.

The interesting thing is the rumour about Wigan being up for sale and the mention of not owning its own ground.

The for sale rumour mention is the first time I can recall that hitting the press but I take it with a pinch of salt unless anyone can offer any more insight.

As to Wigan not owning its own ground making a sale problematic, that is just daft. A ground is only an asset if either a) you intent sell it to realise that asset or b) it generates an income 12 months of the year and makes a profit.

You might also mortgage it to raise cash but that only works once I would have thought and then it becomes a liability anyway.

No one buys an RL club for the potential income!
Could the ground issue not be a problem for a potentially owner if our terms change with the owners of the stadium?

I dont know what the agreement is but if you own your own ground you effectively know what youre dealing with if you rent unless the agreement is years in advance terms could quickly become unfavourable
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fozzieskem
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by fozzieskem »

DaveO wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:58 am The press quote from the everything rugby league site is more or less what I think.

The interesting thing is the rumour about Wigan being up for sale and the mention of not owning its own ground.

The for sale rumour mention is the first time I can recall that hitting the press but I take it with a pinch of salt unless anyone can offer any more insight.

As to Wigan not owning its own ground making a sale problematic, that is just daft. A ground is only an asset if either a) you intent sell it to realise that asset or b) it generates an income 12 months of the year and makes a profit.

You might also mortgage it to raise cash but that only works once I would have thought and then it becomes a liability anyway.

No one buys an RL club for the potential income!
What assets other than the name do Wigan have though?

Orrell for now and the offices but after that it’s the grand arcade lease,a few contracts and a cudgel of player gear,to me bricks and mortar are better than fresh air nothing will change my mind on that.

But yes I do feel we are starting to see the beginning of the end of Lenegans stewardship,not saying it’ll happen anytime soon but the housekeeping that’s gone on is a sure sign to me,he isn’t getting any younger sadly either.
Lazy J
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Re: Why Wigan Warriors need to end the Shaun Edwards saga quickly' - comment

Post by Lazy J »

That was a sticking point when Wheelan sold up, he wanted to keep Orrell, but as was rightly pointed out, without that what was Leneghan actually buying? so the same will apply again, Wigan have one real asset, and its Orrell, sell that and there's not much left in the pot.

Stadiums as assetts are great whilst they are new, but as with Central Park and Knowsley road, they can soon become a money pit, and are incredibly expensive to replace, the traditional route (Tesco deal) isn't really an option anymore so costs can be prohibitive, look at saints, they owe millions to a share holder, so if hes not bothered its not a problem, but if and when.......

The DW is 20 years old now, so the cost will increase as it ages. In many ways it had to be lumped in with the sale of the Latics otherwise what were they buying?

As someone once said how do you make a small fortune form a sports club? start off with a big fortune.
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