Wigan v wakey

Discuss all things Wigan Warriors. Comments and opinions on all aspects of the club's performance are welcome.
Richymac
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 1:00 am

Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Richymac »

Firestarter wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:55 pm I blame sky for super league looking inferior to NRL...... its defo a step down unfortunately...... i really think our game needs the crowds , whereas, the NRL is just business as usual
The NRL are more fortunate to have a government who handled Coronavirus successfully and therefore got fans back quicker.
What would you suggest?

I reckon, raise the cap. Put a game or two a week on BBC on the provision that they advertise a certain way and enough. Get exposure to people who are currently not interested. Bums on seats because of the exposure. More money and bigger sponsors.

Whilst I’m sure this won’t fix the whole problem it will help a bit, I firmly believe. Going a bit off topic I know but just trying to think big, I reckon it wouldn’t hurt.
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Firestarter
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Firestarter »

Richymac wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:56 pm
Firestarter wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:55 pm I blame sky for super league looking inferior to NRL...... its defo a step down unfortunately...... i really think our game needs the crowds , whereas, the NRL is just business as usual
The NRL are more fortunate to have a government who handled Coronavirus successfully and therefore got fans back quicker.
What would you suggest?

I reckon, raise the cap. Put a game or two a week on BBC on the provision that they advertise a certain way and enough. Get exposure to people who are currently not interested. Bums on seats because of the exposure. More money and bigger sponsors.

Whilst I’m sure this won’t fix the whole problem it will help a bit, I firmly believe. Going a bit off topic I know but just trying to think big, I reckon it wouldn’t hurt.
yea we defo need something pal and i agree they are lucky..... i suppose im a bit jealous of there game in a way but you gotta respect how good they actually are
IF YOU STRIKE ME DOWN I WILL BECOME MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE
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Wigan_forever1985
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Wigan_forever1985 »

Richymac wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:56 pm
Firestarter wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:55 pm I blame sky for super league looking inferior to NRL...... its defo a step down unfortunately...... i really think our game needs the crowds , whereas, the NRL is just business as usual
The NRL are more fortunate to have a government who handled Coronavirus successfully and therefore got fans back quicker.
What would you suggest?

I reckon, raise the cap. Put a game or two a week on BBC on the provision that they advertise a certain way and enough. Get exposure to people who are currently not interested. Bums on seats because of the exposure. More money and bigger sponsors.

Whilst I’m sure this won’t fix the whole problem it will help a bit, I firmly believe. Going a bit off topic I know but just trying to think big, I reckon it wouldn’t hurt.
I dont think simply raising the cap will help the game - because the game itself doesnt have much of a draw therefore raising the cap will just mean a few mercenary signings for bigger spending teams. I do think the cap needs to be raised and tweaked but i dont think its the issue below are probably my big takes

Poster boy needed:
I probably sound like a broken record but the closest RL ever came to breaking out of its niche status was Sam Tomkins 2012 - he was everywhere footballers were talking to him, he was on question of sport, bradley wiggins was in adverts with him and he played for the barbarians. You cannot grow the sport without a poster Boy/Girl - F1 - Hamilton, Boxing - Fury/Joshua, Snooker - Ronnie, Golf - Rory Mc etc etc if i say Rugby league outside of the north i bet i cant get a player name out of anyone consistently - sports are built on people not the sport.

Sponsors:
Which leads to my second point the reason these players are never out there is because there is no financial gain for them to be there they cant have sponsor deals and sell their face, its imperative to increase exposure that this rule changes

League:
Trim it, dont expand it, go to 10 teams of real quality not 12-14 teams 2 of which arent even based in the country. Compact it and grow in hotspots like cumbria who actually want the game. people can bang on about the salary cap levelling the playing field etc but since superleague started only 4 teams have ever won it and 1 of those hasnt even played in the league for 6 years.

League Structure:
Personally i think youd get far more fans in with a straight league, do away with all the playoff non-sense if you want to make every game count - make every game count. People like simplicity in sports not convoluted play off systems - thats the american market and they are used to it, this game isnt being played in america its being played in the uk. I know it works for the NRL but that doesnt mean it has to work for us. Let the best team be the ones who win the most games if you want a big night out in manc then do something else for that

Thats my ramblings anyway
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
the pieman
Posts: 1310
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by the pieman »

Wigan_forever1985 wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2020 9:21 am
Richymac wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:56 pm
Firestarter wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:55 pm I blame sky for super league looking inferior to NRL...... its defo a step down unfortunately...... i really think our game needs the crowds , whereas, the NRL is just business as usual
The NRL are more fortunate to have a government who handled Coronavirus successfully and therefore got fans back quicker.
What would you suggest?

I reckon, raise the cap. Put a game or two a week on BBC on the provision that they advertise a certain way and enough. Get exposure to people who are currently not interested. Bums on seats because of the exposure. More money and bigger sponsors.

Whilst I’m sure this won’t fix the whole problem it will help a bit, I firmly believe. Going a bit off topic I know but just trying to think big, I reckon it wouldn’t hurt.
I dont think simply raising the cap will help the game - because the game itself doesnt have much of a draw therefore raising the cap will just mean a few mercenary signings for bigger spending teams. I do think the cap needs to be raised and tweaked but i dont think its the issue below are probably my big takes

Poster boy needed:
I probably sound like a broken record but the closest RL ever came to breaking out of its niche status was Sam Tomkins 2012 - he was everywhere footballers were talking to him, he was on question of sport, bradley wiggins was in adverts with him and he played for the barbarians. You cannot grow the sport without a poster Boy/Girl - F1 - Hamilton, Boxing - Fury/Joshua, Snooker - Ronnie, Golf - Rory Mc etc etc if i say Rugby league outside of the north i bet i cant get a player name out of anyone consistently - sports are built on people not the sport.

Sponsors:
Which leads to my second point the reason these players are never out there is because there is no financial gain for them to be there they cant have sponsor deals and sell their face, its imperative to increase exposure that this rule changes


IMO some very valid and reasonable points raised.

whilst i believe the cap should be raised (on the basis it is sustainable from revenue), we all know that half the clubs in the league wouldnt go with that. They will always complain that it isnt a level playing field, well it isnt now, because you dont pay to the cap when the sky tv money covers off the costs of the 1st team squad salaries, so what else are they doing with that money?? i've said before that it is laziness, SKY pays the bills, so they dont need to market or promote their own clubs.

i think the RFL should be working more with Gillette as an example as they sponsor / sponsored the England RL team and recent test or 4 nations series. Paul Sculthorpe has been used by them previously for marketing.
surely there should be some of the GB / England RL team on the Gillette adverts and making some money out of it. But, again this is the RFL for you, why allow professional sportsmen (and women) earn money from other interests, that would raise the player and games profile
Richymac
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Richymac »



Poster boy needed:
I probably sound like a broken record but the closest RL ever came to breaking out of its niche status was Sam Tomkins 2012 - he was everywhere footballers were talking to him, he was on question of sport, bradley wiggins was in adverts with him and he played for the barbarians. You cannot grow the sport without a poster Boy/Girl - F1 - Hamilton, Boxing - Fury/Joshua, Snooker - Ronnie, Golf - Rory Mc etc etc if i say Rugby league outside of the north i bet i cant get a player name out of anyone consistently - sports are built on people not the sport.

Sponsors:
Which leads to my second point the reason these players are never out there is because there is no financial gain for them to be there they cant have sponsor deals and sell their face, its imperative to increase exposure that this rule changes
I think this is huge! And something I’ve semi-overlooked.

Like you say Tomkins was a great poster boy but we lost him to the NRL. We need players getting big sponsors and getting into the media spotlight then staying in the country.

Such a tough fix for the RFL and Super League. I don’t envy their job. But they need to try something with a long term objective. Cutting league sizes and changing play-off structures every couple of years screwed with the game. But didn’t and never would have a lasting effect.

Time to invest in the sport. Put your money where your mouth is and do it RFL/SL. Give the players sponsors and raise the profile. It will take time. But Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Richymac
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Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 1:00 am

Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Richymac »

Would also add that there’s interest in the sport. From the union players I play with they just like Rugby. League or Union they will watch it.

Just need to get the product marketed and accessible to more people.
nathan_rugby
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by nathan_rugby »

My two cents on all of this:

Agreed on the poster boy but whose incentive is it to create / push for one and how do they go about doing it?

League structure - I like the play-offs and Grand final. I think what needs to be done is somehow increase focus on the league leaders shield. Unsure how to go about this though. What I do not like is how you can play sometimes 3 x and some teams 2 x in the league. How on earth is that even a thing?

Sponsors - This is needed two fold. In terms of the Sport and Super League as a whole and also on a player level.
- Sport level - Do we really know how competent the RFL or Super League are at securing sponsors? Assuming they are, what is the incentive to businesses? The Sport isn't very popular. Look at how IL had massive plans for Wigan sponsorships, his London initiative etc. Did anything ever come of this?
- Player level - Doesn't the salary cap stop this from happening? Such a joke.

Trimming down the league is an absolute must

Increasing the salary cap is another must even if it means certain teams cannot reach the cap.
Bomhead - "Lockers to prop."
moto748
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Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:30 pm

Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by moto748 »

Wow, a lot of late debate here!

Just a few points:

SL v NRL coverage: biggest difference is in the commentators and summerisers. Why can the Aussies find ex-players who can talk sensibly and perceptively about tactics like Walters and co do? 'Blocker' Roach gets some stick from Aussie fans, but he's still a big upgrade on Terry McDermott.

I agree Manfredi looks no centre, but suggesting he'd have heaved Johnston in to the stands (for his try?)?
Would have been a pen for a tackle in the air. Maybe a yellow, too. Maybe a penalty try.

I'm as big a fan of Liam Marshall as any, but I don't think two late tries down his wing can go un-mentioned. As a relatively small winger, he's likely to be targetted by opposing coaches at the best of times. Well it looked like he had gone a long way to eradicating his errors last season (that horror show at Hudd earlier this year apart), but they seemed to be back today. Now perhaps it's just a question of 'not trusting his centre', but twice he came in off his winger, and twice they slipped the ball to him and he scored. That needs sorting out, and fast. Other coaches are watching.
Fan4Fifty
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by Fan4Fifty »

Just going back to the topic, for me the most difficult aspect of the Wakey performance, particularly in the second half, was the succession of one-man drives even at the end of sets when we were within 30 metres of their line. So reminiscent of the pre-lockdown Salford game. I want to be positive but we don't seem to have a Plan-B and a pack with Smithies, Havard, Byrne still doesn't have the physical presence to dominate bigger and more mature forwards yet. Especially when our bigger, more mature forwards, Faz and maybe Bullock (for a time) excepted on Sunday are not really cutting it. And despite some nice touches, surely we should be using Hastings better than as a drop-off pass giver to Faz.
pedro
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Re: Wigan v wakey

Post by pedro »

I may be wrong but aren’t player sponsorships in this country counted on the cap? Unlike the NRL
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