dobbson

[Fraggle]

the-Bowtun-Warr ior posted:
and why would a club like wigan give 2 hoots whether or not the fans want to see a certain player in a cherry and white jersey?

I have to say that Chairman Mo more-or-less admitted once that he used to try attracting particular player as much for their likely positive impact on ticket sales as for whether they would fit into the team. He seemed to think that if we signed such-a-player who was a known international then people would come to games just to see that individual, even if the player were not really suitable for how we play. Harvey No-Yards and Jamie Ainscough (and possibly David Vaealiki) were both in that category, in my opinion. Neither player was good for the way Wigan played, but both were "big" names around the time of their signing, Howard being a GB international and Ainscough having had his moment of glory in an Origin game and ML was probably thinking the fans would be happy for us to spend big money on players like this because they would attract people to watch games.

[DaveO]

Fraggle posted:

the-Bowtun-Warr ior posted:
and why would a club like wigan give 2 hoots whether or not the fans want to see a certain player in a cherry and white jersey?

I have to say that Chairman Mo more-or-less admitted once that he used to try attracting particular player as much for their likely positive impact on ticket sales as for whether they would fit into the team. He seemed to think that if we signed such-a-player who was a known international then people would come to games just to see that individual, even if the player were not really suitable for how we play. Harvey No-Yards and Jamie Ainscough (and possibly David Vaealiki) were both in that category, in my opinion.

No way! Are you seriously suggesting Mo would have thought Howard would pull in the crowds? Or Ainscough who most people had never heard of before he pitched up here? DV was hardly a household name either.

Now if you had said Steve Renouf, Matty Johns or Adrian Lam I might agree.

However was that such a bad strategy or idea? When the salary cap was the simple 50% of income one (which it was when those players I mentioned were signed) then getting bums in seats and increasing your income through larger gates was a good thing to be doing. It would allow the club to bring in other players as well due to its bigger income.

Given these players were generally pretty good for the most part as well it seems a pretty sound strategy to me.

Increasing your income now isn't such a priority with the flat rate cap stifling your ability to spend it but back then it seems to me Mo was doing the right thing in trying to get more bums on seats.

Neither player was good for the way Wigan played, but both were "big" names around the time of their signing,

Everyone new Howard was at the end of his career and that included Mo. He does know a thing or two about the game and so there is no way IMO Mo would have thought Howard was some sort of crowd magnet.

Howard being a GB international and Ainscough having had his moment of glory in an Origin game and ML was probably thinking the fans would be happy for us to spend big money on players like this because they would attract people to watch games.

Think you are barking up the wrong tree with these players. I am not doubting the notion he did sign players to "wow the fans" but these three weren't in that category. Barrett is the latest example with Mo using the very phrase about his signing. Howard was greeted pretty much the same way Millard's signing was and with Ainscough it was Jamie who??? to most people.

Dave

[shawcross da warrior]

it could only work 1 way as stated before...


6 - BARRETT

7 - DOBSON

9 - LEULUAI



Now that woul be an amazing creative line and be great for us next year