If this was any other team except WiganRL

[NTA1]

I have supported Wigan for the last 46 years through thick and thin, when money paid to players was pennies and they put their bodies on the line each week.

Today, this is not the case and if it was any other sport we would be looking at replacing the Coach, Manager or Chairperson. It is the Coach's responsibility to pick the team and mentally prepare them each week. Maybe if the purse strings were closed, the team may try and perform. No win, no pay simple as that.

You cannot blame injuries, salary cap, farrell's absence etc all the time. Other teams manage this and so should we.

Just face it, we are not good enough anymore and until Raper and the board realise this, we are going to slip further behind.

Youth is all well and good, but letting players like Connolly, Furner, O'Neill go will not make us win games. I hate football as RL is my passion, but Leeds Utd springs to mind!

Come on Wigan either buy quality players or retain those that still are.

[wolftown warrior]

good post!

don`t think were doing enuff, tactically weak, but looked more solid last night defencively.. ( saying that we concieded 20 points.. lol)
raper can`t be blamed for the performances directly on the pitch, but he DOES pick his 17, & he DOES pick what tactics were using..
so i guess u gotta point the finger somewhere...

personally i`m not paniking regarding the team, but am not happy by our performances...

like u say it needs sorting & whatever is best for wigan rl, has to be done.....

anyone have any ideas on HOW we can improve our onfield perfomances? or who we should be looking at bringing in....?

lam was again poor last night, aspinwall did well though....

[chorleywarrior]

I agree totally,can't keep making excuses for playing badly!It's Raper's job to raise team spirit and get the best from the players and if results like this continue then something needs to be done.After the last few games he keeps saying "we need to improve and get better" but clearly they are'nt,well he better do something because we all know how good Lindsay is with the axe!

[Fraggle]

Maybe if the purse strings were closed, the team may try and perform. No win, no pay simple as that.

Aren't the purse strings closed? We're told we are right up against the salary cap limit so it's not as if we can pay more. But this is a professional sport and the idea of no-win, no-pay is nonsense. And in any case, you would only demoralise people to the point where they wouldn't bother, knowing it was worthless to try, and then they jump ship at the first opportunity.

Youth is all well and good, but letting players like Connolly, Furner, O'Neill go will not make us win games. I hate football as RL is my passion, but Leeds Utd springs to mind!

True, releasing players is not good but it was a necessity. For whatever reason we found ourselves massively over-budget in terms of the ridiculous salary cap system in place in this country, and losing players was the only way to avoid other penalties. It would be worse to be winning games and have those points taken off us for salary cap infringements.

Come on Wigan either buy quality players or retain those that still are.

Perhaps if we pay in leftover Kelvin dolls we can buy players without hitting salary cap limits? And anyway, who exactly are we in a position to buy with the seasons both here and in Aus having only started a few weeks ago. I can't see lots of good available players waiting to be signed...

[NTA1]

Fraggle,

I totally disagree with you about team not bothering if not paid. What has happened to the pride of pulling on that Cherry and White Jersey?

If some players don't perform - get rid, even if they are paid alot of money and were a household big name. Maybe then, the salary cap issue would be resolved and we would play decent rugby.

Don't blame the salary cap, other teams manage this with young players paid far less than our stars.

I would sack Raper, Ainscough,and Smith now and bring in a real motivator,quality Centre and forward before its too late and we finish outside the 6th playoff position.

On this form, we will get murdered against Bradford. If this is the case, the Board need to sit down and make a decision. Big Frank did far better than this and look what happened to him!!

[Fraggle]

I totally disagree with you about team not bothering if not paid. What has happened to the pride of pulling on that Cherry and White Jersey?

Maybe I'm cynical but I feel that pride is now just a romantic notion and I've seen too many players in recent times who appeared to be here just here for the banknotes, messrs Ainscough and O'Neill being 2 such current players in my opinion. I'd like to think players come here because of a love for the club, but both Ainscough and Lam have effectively said in the past that they were made such good financial offers that they couldn't refuse. At least Lam looks to try and pay back some of that offer.

If some players don't perform - get rid, even if they are paid alot of money and were a household big name. Maybe then, the salary cap issue would be resolved and we would play decent rugby.

The salary cap issue must surely now be resolved (and it's definitely time to start publically questioning the other teams' compliance in the same way everyone has had a go at us in recent years), but the problem with getting rid remains that you need replacements and half-way through a season is hardly the best time for recruitment because the only players available are dross. Look at our strange decision to buy Tickle last year and Widnes' enforced decision to buy O'Neill from us. It'd be great if there were good players available now to replace some of the rubbish but there aren't. But I agree it shouldn't matter if the player is a big-name or not (although Lam must be safe as that must be the shortest name in the squad!)

Don't blame the salary cap, other teams manage this with young players paid far less than our stars.

As hinted above, I have great doubts about the other teams complying with the salary cap, but no-one else has a team comprising more young players than us. I suspect some of our stars are paid well out of proportion to their ability, but remember we also still have the 20/20 salary cap rule and with so many kids being promoted to the first team recently I wonder if we're even close to having 20 players on £20k+ per year? Many of the kids will be below that I'm sure.

I would sack Raper, Ainscough,and Smith now and bring in a real motivator,quality Centre and forward before its too late and we finish outside the 6th playoff position.

Such as? I agree that Raper's tactics seem naive and perhaps he's not good enough to get the kids going, and Ainscough always has been a disaster, but who do we get instead? However, getting rid of Craig Smith would be a mistake. Our pack is already inexperienced and him and O'Connor have a vital role to play in getting the players behind them in order.

On this form, we will get murdered against Bradford. If this is the case, the Board need to sit down and make a decision. Big Frank did far better than this and look what happened to him!!

And John Monie a couple of years earlier. I think the difference this time is that Chairman Mo has come out and said he will accept this as a transition period, whereas previous times we've still had a team full of names and they've not done as well as required. Perhaps this is because he has been found out and everyone now realises that his financial management is abysmal, so he's publically trying to prepare everyone for a bad run well in advance. If we're to sack anyone, why not the Chairman who has overseen this situation where we sell an Australian international mid-season? I know he was bought because there was no-one else with stand-offs seemingly rare at the moment, but if you're going to get rid then why not do it when there's a chance of getting someone else in?

I agree about Bradford though and I'm hardly expecting results against Stains and Leeds the week after either. Hardly a Happy Easter for us, that's for sure.

[NTA1]

Fraggle,

A good post with honest answers. You are obviously not on the Board of Directors!!!!

[MrsLam]

okee i don't know if anyone has said this before cause I couldn't be bothered reading all of this page but if we got rid of raper who the hell else would we get? or who could we afford and what would they do its the same team, same fans same ground, we need continuity at the moment, we're gettin too unsettled I thin k we should give the youngsters a chance keep raper a bit longer and then if nothing improves, then we can think about changing thingz....again

[MrsLam]

okee i don't know if anyone has said this before cause I couldn't be bothered reading all of this page but if we got rid of raper who the hell else would we get? or who could we afford and what would they do its the same team, same fans same ground, we need continuity at the moment, we're gettin too unsettled I thin k we should give the youngsters a chance keep raper a bit longer and then if nothing improves, then we can think about changing thingz....again