Optimism

[Thick & Thin]

It comes as no suprise to me that a section of fans are calling for heads already but as a dedicated wigan fan i would just like to say that i am very happy with the situation at the club and have never been so optimistic for the future.We are in the best position we have been in for a few years, sure we are struggling now but we finally have a plan for a successful future and are not scrapping by with the help of aging aussies. Be patient guys this is a long term plan lets just stick with it, look at the positives which we can look on;

* Sold O'Neil, Connoly, Furner (ageing, under performing and over paid players, all replaced by exciting wigan youth )
* Academy and Allience (the future Wigan) are storming there respective leagues
* Wigan have the youngest average age of any squad in Super League
* Raper is prepared to drop the stars if the kids are doing better, this is really allowing them to develop.
* We have Gareth Hock!!!!!

Let this team Mature together, if they do this towards the back end of the season we have a chance in the playoffs if it isnt till next season then fine.
Before we start stereotypically moaning as we arent averaging 50 points a game lets stick with Raper on this one, follow it through and then we can say a big 'i told you so' to critics when our hard work comes to fruition!

[DaveO]

A plan for a successful future? The current state of the team is not down to a plan.

Maurice Lindsay had a plan to put Wigan back at the top within a three year time frame which expires about now and we find ourselves at the start of a rebuilding process instead.

As to the loss of the experienced players you mention, that wasn't planned either but forced on the club due in part to the clubs on financial screw ups.

A plan would have seen at least one of them stick around, probably Furner, to help the kids bed in gadually. Both Connolly and Furner are, BTW, playing very well for Leeds with Furner MoM several times already.

A plan might also have got rid of O'Neil and kept either of the other two who were more of an asset to the club IMO at the end of last season. O'Neil's recent departure was not planned.

There is no option but to let these kids mature together, due to the lack of a plan, as the only experienced players in next season are likely to be Aussie replacements for those that leave at the end of this. The balance of the team will remain the same although I hope a big strong running second row forward is on the shopping list as that would help the kids in the pack be introduced more gadually which is where its needed most IMO.

I just hope the kids don't get the stuffing knocked out of them because their developemt could be badly hindered by playing virtually a full season of SL. I also reckon its going to take more than a season for them to make the grade.

No one expects to win by 50 points a game and that is a tired out of date statement but sorry to say to suggest the team is in the state it is because of some plan is ignoring the facts.

How you can say we are in the best postion we have been in for years I don't know. We might have the best potential group of kids but sides are judged on results not potential. The position we are in where we are forced to play them and with the weakest first team for years puts us in a very bad position compared to the side of just a couple of seasons ago IMO.

Dave

[Jilly43]

well said Daveo! These kids have been thrown into the deep end.
They cannot learn without a mentor and at the moment there are not enough players with the experience or ability to steer the kids onto greater things.
The balance of the team is all wrong. Davo is spot on when he says these kids will surely be disheartend by the knock they are taking week in week out. Remember Sean Long!!!!

[Paul Howard]

Not for the first time I have to agree with Dave. Although the future is said to be bright, Maurice Lindsay's promises have expired and we seem to be starting all over again. My main worry is that although these young guys look to have a bit of talent, it's all to easy over estimate a young player. There is no gaurentees that they will make it as top class players week in week out in Super League. Don't get me wrong, I hope they all make the grade in years to come, but it's a hell of a risky "plan" from where I'm sat. Who was it who mentioned Lindsay, " papering over the cracks" ? That seems alot more likely to me.

[rach15]

i agree with thick & thin we should look at the positives about having a young squad

in the future we will be thrashing all other teams because of the good youth development programe we have and all the great youngsters like o'loughlin and hock!

[MrsLam]

Although I think its a good idea to have all the youngsters in our team, I also think our big bosses are lying to us, cause there were different rumours as to why our players are havin to be let go and the one lindsay stuck to was that we were nearing our salary cap...but yesterday he said we are goin to buy lots of big australian players to bring through the youngsters, not players that are past it but ones that are in their actual australian team, so we can afford to buy big australian players but we cant keep o'neill or furner or connolly...me tinks someones tellin porkies