Hock to Parramatta?

[Owd Codger]

As I recall, Leneghan bought the club when he saw it going nowhere under the ownership of Dave Whelan and supporters were despondent with the lack of success. Under his ownership, the club has gone forward and some of the players who are leaving were only signed as a short term measure while the club built up the standard and quality of its own home grown players due to the restrictions of the salary cap which cannot compete with the money in Union and the NRL. To suggest that Leneghan is not interested in the success of his home town club is nonsense. The players leaving are all nearly, if not, at the end of their careers and the time has come to move on with a younger average age squad and the bare minimum of overseas signings.

[highland convert]

Why should IL be continually asked to put his hand in his pocket? You want to enjoy a rich mans toy? Are you prepared to up your season ticket price by 100% to have all the best players? Why should the man not run his business on a sure footing? Why should you drag his name through the mud for an event that has not happened yet? Some need to get a life and stop the bitter and twisted postings. It is habit forming and serves no purpose.

[cpwigan]

Why should IL be continually asked to put his hand in his pocket? You want to enjoy a rich mans toy? Are you prepared to up your season ticket price by 100% to have all the best players? Why should the man not run his business on a sure footing? Why should you drag his name through the mud for an event that has not happened yet? Some need to get a life and stop the bitter and twisted postings. It is habit forming and serves no purpose.

You really lack intelligence

Nobody enters sport for business reasons. It makes no sense, those wealthy enough to buy clubs know they could derive a far greater return from their investment AWAY from sport. Sport offers businessmen something they cannot or will ever enjoy.

RL is cheap sporting philanthropy. Owners come in expecting / knowing they buy a club and then pay little or nothing for the privelege AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS! Albeit very wealthy by our standard, every RL owner knows he cannot afford and/or willing to compete at elite football even elite RU level.

The fixed maybe declining in real terms salary cap, the limited investment required WW is what RL represent to every owner of a SL club. NOT ONE SL OWNER is willing to challenge or break that bargain basement philosophy. RL is your sporting £ shop.

MORE IMPORTANTLY ask yourself why should the Josie Andrews, all the fans WHO INVEST a far greater % of their income than IL or Moran or any SL club owner ever will in their club be SHORT CHANGED. Maybe some fans shop in the £ shop for everything and quality is immaterial.

IIRC, RL was created by men wanting something better and treating its participants fairly AND proper. At least Jimbo has an excuse being Scottish BUT this sport was founded on doing what was right, ambition, investment EVEN great risk. The last time I saw similar qualities was Lindsay etc whose deals the current SL / Owners are very happy to live off / accept. Where is the innovation, the energy, the drive, the dynanism ?

Some of you are reminiscent of Victorian working place espousing the mantra know thy place, accept thy lot. Gullible and gutless would be a best fit description for such people. Why not go the whole hog and betray what RL represented and advocate and end to professionalism and a return to amateur status?

Guess what you can kiss my ass!! Grow a set!!

[Wigan_forever1985]

Fwiw I think that saying Moran beat il hands down is simply ignoring the facts. I would say number of trophies in their relative tenures is around the same with wires only success being in the cup. However looking at how il has done it without he cash and Moran has relied on big money backhanders would suggest to me that il is he smarter of the two.

I think for me the basis of what Wigan are downing is correct we have seen a big shift in British talent and big investment in youth. However this almost has an aire of 2004/5 about in the sense you need old heads around you could argue hock isnt the best of examples but he still been there done that on the pitch

[DaveO]

As I recall, Leneghan bought the club when he saw it going nowhere under the ownership of Dave Whelan and supporters were despondent with the lack of success. Under his ownership, the club has gone forward and some of the players who are leaving were only signed as a short term measure while the club built up the standard and quality of its own home grown players due to the restrictions of the salary cap which cannot compete with the money in Union and the NRL.

Not true. When IL arrived we had problems with the salary cap and the players signed when we had no room on it were the likes of Pryce and Mather's. I thought the pair of them were worth the risk at the time so in my book IL got some kudos for signing anyone.

However the problems with the salary cap were gone before the players leaving now were signed. Fielden's contract and that of several others players were up before Finch and others arrived.

The idea Lima, Finch (and Hoffman)were signed as a stop gap is ludicrous. They were signed because we were very good players.

You don't hand people three year deals as a "stop gap". That is just normal player recruitment. We'd have kept Hoffman for two years had he wanted to stay, we kept Finch for all three years and for some idiotic reason agreed to let Lima leave a year early. And of course there is no way Roberts was a stop gap signing (IL's "flying winger" to use his words) and Tommy has been a stalwart of the side for years. The only player leaving due to retire was George and now even he is playing on. The lot of them are going to be good enough to play NRL next season. Past it? Nope.

To suggest that Leneghan is not interested in the success of his home town club is nonsense. The players leaving are all nearly, if not, at the end of their careers and the time has come to move on with a younger average age squad and the bare minimum of overseas signings.

Why the bare minimum of overseas signings? Are you blind to the excellent players from overseas we have had even in recent years? It will be a sad day when we can't bring over the odd top class overseas player or find the odd gem like George. It's been part of Wigan's culture for as long as the club has existed.

As to the average age of the squad it is far too simplistic a reason to justify shrugging shoulders over the players lost or to imply its a good idea or even a plan.

The last time we did as we are doing now was when Adrian Lamb and several other players left such as Tez O'Connor. We tried going with a younger side then and it took us to the brink a very short time later in 2006.

We need a blend of youth and experience and if IL does sell Hock as well he will be responsible for overseeing the assembly of a very inexperienced squad and Wane will have about as much chance as Millward.

[Kittwazzer]

Interesting that Hock got MoM. Presumably they had to find some way of getting an interview?

[cumbria_warrior]

I agree with god, his face told the true story. I would expect an announcement following next weekends game. A real shame I feel. I thought he would of wanted to repay wigan at all costs for standing by him during his ban

[No straw damn us]

We need a blend of youth and experience and if IL does sell Hock as well he will be responsible for overseeing the assembly of a very inexperienced squad and Wane will have about as much chance as Millward.

I'll wager £20 against you Dave (to the joining Jack charity if I win, to your choice if I lose) that Wigan over the next three seasons don't get 70 or 75 points scored against them in a single game

[DaveO]

We need a blend of youth and experience and if IL does sell Hock as well he will be responsible for overseeing the assembly of a very inexperienced squad and Wane will have about as much chance as Millward.

I'll wager £20 against you Dave (to the joining Jack charity if I win, to your choice if I lose) that Wigan over the next three seasons don't get 70 or 75 points scored against them in a single game

I doubt we will either. Wane isn't daft enough to pick a side like the one Millward did but I am sure you understood exactly what I meant anyway.

[cumbria_warrior]

Will still be purchasing season ticket no matter what happens with Hock, we have been through worse times than these rumours. did you all think about not renewing ticket when it looked like we were going down? I know I didnt