So who's to blame this year?

[xbrettkennyx]

IL is a fair shout tbh.

He want's to "play at chairman" on the cheap.

He is relying on the standard of SL slipping in order to justify his lack of investment.

Even if Wigan RL win the double again, it's necessarily a good thing for the game.


Not a dig, more an observation.

Didn't he vote for the marquee player? That's a bit of investment in itself.

It is not consistent with voting against a rise in the salary cap. He was even interviewed and said "Why would we increase the salary cap?" (or words to that effect) with a bit of an incredulous look on his face.

I think he needs to make his mind up because he is being inconsistent. Does he see the need to pay the players more or not?

Correct.

So he was being at best naive, at worst put his own interests over that of the club/game, or in the middle accepting the inevitable conclusion that the game is headed towards semi pro status and he is fine with it.

[nellywelly]

IL is staying on the fence and he knows if the salary cap was raised he would lose players not only to the Ausy league but to Superleague clubs as well.His policy of replacing our top players with young players is to keep the wage bill down, not to win cups. This season we will struggle but I think we will be there about perhaps 5th or 6th

[Kaii]

IL is staying on the fence and he knows if the salary cap was raised he would lose players not only to the Ausy league but to Superleague clubs as well.His policy of replacing our top players with young players is to keep the wage bill down, not to win cups. This season we will struggle but I think we will be there about perhaps 5th or 6th

How the hell did you work that out, we can pay more but will lose more players to not only the NRL but Superleague clubs. Our cap doesn't effect the NRL's and it would be equal to other SL clubs. A rise doesn't effect that what so ever, also how is it IL's policy to replace top players with young one. He didn't want to sell Sam, Lee, H or Pat they decided to leave themselves for different reasons.

This is even before you take in to account that Shaun Wane decides who plays for him not IL

[josie andrews]

IL is staying on the fence and he knows if the salary cap was raised he would lose players not only to the Ausy league but to Superleague clubs as well.His policy of replacing our top players with young players is to keep the wage bill down, not to win cups. This season we will struggle but I think we will be there about perhaps 5th or 6th

Don't know how you come to that conclusion? The whole idea of the game is to win trophy's :exc: :exc:

[Kaii]

Don't know how you come to that conclusion? The whole idea of the game is to win trophy's :exc: :exc:

We must of just imagined winning the grand final, league leaders shield & challenge cup twice over the last couple of years :eh:

[Kittwazzer]

Don't know how you come to that conclusion? The whole idea of the game is to win trophy's :exc: :exc:

We must of just imagined winning the grand final, league leaders shield & challenge cup twice over the last couple of years :eh:

Not done too badly for a selling club and a chairman with no ambition.

Too many people on here get more joy from moaning about what might happen this year than reflecting on the glories of last!

[Owd Codger]

Don't know how you come to that conclusion? The whole idea of the game is to win trophy's :exc: :exc:

We must of just imagined winning the grand final, league leaders shield & challenge cup twice over the last couple of years :eh:

Not done too badly for a selling club and a chairman with no ambition.

Too many people on here get more joy from moaning about what might happen this year than reflecting on the glories of last!

Exactly, but you will always find some who can't see the wood for the trees!

[TrueBlueWarrior]

And the award for silliest comment of the year and we are only in March goes to nellywelly!!

[Kittwazzer]

Field is wide open after today!

[DaveO]

IL is staying on the fence and he knows if the salary cap was raised he would lose players not only to the Ausy league but to Superleague clubs as well.His policy of replacing our top players with young players is to keep the wage bill down, not to win cups. This season we will struggle but I think we will be there about perhaps 5th or 6th

How the hell did you work that out, we can pay more but will lose more players to not only the NRL but Superleague clubs.

I think Nelly meant was if the cap went up IL would not pay to the cap so clubs who did could bid for our players as Salford did with Hansen.

He didn't want to sell Sam, Lee, H or Pat they decided to leave themselves for different reasons.

That is not quite true. He could have kept H but chose not to match Salford's offer to H. He then decided to take a transfer fee rather than keep him to his last year of his contract. H needed IL's agreement to leave and he gave it.

As to the rest while he probably didn't want to them to leave he did let Sam go a year early from his so called cast iron 3 year exclusion clause as well.

However even if you can excuse all that what is obviously true is it wasn't news to IL these players were going to leave.

He had plenty of notice to recruit but I am not surprised we didn't make any real notable signings because if he won't pay the going rate for the likes of H he won't pay it for anyone of that standard or better.

He (and Wane) also knew we needed a goal kicker and we have not got one.