IFL or Waney?

[East Stand Faithful]

Everyone is blaming Waney for our current plight and i am sure some of the blame rests with him but what about IFL?

His strategy is:

develop youngsters and sell them off when they hit their peak
Buy 30 somethings to fill in any gaps
Retain the salary cap at its current level

This has resulted in the significant erosion of quality in our squad since MM left.

I think we need someone with vision to lead the club not someone trying to maximise profits.

For all i know IFL may have some cunning plan for world domination but at the moment all i see is decline in standards and that is not the Wigan Way!

[Mike]

There is a lot to agree with here.

I'd say we are actually developing youngsters and letting them go *before* their prime though!

[jobo]

When you look at the quality of the squad that won the GF under MM and compare it player for player to the squad we have today, the decline is fairly alarming. Maybe not so much in the forwards but definitely in the backs. Having said that, despite the tonking Cas handed us, I still think we are there or thereabouts.

[Wandering Warrior]

Be fair, IL does have a football club to run as well.
No increase in salary cap has to be manor from heaven?!

[Wiganer Ted]

Two of those charges against IL are not quite right.
He doesn't bring in that many over 30s. Only Bowen fills that catagory. Tautai and Patrick are well under 30.

IL has always maintained that he wants the salary cap raised with inflation. To say he wants it to remain at the current level is just wrong.

TBH I think we need another over 30 player in the middle with the experience that goes with the age. Whether that would be a prop, back rower or half back I wouldn't mind.
We need another the calibre of Lockers or as near to it as we can get.

[East Stand Faithful]

Two of those charges against IL are not quite right.
He doesn't bring in that many over 30s. Only Bowen fills that catagory. Tautai and Patrick are well under 30.

IL has always maintained that he wants the salary cap raised with inflation. To say he wants it to remain at the current level is just wrong.

TBH I think we need another over 30 player in the middle with the experience that goes with the age. Whether that would be a prop, back rower or half back I wouldn't mind.
We need another the calibre of Lockers or as near to it as we can get.

Ted you have a fair point or two there but i still question whether he has the vision to lead Wigan. I was brought up on Wigan leading the way not following. Koucash and Crowe seem to be leading (albeit Koucash has made lots of mistakes given his lack of knowledge of RL).

I actually hope i am wrong because i dont think IFL is going to sell up or change anytime soon.

[slimshady]

Leneghan does not pay great money compared to other clubs, we have Bowen who will be on decent money, Lockers, Tomkins and Micky Mac. The rest will be on average coin, Goulding was only offered 30k and hes nearly trebled his money going to Hull on a four year deal. All the kids in the squad are great and we bring them on and Scrooge doesnt need to pay lots but when they want proper money they find that they need to leave to get a decent wage. Its well known by the pro players that he doesnt like to part with his money.

[josie andrews]

Two of those charges against IL are not quite right.
He doesn't bring in that many over 30s. Only Bowen fills that catagory. Tautai and Patrick are well under 30.

IL has always maintained that he wants the salary cap raised with inflation. To say he wants it to remain at the current level is just wrong.

TBH I think we need another over 30 player in the middle with the experience that goes with the age. Whether that would be a prop, back rower or half back I wouldn't mind.
We need another the calibre of Lockers or as near to it as we can get.

Ted, I've never heard Mr Lenegan say anything other that he wants the salary cap to stay as it is. The only thing I have heard him say he is sorry he agreed to the Sky deal!

[Dobby]

Two of those charges against IL are not quite right.
He doesn't bring in that many over 30s. Only Bowen fills that catagory. Tautai and Patrick are well under 30.

IL has always maintained that he wants the salary cap raised with inflation. To say he wants it to remain at the current level is just wrong.

TBH I think we need another over 30 player in the middle with the experience that goes with the age. Whether that would be a prop, back rower or half back I wouldn't mind.
We need another the calibre of Lockers or as near to it as we can get.

I would say that raising the salary cap with inflation is just keeping it at its current level in real terms.

Every SL club has got an extra £500,000 this season, with the new TV deal, but yet the cap remains stagnant. TV money now even fully covers the salary cap, are clubs really that poor that they can't generate additional profit to pay higher wages? If the salary cap had simply risen with inflation and with additional TV money taken into account over that time we would be looking at a salary cap of at least £3 million which is more than enough to be competitive with the NRL and RU.

What does it actually take for the salary cap to increase? If we are to depend on club chairmen voting for it then the phrase turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind. I am seriously beginning to think that the only way the salary cap will get a proper increase is by a player strike, which I would fully support.

[Mike]

The alternative point of view is that the squad strength in the competition in general has dropped a lot and that we have faired better than most.

That places almost all blame for recent failures on SW and not IL.

I think its a bit of both frankly. The last four years recriutment have not been exciting. And before that we only got the Melbourne posse because of their salary cap problems. All sides struggle to keep top players now-a-days and if they achieve it there are compromises elsewhere. I suppose thats what's supposed to happen under the salary cap and now the TV money covers that cap its finally happening.