Sean Edwards inducted to Hall of Fame

[Owd Codger]

I was there also. His induction into the Hall of Fame is long overdue. However why now. RFU international coach. Not in our game and hopefully he stays in Union. I, for one wouldn't welcome him(including the likes of Andy F Mike F et al. Jrust call me bitter. You would be correct.

I'd have him back in a shot. The others? No.

But for the others it's nothing to do with bitterness for them and a soft spot for Edwards. I just think the others have nothing to offer whereas Edwards does.

He would dedicate himself to being the best RL coach he could possibly be. He isn't daft enough or so arrogant to think he would walk into a coaching Wigan knowing better than anyone else. Unlike a certain other coach I could mention!

Unlike the Coach you don't like who is 100% Wigan, it did not take Edwards long to decide that there was more money to be made in Union and if Union gone fully professional earlier than 1995, I doubt any of us would have seen him in a Wigan shirt as much we did.

[jaws1]

Maybe Edwards would have stayed in RL at the time of him finishing his career all the SL clubs were hell bent on recruiting NRL coaches.RU were going professional and could see what ex RL players and coaches could do to improve their game even Phil Larder the GB coach at the time was lured to Union money.

[Andrew0604]

WW can you tell me which union club he switched codes to play for please? My memory must be faltering as my understanding is he left because Dorahy wouldn't allow him a day off each week to spend time with his baby son in London

[medlocke]

WW can you tell me which union club he switched codes to play for please? My memory must be faltering as my understanding is he left because Dorahy wouldn't allow him a day off each week to spend time with his baby son in London

Don't you mean Eric Hughes

[Owd Codger]

WW can you tell me which union club he switched codes to play for please? My memory must be faltering as my understanding is he left because Dorahy wouldn't allow him a day off each week to spend time with his baby son in London

I Only made comment to the effect that if Union had gone fully professional in ten years or so before it did, Edwards and indeed many others in the Wigan teams of the time would not have been hesitant in switching to Union and more money.

As for Edwards actually going at the end of his playing career to be near his son, many including myself assumed that once his son reached adulthood, he would have returned to our game without hesitation,, but he has not and the reason is simply the fact that he is on more money in Union than what he would ever get in our game and hence his non return to our game.

Edwards was one my favourite players and fully deserves being inducted in our Hall of Fame in respect of his playing career, but at the same time, I have enough sense to know that where money is concerned, loyalty to Wigan would go out of the window if more money was to be made elsewhere and facts have proved it correct.

[Smokie Jim]

In an earlier post on this topic I asked a supplementary question "Why now". Is he being courted by the RFL. Perhaps. ? I was hoping for a response from one of the forums sages eg Cp The Gimble Dave O WW et al or any other ones interested

[thegimble]

In an earlier post on this topic I asked a supplementary question "Why now". Is he being courted by the RFL. Perhaps. ? I was hoping for a response from one of the forums sages eg Cp The Gimble Dave O WW et al or any other ones interested

Sorry Slim here goes.

Only reason now is that his contract with the WRU is at an end unless he signed an extension in the last 24 hours he will be technically out of a job very soon.

He himself has said he will comeback back not yet but if the RFL offer him more then he might but he is very loyal to Gatland. But if their is a fallout with the WRU over his contract if I were IL I would jump with a big offer and take over the role of Deacon in the club asap.

RFL is an interesting one as tbh there is no British RL coach good enough for England atm. None would make it in the NRL but with Edwards we just do not know how it will pan out. Only place he will come to in league is Wigan or England but I do hope its not straight into a top job in RL as he has not proved himself in league as a coach.

I think he will stay with Wales for another 4 years and then come to Wigan.

[Smokie Jim]

Thanks for that Gimble
Jim

[The Yonner]

WW can you tell me which union club he switched codes to play for please? My memory must be faltering as my understanding is he left because Dorahy wouldn't allow him a day off each week to spend time with his baby son in London

I Only made comment to the effect that if Union had gone fully professional in ten years or so before it did, Edwards and indeed many others in the Wigan teams of the time would not have been hesitant in switching to Union and more money.

As for Edwards actually going at the end of his playing career to be near his son, many including myself assumed that once his son reached adulthood, he would have returned to our game without hesitation,, but he has not and the reason is simply the fact that he is on more money in Union than what he would ever get in our game and hence his non return to our game.

Edwards was one my favourite players and fully deserves being inducted in our Hall of Fame in respect of his playing career, but at the same time, I have enough sense to know that where money is concerned, loyalty to Wigan would go out of the window if more money was to be made elsewhere and facts have proved it correct.

WW you seem to forget that when Edwards almost literally had the world at his feet on his 17th birthday, he chose to accept Wigan's inferior offer to play for his home town team.

Also, in 1997, his proposal to combine his parental responsibilities with continuing to play for Wigan showed that loyalty had not gone away.

There is no evidence at all to "prove" Edwards would have taken the Rugby Union dollar at any stage of his Wigan career. And the fact he continued playing League for London and Bradford until injury forced his retirement in 1999 suggest he also had loyalty to Rugby League.

His coaching career in Rugby Union came about because there were not sufficient vacancies in Super League, as others have pointed out.

It would be interesting to see what he could do for Wigan, but I do worry that it is over 15 years since he was involved with League, and all coaches, however talented, have a shelf life.




He chose to sign for Wigan because at the time, there was more money in our game than what was in Union which was a Amateur game with no proper leagues, no home and European cup competitions and money like it has today and a situation where Union players came to our game for money. As for Coaching, it had nothing to do with any openings in our game, but more to do with at the time, being near his young son in London and the only way he could do that and remain at the top in any code of Rugby was to be involved in the Union game with a top London Union club like Wasps.

Like I have said before, we were very fortunate to see him play in our game for all of his career as a result of Union only going fully professional at the time he retired from playing, but I am in no doubt whatsoever that if Union had been fully professional at the time of his playing age, he and some others at Wigan like Lydon, Ford etc would have no hesitation in defecting to Union like Robinson, Ashton, Andy and Owen Farrell have done since.

For Edwards to come back to League would mean him taking a big drop in income and I doubt that he will ever do that, would you?

[The Yonner]

Don't know how your last post has managed to appear under my handle WW, but assuming it is you I'm replying to I just would like to say your cynicism is quite amazing.

Taking your argument to its logical conclusion, the only players who ever played for Wigan because they wanted to and deserve recognition from you for so doing are the ones who were so useless that professional rugby union (had it existed)wouldn't have been interested in.

That pretty much rules out the entire first team playing staff from 1985 to 1995; and why shouldn't the same apply to the other great Wigan periods like 1945 - 52 and 1958 - 66?

Please explain why you have a personal vendetta against Shaun Edwards?