Message to Ian Lenagan

[fozzieskem]

The rugby served up over the last few years is terrible and somehow it's getting worse,yes,yes blah blah the injuries haven't helped but even the kids coming in have little individual spark to try something new

Sam,clearly there's something wrong,hopefully just down to match fitness next season would be decider for me.

I would take a punt on Hardaker myself,doesn't look like it's going to work out for him in aus,he clearly doesn't want to be at Leeds,see if a deal can be done.

Lockers is clearly running on empty,I love the guy but who will replace him?there doesn't seem to be anyone ready to step into his shoes,it's a nettle has to be grasped by the club and soon.

Season ticket sales must still be down this season even with Sams return can you really see the sales going up given the standard of rugby on offer.

[cpwigan]

A good IL quote

"Our recruitment policy is going to shift dramatically," he said. "The Aussie player market is largely dead, which is why I say around 75% of our players must be developed ourselves. Our recruiting is going to shift dramatically, to other areas of the country, and we think rugby union is the perfect hunting ground across the south, in Wales, in Scotland and Ireland.

Andy Wilson

Tuesday 11 October 2011 18.28 BST

[cpwigan]

Wane, who has taken over following Michael Maguire’s departure, has also been pleased with the way things have gone on a personal level after making the transition from No.2 to top dog.

“The main change is that obviously I’m in control now and we do exactly what I want – and that’s great as far as I’m concerned,” he added.

“It was always tough for me doing what Madge wanted to do for the last couple of years, even though he let me do a bit of the planning.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

[LooseHead]

There's 2 sides to every coach : technical ability (tactical awareness, game plan, improving the right things in what are already elite athletes, core skills work, knowing how to analyse performance and stats) and man management (creating culture, developing leaders, nurturing young talent, dealing with conflicts, imbuing passion and motivation). Madge was more tech than man management, but took over from a poor man manager in BN so brought balance and injected motivation.

SW is just trying to replicate the structures etc that madge left us, hoping that they still work. They dont. Opposition coaches are not stupid and there are perfectly effective ways of defending the behind the man passing that we run, by playing numbers and zones. When madge arrived nobody knew how to defend it.

Basically SW is a great man manager but can't create a game plan or respond to plan A not working and year on year he is getting found out. Time for a new coach with new ideas.

[thegimble]

there is obviously issues that need to be resolved weve lost last 3 games since batemans come back lets blame him (jk)


there is alot of kneejerk reaction this has been the worst season i can remember in a while for injuries/out of position players/taped up team. and on that basis we are alot higher in the league and got futher in the CC than i expected.

however, our tactics arnt evolving, i think Deacons appauling change to attack last year before he left has made Wane stick to the tried and test current plays, these would work great if we had the players to pull them off, currently we don't and we haven't had the luxury of dropping players on form, (Sarginson hasn't played well recently(possible still carrying a knock?)

my concern is i cannot see it changing next year,

*i will be Shocked if Budgie comes back with his previous form, hes as good as said his heart isnt in it as he wanted to stay in Oz.

*O'loughlins form sad to say seems to be dropping, he got away with a couple of high last night but is going in way to high alot more of the time, my concern is even if he was to hang up his boots this season (i hope he doesn't) we don't have a player to replace him. Bateman is good at what he does but hes not a patch of what O'louglin adds (a loose forwards that can play like a extra half.

*unlike most i don't want to see smith goes when other players give up he constantly running around trying to get them back motivated. his ingame kicking is fine. however we need a Better Goal kicker. smith can kick through the posts fine when there not pressure, but the 2 points he misses in them highly stressful and close games is infuriating .

*we need another fullback, not to get rid of Tomkins but so that there is competition for his spot. i know we have plently of players currently on the books that can fill in if needed but real competition for his spot cannot be bad.

Attack wise we have been shocking last 2 years we do the shift move and it all comes about due to the lack of yardage made by our props. We go sideways before we even suck a player in or force a prop to take 4 players to take him down to create a space.

Shift plays work when defence gets confused we can not break a good side down and its been the case for a while. Apart from Gelling neither centre looks capable of breaking a tackle and neither pass to a winger in space as we have not created space we have just shifted the ball out to a sliding defence with each opposite player in place.

2014 Flower was an excuse to lose the GF 2015 we played the same way we are now and we create little and its becoming a lot more predictable. We need a new centre we have gone from Carmont and Gleeson to Gildart and Sarge and sorry neither are in the same league. I know I will get hammered by the people of the ohh he is young he is learning. But he still does not put his winger away in big games. Sarge is not good enough as a centre and glad he is going. at least Gelling offers a bit of go forward.

The side is very poorly coached in attack and its not just the spreading out wide we create very little momentum with the props. Our attack philosophy needs to change. Wane will not change it so it time for him to go. We are as bad in attack this season as we were in 2006 we are just really lucky SL is poor now or we could have joined Rhinos and Giants in the middle's.

[WiganPom]

I'm only an arm chair fan these days as I live in Oz and only get to see us on Fox Sports and Wigan TV. I used to get up and watches every time we were on live but I have lost all enthusiasm with the team/club. It's admirable that we managed to stay as high as we have in the league and go as far as we have in the cup considering we have been heavily down on numbers due to injury and suspension this season. The style of footy we have played has been awful. I watch my Mrs little lad play under 8s and they play better attacking footy than Wigan do. I was back over for the Cas game in April and it's not the same as when I left in 2013. If I still had a season ticket I would be questioning renewing it. I've been in the anti-Wayne camp for a long time. He seems like a great bloke and the kind of guy you could sit in the pub with listening to his stories but I don't think he should be in a high profile coaching role such as Wigan. It reminds me of Noble, heart in the right place but taken the team club as far as they could and now starting to go backwards. Thanks for the memories Wayney but it's time to get an Aussie back to the club and bring some fresh ideas to the team. Madge and Trent Robinson are not realistic options as they would want to be back in the NRL and would jump ship at the first opportunity.

[stevethegas]

Whenever I get the pleasure of listening to John Wells' analysis of a game, specifically Wigan, he does talk about the culture in a club. It seems, if he is to be believed, that the players are not in any way at odds with Shaun Wane.

But, and it's a bit but, we aren't producing the goods as once we did. It's clearly not lack of effort and certainly not lack of defensive skills. Our defence this season is as good as any. The attack however is a different ball game - literally.

What strikes me when I watch us this season, is that we look pedestrian. The other teams have sussed us out and defend against us. We simply aren't scoring enough points.

When Iestyn Harris was poached to go to Salford, and Paul Deacon to the dark side, I didn't realise how much we would miss them, but we really do. Under their guidance we did produce winning strategies and effective attack. Now they are gone and it ain't happening.

So, it seems Shaun Wane is very good at defence, and very good at man management. He needs to coach better attacking strategies, and for that to happen we need another adviser on how to out-think other teams and coaches. We need a Paul Deacon or Iestyn Harris, or some other strategian to fill that role.

I do hope that person can be found otherwise we are destined to have another disappointing season.

[DaveO]

Why Wane is considered good at man management i don't know.

Man management is easy if you surround yourself with yes men and why the senior players have not by now revolted when being made to play tactics that are obviously killing their chances I suspect is because that won't be tolerated.

How the Taylor and Rocky situations were handled ought to raise questions and he also seems to have his favourites. Send players on a mid season piss up to the races wasn't a brilliant idea either which led to the Bateman saga.

That film of Wigan down under ought to have people questioning Wane's fitness for the job but I see a reluctance to do this.

Instead it's excuses. He is a good man manager, he can coach defence and we need an attack coach and all will be well.

I don't think so. He is the problem and in soccer or even at Wigan in another era he'd be out of a job this morning, not because he lost one semi final but because over the last two seasons he has taken the club backwards.

Some will say being quick to fire coaches is no good but sticking with first Noble and now Wane for too long has just meant the fans have been served dross for at least four seasons too many.

[fozzieskem]

To me Wane is the perfect number two,a Sgt. Major type who can yell but at times also put his arm round a player and give him a talking too.

[Owd Codger]

Wane, who has taken over following Michael Maguire’s departure, has also been pleased with the way things have gone on a personal level after making the transition from No.2 to top dog.

“The main change is that obviously I’m in control now and we do exactly what I want – and that’s great as far as I’m concerned,” he added.

“It was always tough for me doing what Madge wanted to do for the last couple of years, even though he let me do a bit of the planning.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

How do you find the time to make numerous comments on all things Wigan Warriors, the game in general, trawl many internet sites, post newspaper articles etc.

Especially when working with a young family to support.

Anyone would think you employed by Wigan Warriors Fans website to keep the interest going!

A bit like the 'gwim weaper' used to do on Wigan World!

He was also sarcastic as well with anyone who stood up to him.