Gareth Widdop to Wire

[Paradox]

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/nrl-the-mo ... 4d42885de5


" Superstar Gareth Widdop is set to deliver the Dragons a crushing Christmas blow by signing a two-year deal with English club Warrington.
Widdop is on a long-term deal with the Dragons and will play for the club next season before moving to Wolves in 2020 on a rich contract...."

[medlocke]

They've only signed him because they lost out on Sammut

[Woody1989]

Not going to lie, pretty gutted. I was hoping Widdop would be our marquee signing for 2020

[DaveO]

I bet IL is regretting pushing for the marquee rule now it's delivered two top half backs to Wire while we can't afford either.

[medlocke]

Time IL brought somebody else into the boardroom with money to burn

[DaveO]

Time IL brought somebody else into the boardroom with money to burn

I have been saying this a for a while. It's sacrilege of course and any implied criticism of IL is often met with the strange response that because we have won stuff under IL, he has a right to do as he sees fit with the club. That and/or "it's a business and so must be run as such, not spending what it has not got" or similar.

Both ignore that the club seems strapped for cash. If it is, then that is an issue in itself and the buck stops with IL for that.

He can't blame falling crowds as we still average more than Wire (who lets remember also won naff all) which means with a gate average of 10088 in 2018 they are investing in players of this calibre while we, the champions, who averaged 11,708 asked one of our marquee players to take a pay cut and now have one marquee slot available.

Warrington must either have better sponsorship deals and/or board members prepared to bankroll the club. Those who argue the latter is unsustainable ignore the fact RL clubs are not things that tend to make profits.

If IL has some grand plan to make the club self sustaining in the long run then he needs to accept in the interim he needs cash injections to prop it up so it can sign class players. Otherwise if he thinks winning a GF is going to increase crowds over signing top class players I think he's in for a bit of a shock.

[old hooker]

I bet IL is regretting pushing for the marquee rule now it's delivered two top half backs to Wire while we can't afford either.

Can't afford or wont spend?

[jobo]

Time IL brought somebody else into the boardroom with money to burn

If only.

[fozzieskem]

Time IL brought somebody else into the boardroom with money to burn

I have been saying this a for a while. It's sacrilege of course and any implied criticism of IL is often met with the strange response that because we have won stuff under IL, he has a right to do as he sees fit with the club. That and/or "it's a business and so must be run as such, not spending what it has not got" or similar.

Both ignore that the club seems strapped for cash. If it is, then that is an issue in itself and the buck stops with IL for that.

He can't blame falling crowds as we still average more than Wire (who lets remember also won naff all) which means with a gate average of 10088 in 2018 they are investing in players of this calibre while we, the champions, who averaged 11,708 asked one of our marquee players to take a pay cut and now have one marquee slot available.

Warrington must either have better sponsorship deals and/or board members prepared to bankroll the club. Those who argue the latter is unsustainable ignore the fact RL clubs are not things that tend to make profits.

If IL has some grand plan to make the club self sustaining in the long run then he needs to accept in the interim he needs cash injections to prop it up so it can sign class players. Otherwise if he thinks winning a GF is going to increase crowds over signing top class players I think he's in for a bit of a shock.

One of the things that really irratated me was the spin the club Sams leaving “we offered him a contract that was Wigan’s third biggest ever”the fact Sam as marquee presumably had the biggest ever was lost on Lenegans apologists,the club as ever treated the fans as mugs and as Sam turned in ever better performances as the season wore on it irrateded me more.

He will spend to the cap/120k left to spend is another soundbite I see on here and on. Social media,challenge it and it’s met by the usual we just won the GF which while true doesn’t make it any better when staff such as Bitcon aren’t replaced,like for like,at least its very clear cuts are going on which in fairness to IL he did confirm at the end of season dinner.

It is time to at least look at fresh investment surely,he’s not getting any younger and it may well be his family don’t have the same love of the sport to pump money in left and right as is needed at times.