Tomkins saga over as he signs for the NZW

[Kittwazzer]

If all that matters is winning the CC and GF despite a lower standard all round the sport is in trouble.

What else do you want us to win? FA Cup? Champions League? Tour de France?

[NeeNawWarrior22]

Thanks guys. So although not on the same scale as Whelan, one would like to think he has enough to compete with other club owners. He's a shrewd man. Will be interesting to see whether his plan for the future works

[Kittwazzer]

If only it was as simple as a conveyor belt. We have always had great young talents BUT if you fail to show dare I say it Duty of Care it can and does go pearshaped. Remember, albeit in a declining SL, our standard is to be winning SL or a CC.

No. It is to win those things whilst still handling the threat from NRL and RU. I still maintain that we are in a good position to do that. Others obviously don't. Time will tell which of us are right!

[NeeNawWarrior22]

If all that matters is winning the CC and GF despite a lower standard all round the sport is in trouble.

What else do you want us to win? FA Cup? Champions League? Tour de France?

[DaveO]

If all that matters is winning the CC and GF despite a lower standard all round the sport is in trouble.

What else do you want us to win? FA Cup? Champions League? Tour de France?

I'd like us to win trophies with players of a high standard, not of a lesser level. But then I am sure you knew that is what I meant anyway.

[DaveO]

If only it was as simple as a conveyor belt. We have always had great young talents BUT if you fail to show dare I say it Duty of Care it can and does go pearshaped. Remember, albeit in a declining SL, our standard is to be winning SL or a CC.

No. It is to win those things whilst still handling the threat from NRL and RU. I still maintain that we are in a good position to do that. Others obviously don't. Time will tell which of us are right!

You could ship every decent player out of SL tomorrow and replace Wigan with Wigan St. Pats, Saints with Thatto Heath and so on and we might still be well placed to win a trophy.

That wouldn't be good enough to be charging what is charged for league games and finals tickets.

There has to be some quality about a professional sport and there are few real quality players in our league as it is.

[DaveO]

Thanks guys. So although not on the same scale as Whelan, one would like to think he has enough to compete with other club owners. He's a shrewd man. Will be interesting to see whether his plan for the future works

Just done a bit more digging and Moran is worth over £200m. IL is a pauper by comparison.

[Kittwazzer]

If only it was as simple as a conveyor belt. We have always had great young talents BUT if you fail to show dare I say it Duty of Care it can and does go pearshaped. Remember, albeit in a declining SL, our standard is to be winning SL or a CC.

No. It is to win those things whilst still handling the threat from NRL and RU. I still maintain that we are in a good position to do that. Others obviously don't. Time will tell which of us are right!

You could ship every decent player out of SL tomorrow and replace Wigan with Wigan St. Pats, Saints with Thatto Heath and so on and we might still be well placed to win a trophy.

That wouldn't be good enough to be charging what is charged for league games and finals tickets.

There has to be some quality about a professional sport and there are few real quality players in our league as it is.

In that scenario, entrance would be free as the money would have come in by the shedload from overseas. And the GB side would be unbeatable as there would be no Oz/NZ players in the NRL!

[Kittwazzer]

Thanks guys. So although not on the same scale as Whelan, one would like to think he has enough to compete with other club owners. He's a shrewd man. Will be interesting to see whether his plan for the future works

Just done a bit more digging and Moran is worth over £200m. IL is a pauper by comparison.

Most are, but if a club is operating profitably as a going concern, the net worth of the board is irrelevant!

[cpwigan]

The point is KW that IMO I am not sure if Wigan will cost IL anything if/when he sells the club. I will wager Oxford U will cost him more. Wigan can be sold at what it cost IL or even a profit. So for spending nothing IL gets to live his dreams and lead Wigan out at Wembley and Old Trafford. He is not IMO prepared to pay for that dream out of his own pocket which is similar to most RL club owners. Yes they are wealthy beyond our wildest dreams but small potatoes compared the meda rich who adopt a more philanthropic approach to sporting ownership.

IL deserves credit for helping to rebuild the club back to its rightful place BUT having achieved that he sees content to see the club dragged back into the pack. There was no need for that, we should dominate RL for 5/6 seasons whatever because that is what makes Wigan RLFC different from other clubs. Sure, many have brief periods of greatness but never repeated eras of success spread over a century. It is that continuous standard of excellence and success that separates Wigan RLFC from Huddersfield, from St Helens, from Widnes, from Warrington, from Leeds etc etc.

The danger with the IL philosophy is that somebody has given him the winning Euromillion lottery numbers and he tears up the paper with the numbers written on and throws away the opportunity of a lifetime.

SL is getting poorer BUT nearly every SL club has players willing to sweat blood to achieve something. You still need truly gifted talents to separate yourself from the ever hungry pack.