Almost a year to the day
Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:26 pm
I sent the following email. In my modest unassuming manner
Sent: 21 February 2009 00:19
To: Mick Hogan; Ian Lenagan
Subject: Can you confirm if the following is correct?
Hi Ian/Mick
No matter what you aspire to do off the field you are still largely dependent on what happens on the playing field.
***** (I have deleted this as it contained confidential information) ******
I honestly never know whether you yourself Ian believe half of what you say in public. I never believe Brian Noble.
You may as well write 2009 off. Our club is in such a mess it cannot be resolved overnight. Brian Noble is not the coach to do it. It is no coincidence that SL has been dominated in the past few seasons by Antipodean coaches or that Wigan was made great from the 80’s again by Antipodean coaches. If you want the best you do not find it in a second rate competition. Whatsmore, even NRL coaches can only stay here for a maximum of 3 years until their knowledge level falls so far behind the NRL that they need to return. You have to bring in expertise not amateurs masquerading as top professionals and that goes across the board as regards the playing side. Ray Unsworth was at least a start but you need to look globally to find top professionals.
Brian Noble has never built a team from scratch. He followed what was laid down by Smith and Elliott by the letter. The only problem is that letter is now very dated. He has never invested in youth development. It was a deliberate policy of Chris Caisley not to. I am an educator. Many current and future professional RL players have crossed my path. The Wigan scholarship scheme used to be highly regarded. All I hear now are criticisms from parents and their sons. I am torn when young men talk to me about their professional aspirations as to whether I encourage them to sign for our club from a personal point of view or whether I say go to St Helens, go to Leeds in their best interests.
I have been following this sport for 30 years. I am not a half wit. I possess an extensive knowledge of RL and sport but Wigan RL is heading to a dark corner and going backwards. Attendances are declining; the fare being offered could not be classed as anything remotely like entertaining and you Ian Lenagan are rapidly losing the support of the Wigan fan base. Your stock has been damaged. You are now being compared to Mike Astley and that is derogatory. If you do not act then your own position may become untenable too.
You cannot run a sporting business along pure business lines. Better men than you Ian have tried and failed. You have to invest in a speculative manner. That speculation should be based on great judgement. However, you will never create your utopian egalitarian equal pay dream across a playing squad. The very best cost and you have to be willing to pay. The secret is to acknowledge that playing squads must be cyclical under a salary cap regime. Ageing players replaced season after season by young players. Those young players have to be playing SL when the ageing player is replaced. Duty of care? So Ainscough is not ready is he not? Ian Thornley or Sam Tomkins on the bench tonight may have meant we did face the situation in the last 10 minutes tonight when we were trying to win the game but neither winger was fit enough to run.
You are killing the club I love. Mick Hogan may as well be P… against the wind because his off field initiatives are being crucified from within. The reason Wigan is not a Hunslet, a Huddersfield or some other historical RL entity is because Wigan regularly enjoys periods of success. Yes there will be barren years between but the gap from the last period of success is now becoming greater and greater to the extent Wigan becomes an historical rather than iconic sporting brand. If you are a fan Ian, whether the club lives or dies is down to you. At the moment you are heading for the person who killed Wigan RL.
Act before it is too late.
I will be at the games but the 15 year old sat next to me. He is not keen to come anymore. Who can blame him. I feel like I am pressurising him to come to an event that should be enjoyable. Wigan youngsters should not need to be press ganged into Watching Wigan RL.
Regards