Our Problem

[ChrisA]

Is that we have an inexperienced coach, and a very inexperienced team in general with alot of youngsters. You cant have both and expect to be challenging for hounours.
If Betts had been given the job with the team we had 10-12 years ago he would have been fine, anyone could have coached them. The thing is, the team we have now is not a patch on the side we had back then.
We have a team of mediocre and young players, with very few world class players. To get the best out of these players, we need a coach with vast experience, not a guy who has coached the under 17's for a season then bascially got dropped in it when Mike Gregory fell ill. Im not blaming Betts for anything here, you cant blame a guy for being very inexperienced, he did ok filling in last season. But with the way things are at the club, we need a strong character with experience to get us through this, because as it stands we arre not going to do anything his term, and Betts does not have the abilty to turn it round in my oppinion, not yet anyway.

[GeoffN]

Fair enough, but let's not forget Mike hasn't gone yet!

[DaveO]

ChrisA posted:
Is that we have an inexperienced coach, and a very inexperienced team in general with alot of youngsters. You cant have both and expect to be challenging for hounours.
If Betts had been given the job with the team we had 10-12 years ago he would have been fine, anyone could have coached them. The thing is, the team we have now is not a patch on the side we had back then.
We have a team of mediocre and young players, with very few world class players. To get the best out of these players, we need a coach with vast experience, not a guy who has coached the under 17's for a season then bascially got dropped in it when Mike Gregory fell ill. Im not blaming Betts for anything here, you cant blame a guy for being very inexperienced, he did ok filling in last season. But with the way things are at the club, we need a strong character with experience to get us through this, because as it stands we arre not going to do anything his term, and Betts does not have the abilty to turn it round in my oppinion, not yet anyway.

I agree with all that but there is another solution and that is to sign some experienced players. I reckon we now have three slots under the 20/20 available and while we all like to see Wigan youngsters come through we aren't going to be competative with a team with an average age in the early twenties.

Whether two or three players will be enough to make Betts look the part is doubtful.

It isn't Betts fault of course. Maurice Lindsay has left him with such an inexperienced squad and the departure of Andy Farrell is a prime example of his (ML's) mismanagement.

Dave

[ChrisA]

Yeah dont get me wrong here, I dont blame Betts at all, the guy is a legend at Wigan and was one of my favs when I was growing up. But the fact is, as much as he loves Wigan and as much as he wants to be a success in the job, he doesnt yet have the quailites and knowledge to do what needs to be done.

And DaveO, I have been thinking about the situation we are in now regarding the salary cap and 20/20, we do have some serious scope and the space to add 1 or 2 or maybe even 3 world class players, but who we get is the big question, there arnt any players around to my knowledge who even look like being available. It will take a considerable transfer fee to attempt another club to relase any players who are under contract.

Regarding Farrel, if he wanted to stay at Wigan somthing would have been sorted out in no time. I think for whatever reason he wanted to leave and try somthing new, I for one thank him for 13 years of service and say good luck to him, its time to move on, find a possible replacement, but only 1 player springs to mind and that is Sonny Bill who looks like an even better player than Faz did at 19.

[we_need_a_coach]

Well, at last, something I can agree with. Betts should be made assistant and Anderson brought in immediately, never mind the cost.
Then we might be able to attract a couple of experienced big name players who can bring on the youn lads, but will it happen ?

Come on MO lets see what you are madfe of.

And whats this about Gregory 'he's not gone yet' of course he's gone, he's history, a past coach (remember the Monty Python scetch ?) and I for one think the way he has been treated is a very bad reflection on Wigan Rugby League Club.
He should'nt have been left out to dry, like this and the club should have made his / rhere situation clear from the start, another situation, masterfully manipulated by MO.

[craigbeck]

But what would happen to Farrah waiting quietly in the wings. There are people speculating that he is the coach in waiting.

C

[The Black Pearl]

ChrisA posted:
Is that we have an inexperienced coach, and a very inexperienced team in general with alot of youngsters. You cant have both and expect to be challenging for hounours.
If Betts had been given the job with the team we had 10-12 years ago he would have been fine, anyone could have coached them. The thing is, the team we have now is not a patch on the side we had back then.
We have a team of mediocre and young players, with very few world class players. To get the best out of these players, we need a coach with vast experience, not a guy who has coached the under 17's for a season then bascially got dropped in it when Mike Gregory fell ill. Im not blaming Betts for anything here, you cant blame a guy for being very inexperienced, he did ok filling in last season. But with the way things are at the club, we need a strong character with experience to get us through this, because as it stands we arre not going to do anything his term, and Betts does not have the abilty to turn it round in my oppinion, not yet anyway.

I know a little more about what went on when Mike was ill. I can't go into to much detail but believe me Denis Betts certainly didn't feel like he'd been dropped in it.

[DaveO]

The Black Pearl posted:

I know a little more about what went on when Mike was ill. I can't go into to much detail but believe me Denis Betts certainly didn't feel like he'd been dropped in it. [/quote]

Maybe he didn't at the time but I bet he wasn't expecting to lose his captain and best player when he was appointed.

The interview on the Wigan club site is interesting where he reiterates the old saying there are only two types of coach. Those who have been sacked and those who are going to be.

He is under no illusions as to what is expected of him and I am sure must now realise the squad isn't good enough to make him look good.

He also makes the point that while we could do with some extra players there aren't any available. So fair do's on that front he knows he's up against it.

The question is can he handle it?

As to Anderson mentioned earlier. I have my doubts about him as I seem to recall he is not one for bringing on players but likes to assemble a capabble squad by aquisitions. So while we all agree our squad is too inexperienced we could go from one expteme to the other if we are not careful.

The situation needs sorting out in the right way of maybe trying to find a couple of players in the mold of Nick Graham who fancy a year in the UK who we might get on loan from an NRL side.

Then next year we can move for a couple of top class forwards.

If we leave things as they are I think we are in for a long disappointing season and while a couple of loan players won't win us anything it might mean we have more to cheer about.

The Wigan fans have been very patient with those running the club who did promise by now that we would have a top side. There was a lot of optimism for this season as well as shown by the high season ticket sales. That has evaporated already.

So basically we as fans deserve to see some action form the club and also what looks like a game plan to take it forward.

Unfortunately Linday has a closer resemblance to Nero than Ceaser at the moment.

Dave

[we_need_a_coach]

Bang on again DaveO, butb these changes are needed now, unfortunately idiots like MrsCarney, HeyDude etc just keep supporting the people who are causing this mess, untill the fans make their feelings known with passion. I doubt anything will happen.

[Matthew]

Our problem is the current state of our squad, we don't have enough strength or depth to mount a serious challenge this season and just about everyone who visits this site accepts that.

Whilst I don't think that Dennis has done a particularly great job thus far, I can't see what difference a new coach would make in the short term apart from throw our team into even more disarray. A new coach would mean that the seniors would be concerned about being replaced and the youngsters being dropped or sold. Further more, the teams tactics, game plan, and patterns would be changed and that would take time to implement as well as time for the coach to settle in - meaning that we would almost certainly lose more games.

We do need some players and perhaps Dennis is not the man to lead us, however since we are only 6 games into the season (and I grant you that it has been disappointing so far) calling for people's heads is really not going to help. As soon as players that we can afford become available I am sure that moves will be made - as well as potentially finding players that are in contract else where.

Watching any sport is a leisure activity - it should be fun, however some of the people on this site only seem to gain enjoyment from criticising and complaining. If watching Wigan is so hard - then just don't do it, come back when we are successfull again like all the other fair weather fans. As in most areas of life there will be times when things are going how we would like, however since just about everyone who visits this site is powerless to change the management or team at Wigan RLFC there is not much we can do about it. As fans all we can do is support the team and just be grateful that we are not facing the situation that Leigh are - imagine being one of their fans

we_need_a_coach - if you won the lottery you would complain that it wasn't a rollover - cheer up man!