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Shaun Wane was a good player for Wigan in the 80s, he signed for the club when they weren't top dogs and he spent the best part of a decade playing for the club. I remember him has a tough no-nonsense prop forward who never took a backwards step and he had a terrific game when Wigan beat Manly to become World Champions in 87. It was a shame that injuries prevented him playing at the top level more consistently.

In the 2000s he did a remarkable job with the scholarship and academy set ups making them tough, professional and hard to beat and six years ago he took over from Michael McGuire as head coach and he has in that time led Wigan to win every single trophy that is available to them.
For every one of these achievements Shaun deserves our admiration and our respect, he is part of the clubs history and in years to come hopefully he will be remembered fondly.

However this year the game of rugby league as moved on in this country. The slick, expansive brand of attacking rugby played by Castleford this year twice demonstrated at the DW has swept most teams before them. Castleford have not achieved this by signing expensive players, most of their squad have been released by other clubs. Castleford have achieved their goal by effective skills and tactical coaching by a experienced and effective coaching team with a clear purpose in mind.

Next season more teams will be playing in the same way as Castleford and it is important that we change our game to keep pace. Unfortunately I don't see the forwards oriented grinding approach taken by our current coaching team as being the answer. If there is not a change in our tactics then next year we will find ourselves struggling even more than this year where we have barely won half our games. It is clear that we need change and that change must start with a new coach.

In my humble opinion I believe Shaun should be given a place on the board, become director of football and a new first team coach appointed. This coach should probably come from down under (McGuire?) where there seem to be no shortage of good young coaches wishing to make their way forward in the sport.

The new coach should also assemble a good team around them I believe one of the problems at Wigan is the fact that there is no-one at Wigan with influence to knock on the office door on a Monday morning and begin the conversation with 'Shaun I don't think this is working', as Castleford have shown a coaching team is more effective than an individual.

Shaun Wane has done a lot of good things for the Wigan club and like I have said previously I hope he is remembered fondly, but I believe now is time for change and if Wigan are to make progress next season change has to be made.

catman wrote: In my humble opinion I believe Shaun should be given a place on the board, become director of football and a new first team coach appointed.

Nope. What does he have to offer as "Director of Football"? As you say the game has moved on and he hasn't.

It's just this jobs for boys attitude that has helped get us into the state we are in. There is no room for sentiment and I do not want Wane having any chance at influencing anything in the club. He is too pally with too many players and their families to be objective and as "Director of Football" will want to stick his nose into a new coach's business. We need a new coach free to be as objective as John Monei and Madge were, not one with their hands tied behind their back because Wane thinks he can interfere.

Any coach worth hiring would not come here with Wane as Director Of Rugby anyway.

A certain G West put just as much into Wigan if not more than Wane for years before he became head coach both as player and member of the back room staff and when he did become coach, won the trophies. We let him go and drive a taxi. What makes Wane in line for special treatment?

DaveO wrote:

catman wrote: In my humble opinion I believe Shaun should be given a place on the board, become director of football and a new first team coach appointed.

Nope. What does he have to offer as "Director of Football"? As you say the game has moved on and he hasn't.

It's just this jobs for boys attitude that has helped get us into the state we are in. There is no room for sentiment and I do not want Wane having any chance at influencing anything in the club. He is too pally with too many players and their families to be objective and as "Director of Football" will want to stick his nose into a new coach's business. We need a new coach free to be as objective as John Monei and Madge were, not one with their hands tied behind their back because Wane thinks he can interfere.

Any coach worth hiring would not come here with Wane as Director Of Rugby anyway.

A certain G West put just as much into Wigan if not more than Wane for years before he became head coach both as player and member of the back room staff and when he did become coach, won the trophies. We let him go and drive a taxi. What makes Wane in line for special treatment?

The way we treated West was shocking imo. On and off the pitch he gave a lot to the club. His autobio is a good read.

I have to say I totally agree I think wane has ran his course only a few players turned up yesterday to play tommy & George didn't threaten there back line or turn them around with kicks . There was no leader on the pitch if there was no one was listening most of the team looked like they couldn't be bothered the owner should be asking why did most of the fans leave before the final whistle if there is a problem with a player or coach sort it out because that's what it looked like yesterday.

Wintergreen wrote:

DaveO wrote:

catman wrote: In my humble opinion I believe Shaun should be given a place on the board, become director of football and a new first team coach appointed.

Nope. What does he have to offer as "Director of Football"? As you say the game has moved on and he hasn't.

It's just this jobs for boys attitude that has helped get us into the state we are in. There is no room for sentiment and I do not want Wane having any chance at influencing anything in the club. He is too pally with too many players and their families to be objective and as "Director of Football" will want to stick his nose into a new coach's business. We need a new coach free to be as objective as John Monei and Madge were, not one with their hands tied behind their back because Wane thinks he can interfere.

Any coach worth hiring would not come here with Wane as Director Of Rugby anyway.

A certain G West put just as much into Wigan if not more than Wane for years before he became head coach both as player and member of the back room staff and when he did become coach, won the trophies. We let him go and drive a taxi. What makes Wane in line for special treatment?

The way we treated West was shocking imo. On and off the pitch he gave a lot to the club. His autobio is a good read.

I'll have to try and get a copy. When he was running the Knights of Central park my late Dad had dealings with him when he managed to lose a couple of tickets behind the mantelpiece! West went out of his way to be helpful. A true gent. I didn't want him to become coach because I knew that eventually it would mean the boot and he is one man I'd have liked to have seen have a lifelong association with the club.

Westy was one of a string of coaches who didn't see eye to eye with the management and found themselves out of the job when the first opportunity - like a cup defeat - arose. Joe Egan was one example, and it was rumoured that Jim Sullivan faced the sack if the team without 8 tourists had not won the championship final in 1950.

I fear that SW falls into another category - that of the establishment figure, who is pretty much untouchable. Eric Ashton was one such figure, who could have been fired at least four times in the late 60s and early 70s, but was allowed to carry on and bring the club within an inch of relegation in 1973.

We should remember our history.