Wane has had about the least 'big name' Wigan squad out of any Wigan coach I can remember.

Even when they went through years under Endacott, Raper, Gregory, Betts, Millward and Noble, of winning virtually nothing, they always had a squad packed full of GB legends and glamorous Aussie and Kiwi signings.

I actually struggle to name Wigan's starting line up, and have done for about the last five years, which is something I've never had problems with before.

Wane has broken tradition with Wigan of going for "names" to satisfy the supporters, and has just brought players through from the club's own ranks, actually improved players games and turned them from raw 18/19 year olds in to top quality SL players capable of winning big games under pressure, cultivated a great team spirit in the camp.

I know people don't like him because he is very 'Wigan' in his manner, but take the primrose and blue tinted glasses on and look at what he actually achieved. Imagine if a Warrington coach had done that, instead of splashing cash on big names, brought through home grown players, developed them, and won multiple Grand Finals. Everyone on here would be demanding a knighthood.

Also does anybody here actually believe Wane had a better calibre of player available than TS had at Warrington or BM had at Leeds....?

I sure hope so too. He’d be an excellent signing.

No.

I actually think this is up there with the very best teams in SL history and we didn’t manage to win the GF:
Hodgson; J Monaghan, King, Atkins, Riley; Briers, Myler; Morley, M Monaghan, Carvell, Anderson, Grix, Bridge.
Westwood, Clarke, Cooper, Solomona.

That’s just a top left winger and scrum half away from being the best side I’ve seen in the last few decades.

It was good enough to win two GFs at least.

If we get the prop RD has mentioned along with the conirmed signing of Clark from South Sydney- by 'eck we'll have a good pack! One to at least rival the pack of 2011/2012.

Crosby’s future as not been decided yet either.

I hope that means he doesn't know if its Widnes or Salford.

The side you list above is basically the 2011 team; sub in Ratchford for King; Waterhouse for Anderson and Hill for Clarke and you have the 2012-13 team which maintained the standard of player for those three years, when you consider the rise of Hill offsetting a decline in Morley in his last season.

That was a team clearly good enough to win a GF over those three seasons, the reason we didn't was we were twice foiled by Leeds (2011 playoff, which I found the most disappointing of the lot, and 2012 GF) and once by Wigan in 2013.

The Wigan one was down to luck. Regardless of what I said above about how great Shaun Wane was, if Joel Monaghan hadn't got injured in that game, we would have won that Grand Final, there was no way Wigan would have come back.

The interesting question comes in the two Leeds games as those were games where Leeds outplayed us. Was this down to the coaches, or was it that their core of senior players: Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow and Peacock (plus Buderus in 2011), who were just better at winning big games than our core of Briers, Michael Monaghan, Morley and Hodgson. Those guys were winning GFs before our rise, during our peak and after our decline, they faced various different challengers in Saints, Warrington and Wigan teams and won at Old Trafford every time.

The other interesting thing looking back at those Leeds v Warrington games, was that at the time I felt we had the better squad all round but now I think I underrated Leeds quality. There wasn't much in it in the pack (Morley/Hill, M Monaghan, Carvell, Waterhouse matched Peacock, Buderus/Burrow, Leuluai, JJB but we had better depth in the rest of the pack than they did with Bailey, Delaney, Kirke etc). But actually I think they had a better back line than we did: Webb/Hardaker; Ben Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Ablett, Hall. I don't think Riley or Atkins would have got in their back line.

If Brian Mc had coached Warrington and TS had that Leeds team, would we have won GFs instead of Leeds? I reckon that Leeds team would have won under TS as well.

Imagine if Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow and Peacock had been Warrington players over all those years, I have no doubt we would have won multiple Grand Finals and dominated the game. But if you subbed those guys in to Saints, Wigan or even Hull they would probably have done the same there.

(Great post SC.)

I guess there was a bit of Karma with Benny going in on Blake Green v us suffering from Joel Monaghan's/Stef Ratch's injuries as a result of Wigan questionable tackling techniques.

Off to Leeds for rest of the season on loan apparently.

The injury to Monaghan was crucial, as we were coasting at that stage. Pre-match, the biggest error was in picking Ratchford over Hodgson at fullback: we so lost so much big-game experience by that decision.

Too many of our players had to play on with injuries that day,& i believe we ran out of substitutes in the closing stages. That Hansen hit on Ratchford was disgraceful.

Hodgson hadn't played or even trained for weeks in advance of the Grand Final including the week leading up to it. He wasn't a viable option. In fact they had O'Brien training at fullback all week leading up to the match as Ratchford was a doubt and unable to train before passing a fitness test.

I appreciate this doesn't accord with certain agendas but unfortunately often the truth doesn't.

Fine FB Hodgson and a toss of a coin call even IF both available (I'm not doubting you btw) as Ratchford was in great form and should have been selected based on that IMO

A lack of a back caught us out in the end. Not enough options on the pitch to shift men to address the injuries.
I don't think that was sheer bad luck or chance. I think Wigan coach staff had worked out the jink in the armour by half time.
Take out a key back and they'll collapse.

That's why they're the best in the business.

They did it again next year against Saints - take out Lance Hohaia and their backline would collapse like a pack of cards. Ben Flower was sent out to do the honours.

Just like Ben Westwood was sent out to do the honours on Blake Green?

Exactly, Westwood had a lucky escape there with the ref. That could have easily resulted in Westwood having a stigma that hung over him for the rest of his career, that in the last game for Morley, Briers, Carvell (and effectively Hodgson as a non-player) Westwood had singlehandedly blown the chance of that team winning a Grand Final.

Credit to Blake Green though as he was superb in that game.

We were quite a dirty team on that day. I'm sure I remember someone putting a swinging arm in on Pat Richards as well.

Has Eastmond signed yet? I remember RD saying he had definitely signed. What’s that now for RDs exclusives? 2 out of a possible 359?

Regards

King James

I don't think I said he's "definitely signed" or even remotely signed!
However the club seem to have an open secret that we were in for him. I'm not responsible for every rumour and its not my topic.

However with over 31 pages....you must be the only person that isn't aware we were in for KE.

Ah well, I suppose you had to get one wrong sometime.

I'm told....
But as it panned out later it seems the club was indeed trying to sign him...as they was with other marquee.
You can lead a horse to the watering hole but you can't make it drink.

But I'll except I went along the 'remotely signed' there w/o.

Yes exactly like that and a Wigan player purposely taking Ratchford completely out of the game and some of the next season with a cannonball tackle breaking his ankle. The worst piece of foul play in that game

Thankyou. Knew I had read it somewhere

Regards

King James

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/kyle-eas ... -collapse/

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/kyle-eas ... -collapse/