Reading the foreword to the Chris Joynt biography by Shaun Edwards he writes that in 2001 it was looking likely he was to become Warrington coach (and his first signing was to be Joynt).

I seem to recall the most likely candidate being discussed was Neil Kelly.

How close was Edwards to being coach and how on earth did we end up with Steve Anderson? How do you think the club would have developed under Edwards?

Under the guise of Lefty on the old Warrington website forum (in my 7 or 8 year absence, another Lefty had taken this soubriquet, so I added goldblatt (Monty Python ref)), I suggested we move heaven and earth to get Edwards as coach. On the whole, I was shouted down, as Edwards had no experience.

So Edwards went to another sport, and proved his worth, winning titles and European Cups. Pretty impressive!

Fair enough, he'd've inherrited a 5h1t3 squad, but he wouldn't have got us in the mess that Anderson/Plange/Cullen got us into.

As a fisherman would say "the one that got away"

I've heard "rumours" that Edwards may be the Wigan coach next season if Wane heads off to the New Zealand Warriors.

My dream job would be Head Coach of St Helens, boy would I have some fun.
Roby on one wing & Perry on the other. Gardner & Lance H Props, but I would keep Wellens as Full Back

But isn't Brown doing something like that now

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If anything were to happen to Tony Smith then I would love to see Shaun Edwards as Wire coach.

Compare where Edwards is now to where Neil Kelly is...

Mark, I was actually going to ask that, where is Neil Kelly?

It would have been interesting but I'm not sure how different history would have been.

2002 obviously was a bad year and we went in to the season underprepared and with a too weak squad. We were lucky to get away with it but in hindsight the long term damage of 2002 was not that great, seeing as we stayed up. By 2003 we were in the playoffs.

I suspect if Edwards had taken over as coach we would have been more competitive in 2002 but I don't think we would have had long standing success under him. If Edwards had been appearing to improve us then what would have happened when Mike Gregory's illness forced him to quit the Wigan job in 2004? Or had we managed to keep him then, given that they had a coaching merry-go-round with Betts, Millward and Noble, would we have been able to keep him away from Wigan in 2005 and 2006?

Ironic that Edwards is a defensive coach considering in his playing days he couldn't tackle a good dinner.

you know, i dont think you can look back on this with hindsight or speculate too much, if you remember how bad the situation was at the end of 01, with nearly 2/3s of the squad leaving, and no money, Anderson put that squad together with jobs for the boys and never will be's. Even after he left, that season was bogged down because of him.

Had Edwards joined us it would have been completely different, and i know that seems like understatement of the year it would have been COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, to the point you can't even begin to guess what it would've been like.

Would the fans have took to him? the ex lynchpin of the arch enemy? i would imagine he'd have had the crowd against him from the start.

But at the same time, would the board have stuck by a reasonably high profile coach appointment? would we have missed the boat on cullen?

Do you even watch this game?

No idea and there is the answer. Probably in the same place as his brother Andy.

Was also wondering where former GB coach Andy Goodway is these days.

Last time I heard him mentioned he was involved in Scottish RU in some capacity.

goodway was part of the players union, then went to union union and i' pretty sure he emigrated to australia a few years abck

In 2011 he was assistant coach for the Namibia Rugby Union Internatioonal side!!!!!!!!!! not heard from him since that high profile appointment!!!!!!!!!

Pretty sure Neil Kelly reneged on a deal that had been "shook" on (is it shook hands or shaken hands?) and stayed on at Widnes after their run of end of season form saw them surprisingly promoted and our offer gazumped. Anderson was then second choice if I recall correctly.

I think Edwards is "twisting" reality with the need of a good story for the foreward. Mind you if he'd been talking about the period of Cullen's last contract renewal I think he was very close to being appointed at that time but eventually family came first.

I think we can all agree that the Anderson appointment was one that was done in somewhat of a hurry.

As was the recruitment of players the calibre of Kevin Crouthers and Dale Cardoza!

Matt Rodwell, Tommy O'Reilly, Dale Laughton......and so the list goes on.

With him and Offiah in the same side they must have shipped points in by the bucket load in that era.

There were a few diamonds in there though, Burns, Domic, Appo (for a bit).

Dale Laughton was still a good player at that time. His best signing was Nick Fozzard who did well for us and then was deemed good enough for Saints.

i felt bad for dale laughton, he was a pretty handy prop at one point but his back was made of glass when he'd signed for us.

Domic was one of the most underrated players in RL. I was really disappointed when he didn't come to Wigan.

They signed him with an existing injury and he never improved.

Was the Sturminator there as well? What was the name of the Aussie back we got from Hudds who ended up saving someone from drowning?