Surely even eternal optomists such as Paddock Punter must be concerned by this: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 944609.stm

Surely even eternal optomists such as Paddock Punter must be concerned by this: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 944609.stm

Concerning of course, but pretty lame if BMcD is using that as some sort of excuse for his team's performance.

After all if they won a bit more maybe more people would come and watch and we would be more financially secure.

Lets not forget millions of people across the country deal with uncertainly around their jobs on a daily basis.

If they played well individually other clubs would be hunting them.

Exactly BMcD should be turning it around and motivating the players to put themselves in the shop window rather than dropping the ball at every opportunity.

Frankly the silence other than from the outgoing coach is obscene

Surely he should either be told to shut up by the owners or the owners need to come out and say something to the loyal fans who are backing the club

Its getting more ridiculous by the day

I'm 70:30 against our club taking its place in Super League this season. Very worrying times indeed.

The silence from the club is the most worrying aspect.
Yes, we are a small few on these boards, maybe about 50 or so who pop in once a week, but that's more than register and post on the clubs site. The club have no blogation to tell us anything, but if the silence continues, I can see the atmosphere at the last game of the season being muted to say the least.

Ian Lenegan has got to be allowed to get involved in the day to day running of the club. Nothing to do with the team, purely the business side of the club. He has taken wigan (off the field) and turned them around and his advice would prove invaluable. He needs to be able to catch his share of the debt...it's not fair on DH.

Listy, I doubt Paddock "nailed on' Punter is confident of what will happen...none of us are. Very worrying times........and not totally unexpected if we're honest

Paddock "nailed on" Punter. When I referred to "nailed on" it was before any question arose of DH's future commitment to the cause. If that was still in place I still beleive that we would be nailed on for a franchise next time. Obviously now the future is murkier.

I don't see the relevance of the question of IL being allowed to help. As far as I know he ain't interested in putting another penny in (not even the one from Wire!)

Oh that's OK then.

Having a pop at all my marketing posts because we can't influence what is going on at the club and saying everything is OK and we are nailed onfor a franchise...that's what you were doing. In fact, all may marketing posts were directly linked to the situation at the club as IF WE HAD MORE FANS WE WOULDN'T NEED TO RELY ON DH AND HIS CHEQUE BOOK!
But, you and others continued to blindly believe that DH could afford and would be prepared to fund the club indefinitely.


as in...we lose 30k a week is a bit murky but now DH won't pick up the tab? I'd say it's pitch black myself......but I am sure you will disagree.


He owns 70% of the club. Regarless of the RFL stance on this, he is responsible for 70% of the profits or losses. If he isn't allowed to stump up, then it becomes HIS problem, together with the RFL. It shouldn't be ours...he should of had to sell his shares before he was allowed to buy Wigan IMO....that is

If RFL twisted IL's arm he would just stop operating the business

Ian Lenegan has got to be allowed to get involved in the day to day running of the club. Nothing to do with the team, purely the business side of the club. He has taken wigan (off the field) and turned them around and his advice would prove invaluable. He needs to be able to catch his share of the debt...it's not fair on DH.

He is done with us. I suspect its easier to improve a club when you have the profile, support, income, exposure etc that Wigan have than the position we find ourselves-Did he improve us day to day- At Wigan he brought in a proven marketing man from the Falcons(who has now left), got lucky I would suspect with a coach(MM wasn't first choice by all accounts) and he is now tidying up some legacy contracts whist making the most of a very good youth policy-success of course brings in the punters

Very disappointed with Brian! though perhaps it sums up his season, when coaches say they are leaving let them go! but he would have still spouted the same anyway.

It's looking glum something I don't like to admit, the silence is such great ammunition for those who want to see the back of us just for their own clubs survival and not what is best for the game.

At least Crusaders seem to be making an effort and they communicate!

Having lived through every closure threat and rumour thereof since the cub started (the first being during the second season at the Cottage) I tend to be a bit blase about this sort of thing, however this time I think we may have something to worry about. As Gutterfax says, the silence from the club is the problem - usually when this happens with any organisation denials follow quite swiftly (even if they do turn out to be a pack of lies!). I also don't think this is sour grapes by BM - what he's doing is sticking up for his boys and now he's off he can give an explanation about why things have gone wrong.

Doesnt look like they approached the club for a response and the article only went up last night so the club wouldnt have had a chance to respond to anything official yet.

GF - the only reason I and suspect others have a pop at your marketing posts is that they are repetitive and now boring and you don't seem to consider any alternative other than "marketing" as a solution - I suspect that a winning team would also have a significant impact on crowds. We all know the crowds aren't good enough to sustain the club without a serious backer who is prepared to pay a heap of money for his season ticket. Crowds themselves would not be a reason to not get a franchise, the develoment work and big increase in the player pool that is being generated in the South would I beleive make us "nailed on" together with the London factor and therefore being able to call it a national game.

DH's commitment to the club was still inplace as far as I recall up to roughly half way through the season, now it is seemingly in doubt.

Just remember the boy who called wolf.

DH was still very much behind Quins at the fans forum, which was just after the Wigan game.

I thought he sounded a bit peeved at the shareholding issue, and wanted it sorted out.

I remember him saying that he thought Quins would still make top 8 (he wouldn't have guessed that our bad run of luck with injuries could continue further).

Luke Dorn's blog this week on Sky's website seemed quite optimistic, I thought.

I think Brian Mac either isn't sure what he is saying can be taken the wrong way, or else he believes he is trying to do right by getting Quins problems out in the open. Either no worldly common sense, or else a heart very much in the right place, trying to get Quins on a level playing field for the future.

That is not the coach's fault the players cant keep a ball safe?

You only need to look at what Brian had to say after many press conferences, we could get 50 points put on us and he would see benefits and then when we did manage to win in France recently he was negative? I think Mac has as many problems as a few players, he should have been man enough to go when it was clear he not up to the job once again this season.

I feel more pessamistic by each passing day, and fear that next Friday night could be "the last stand". All it takes is for the club to come out and say something.

At the risk of being dubbed with the "Eternal optimist" tag (which anybody who knows me would tell you is far from the truth) maybe DH, though he clearly has a significant financial issue to deal with, is actually playing a bit of hardball with the RFL administrators? The sort of stuff must be second nature in his day job.

Brian Mac Says ""I haven't got a clue ........................." And don't we know it!!!

It is his job to get the best out of them and to motivate them to perform. He was the one who had an epiphany part way through the season to throw the ball around despite at times ridiculous error counts.

Are u going to get balied out yet again ?.And given your own speacial rules why for gods sake.I do feel for you real fans say the 2000 hardcore.But if you cant support your selfs you are losing money hand over fist,you change your name, relocate as and when you please.Just plane not fare fact.There are a lot of clubs who have been put into virtual obscurity,that could pull twice as many supporters than u pull,You tell me why should these clubs not get the go ahead instead of you,Whats the big thing down there thats better.Ill tell you nothing its never worked realy,14 years is super league and home crowds as low as you have it just doesent work fact,Unless you find some other fool to keep throwing money into a black hole.Go down to championship and if u can keep ya hardcore 2000 fand you will do ok find a new home ground and make it ya permanent 1 this time.And maybe you could build Again .Ps i dont like any club winding up and do hope you are not finished,But shurley your time is up in superleague any other club acting like u have over the years would have been kicked out long ago,is this fare no FACT

SPECIAL,FANS

We don't need nailing out thanks! David Hughes has invested so much financially into our club, we do not have the debts many clubs have!

It is unfortunate that many fans yes including Vikings as well as Tigers, do not have the dignity that The Widnes Chairman had when you did not get a Super League place last time around, rather than moaning and wanting to say something every week in the rugby press he got down to the Job to ensure you get a place this time around, I admire him and for his sake I hope Widnes do get a place!