Such a loyal coach, seems his teams just can't get over the line recently.

No cups for two years, young players love him.

Other teams fans hate him (not a bad sign)

So, after two years without success how do we judge the man?

Shaun will be with us for a long time. It really is pointless debating this.

What ever we, the "other teams fans" think of him, he's Wigan to the core, he may never live down the image" that" video gave us of him, but he showed class tonight and you'd do well to keep him.

Now back to celebrating

I think Wigan deserve him ....
Long may it last.
And long may Matty Smith stay too ...

There hasn't been success in terms of silverware but, if you look at the bigger picture, he has given game time to the youngsters which can only benefit the club more in the long tern.

He stuck with George Williams at stand off who has made the spot his own. Burgess came in seamlessly and Manfredi has done the same. Young Gildart looks to have a great future if he progresses as he should and let's not forget Crosby in the pack. There has been a good balance with the older, more experienced players such as Lockers, Mickymac, Bowen, Smith etc.

Back to the trophies. In his four years in charge he has won the LLS, the Challenge Cup and a Grand Final. The last two Grand Final defeats could have gone either way. The Saints final has been done to death with the Flower incident and yesterday there really wasn't anything to separate the sides. In those games it's often a bit of good fortune that's the deciding factor - perhaps yesterday was Smith's knock on for their first try to get them straight back in the game and also the knock on that should have ruled out Leeds' second.

We have the best production line/academy in Rugby League. It's great to see that we're using it. You don't want to overdo it at the expense of trophies but all in all I thing Shaun has the balance right.

The big disappointment for me this year was the exit from the Challenge Cup with barely a whimper. I think SW will recognise that.

All things considered, I think he's doing a great job and he'll do for me.

Three grand finals in three years... We are clearly a crap side with a crap coach...

No one can question he is loyal but the biggest disappointment for me this season and not just last night has been the quality of out attack.just think we lack that killer instinct at time. I think if we are to sign anyone else then it needs be an attacking minded assissant coach.

We're a young side and we're developing. There's some tough calls to be made but if the right ones are made we'll have plenty more opportunities to win the Grand Final and also the challenge cup.

It was the end of an era last night IMO. We've done well to win as much as we have at a time when Leeds have been able to keep their squad together (unbelievably impressive in a salary capped sport). We need to make sure we're the team for the future now because there's no reason why we shouldn't be.

I have no problem at all with the perceived lack of success that has others up in arms on here at times.

We play a good brand of rugby - Not just grinding out every game.

We also have some of the most exciting youngsters in the game right now.

Yes, we needed to be more consistent for the first half of the season, but that proved not to matter at all in the end (2nd in the league table should NEVER have been possible given our complete lack of away form until about June/July).

We are unbeaten at home in more than a calendar year.

We finished second on GOAL-DIFFERENCE from the so-called runaway best team in the competition.

We have contested the last 3 Grand Finals.

We lost one of the closest Grand Finals ever due to a couple of mistakes (Matty smith knocking on and IMO the referees for Leeds' second try).

I have no problem AT ALL with us winning nothing this year, as we seriously contested everything but the Challenge Cup.

And next year, the kids will be even better.

Yeah, I think Wigan hating aside, SW is exactly what we need in this country if we are to develop youngsters good enough to challenge the Aussies etc.
Youth development is crucial.

And so it begins....we might as well just copy & paste the Waney out posts from 12 months ago. I [ido [/ibelieve there's a huge amount of arrogance from some sections of the fan-base whereby they demand we win everything every year & anything less than that requires heads to roll. I long for the day when rational argument can be had without some troll (home or away) decides they know everything going on in the dressing room, or parachuting in some (currently) out of work high-flyer to take over is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
But then this isn't the Oxford Union debating society, and life would be boring without a bit of free cabaret & a bust up every now and again.

Everything in this thread pretty much spot on. He's a brilliant coach developing what will be a formidable side in the next few years. He's won all 3 trophies and been unlucky in the last two years not to pick up 2 more GFs and a LLS (although Leeds would have been equally as unlucky if we had won either, if that makes sense).

I'm not actually sure why opposition fans hate him so much, bar the usual anti-wigan brigade. He always seems very complimentary of the opposition, he even seems to have stopped the Saints hating and is very complimentary towards KC and his team. He doesn't complain about refereeing decisions half as much as other coaches- last night when asked about the Joel Moon try all he said was 'well it was given'.
He's an English coach loyal to his home town club and is bringing through some brilliant young english players, as he always has- sending up the likes of Tomkins, Farrell etc. when he was coaching lower down. He really has worked for everything he's got with this Wigan side and should be admired.

Opposition fans go on about him being dirty and encouraging his players to go out and commit foul play. Literally this just comes of one comment in the WCC documentary and any fans who think their coach doesn't do exactly the same is either naive or stupid.
Do we really think the likes of Kieron Cunningham and Paul Anderson are telling the players not to be too aggressive and go out and play nicely with the other boys? Give over.