I have just watched Mr Lenagan's opening address at the after season awards night. I found it to be balanced, open, straight talking and overall very positive. I was impressed and it has renewed my optimism for next season.
He acknowledged our style of play, falling attendances and poor last few seasons, whilst bringing some perspective on the clubs position over the last 10 years.

I think he deserves a lot more credit than some give him credit for and I have grown to trust his leadership of the club. All in all, my enthusiasm for 2018 is reignited.

I recommend giving it a watch.

Cheers Ian.

Where can we watch it?

Lenagan isn't the issue. He's been superb for this club IMO and deserves heaps of credit. I cringe when I see comments like one on the other fan site suggesting Lengagan leaves the club and sells up to Koukash.

People live on another planet at times.

He said he takes full responsibility for the style of play by instructing SW that winning trophies at all costs is what matters. Said he has come to realise that fans want a more attractive style of play and has to change things.

Ha, I wish I was £50 behind him in the bank!!
I saw it on Wigan's twitter page and it's on Wigan TV.

If you win things there isn't a problem but not winning whilst playing a negative brand of rugby isn't ever going to be accepted.

I'm sure Lenagan knows that. It sounds like he's trying to take some pressure off Wanes shoulders because there is no doubt that next season is potentially career defining for him.

If things go badly he will probably be out of a job here and he doesn't seem the type who will have made too many friends elsewhere because he's Wigan to the core and doesn't mind upsetting the opposition.

Here's the link, hope it works. wwrl.co/qIq2qt

Here's the link, hope it works. wwrl.co/qIq2qt

As I was listening Sunday night I thought what I still think how is it going to change?

I wasn't expecting a powerpoint presentation on how it was going to change but to say the least its all very vague,very vague indeed.

But that's where my trust is.

If he hadn't acknowledged our style of play, our poor form at the end of the season, the steady fall in ST sales etc then I'd be worried. He knows changes are needed but organisational cultures can not change overnight. If it takes a couple of years then so be it. I'm sure we'll see an improvement next season.

I personally really enjoy listening to IL as he is generally informative and speaks with obvious passion for the club.
I was a little disappointed with his talk on Sunday as he seemed to be implying the issues of last season were really the last 2 matches against Cas and Wakey. We were appalling to watch all season with exception of a couple of games therefore, one on ones with the players will make zero impact on performance.

We need a new front row and a new half (that may be ST) plus some radical changes in coaching to even commence the changes. The pack overall is too small, lacks aggression and imo is now the weakest of the sides that finished in the top 8.

I to trust IL however, unless there is some new blood and new ideas I will not be renewing my ST. The past 3 years has been like watching paint dry whilst the club seems to drift away from the fans by basically ignoring that performances on and off the field are pretty appalling.

I genuinely hope that he is just keeping his "powder dry" on new signings and we will be announcing a few signings in the near future. I hope also that he holds a forum with the fans to give details on changes before they go their jaunt to NSW because if we start next season with the same players and same style then ST sales will be pretty horrendous and his quote of ST sales decline of 300 per season could become 5 times that for 2018.

Your spot on.

We accepted last seasons failings due to what happened at the end of the season.

Question is would people accept 5 years of us playing Wire style from 09-16 and not win a GF. Or would people be happier with what we had last season poor rugby but a GF win. I know they won the CC in the time but not the big prize. What if its a choice of one of them either play with style and win little trophies or play as we did in 2016 and win the big one.

I know both style and success is achievable but not always.

IL message was spot on he does not hide he knows we have issues hes not going to tell us what he tells Wane when in private. Big season ahead of Wane.

We have failed to dominate a decade that was set up for us to dominate between 2010-13. If Leeds win tomorrow they have won more than us in the 2010's (with daylight in 3rd place). I thought we had shrugged Leeds off in 2010 and most of 2011 but you have to grudgingly admire their tenacity. IL doesn't address how we get back to dominance or close to it other than more of the same.

Firstly I think Mr Lenagan is an outstanding owner and chairman.

He has without doubt saved this club from the embarrassment of relegation and clearly has the best interests of this great club at heart despite the losses incurred.

The main concern for me is the comment about winning at all costs, our style of play and the squad.

I 100% want to win, I think however the style of rugby we play is contrary to to that notion. Expecting to win trophies by playing rank bad negative rugby even in a diminished competition is totally unrealistic. I also agree with him about the squad. We have in my opinion the best squad in the league, however if we do not utilise it and play to our potential then what is the point in having a good squad.

Seems to me Mr Lenagan is attempting to deflect some of the performances away from a rightfully under pressure coach whilst not too subtly piling the pressure back on him by stating things will change next year.

Over to you Mr Wane.

Good luck.

1 to 13 name the best player in SL and see how many Wigan players you come up with. I come up with 1 SOL or maybe 2 Bateman. The rest are pretty much average joes. If we had the best squad as a minimum we would have qualified for the play offs and beaten a pretty average Hull team at Wembley

I could only add Gildart to your names if I'm being honest.

Didn't realise the side that wins SL has to also be the dream team.

My mistake.


Glad Cad and Leeds this year have the best player in every position.

When we won it last year did we have the best players 1-13?

Last year we were shoite and except for a totally inept lWire we should never have been near even contemplating a GF win.
If we have the best squad why aren't they then in the dream team or in the national squad? Surely the best squad implies we have the best international players and players respected throughout the game?

SOL is the only class player we have.

The rest are average or below average if you judge by international standard.

Most are dumb as well, coached by a dumb coach.

Dumb team get the results a dumb team deserves.

Ignorant.

Style over squad.

Madge over Noble.

I will have a pint of whatever you have had.
So the best squad in SL has won 1 trophy in 4 years.
How does that work?
It is a total utter nonsense that we have the best squad in the competition.
The same tripe has been rolled out for the past few years.
We are not particularly successful and play a style that is alien to the majority of supporters.

Clueless. However you are entitled to your opinion.

Had a few beers last night and wasn't at my most eloquent. I apologise.

You have kind of made my point for me.

I personally don't think the squad is the problem. I'm fairly happy with the squad.

Yes we could do with some improvements in key areas mainly with a controlling half but if we dont bring anyone in I wouldn't be panicking.

The issue is with the negative dull style that we play, the playing staff will never reach their potential under such instruction.

Wane is staying that is clear, his and the coaching staffs challenge is to play a style that gets the best out of the players something he has failed to do so far.

For me we need a couple of x factor players to spark our attack. Wigan have been built on defence over the past few years and injuries apart when we have our strongest team on the park we can defend as good as any team. So the attack I think is simple to solve.

Escare to 1

Williams at 6 playing as a 2nd receiver no a left or right half but across the park

Sam at 7 leading the attack.

Micky Mac as starting 9 with Tommy coming as impact 9 from the bench. Powell battling it out with them both as competition for places

Lockers at 13.

That spine would be easily good enough to win SL and re ignite the Wigan Fans enthusiasm. Why do I feel there is only me can see it.

That's all great, but it's the players off the ball that need to make the effort, they need to be working, giving options and creating doubt. Without this you get 1 man rugby with the ball just going through the hands. That is our biggest issue in my eyes, it's the entire way we set up, or don't as this season has progressed. Craft has been thrown out of the window and we've tried to play a posession and territory based game, thing is that failed as our forwards are as soft as sponge and our kicking game is dire at times. We seem to realise this each game and they end up forcing the pass trying to look for things that aren't there.