With the mess the club finds itself in with no coach for next year, key players leaving and retirements of key players, does anybody think it would be a good idea to try bring in a trusted old head such as John Monie to do a bit of work off the field? I think the club could seriously do with somebody who knows what they are doing to have a look over the squad and help identify some realistic targets from the NRL. He could also run a watchful eye over Lam for a few weeks and report back on his performance as a coach and whether or not he is up to the job of staying on next year. This would also have the added benefit of bringing some much needed feel good factor back to the club in the wake of the Edwards disaster. Its obvious to me that the club needs a guiding hand off the field right now.

John Monie?? Clutching at straws you lad

I’d bring in Alex ‘f%*king’ Murphy to do the team talks.

He's over 70 years old and hasn't been involved in RL for over 10 years.
What's Maurice Bamford up to these days?

The only option I can see is to tell Lam that he's got it full-time if he can get us up the table. Not to the top (that's already gone), just out of the danger zone.

Edwards is clearly a non-starter. Even if he isn't, he should be.

But to try and bring someone else in now could be disastrous. Try doing that and telling Lammy that he still has to get the team out of trouble (so someone else can then take over). Good natured as he is, it's impossible to imagine him cooperating. Of course, he may not want the job - but if he does, he'll be newly motivated to make it count. And if that fails, then we'll have no option but to look elsewhere and Lammy won't be able to blame us.

I hear the OP's point about someone coming in as a kind of consultant - but I'm not sure that would make any difference at this stage, plus John Monie's in his 70s and has been out of the game for about 10 years.

I wouldn't worry about next year either. At present, it's all about surviving 2019.

Couldn't Billy Boston come in on a Wednesday afternoon

I think the time has come for IL to have a long hard think about the structure of the club. Is it time to say thanks to KL and move him on and bring in an experienced Director of Rugby, by this I don't mean a recently retired player a la Kevin Sinfield, I mean someone with a greater knowledge of the game from a possible recent coaching standpoint. They could act as a mouthpiece between the coach and IL regarding all issues related to rugby ie in conjunction with the coach identifying new players, releasing academy players that are unlikely to make the grade instead of holding on to as many as possible to the detriment of the salary cap and the clubs overall finances. They would facilitate the actual recruitment process and contracts etc and let IL concentrate solely on the revenue, administration and budgetary aspects of the club which is what a succesful businessman should be capable of. I am pretty sure that he would make a better fist of things than he is at present if he knew the playing side of things were being looked after succesfully.
We also need a hot Commercial Manager to raise the profile of the club back to where it belongs and hopefully help to identify other ways of raising revenue that is slightly outside of the norm.
And last but definitely not least a top coach, whether that is for now or at the end of the season, personally I would go for now so that they can assess the current squad and academy retainees, release the ones we don't want, then identify and recruit their replacements for 2020.

Maybe we could Billy Boston could give some coaching lessons to Marshall & Burgess, after all he was the greatest winger the club has ever had.

Ha, I love the fact you’re still living in the 80s/ 90s.

First Skerrett as forwards coach, then Gregory A’s backs coach and now Monie as head coach! Time to move on old friend.

But Shaun Edwards is from the 80s & 90s and IL wanted to sign him...& Shaun Wane was from ... let me see...

I didnt say bring Monie in as head coach. I suggested it might be an idea to have him cast an eye over the playing staff and Lam as a coach and give us some feedback and recommend some realistic targets in the NRL.

Skerrett and Gregory are no different to bringing in Edwards. They are all around the same age and have not been involved in RL for about 20 years.

My idea is to get some feel good factor back into the club. Dont you think our young half backs would like to learn some tricks from the likes of Gregory?

His age does not matter for the role i suggested. Im not asking him to take training but to provide an advisory role. Im sure he would enjoy an extended holiday over here to visit some of his friends.

Personally I've had enough of the club digging into its own history for coaching staff. Like IL, I was there for the glory days but it's time to move forward. What I want is the best coach for the job and whether they've had a previous relationship with the club is neither here nor there. While the chairman has earned his reputation as a successful businessman, there's sometimes a fan-boy aspect to his decision-making that surprises me - this whole Edwards saga was really driven by a sentimental desire to bring a legend back to the club.

After :-
Bring back Dermott
Bring back Gregory
Bring back skerrett
Bring back tuigamala

And the constant yearning for the 80s/90s I had a bet with myself that it as doing to be a bring back hampson, or bring back Betts that was next.

I didn't see this coming!

Hampson used to be there didnt he?

Edwards is a completely different kettle of fish. He’s proven as a manager at the highest level. Skerry then, Gregory etc, not so much.
I’m happy to just retain my memories of them through the glory days mate.

I'd be talking to Powell and Brian McDermott. Guys who know what it takes to coach suscessful SL sides year after year. They would also bring some much-needed outside influence to the team.

I can see where you’re coming from re Powell and McDermott but I’d rather stick with Lam. I’m convinced he just needs time to implement his philosophy and a few players who he can bring in and deliver it.

While I doubt he’s come I’d go for Powell if we are talking new head coaches

Stick with Lam he will come good

Frano kicking coach?

As noted above, Lam's family are not here, and he has shown no sign, as far as we know, that he would be interested in staying. Obviously the club will be sounding him out. And equally obviously, if he isn't they need to get thinking about 2020 fast.

The Edwards saga ought to be the final proof that so much time has passed since then that those involved are now different people with different lives.

Edwards is no longer a Wiganer and is 100% part of the RU world. In his recent interview with The Times, he never mentioned the press conference at Wigan. Granted, the sycophantic, RU-loving journalist never raised it either, but Edwards clearly now disregards RL as being so unimportant that, without any guilt at all, he can bare-facedly use Wigan to try and crank an England RU job out of them, and once that's done, can carry on with his new life in the south without even acknowledging us, let alone apologising for his deceit.

I agree therefore. The past has well and truly gone. Time to look forward and find a different way to build a dynasty.

perhaps with sponsors?

My understanding is that he only wants to do one season.