Sorry, I think I quoted a bit too much in my first reply.

I only meant to quote the bit about silverware being a near miracle, rather than the bit about fans not expecting or requiring success.

I firmly believe that the players in our squad match up with any in the league when taken as a whole.

OK, so we don't have the out-and-out superstars that Leeds seem to be going for (although they seem to pick up quite a few injuries on occasion).

Warrington throwing cash around won't get them too far, IMO. They will simply end up with a squad full of mercenaries who don't know each other's play-style.

Saints appear to have picked up a bit of start in Soliola, but I still think that they are carrying too much age (Cunningham) and too little experience (Eastmond plus others) and with Potter in charge, I think they could decline rapidly if they're not careful.

Now while we haven't got the really big names any more (Barrett being the last one), we have got what I think we need - A squad packed with hard-working individuals (Carmont, Phelps, O'Loughlin, Hansen, etc.) backed up by real, frightening pace in the halves (Tomkins and Leuluai).

If Maguire can get our defensive play to emulate the NRL model, we have the type of players who will work well for him.
It has been said that Melbourne won the NRL not through individual brilliance (which is what we have relied on for far too long to get us out of various holes) - But by building pressure.

i.e. Making sure that they were defending in the opposition's half as much as possible and hunting the mistake. Then playing solid, percentage rugby, combined with the occasional flash of brilliance out of the half-backs.

If we can get anything even close to the Melbourne model working here - Anything is possible with our current players.

Whilst I agree that there should be no automatic expectation of silverware, I feel that it would be entirely wrong to go in to the season expecting not to win.

(Apologies for the long-windedness)

Agreed, defencively he is up with the best. said for a while if he stopped trying the stand straight into the first tackle and stopped getting hit in the chest by two defenders he would make better yardage.

Get your head down a bit Stu and your might get through a few. The chest out and stamping your foot on the floor at first impact is just stopping him dead, then the second man knocks him back.

Says the bloke who played centre all his life

Soliola is a good signing for us as he can play centre and in the Second Row. I cant agree with the Cunningham quote has he has been playing aswell (prior to his hand injury) has he has done all of his career. Potter is a decent coach but imo isnt good enough to coach a top side like Saints.

[urlhttp://www.wigantoday.net/warriors/Mike39s-making-his-mark.5769702.jp[/url

Looks like he's working hard, hopefully on some new signings.

I think him and Wane make a great team for skill, fitness, passion and bloody hard work. I doubt they will accept anything less than 100% commitment from the lads.

It's either 'get with the programme or jog on', I would think with these two.

For me it would be Wane out of the 2 I would not want to get on the wrong side of. I imagine MM would not be a pleasant experience, but I think Wane would happily take you out back and bust you up.

Both absolutely demand the best.

It's a long way off but I am getting really excited about next year. Further building of the club, first team and infrastructure under the IL stewardship. Long may it continue.



And to think some doubted the club was in good hands with Ian (not me mind).

Bring it on.

That's really strange as I expected Kearney to say "MM - he's crap"...




Article is largely irrelevant imo.

Irrelevant in what sense?

More good news.

I agree with the posters above that the current side isn't that far off winning something. We have a number of key underperformers, fitness issues and a lack of preparation and consistency. I would expect our new coach and his new assistant to address these. Only a small improvement would enable us to challenge Leeds on a more even footing and to give the scousers the repeated beatings that they so richly deserve!

I haven't looked forward to a season as much as 2010 for a long time.

Bring it on!

In almost every sense you can think of.

1. The official Wigan site shows an interview of someone praising the new Wigan coach.....

2. A fellow professional coach praising another (as opposed to criticising him)

Why?

D'ya fancy a game?

And how is that irrelevant? Surely that's te very definition of relevant?

P.S. I can't think of a single sense where it would be irrelevant....

Only if Piggy Riddel get's injured and they need a body double to take his place.

PHEWWWW!!!!! And there was me startig to look forward to next season... thanks for bringing me down to earth again Brett............................................................................................................................................................................................ Not.

What a surprise......

BrettKenny in "I don't like the new coach, just because IL appojnted him" shocker.

The only surprise to me is that you still think people care about the random words that seem to spout whenever any 2 of your 3 brain cells happen to collide.

If it's irrelevant - Don't comment.

I couldn't give a monkeys if people care or not.

Btw your second to last paragraph doesn't make sense. Maybe you don't have 2 brain cells that are able to collide?


As for the relevance. It's a bit like going onto a Conservative Party forum and finding people supporting David Cameron.

Hardly a groundbreaking bit of news.

Awh is someone still upset that Noble rightfully got the boot?

If you love Noble that much why don’t you follow him to south Wales and make all the fans who want to SUPPORT the club and it’s new manager happy.

Who mentioned Noble? (apart from you).


This has nothing to do with Noble.


Who's the new manager?
Why would he possibly be happy if I went to South Wales?


Grow up.


Oh and btw if the "85" in your title is when you were born, then in that very same year I was at Wembley watching Wigan beat Hull in the best ever CC final.

While you were "supporting" yourself inside your mum, I was supporting Wigan RL.

I'm afraid if you want to play the "you are a poor supporter" card, you are pointing it at the wrong man.

I'm sorry but you tell me to grow up and bang on and on about how you’ve watched Wigan for x amount of years but yet all I can see is a guy who has thrown his toys out of the pram.

Would you have posted what you did if Kearney would have been singing the praises of Noble? I doubt that very much indeed.

Now I was quite happy to hear the thoughts of a top coach in the game and listen to him sing the praises of our new coach/manager as well as the club itself. Now I can’t see why that wouldn’t be a good read for anyone who supports Wigan RLFC unless they had an agenda against the new coach or maybe even a hidden agenda against the chairman who has appointed him???

The shoe is most defiantly on the other foot now with all those who complained that others found fault in everything Noble said or did. Guess what they are the same people now doing it about MM.

Thus far no-one [uat all[/u has said he's crap, presumably because there's very little, if any, evidence to suggest that he is. However, you can be sure that if there was, the likes of Andy Wilson etc would have found it by now.

I don't understand what kind of 'truth' you seem to be chasing with these increasingly depressed and depressing posts of yours. But if what you really want - and God alone knows why you would - is Ian Lenagan and Michael Maguire out, I suspect you'll be waiting a very, very long time.

Possibly you should go elsewhere, pal, because you honestly and truthfully do not sound like a Wigan fan at present. Do you want to know why? Because, however you may try to deny it, or say that you don't care what anyone else thinks (and I fully expect you to do both, and won't believe the latter for a second as you'd never even respond if it was true), your tone implies that you want Maguire to fail at Wigan in order to prove that your skepticism is correct. No genuine Wigan fan would ever do that.

You do talk some nonsense "pal", perhaps you should go elsewhere and consider that? (note the punctuation btw).


I want MM to fail do I? Hmm maybe it was in this post by me





Nope. Maybe in this one then.......





Nope. Not in there either.

The only place it seems to be is in your head Cruncher.


Maybe it's best if you consider actually reading posts before spouting your opinion and claiming it as fact?

Of course you were.




And that is exactly why the club posted it.


I bet you believe all you watch on the BBC too?


The point I made had nothing to do with personalities, MM, BN, IL - whoever.

It was a point (missed by many who claim to be far more intelligent than you, so don't worry), about the relevance of the article. i.e. what did it actually add to our knowledge?


If you didn't "get" the point I was making, then tbh just ignore it, I doubt you ever will. Ignore it and move on, I know I shall be doing just that.

How can you offer someone your support and then offer to tear them to shreds if they dont pull it off?

Cant get my head round that logic

I offer support to the coach. I offer support to the team. I hope that the gamble by IL pays off.


However, it is not one I personally would have made. Therefore I will feel justified in criticism if it doesn't come off. That thought process is entirely logical.

However, if you honestly think that I want Wigan to "fail" over the next 3 years just so I can make a "I told you so" point on an internet message board, then you and I really have different perspectives on life.

The gamble will come off, i have a good record in predicting success or failure of a coach as you will know.



Looks like the tables have totally turned, i understand your stance holding a similar one for Noble myself, but i also have a feeling you may well be proved wrong once MM hold of the team.

It reads to me that you feel justified in criticism whether it comes off or not. He hasn't arrived yet and you've cast all sorts of doubt on the wisdom of such a 'gamble'. Would it have been less of a gamble to retain the services of a man who in three and a half years at Wigan couldn't even get the team fit? No-one else on Earth but you seems to think so.

As I said, I fully expected you to deny that you want Wigan to fail. But if you want people to believe it, I suggest that you give Ian Lenagan and Mchael Maguire your enthusiastic, vociferoius and unconditional support until they've proved beyond any doubt that it would be misplaced. Starting now.

PS: I wouldn't expect this of any other Wigan fan. But you, I fear, have much more to prove than all the others.