Quote ="NickyKiss"If we’re paying up to the cap as things stand then there are players in this squad being paid far more then their value, given the wages we’ve got off the books. Once we take Williams off marquee then even if we replace him with another marquee player, we’ll throw away that extra dispensation for it being a homegrown marquee player. If Lockers calls it quits I believe we lost some dispensation he gets as well and I’m not sure we have another player who qualifies to get that. We may go up to the base level of the cap next year but I’m very doubtful we’ll be using things like the two marquee spots or finding additional space by getting that dispensation Lockers gets, so in real terms our spend will be well under what would be allowed and certainly well under what a few other clubs will be spending. I hope I’m wrong and we squeeze every inch of space we can out if the cap rules because if we do then we’ll have signed some pretty exciting players.'" I don't think the long service dispensation used for Lockers in previous years now exists, or I can't find it. It appears that this has been replaced with the "Club Trained Allowance" See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289

Quote ="NickyKiss"If we’re paying up to the cap as things stand then there are players in this squad being paid far more then their value, given the wages we’ve got off the books. Once we take Williams off marquee then even if we replace him with another marquee player, we’ll throw away that extra dispensation for it being a homegrown marquee player. If Lockers calls it quits I believe we lost some dispensation he gets as well and I’m not sure we have another player who qualifies to get that. We may go up to the base level of the cap next year but I’m very doubtful we’ll be using things like the two marquee spots or finding additional space by getting that dispensation Lockers gets, so in real terms our spend will be well under what would be allowed and certainly well under what a few other clubs will be spending. I hope I’m wrong and we squeeze every inch of space we can out if the cap rules because if we do then we’ll have signed some pretty exciting players.'" I don't think the long service dispensation used for Lockers in previous years now exists, or I can't find it. It appears that this has been replaced with the "Club Trained Allowance" See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289

I’ve no reason to think otherwise but I’d this is true I really hope the club cut ties with Edwards,it needs to happen now anyway,double quick time and get a coach who wants to be here at Wigan

I'm glad to hear this, but I don't think the club will benefit from staying quiet on the matter.

IL is a chairman who seems to cop an awful lot of flak given that he's delivered so much silverware. There are the usual suspects who, for reasons known only to themselves, seem determined to be unimpressed whatever he does. Then there are the idiots who believe everything they're told - one clown has even been on this week, blaming him for the pathetic off-field behaviour of the Tomkins brothers. Then there are those who can't get over the fact that it isn't 1988 anymore and we no longer have Maurice's bottomless pot of money, which in the end proved to be very far from bottomless.

FWIW, I do think IL has made some mistakes. A culture seems to have crept in whereby Wigan are the club to go to if the NRL wants to buy. Throwing out a safety net for players contemplating leaving - i.e. they can come back if it goes wrong - has only made it easier for them to leave. And there is no doubt that we are going through stringent times financially, which means that our recruitment for 2019 has been less ambitious than we'd like; but we don't know the story behind that, so perhaps we shouldn't comment so vociferously.

This Edwards business, however, is a bridge too far on many fronts. It's even got the reasonable and non-prejudiced posters on here hot around the collar, and I can't blame them for that. I've no doubt the deal will now be off, but I feel - for the sake of his own reputation - that IL has to put out his side of the story fairly soon. Allowing some smug, overpaid bast**d in RU to dump on us like this, and then make all the running in the press, is serving no purpose.

We need to draw a line under this rapidly in order to save this season, but we can't just let this go and put out some bland statement about both parties changing their minds. On this occasion, though it may be nasty, I think the club need to be open with everyone about what's gone on here. I see no reason at all to spare Shaun Edwards' blushes.

SE was already wanting out of the "agreement" early in the new year and has pretty much told everyone else this is the case other than Wigan. I have never once banged the IL/KR out drum and never will, they have been totally screwed over. I think The Enforcer posted on here way back when I first heard rumblings that SE doesn't want to coach Wigan and a lot of people got on his back real quick!

I really hope that the club come out and lay out everything on the table but I doubt it, as it throws SE under the bus completely and I don't think IL has that in him.

What I do have is faith that IL/KR will make some moves, I do believe the landscape was being cleared for a new coach to put his touch on things and the club will move very quickly to get that in place for 2020. Just have a little faith.

What we should all do now is get right behind the club and the team.

Two sides to every story isn’t there. Despite my comment yesterday, I’m quite relieved by this development, if it is indeed true. It seems pretty clear there wasn’t a contract signed, but by whose manipulation, I guess we may find out soon. If there is a genuine element of “screwing over” it could actually have a galvanising effect for the club & fans. We shall see...

Here here!! From the conversation I had this morning, it’s Mr Lenegan who is keeping his cool. There is much more going on than meets the eye, things I’d never have even considered but the comments on here are genuinely way off the mark and I honestly believe he has done everything with the utmost professionalism. I can’t say much more but when the truth comes out, a few on here will owe our chairman an apology.

What we need now is for the fans to adopt the same backs to the wall mentality that we had in 2006 and get behind our great club. Adrian Lam has a team to prepare and we need them all to feel supported and valued to get the best out of them.

Bigred are suggesting that it was SE who proposed a handshake rather than signing a contract?
To announce you have signed someone on a 3 year contract without actually obtaining a signature isn't naïve its totally unprofessional.
I was with you in that I was really pleased when the announcement came about SE but now the situation is I would think beyond repair so I think we should tell SE that he can stay in RU and we need to move with some haste in appointing Lam's successor which for me needs to be sooner rather than later. We are in the shoite and we need changes rapidly because a few more losses on the bounce and the situation may become irrecoverable.

I’m not suggesting anything mate. I’m telling you that IL & Rads have done everything we would have wanted but they’ve been badly let down by SE. I can’t go into details but as I’ve said above, I really hope the club does a warts n all explanation of what’s gone on. The way IL & Rads have conducted themselves has really made me proud to be a Wigan fan and I’m gutted I ever doubted them.

Fully understand and agree that you shouldn't give more details however, (there is always an however

) I am really struggling to understand why any businessman in any industry wouldn't insist on a signed contract. If SE has used us to catch a bigger fish then we have as much skin in the game as SE because a signed contract is a pretty fundamental requirement. If we have been shat on we have allowed SE to shoite on us unless of course a contract was actually signed and SE has used some form of legal loophole to void the contract.

I'm sure that the facts will come out but still think that we look a "bit soft" as a club and at the moment personally I am more concerned about the here on now rather than the 19/20 season. Hopefully your source may have also advised on some new blood in the playing arena as at the moment we look and play like a team is very capable of being relegated.

Hang on. So now the word of an unnamed source says that the club have done everything right and have been screwed over?

So they announced he had signed a 3 year contract? Edwards says he was refused a contract and has not signed anything. Somebody is lying.

Right, either Edwards did sign a contract and has just made himself look like a complete idiot, liar, untrustworthy and destroyed his reputation with Wigan and the whole of RL or the club said he had signed a 3 year contract when he had not.

My sources which told me way back when that Edwards would not come alleged that it was all a big show (similar to Wendell Sailor) and that the hope was that Lam did so well that they would keep him on full time and nobody would care about Edwards not coming because the team was playing so well under Lam. Im not saying this is true, just what i was told by the person who first told me that Edwards would not come

Who knows what the truth is. Ive never actually seen anything like it to be honest.

Did your contact confirm if Edwards actually signed a three year contract as the club said? If not, why did the club lie to the fans?

But you're quoting an unnamed source as well.

If Edwards gets an England job, I think we'll all know who was putting on the show and why.

However, that won't mean the club haven't made errors.

But unless the club put out their side of the story, we'll never know ... it will all be supposition.

Thats all im saying. I dont want to get in trouble.

Quick question.

If the club are clean in all of this then when Edwards first went to the media in January and floated the idea that he may not come if Lam does well, why did Mr Lenegan come out a few days later and repeat the same thing and also say that there may be a situation in that Edwards will not come? Surely if the club really thought the Edwards deal was nailed on they would of come out and completely quashed any idea that Edwards may not come? This to me tells me that it is impossible that Edwards signed a contract and he must be telling the truth about that part at the very least.

This is going to be the top and bottom of it all. If he has and he’s not going to honour it then the club has done nothing wrong and may get a pay out from his new employer. If he didn’t then they have lied pure and simple, regardless of the fact that Edwards may not be honouring a gentleman’s agreement.

And the plot thickens as the incoming Wales RU coach pitches in...

[urlhttps://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/wigan-warriors/disappointed-new-wales-coach-denies-shaun-edwards-comments-as-saga-with-wigan-warriors-rumbles-on-1-9659625[/url

I'm, sure you're being honest about that, but don't be surprised if people don't take it at face value ... much the way you aren't taking what the other chap had to say at face value.

It's also possible that your source is being less than honest with you, especially if, as I suspect, he's in the Edwards camp.

The best thing to do before calling down fire and brimstone on IL is wait to hear his explanation for all this. We accord that privilege to people accused of murder, so perhaps it's the least we can do here.

Re Wayne Pivac, new head coach of Wales RU (courtesy of Wigan Today):

[iPivac, though, insists Edwards was in his plans. “Shaun was the first person I spoke with," he said. "He indicated early on he was under pressure from Wigan and that the timeline that was imposed on us were unrealistic. “I talked around a process we would be going through. That was pre-autumn and pre-Six Nations. Shaun signed with Wigan and that put paid to the discussions going any further."[/i

Hmmm ...

Pivac also now saying Edwards did sign with Wigan and his equally confused by his comments. You may be right but we now have an unnamed source and reputable named source who think to the contrary. I think Edwards is being found out and we should do away with him sooner rather than later.

Pivac on Edwards remarks. Shaun was the first person I spoke with," he said. "He indicated early on he was under pressure from Wigan and that the timeline that was imposed on us were unrealistic. “I talked around a process we would be going through. That was pre-autumn and pre-Six Nations. Shaun signed with Wigan and that put paid to the discussions going any further. Read more at: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9659625

Pivac on Edwards remarks. Shaun was the first person I spoke with," he said. "He indicated early on he was under pressure from Wigan and that the timeline that was imposed on us were unrealistic. “I talked around a process we would be going through. That was pre-autumn and pre-Six Nations. Shaun signed with Wigan and that put paid to the discussions going any further. Read more at: https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9659625

Turning into a right soap opera, here's hoping the team can put it to one side and concentrate on on field matters.

I’ll drink to that!!

if we're in the blame game (and it looks like we are

), then I still can't see any scenario in which both parties aren't to blame to some extent.

It seems virtually certain now that there is no written contract. Otherwise surely IL would have produced it yesterday. However you slice it, that doesn't look good from the club's POV. Even if Edwards had said, let's not worry about a contract now, we'll sort it later, then the club look at best naive.