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International Board Member | 20445 | No Team Selected |
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May 2003 | 22 years | |
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| Ideal world would have seen us retain George for 1 more year as a mentor/back up centre who would play if required. Other than that I am really happy with our squad and cannot wait till the start if the season.
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Club Coach | 517 | No Team Selected |
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Jan 2005 | 20 years | |
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| In our squad we have some absolutely fantastic players - individuals who would be selected for and perform admirably for any team in either code - and we are on the brink of a new season. The forthcoming season will give us moments of triumph and heart-break. We will see exhilerating rugby from our team and from other teams. We will laugh together in the stands and we will grumble over the errors, mistakes and missed opportunities until the bell for last orders rings in our ears. Nothing has changed. I love Wigan and have done since my father took me to my first game back when we were a relegated team. I truly hope we will earn some silverware this year, but if we don't then I will be a happy supporter simply because I will have been thoroughly entertained from start to finish. I'm sorry but I cannot find it within myself to get miserable and jaundiced about the future simply because we might not have recruited to the demands of some supporters. We watch a sport. We love that sport and we love our team. My life would be incomplete without it.
God, I'm excited - bring it on!
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International Board Member | 20471 | No Team Selected |
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Mar 2003 | 22 years | |
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| When Tommy came to Wigan (in the wake of the Moran disaster) he wasn't this great NRL star that had come to save us. He was just a half decent young half back from Harlequins, in fact it was Moran who came to us from Quins with a much bigger reputation having performing well the previous season.
I thought Tommy blew very hot & cold under Noble and it was only in his final three years under Maguire & Wane plus cementing himself as a World Cup winning international did he perform consistently well thus elevating himself to be become arguably a world class player.
Will Blake Green be a Tommy or a Dennis Moran? Not sure yet, (the previews look promising) so hopefully the former. But let's not crucify the lad five games in if he's not killing it out on the field straight away.
With Matty Smith, he thrives on the back of a strong pack and has talent without doubt. I do think he's a confidence player though.
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Club Coach | 5226 | No Team Selected |
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Feb 2005 | 20 years | |
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| Quote ="ChrisA"I've never seen such a lack of discussion, even in the off season. I guess most seem to share my view that there isn't that much new to look forward to. A major exodus of talent with no amazing new signings to buzz about.
I really haven't felt this flat and lethargic about our club in a long time. I guess SL in general is going through bad times. I know compared to some clubs we shouldn't complain at all, but its all relative to the club you support.
The season is what, 7 weeks away and I'm really not that bothered at the moment.'"
I think its mainly down to people finding other things to do rather than post on forums.
Its been getting quieter and quieter for months, a lot of regulars who would post non stop all day seem to have dissappeared.
other than that, most subjects have been done to death, leading to lack of interest. Its that simple.
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International Star | 203 | No Team Selected |
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Nov 2012 | 12 years | |
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Dec 2018 | Apr 2018 | LINK |
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| Quote ="the hedonic calculator"In our squad we have some absolutely fantastic players - individuals who would be selected for and perform admirably for any team in either code - and we are on the brink of a new season. The forthcoming season will give us moments of triumph and heart-break. We will see exhilerating rugby from our team and from other teams. We will laugh together in the stands and we will grumble over the errors, mistakes and missed opportunities until the bell for last orders rings in our ears. Nothing has changed. I love Wigan and have done since my father took me to my first game back when we were a relegated team. I truly hope we will earn some silverware this year, but if we don't then I will be a happy supporter simply because I will have been thoroughly entertained from start to finish. I'm sorry but I cannot find it within myself to get miserable and jaundiced about the future simply because we might not have recruited to the demands of some supporters. We watch a sport. We love that sport and we love our team. My life would be incomplete without it.
God, I'm excited - bring it on!'"
This! A thousand times this! Don't care about the perceived "quality" or about league games not meaning much, I can't wait to sit down and watch some rugby league again!
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International Star | 203 | No Team Selected |
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Nov 2012 | 12 years | |
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| Quote ="jonh"Of this perceived mini recruitment crisis I think there is a certain amount of Rose tinted memories knocking about.
Tommy and Carmont were outstanding players without doubt and Smith and whoever replaces George have a major task on their hands.
Lima and Finch though are another story completely. In their first season they were outstanding but in my opinion their form dropped off significantly last year. Lima lost his impact and was significantly quieter, Finch at times showed sparks of genius but most of the time especially when it counted he was poor.
Taylor I anticipate will go on to be regarded as one of the best Props of his generation and I feel he will improve our team on Lima of last year from the off. Blake is a tough one, but again whilst he may not have the pedigree of Finch, in the big games, when it counts, I doubt he will play as poorly as Finch did for us last year.'"
Agree with a lot of this too. For me round about when FInch & Lima both announced they were off they really stopped performing. Was more obvious with Finch for me, we needed him to step up when Tommy was injured and he really didn't deliver, instead relying on the same play (usually the flat pass to Hock) over and over again
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International Board Member | 12006 | No Team Selected |
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Jul 2003 | 22 years | |
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Mar 2019 | Oct 2014 | LINK |
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| Quote ="TaxingChimp"a014.gif
This! A thousand times this! Don't care about the perceived "quality" or about league games not meaning much, I can't wait to sit down and watch some rugby league again!'"
Normally me neither, but it's the direction that the sport I love is going in that's the problem.
If it carries on, we won't have a rugby league to watch.
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Club Owner | 14219 | No Team Selected |
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Oct 2003 | 21 years | |
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| For the first time in 15 years, I nearly didn't buy a season ticket. I eventually bought my two then a few hours later even rang up to cancel them, then a day later decided to buy them back again and give it one last year. If it's just as bad or worse next season then i'll just pick and choose my games in future.
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International Star | 203 | No Team Selected |
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Nov 2012 | 12 years | |
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| Quote ="Conroy"Normally me neither, but it's the direction that the sport I love is going in that's the problem.
If it carries on, we won't have a rugby league to watch.'"
We're going to lose some big names no doubt, but we need to keep producing and getting behind the new guys. Only way we can hope to grow from here on.
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International Chairman | 383 | No Team Selected |
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May 2002 | 23 years | |
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| Quote ="MattyB"When Tommy came to Wigan (in the wake of the Moran disaster) he wasn't this great NRL star that had come to save us. He was just a half decent young half back from Harlequins, in fact it was Moran who came to us from Quins with a much bigger reputation having performing well the previous season.
I thought Tommy blew very hot & cold under Noble and it was only in his final three years under Maguire & Wane plus cementing himself as a World Cup winning international did he perform consistently well thus elevating himself to be become arguably a world class player.
Will Blake Green be a Tommy or a Dennis Moran? Not sure yet, (the previews look promising) so hopefully the former. But let's not crucify the lad five games in if he's not killing it out on the field straight away.
With Matty Smith, he thrives on the back of a strong pack and has talent without doubt. I do think he's a confidence player though.'"
Simples +1
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Rank | Posts | Team |
Player Coach | 15260 | No Team Selected |
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Jan 2006 | 19 years | |
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| Quote ="TaxingChimp"We're going to lose some big names no doubt, but we need to keep producing and getting behind the new guys. Only way we can hope to grow from here on.'"
But this is still a shrinking economy.
If we produce one generation of good players after another - only to see them go to another competition before we get the full benefit of them, then we never actually gain any ground. Eventually we are literally nothing more than a seedbed for someone else.
The bullish attitude of 'so what if he goes, we can always produce another one!' can be made in a strong, broad-based and wealthy competition like the NRL, but from our lips it is hollow bravado.
For me, British RL is now facing one of the biggest crises in its entire history. Unless some way is found to attract a lot more investment into the British game - and soon! - we are in big, big trouble.
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International Star | 2259 | No Team Selected |
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May 2011 | 14 years | |
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| Quote For the first time in 15 years, I nearly didn't buy a season ticket. I eventually bought my two then a few hours later even rang up to cancel them, then a day later decided to buy them back again and give it one last year. If it's just as bad or worse next season then i'll just pick and choose my games in future.'"
Thats a fan of the current league champions and you wonder why it doesnt work in London and Manchester!!
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International Board Member | 6722 | No Team Selected |
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Jun 2003 | 22 years | |
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| Quote ="Cruncher"But this is still a shrinking economy.
If we produce one generation of good players after another - only to see them go to another competition before we get the full benefit of them, then we never actually gain any ground. Eventually we are literally nothing more than a seedbed for someone else.
The bullish attitude of 'so what if he goes, we can always produce another one!' can be made in a strong, broad-based and wealthy competition like the NRL, but from our lips it is hollow bravado.
For me, British RL is now facing one of the biggest crises in its entire history. Unless some way is found to attract a lot more investment into the British game - and soon! - we are in big, big trouble.'"
I agree.
The real issue is that the RFL seemingly think that RL is a finite ring fenced bubble that cannot or will not expand or contract from both a supply and demand perspective.
They seem to think that the attraction of the sport to potential professionals will remain the same, despite artificial salary restraints which will at best limit the duration of stay for the best players and at worst act as a deterrent to them ever taking up the game in the first place.
From a fans perspective they seem to think that RL fans are like sheep and will turn up to watch their team despite the ever dwindling standards on display. This is true to some extent, but you are not going to improve attendances by "dumbing down" the relative standards on display on the park.
From a business perspective, they lack any form of coherent plan. Simply trying the game out in Wales in the hope that it might "stick" is not the answer. The answer is not where to put a team, but to get the basics in place to improve the product so that the team has a chance wherever it is placed in the country (and I firmly believe RL needs to have teams away from it's heartlands if it is to survive as a professional sport).
As for the people who want to ditch Sky...........deary me. Why on earth would you want to ditch the best chance you have of marketing the sport nationwide?
So much for the reason why "This board" is not populated from a "game wide" stance.
As for Wigan, well IL seems to have gone even further in terms of not spending the CC money (as highlighted before). SW seems to have learned nothing from last year. "This year we are more strict"
The thing is the SL competition only really gets important around July/Aug time, and realistically we will have to wait until the CC semi's to see if there has been any improvement.
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International Chairman | 4541 | No Team Selected |
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Dec 2001 | 23 years | |
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| Quote ="wire quin"Thats a fan of the current league champions and you wonder why it doesnt work in London and Manchester!!'"
And there's me believing all this time that Leeds were the SL Champions ![CRAZY d040.gif](//www.rlfans.com/images/smilies//d040.gif)
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Player Coach | 15260 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote ="EFCWARRIOR"And there's me believing all this time that Leeds were the SL Champions
'"
Go easy on him.
He's never forgiven us for 'pinching' the Quins chairman.
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International Board Member | 12006 | No Team Selected |
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Jul 2003 | 22 years | |
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| Quote ="Cruncher"Quote ="EFCWARRIOR"And there's me believing all this time that Leeds were the SL Champions
'"
Go easy on him.
He's never forgiven us for 'pinching' the Quins chairman.'"
And as a Wire is clinging to the distant dream that they won the league in 2011. When we all know, that nobody outside of biblical times has seen the Wire win the league.
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International Board Member | 12006 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote ="Cruncher"For me, British RL is now facing one of the biggest crises in its entire history. Unless some way is found to attract a lot more investment into the British game - and soon! - we are in big, big trouble.'"
Correct
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| It takes effort to keep the board active in the off season. You'd think now would be a time not just to reflect on the season gone by but to reflect on rugby league as a whole over the years. There's always something to talk about but if no ones there to start them then things become very quiet indeed.
If you want to take heart from something this year then it should be Brigantes efforts to make the match day a more enjoyable experience. This group of people will be a year older next season, more experienced and in some cases more mature - more of the undesirable elements kicked out!
It'd be nice if RLFANS had its own Brigantes to make all our online experiances just a little bit better.
Have a good evening everyone and all the best for 2013!
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International Star | 2259 | No Team Selected |
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May 2011 | 14 years | |
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| Quote
wire quin wrote:Thats a fan of the current =#FF0000league champions and you wonder why it doesnt work in London and Manchester!!
And there's me believing all this time that Leeds were the =#FF0000SL Champions '"
Did I say SL champions? But hey if thats what you read.......
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Player Coach | 15260 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote ="wire quin"Did I say SL champions? But hey if thats what you read.......'"
At least have the grace to admit you made a mistake.
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| What by saying league champions (which you got the hub cap for) or alternatively SL champions which Leeds won at Old Trafford-But yes Im wrong if thats what you want to read
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Player Coach | 1352 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote ="Damo-Leeds"It takes effort to keep the board active in the off season. You'd think now would be a time not just to reflect on the season gone by but to reflect on rugby league as a whole over the years. There's always something to talk about but if no ones there to start them then things become very quiet indeed.
If you want to take heart from something this year then it should be Brigantes efforts to make the match day a more enjoyable experience. This group of people will be a year older next season, more experienced and in some cases more mature - more of the undesirable elements kicked out!
It'd be nice if RLFANS had its own Brigantes to make all our online experiances just a little bit better.
Have a good evening everyone and all the best for 2013!'"
Never let RL get in the way of a good moan! Have a good new year yourself Damo
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Player Coach | 5846 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote ="Damo-Leeds"Snip!'"
Back under your stone, you have not been missed....
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Club Coach | 7439 | No Team Selected |
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Feb 2005 | 20 years | |
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| Quote ="Cruncher"For me, British RL is now facing one of the biggest crises in its entire history. Unless some way is found to attract a lot more investment into the British game - and soon! - we are in big, big trouble.'"
The RFL should take a look at darts and how popular that's become. What is a pub-sport, is now one of the most entertaining on TV, don't get me wrong - I enjoy watching the darts, the World Championships has had me on the edge of my seat sometimes, but the only reason I enjoy watching it is because it looks entertaining, there is plenty of atmosphere and it looks like a bloody good day out.
2 blokes throwing 3 arrows at a board.
If the RFL, Sky Sports and SL can somehow portray the same image of RL to audiences, it doesn't matter where their from, what their primary sport is etc, they will watch and they will come to games. Thus attracting new investment, thus attracting wider interest.
It's all well and good the RFL saying "Put this team here because they'll probably do OK", but to solve an issue like the one we have at the minute, you need to go back to the absolute basics. I'm not saying that it would solve all our problems and RL will march on to dominate - far from it. However, if RL can take a leaf out of Darts book, it may go a long way to improving the situation.
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| The upping in popularity of darts is due to it becoming a TV sport and its SKY coverage isn't it that has turned the game around? Don't watch it so don't reallly know. The TV makes it look great.
We have the second highest viewing figures for SKY Sports so surely in that regard SL is doing ok. Our trouble is we can't get major sponsorship and advertising on the back of it.
Immediately we have to look for more ways to increase revenue from existing sources as well as continue to search for sponsors/advertisers.
One way is to increase gates at current fixtures and perhaps drop poorly attended matches when better games are available.
First, I would start with the Magic. Transfer it to the C Cup at the last 16 stage and bring SL clubs in at that point. Eight games with a minimum of six between SL clubs. Within a year or two that Cup Magic weekend may well sell out with little or no discounting. Increased crowds and improved revenue.
Second, The Cup rounds including Magic to take place on the first weekend of each month. People in general are paid from work towards the end of the month so have the C Cup the first weekend of each month when we have money in our bank accounts, pockets and purses. That way whether it's this year, next year or whatever year we would know when the C Cup would start and when the Final would be. Last 16 first w/e in June, Quarters 1st in July, Semi 1st in Aug with the Final Bank Holiday Weekend. I'm pretty convinced that if we did that attendances for all C Cup rounds and matches would improve massively as would be revenue..
Third, look to replace game that are poorly attended by ones that will be very well attended. It is rumoured that the World Club Challenge will be extended to three clubs from each hemisphere. That's three extra games for our top clubs and elite players. International Rugby is the way forward and the WCC could add to RL's international profile very well indeed. Though something has to give to prevent burnout.
The fixtures to go are the Magic out of the SL, as mentioned.
One round less in the C Cup, as mentioned.
Two games less in the play offs. Either top three with L Leaders to the GF with 2 & 3 playing off for the other final place. Or top four as has been mentioned in other replies, 1 v 4, 2 v 3 and winners to the GF. Either will give a two week play off and not four weeks as at present which is too long and with poor crowds.
Overall basic thoughts, replace poorly attended matches by games that will have great crowds and maybe sell outs thereby increasing the crowds and revenue.
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