Not a perfect excuse I know But

I would guess engaging with the fans became a bit of a drag the way the fans forums went, nothing but chances for over zealous individuals who see themselves as no1 fans whi know better than the people in charge whether that be the management, the coaches and even the players at times.
At the same time there was the constant criticism on facebook/forums like this etc of leneghan and Wayne for a whole host of ridiculous reasons (yes there were issues in there at timesbuy they were blown up to 10x times what they were).
There seemed to be a whole group of people who for whatever reason for around 5 years seemed to WANT leneghan and Wane to fail and to be honest only on the last 5/6 weeks has thought subsided some what.
IMO that's a big part of a lot of the malaise around the club and coupled with a lot of the other things I pointed out its contributed tona lack of enthusiasm around the place.
DESPITE 3 GF finals a world club challenge and cc final appearances.

The club have no doubt made a lot of mistakes in that period but to answer the other poster who commented on my post I would argue that 80% of the things the club have done is right and if 20% was wrong that's not too bad.

BUT I'd guess that 80% of posts/comments etc. Are negative with 20% positive.

I'd just ask people to try and be fair in both criticism and praise and imo that just doesn't seem to happen not only with regards to Wigan, its management, coaches and players but the game in general (and to an extent life in general).

Mike coleman is a director of saints

Let’s be honest. Though far from ideal as long as Leneghan is prepared to foot the bill we’ll be fine.

I’m no expert but I’d surmise that the majority of sporting clubs are supported by individuals or a consortium of financial backers, without these people a lot of clubs would fold.

So basically just sit there and applaud things that don't deserve it? Great idea!"
This is a typical response.
I NEVER EVER EVER SAID THAT

I said stop doing it st every opportunity
I said reduce the criticisms
I said try and give balanced views and give praise where it's due in fair & equal measures rather than what currently happens which is 5 good performances or good things at the club and nothing or little said.
1 x bad performance and it's like a lynch mob with pitch forks and 10 x times the amount of things said.

I'll leave it at this
I have a saying that people get what people deserve.

And if "WE" continue to treat our club as we currently are without giving the club support when we can, the backing it deserves when in trouble times etc and all of us doing what we can to give a balanced view the we will get what we deserve.
Wont matter to me, I watched them in the 70s and early 80s when we were gash, I watched the glory years (when crowds weren't what a lot of people think they were and prices were pro rata similar) and I watched us terrible again on 97 and 2005/6 and from 2007 when leneghan took over the club have given me as much joy every year with minimal downs and lots of ups.

I wasnt Lams biggest fan early season, but I didn't want his head on a platter and go screaming for change, I'm enjoying the rugby now and pleasantly happy with where we are now but I'm not carried away as were not as good as we need to be.so I wont be doing a Rubber Duckie and going overboard.

But I can't wait for the next 6 weeks whatever happens!
Enjoy people !

Well that will shut rubber duckie up that means he will have had to pass the fit and proper test just like lenagan and Moran

Be interesting to see how "the powerhouse clubs" finances would look without simon morans involvement, seeing as there crowds and turnover are way behind the big three of leeds , wigan and saints........perhaps rubbber duckie can enlighten us

Have a look on companies House if you want.

Creating revenue 7 days a week from your own stadium certainly helps matters.

Wires turnover is far greater than Wigan's Wigan lost 1 3 million last year wire turned in a profit of 224k companies House has all the details

On a similar turnover to the wire saints lost 430k

The last thing I’d think ‘Rugby League’ fans would want to do is to start playing One-upmanship against other clubs fans when it comes to teams making losses. If big clubs like Wigan and Saints are making losses like these then the whole game should be worried.

I’d love to see all clubs in rude health but sadly the games not in that shape. It’s being propped up by Sky money, which could be pulled in a couple of years and also by individuals willing to fund these losses. I suppose ultimately that’s sport in general but that cloud of the next tv deal looms over us and people don’t have confidence in the RFL.

Wigan and saints obviously overspending

This, unfortunately.

It's difficult to quantify how much damage a certain clique of negative fans have done to the club, but it can't have had no impact at all.

The problem these days is that any malcontent - and we seem to have more than most - isn't just a terrace bore any more. Now he can speak to the nation through the internet, and while lots of people will ignore these guys, others come to regard them as gurus ... as we saw on the other site (where some posters were so instinctively hostile to IL's regime that it was difficult to believe they weren't some kind of 5th column, and yet they attracted a herd of sheep-like yes men).

My main concern over the years has been that we know IL reads this forum. Given that he's pumped his own cash into the club and led us on multiple trophy-winning campaigns, how must he feel to see his name dragged constantly through the mud? There've been times when I'm amazed he's lasted this long.

I'll freely admit that I lost heart earlier this season. I feared relegation and felt that if we dropped, that would be it. That there'd be no way back and we'd go the same way as Bradford etc. I made posts on here - mainly calling for Lam to be removed and for a better recruitment policy - and I now regret them, because yet again IL has led us towards sun-lit uplands.

I'm not saying the guy's perfect, but compared to the previous administration, when a local journo told me you could ring the club at any time of the week and no one would even answer the phone - there wouldn't even be an answering machine! - it's clear to see that we could be in much, much worse hands.

Get upset if things go wrong, by all means. But keep it in perspective.

There you go. A silent director then. I'll take that. (Should have said 'no visual/vocal active role')

Just on the subject of owning/running your own facility , discussing the cricket from OT cricket ground

This year LCC will turnover 32 million , due to the Ashes a be WC , but in normal years they make more out of hosting Pop concerts and corporate for Man Utd than they do out of cricket , for every Utd game there are 1,000 dining at the cricket ground

Whilst there is nothing we can do about our own stadium unfortunately what we do now have is access to the Robin Park Arena. It's imperative that Wigan RL migrate as much as they can across to the arena (albeit space is limited as only underneath one stand) to maximise revenue.

Now I've not seen inside, nor seen any plans. Has anyone seen inside yet?

If the club had space for corporate dining, indoor bars.. Etc that would be a start.

Wish Lenners would come out and say that the plan is to develop Robin Park as our home stadium within 5 years and that an increase in attendances/season ticket sales would help fund it. Be averaging 20,000 next year.

Praise the lord, brother.

Unfortunately, I feel that if you set yourself that hope seriously, you'll inevitably be disappointed.

Why would we get permission to build a brand-new stadium next door to an already perfectly serviceable one, which we've already been sharing for years?

£175K received in transfer fees.

I trust that doesn't include the transfer fee of arguably the best 2nd row in the world to the NRL. Bateman was worth twice that alone!

If you look at the [url=https://wiganwarriors.com/news/2015-10-20-bateman-extends-contractcontract[/url that was reported at the time, it appears to have been deliberately structured as such that we couldn't just hold out for a very high transfer fee if an NRL club wanted to sign him for 2019. That's not a knock on the club either, they appear to have found a way to keep him till the end of 2018 and still get a six figure transfer fee.

Worryingly poor financial results for a grand final winning season.

Something needs to change

Oh well, might as well go out with a bang and go for glory. RL is a dying sport in the UK. Game has been sterilised. Very little excitement anymore. A player only needs to brush across the cheek of another player and the ref is blowing for a penalty. Scraps were part and parcel of the game and we loved it! Now its like watching ballet dancing with a ball. Crowds will never come back now. Although i like following Wigan and watch when they are on TV, i wouldnt dream of going paying money to watch a game anymore. Not only do i not get the same excitement that i used to but ive got other things i like doing and spending my money on.

The excitement of going to a game and seeing it live by far trumps the excitement sat in front of a TV. I hadn’t been for a few seasons prior to this season, not because of the rugby but personal circumstances. These have changed to an extent I can now go more often, not as often as I’d like but for the times I can’t go generally we’re on tele. Give me going to the stadia anyday. The senses are going, old friends and old playing adversaries and colleagues are there. It’s exciting. Sat at home you’ve got the wife nagging asking how much longer it’s on for, kids screaming, dog barking. It’s little wonder you don’t find it exciting you pleb.

Do yourself a favour; swap your armchair for a seat at the stadium. You’ll soon change your mind.

Otherwise, and with the greatest of respect, f**k off elsewhere.

Not convinced the poster deserves being called a pleb or to be told to F off.
It’s his opinion, he’s entitled to it.
Christ, I know lots of people with the same opinion who 10 years ago I’d have never dreamed that they’d have missed a single game, never mind stopped altogether.

I take it you didn't go tonight. Massive buzz everytime French got the ball, he was sublime. Supporters are quite rightly VERY excited about the remaining games of the season and next season in particular when the probable Man of Steel joins us as well.

Get your backside to a few matches man! (and supporters like you) whilst you have a club to follow.
Don't leave it till buckets are being handed around (Bradford Bulls & Bury FC).