Much like the Tomkins story which was seemingly a joke at first, least ways I took it such, this story will run awhile longer yet, clear Catalan are buying mood at the moments for Wigan cutting costs I think thats fairly clear thats whats going on isn't it?the club is losing huge sums each season and surely it cant carry on.

I’m no accountant so I can’t really comment but I found it interesting that Lenagan said he’d had to put £800,000 in this year to cover ‘investments’ and some losses. I seem to recall some of the ‘losses’ of previous years being money pumped in to setting up the Central Park facility which wasn’t solely being used by the club, in fact it was more of a facility for local education with the club only using it now and again, so to have funds put in to that showing as the rugby clubs ‘losses’ seems unfair when just doing how we’re performing. I could be wrong on that but I seem to remember the setting up of that facility being given as a reason for decent losses a couple of years ago.

I wonder what our ‘investments’ have been this season. It looks like there will be a move over to Robin Park so it’ll then be interesting what happens with the Orrell facility. If that is closed and the land sold off then that should be a pretty substantial windfall for somebody (presumably the club if it’s the club who owns the facility).

Of course I understand your point. I just disagree with it. So I offer several other examples of why picking on form is important. The other issue is how you're argument isn't solid. Originally you agreed Richardson was the form half in SL. Now you claim he doesn't represent form. How can the form HB not represent form?!
How can you say he has no pressure of expectation? He's the starting half in the form team in SL who are favourites to win the GF?!
Trust me, I completely understand what you're saying. I just don't agree and will offer a counter.

This was all I was wondering. This has all steamed from me asking who's our halves/back coach. Escalated to reply after reply.

Good post.

I'd like to see how Williams' progresses under a different coach. I questioned if we even have a backs/halves coach to help develop his game. It would be good to see how he develops under different guidance.

With the news of Wane leaving, seeing the team and in particular Williams being able to express themselves is something I was looking forward to.

Might need to be fair to wane on this one. He was the coach in charge when Williams was playing such good rugby he looked like the next big thing to the extent we threw the cheque book at him. Can't see how Williams' average (by his earlier standards) form can be put at SW's door

Just what I was going to say! It was Shaun Wane who showed faith in Williams and gave him the 6 shirt (when many thought it should have been Hampshire). It may suit the narrative of some to lay the blame for Williams' indifferent form at SW's door, but does that really make much sense?

For me, no not directly. However the team as a whole now seems to have stagnated, the team needs new ideas. Does that make it Wanes fault? No it doesn't. Does a new coach coming in freshen things up? Yes it does. So with two different questions we end up back at the point I was trying to make. I'm not trying to vilify Wane, I'm more trying to highlight that a new coach brings new ideas, and hopefully the team responds.

Fair enough, I don't dispute that.

So who’s fault is it if not Wane’s?

I said not directly, it's not like he's intentionally set out to make the team boring. However the fact he's he's been here so long and the fact we have done the same thing for so long must surely get boring and predictable for the players. A new coach with new ideas must surely freshen things up?

Surely it's not whether it's boring or not for players but whether it is effective. The way Williams is playing is not effective. It's up to the coach to change that and is should not be for us to have to wait for a new coach to pitch up to see this. Wane should have addressed the poor form of Williams (and the predictable play of the entire team) by now. If a new coach gets the same squad playing better (as Madge did with Nobles team) then the credit goes to the new coach not because a new coach arriving makes this inevitable (we have employed coaches who have made things worse before now) but because he will have sorted out the issues.

You basically just went into more detail about the second part I made, which is a new coach with new ideas. Surely a player/team being bored and not trying anything new is part of the reason it isn't effective? If the players aren't trying anything new, then opposing players having nothing new to defend against.

The pivotal positions really are responsible for implementing the coach’s game plan. Maybe Williams isn’t capable of following innovative instructions from the coach or more likely Wane is just a coach with very limited ideas of attacking rugby? I reckon it’s the latter and he should have employed an ex-half back as an assistant coach to get the best out of Williams.
It really says it all that he is going to yaunion to coach forwards as that is where is skills lie.

Georgey Boy to Cats, Woods to 6?????

I thought he went well tonight, took a little bit to get into it but when he did I don’t think he dis much wrong. I’d much prefer GW and JW HB partnership than a JW and SP.

Hopefully more like George at six with Woods at seven.

Two proper halves who’ll compliment each each and get the team moving around the field. A half who can kick us in to good areas of the field from distance and pick a pass and one who can provide a running threat from anywhere on the field and consistently assist other players getting over the line. Two players who whilst creative and dangerous with the ball, are both solid defensively. Two lads who are both under the age of 24 and could form a halfback pairing that could last a decade.

I said last week I hope Woods nailed his chance and made it difficult for Wane to leave him out. There is no way you can not have a fit George Williams in your side so hopefully tonight is the start of Woods making it impossible for Wane to ignore him which will give us the halfback pairing we need.

This, Woods looks to have potential, good hands an a decent kicking game though let’s not get too excited yet.

Yeah I thought Woods stepped up well tonight. It would indeed to nice see him playing with Williams. To be fair, I thought Powell was pretty good tonight too, although I agree with most he doesn't look a long-term solution in the halves.

It’s not a case of getting carried away but more a case that the lad comes in to the side at a time when the bar is set pretty low in regards to Wigan’s scrum half’s performances over the past few seasons.

One game doesn’t make a career but I’ve always been impressed with him for the u19’s, at Swinton and in his limited first team games to date. The fact that his strengths compliment Williams so well is what excites me.

Fingers crossed he kicks on.

Williams is missing, and the halves click.... Worth a ponder.

he regularly is....

As an outsider I thought Powell stepped up when Tommy went off and he shifted to 9

Pretty much sums up my views on this.
Good to see Woods throw out a couple of good passes and score a pretty decent try too.

I feel a bit sorry for Powell at times. He was bulked up to cover 9 when it was needed and he seems to have lost a bit of nouse for a half at times. I also don't think that he is the long term answer to our number 7 issue but can understand to a degree why SW persists with him because he is a good club man and will do whatever is required for the cause.