Cheers for clearing it up, was becoming a touch confusing!!!

Haven't read the LE, so wasn't aware of that part, but again, a nothing story although as you say, there is a fair assumption that they would want to talk about the game, which I'm sure Smith will do in his regular media conferences that week. I assume he hasn't boycotted them.

The point I was making in my last post was that it maybe that Wigan have a technical requirement to provide players and coaches at certain media conferences. It certainly works like that in other sports, whether it is as rigid in RL who knows, although it does appear to have upset the media (reasonable ones too like Dave Woods and George Riley). These seem to be the claims made against them.

I take your points on board (respectfully disagree with them

) and it's better to move on rather than going round in this loop!

Did you say that in an interview ?, and can you be quoted ?...........oh. sorry, you just were.

Ahem. I find the RFL's Operational Rules a mine of useful information, particularly when it comes to technical requirements.

Page 432

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/~rflmedia/docs/2011%20RFL%20Official%20Guide.pdf[/url

Two slightly different things though. Saints didn't do the Wembley walkabout as they thought, and I quote, 'it's a waste of time' because they'd been before. That smacks of arrogance.

Wigan wanting to focus on the game on Sunday is far from arrogant and I have no issues with it at all. Had Saints said the same then I'd have been inclined to agree (I just wouldn't have admitted it

).

Page 433:

[iPress conference appearances
• An uninjured established first team player and Head Coach must make themselves available for all
reasonable media requirements at convened events. Such requirements to include Season Launch,
Challenge Cup Draws from the 4th Round to the semi final, Magic Weekend Press Conference,
Wembley Friday Media opportunity, Play Off and Finals Media sessions.[/i

The list they provide is 'to include' so not an exclusive list. It also states that the RFL will give 2 weeks notice where possible for player appearances. It is probably fair to assume that Wigan have set media days, I know Warrington do, so these will probably have been planned in earlier in the year.
[i
FINE: For failure to provide an uninjured established first team player and Head Coach for all reasonable
media appearances or unreasonable response to contracted broadcaster’s requests for pre and post
match interviews - first offence up to £1000, for subsequent offences up to £5000.[/i

It is open to interpretation as to what a 'reasonable' request is, but I would assume a request for a player in the build up to a knockout playoff game is 'reasonable' providing it was done with notice (although this goes back to the pre-arranged press conferences that clubs host)

Madge and probably Lockers will be at the press conference I imagine. The ban is more than likely to those who stop players on the way out of training and ask the same questions to each one.

Bloody hell does that even happen in RL? I'd have thought half an hour at each club's press conference was more than enough for the journo(s).

Get a lawyer on to that specific word

eh?

Maguires speaking and as for a player send a lad out of the u18's and tell the press he's on standby for his debut.

Easy.

Get Guerrier's lawyers to check over the word "established"

It clearly says established first team player. Somebody making their debut could under no circumstances be classed as 'established first team'.

I do agree it should be easy enough to send somebody along who has played plenty but won't necessarily be playing this week.

Glancing through a forum like this is more than enough for most of them.

Aye - it is dangerous to tar them all with the same brush though. Despite the stick that the BBC get, I do think the likes of Riley and Woods do some good stuff, and there are very often some decent features or videos of players on there.

Ben Davies will do.

If it avoids a fine and annoys a few more people that wouldn't bat an eyelid if 'some' other clubs did this then great.

new role for Amos Roberts?

Bloody hell, you're not even trying are you?



At least go for somebody who has played for you this year, and perhaps even into double figures lol!

Other clubs would get stick if they did it.

Looking at that list, we seem to have met our requirements as it relates to the set RFL/SL PR guff, and there was a play-off media day at Old Trafford last week I think when the Dream Team was announced. Like you say we have a weekly media conference and it's up to us how we populate that.

Yep, the 'standard' list of functions I would expect is the way of the RFL giving the clubs notice at the start of the year.

It is the whole thing about reasonable and unreasonable access which is probably the factor here.

I'd like to know what the Wigan players think about this?

True, but it's quite easy for Wigan to say that they've met the requirements they have to and it is reasonable for them to ask that the player concentrate on the biggest match of the season so far.

As has been mentioned previously we did this in the run-in to the Leeds game that got us to the GF last season, but the over-reaction this time speaks volumes and is the issue that some of us have.

I made the point on another board, that the possible 'over-reaction' as most Wigan fans see could be due to the rise in popularity of Twitter in RL circles. I have all the journos on there, and found out about this from them, kicking up a bit of a stink, so loads of fans are going to see these angry reactions and react on the back of that (from both sides).

Previously, it may just get a mention in the press (like the Mirror's coverage today - a 1 liner about it) and wouldn't be that prominent.

The simple fact is that people would have reacted exactly the same if this was Wire or Saints or Leeds etc. It may suit those with the seige mentality, but just like when Saints adopted that approach, not everybody is out to get you!

I think we'd better agree to disagree about whether it would be the same if other teams had done it, hence my point about Smith earlier, but we've done that one to death so best to leave alone.

Re the siege mentality, I think the "ban" is probably part of Maguire's plan to help get the team focused again after the drop-off since Wembley, and any "us and them" mentality can probably only help.

The lads have trained really well. As long as we stick to what we've been doing in training the performance will take care of itself.





















Like thank Tissot.

How are the lads going to overcome the strong smell of onions, garlic and snails?