I have been scratching my head wondering why England had been absolutely abysmal this 6 nations.

No-one else seems bothered that Wane has never taken a club on from scratch before - he'd been at Wigan for years before graduating to head coach, and as such knew many of the squad & academy players already. There's no guarantee he'll be able to replicate that in the short time he'll be given (by many Wires fans) to deliver the SL GF win.

I'm also of the opinion that SW (or whoever replaces SP) will be brought in with the ultimate aim of winning a GF. Nothing changes in that respect. I guess we'd mostly want to see that achieved, regardless of the style that it's done in. But once that box has been ticked off, we'd be back to wanting a more entertaining and expansive game. Hopefully, the next custodian of the head coaches chair will have a team that maybe meets us half way, as I think that's the most likely outcome we'd get that fits the "have your cake and eat" it scenario.

This is a very good point. Wane is Wigan born and bred, will he able to translate his ethos to another club and make it work.

Yes

What he did engrain even further within the club was 'win at all costs'.

A cunning plan to undermine the competition ?

It's working a treat, I actually like union as well especially the internationals but god england been awful to watch for a long time. It's embarrassing for the sport in this country IMO.

The standard of the tackling seems to be very low in RU, you couldn't get away with that in League. And the constant 'recycling' where the sides make 4-5 yards after 10-12 sets is very reminiscent of rl before the six tackle rule. I suspect they will need to change the rules at some point like we have done, perhaps drop the value of the penalty and drop goal as well to encourage more on-field play. But it can be an exciting sport and I particularly like the way the French play the game.

I have never met a coach who doesn't put winning as the priority.
Some like to play attractive rugby as well but it is usually a secondary consideration. Some talk about it just to please speccies and press.
Nearly all supporters just want to win the big games but play lip service to being an attractive side it when the side is a few points up or playing a weak side. Coaches want their side to win. Some sides strength is moving the ball around at pace and some sides strength is grinding it out. Every coach I know plays to his strength. As for discussing "entertaining rugby" at interview ... it might be mentioned in polite conversation.

I am afraid I don't know any coaches on a personal basis to be able to ask these sorts of questions. Certainly I can't imagine any coach not setting winning as his first priority, that surely must be a given. Rugby League is certainly tribal and there is always a strong desire to beat your neighbour / closest rival at all costs. Even if the ref made a couple of horrendous decisions that gifted you the game, supporters would see it as a well deserved victory. But outside of all the tribalism surely there is an element of enjoyment ? Compare one game which was a mud bath that prevented any decent moves with constant knock-ons to one which was free flowing with fast moves, great handling, chips over the top of defences that lead to tries etc etc. Would you prefer a 2 nil win in the first game to say a 35-10 win in the second ? And the neutrals that watch TV, which props up our sport financially would certainly vote with their feet / bums. It sounds as though you wouldn't agree, but I would suggest that RL is a business and a big part of that is about entertaining as well as winning.

I get your point. I suppose the big test is when watching two neutral teams. I sometimes lose interest when the score gets to 35-10 but rarely lose interest when the score is 2-0. I have seen some cracking games with no or just one try. I would say best for TV neutrals is a competitive game rather than simply lots of points by one side.
Bottom line though is that if you Coach a side and they keep losing 33-35 ... you won't stay in a job very long. No one would mention your exciting brand of rugby as a reason to keep your job. If you keep wining 6-0 ... you'd have a job for ever.

Last years grand final was regarded as one of the best games for many a year. It was a low scoring game with very few chances to score due to brutal and brilliant defences. It had fans watching on TV going crazy over it on twitter. Other sportsmen like Tony bellew were tweeting how amazing it was and how he wanted to get down to watch a few games when he could. Low scoring games and brilliant defence can be just as entertaining as games that end 40-36!

Very true. The physicality, energy, excellent defences and uncertainty of the outcome all proved an absorbing game.

Suppose you could see into the future and were offered the option of appointing Powell, with a guarantee that we will peak like Cas in 2017 - the highest point scorers, and most attractive team in SL, but lose in the Grand Final, or appointing Wane and peaking like Wigan in 2013 and 2016, picking up a couple of Grand Final wins with gritty rugby and lots of wrestling.

Which would you take and which would make you more willing to be a paying spectator?

You can't guarantee grand final wins with either coach, I would feel more confident with a team that was tough in defence but was very good at scoring points and putting pressure on the opposition. We have watched a team that has looked desperate to hold on rather than absorbing pressure and then taking the challenge to the opposition. We have been poor in attack and the opposition I have always felt grew in confidence the more we struggled to cause them problems.

I would take Powell personally, I think he would view it as his first real big chance since Leeds to have a team that he feels he should win trophies with. I think he will be hungrier to win superleague for the first time than wane who has already managed it. Powell gets his teams to punch above their weight and that's a great prospect with a squad like ours. That said I do like wane, I like his passion for his teams and his honesty, he will demand a lot from the players too.