The one that got away......17 years ago

I was derided on WolfWeb back in the day (when I was known as Lefty) on suggesting Edwards being our coach, when DVDV announced his departure. "Too much of a risk" and "let's go for Neil Kelly" I was told.
He goes to union, wins stuff, and then gets a Lions job and makes a success of it, yet it was a risk for some for him to get a coaching job in league.

The fella is a winner. Always has been, always will be.
Like I said, the one that got away.
He'll only make Wigan stronger......boooooooo

Still, he was NEVER onside, in his whole RL career

I remember it well. Wasn't there a rumour that we had all but appointed Kelly and then something happened?

Neil Kelly. Such a stellar career.
....and we ended up with Anderson.
.....and so it began.

“Now there’s a name I’ve not heard in a looong time...”

Whatever happened to that Wire2004 fella?

More importantly, what happened to jdrocket on here?

I remember that crazy summer too. We were being linked with Billy McGinty, Paul Terzis, Mike Ford, Neil Kelly and Edwards. I think even Phil Clarke was linked with coaching us!

I was quite pro-Edwards as well for the reasons you say: he was just a relentless winner and there were times (eg when Dorahy was Wigan coach and Wire and Bradford were pushing them all the way) where Edwards seemed to take charge when they were under pressure and act as player-coach.

The main argument against him (other than people just hating him for his achievements with Wigan) was that he would never be anything other than a short-term option for us. If he started to turn us round, we knew that trigger-happy Maurice would sack Stuart Raper and bring Edwards in. Also memories were still fresh of Dean Bell - a similar 'winner', struggling with Leeds.

I think the papers reported that our board had met Edwards but he didn't want to relocate from down south...? does that ring any bells with anyone?

I was also pro-Hanley and in the latter Cullen years I was always banging on about how we should get Hanley in.

I suspect that Shaun in those days had a tendency to alienate people. He appeared to be too focussed at times and probably didn't have the man management skills that he's clearly developed during his time in that other game. Personally I'm glad he's back but don't let anyone from Wigan know that.

Messiah comes back to turn around club fortunes. There will be a statue of him outside the ground next. Always taking their lead from St Helens.

I'm the very same wire2004.
Im a Bit older and a bit wiser. Alot Less active on forums these days. But I do like still read some of the stuff on here still.

btw, without TOO much of a derail, why did Hanley leave Saints?

Or put another way, why does anyone go to St Helens in the first place?

cos he stood up at a pre season get together and told all the sponsors that the then board were a a bunch of money grabbing wotsits (words i legally can't say) and that they should keep their money.

Funnily enough the board didn't want him around after that.

Bit of a strange one is Ellery. Undoubtedly, extremely talented as a RL player but no interest in interaction with the 'masses'.

We had him as Head Coach at Doncaster and I reckon he's the only person to hold that position in the last 35 years that I've not had a number of conversations with.

Randomly went out for a meal with Ellery Hanley a few years back, thoroughly nice chap but literally the thickest person I’ve ever spoken to.... presumably one of the reasons he never made it as a coach