Quote: Cruncher "Are you going to continue ignoring the overall conditions of the game in the UK forever ... or until we get a new chairman? (And how long will your support for that one last? One day, two, three ... until it becomes apparent that he isn't going to sign the entire NSW squad?)
Do you simply refuse to accept that British RL is currently up against it in a way the likes of Mo never experienced during his first tenure?
Is there any point in me mentioning the NRL, the cashed-up Rugby Union, the ineptitude of Red Hall, the comparative strength of the pound, the gradual financial collapse of the rest of SL, the game's steadily shrinking profile, etc ... or is it genuinely the case that in your mind none of that is in any way responsible for the fact that Wigan can no longer field a team full of world class superstars?
You really are a stuck record, Dave. I expected you to have a field day when ST's departure was finally announced, but you and your mates have actually surpassed that expectation, making up for your lack of numbers with endless, repetitive posts. You're not the only ones who feel anger and betrayal that Sam has gone, and think that maybe the club could have handled it better, but most of us on here are pragmatic enough to see that sometimes you have to make the best you can out of bad but inevitable situations.'"
I was discussing the specific notion that Hampo said a reason Sam left was the poor standard of the competition here. That is the first I have heard that one mentioned by someone from the club so why are you mentioning everything [ibut[/i that issue in your post above?
We dominated the game for a period under Mo winning numerous championships and cups to the extent it was even suggested it was detrimental to the game and I didn't see the players then deciding to leave because they had a couple CC medals and won a championship or because other teams didn't offer much of a challenge. We don't dominate now yet our chairman says Sam has done it all so needs a new challenge and Hampo says part of the problem is the other teams low standards. So are we to expect all our players who have won a CC and GF leave? If that had happened in the 80's and 90's despite us winning the CC seemingly a forgone conclusion our history would be much the poorer.
Players like Edwards hated losing from one season to the next. For them the challenge was to keep winning cups and championships, not win a couple and leave yet our chairman and now Hampo are suggesting having won stuff and the poor standards are reasons for Sam wanting to leave.
I personally think its a bit of an excuse because as I said in my previous post unless there is more money in the game even if the competition had 12 equally competitive teams in it, players would still leave.
Also if IL and the rest of the management think there is an issue with other clubs why isn't this being made known to the RFL? If he can see what is wrong with the game why isn't he taking the lead in getting the RFL to address these issues? Hethrington is not backwards at coming forwards when he has an issue but IL seems more interested in making sure Wigan is competitive in the environment we are in regardless of what that means for the actual standard of the game. He certainly gives the impression he doesn't want to ruffle any feathers with the RFL so its a bit rich to be like that and then the club be complaining about what other clubs do.