Quote: NickyKiss "The 2011 side got broke up a touch but the 2012 team should’ve cleaned up but blew it in both semi finals. We played some sensational rugby that year lead by Tomkins and Hock linking up to terrorise teams at points. We then won the double in 2013, had a player cost us a Grand Final win in 2014 and then cost ourselves a Grand Final win in 2015 by playing negative rugby and going for two points when we were 2 points in front and letting Leeds come down the other end and score a soft try. We then won the 2016 Grand Final out of nowhere really.
If we’d just got one of those two final defeats in the bag I think we could’ve called it a period of dominance but as it stands it probably goes down as a good period in the clubs history that actuallly could have been better.'"
I suspect it's difficult to view the Maguire/early Wane period as a period of dominance because we, more than anyone, know what a real period of dominance is like.
Until the memory of the best domestic RL team in British history finally fades, that spectre will linger on. Even now, I'm sure that's the reason why there is a section of the Wigan crowd who are barely ever satisfied with new signings, new coaching appointments, occasional trophy wins etc, because they always unconsciously compare it with that golden age.
Whatever happens in the remainder of 2018 - and I have to say, I'm not optimistic - I think it will only be fair if Shaun Wane is looked back on as one of our better coaches of recent times.
I know the last couple of years have been disappointing, which have suggested that his shelf-life is finally over. But I cannot agree with some of the scathing criticism that's being directed at him. Yes, he's had at least as much money to spend as anyone else. Yes, he's had state-of-the-art facilities to work in. But we can't assume that means he should win everything. Unlike the late 80s /
early 90s, there are several other very well run, very well financed clubs in this competition. It's just not possible to have things all our own way. Even Madge didn't, and many view him as the modern benchmark.