Being a SW critic at times I thought I would be happier than I am. Maybe it’s how we’ve been going for the past few weeks or where we are in the league and cup but I’m genuinely shocked about this. Given who we have leaving and who is yet to leave I’m shocked at the timing of it and it does make me wonder what is going on behind closed doors at the club.

That being said I do think it may well be for the best. A fresh coach with new ideas coming in and who hopefully will reinvigorate George Williams. The interesting part for me now is with SW going and a yet to be announced Head Coach incoming - who makes the signings we do evidently need? And even more interesting, if SW, IL and KR knew he was going to resign, who sanctioned the Hardaker deal? It makes sense as a SW signing but now he’s leaving it doesn’t make much sense to me given we don’t know who the new coach is or his style of play.

Another worry for me is we’ve had the Tomkins leaving news, the Bateman and Sutton leaving news is rapidly approaching - who next? Lockers? I said it on another thread prior to this news breaking that we need some huge signings and I think they’re more prevalent now given one of those signings includes a new Head Coach.

Part of me is quite worried about him going, obviously he's seen as stability within the club. Another part is excited to see who we can bring in.

One thing is for sure, IL has had his work cut out this season with players and now the coach leaving.

The worry is that however poor the rugby has ever been at times, Wane always gets us competing at the business end and the players seem to want to play for him.

It’s easy to say I’m gutted when we’re playing well but even if our form was similar to last year I’d have my reservations about this because of his record.

All change for 2019 then. Let’s just hope we can sign these lads off in good style in 2018.

So is it Shaun Edwards to replace him?

Maybe they have already, but that won't appease the malcontents.... One vociferous Wane critic in here was unhappy when Madge was appointed, 'Wigan deserves more than a rookie coach', or words to that effect...

Well, will liven up the board, and may I wish Shaun all the very best, and thank you..

Really shocked.

If this had happened at the end of last season, given the shïte way we finished up last year, I would have understood and even agreed.

But now ???? Given the improvements that we've made ???

My instant guess was that he will still be Sam Tonkins' coach next year, and things suddenly make a lot more sense on that front (why would Sam want to play for as inept a coach as Steve McNamara?).

As long as we get a top-quality replacement in, we'll be OK.

As for Edwards - Love the guy, but is he really the right man, given that he actually has ZERO coaching experience in RL and has been out of the game for around a decade?

Really shocked when my son told me about it.
Like a few on here I had also heard the Catalan rumour and rather bizarrely I even got told that he had been approached by Harlequins and Scotland RU.
I wonder if he has been against some the recent moves of MM & ST plus the signing of Hardaker?
I was quite vocal about our performances in the last few seasons but I thought that so far this season he was turning it around and with some fresh blood next year he could really kick on.
If im honest not sure if this is a good thing particularly with all the changes in staff planned for next season.
A proper gent is Shaun and I hope whoever replaces him has just a fraction of the passion for the town and club that he wears on his sleeve.

Personally think it's the right move as the fan base is too divided. A new coach & a couple of new players might just be the change needed to unify the club. Think similar to the way Madge brought everyone together.

Needless to say however this changes everything. Everyone will be fighting for their spots with no one a guaranteed starter.

In regards to a replacement my heart says Edwards, but my head is saying it's time for another Lowe/ Madge esq paradigm shift. We need someone who is right at the forefront of the modern game and will drag us head and shoulders above the rest of SL. It would also be nice to bring in a new number two with a long term succession plan in place again.

With Sir Kev as his assistant

I'm absolutely gutted about this.

For anyone too young to remember or appreciate our domination in the 80s & 90s, the Maguire/Wane years have been a golden era for us, when you consider what came before it. All the more so when you consider how many of those involved have been Wigan lads and not expensive imports.

Remember all the worries about him when Madge left, that he would be one of life's number twos and didn't have the kitbag to be a head coach. How wrong was that!

I hope that whoever comes in is as willing to give young talent a chance as Shaun has been. More than anything else though I hope we send him out on a high, as he thoroughly deserves it.

I’ve seen a little rumour of an Edwards/Farrell coaching combination. How true I haven’t a clue but initially I’d be excited about that. Thinking deeper into it i think we have to be targeting a proven coach who can take us in a new direction.

That being said, when Wane was announced as Head Coach some of us doubted his credentials and look how that turned out.

Reckon Farrell could bring Owen with him?

We're short of a goal kicker!

When Shaun was announced as Maguire's successor, I was very apprehensive. On one hand, I felt Shaun deserves his 'shot' but Maguire had transformed Brian Noble's team beyond recognition and was very hard act to follow. As a fellow Wiganer, I wanted Shaun to do well, but at that time, that was more in hope than expectation. It's fair to say that he exceeded my expectations and then some - and I, for one, was delighted. His record speaks for itself and he will go down as one of the most successful coaches in the club's history.

But the 'official record' doesn't tell the full story - he held the post of head coach when the club pursued a strategy of bringing through academy players at the expense of more experienced signings. So, there's no way that his success was 'bought' on the back of high-profile recruitment and I think he deserves even more kudos for bringing the young lads through and keeping us competitive.

He's also been in position for a long time in a sport where coaches (particularly at our club) don't stay in the job for seven seasons. Watching the team week-in, week-out, it's obvious that we've sustained the defensive ferocity that was a hallmark of the Maguire team, but as an attacking force, we've been fairly one-dimensional for a while now. For me, that's a combination of poor recruitment and Shaun's preferred mode of play, which is to focus on the defensive qualities of his halves. That aspect of team tactics is in urgent need of a refresh, particularly with Sam leaving - and in this respect, with the changes in playing personnel for next year, perhaps this is a good time for him to go.

I'm pleased that, to all intents and purposes, he's left on his own terms because of the many years of service he's put into the club.

And now there should be no shortage of motivation for our players to go out and win everything this season.

talk of Edwards/Farrell + Owen Farrell too?

come on chaps, much as I would love any combination, Chris Chester is probably more likely

Tbf I think Edwards isn't too much of a long shot given his recent interview. Not sure where the Farrell link has come from (obviously Owen is staying put).

Whilst he definitely wouldn't be the most exciting name in the world, Chris Chester is not a bad shout at all imo. Knows the club, done some great business at Wakey. Young & hungry.

I'd be lying if I said he was my first choice, but we could do a lot worse.