Appointing Brian Noble (and the arrivals of Fielden & Dobson + the departure of Moran)
Ian Lenagan buying the club
Ian Lenagan replacing Brian Noble with Michael Maguire
The Tomkins Brothers

one word : penalty count.

Maguire

the latter half of 2006 in general and the changing of owners

Joe Lydon's Weetabix.

As many others have said, Noble coming in was huge.

Even though he didn't win any trophies, he goes down as one of the most important and influential coaches we've had IMO.

That Tomkins kid isn't bad either...

As others have said, the replacement of Millward with Noble reintroduced ideas, stategy, personality, man-management and motivation to the club after two years when all these traits had been worryingly absent. But, for me, Maguire was even more the real deal. He restored the 'Wigan ethos', which Rads had lamented the absence of so much, and took us back up to that mythical next level that we were still yearning for when Nobby's team had seemed to consolidate itself at fifth or sixth. I'm sure none of us expected this to happen in Maguire's first year - maybe Maguire didn't either. But the great thing about that is that it suggests there is more and better to come.

Also, I think it would be churlish in the extreme for any of us not to mention the arrival of Ian Lenagan as a key factor in the club's restoration. In his first couple of seasons, he seemed to polarise opinion. Some were prepared to give him a chance, and were grateful for the fans forums that he regularly organised. But others didn't trust him. They were suspicious of his club management style. They thought he only told us what he wanted us to hear. He was accused of being secretive and devious. One chap who used to post on here regularly, but is now largely absent, said that he didn't like Lenagan the moment he met him. Another accused of IL of only being good at walking round bars with a pint in his hand. But I think it's now evident that IL had inherited one almighty mess at Wigan, and had needed to apply himself pretty thoroughly to sort it out. For that reason, I feel it's all the more praiseworthy that his forecast about 2010 being the year in which Wigan would return was so accurate.

Hand on heart, I can honestly say that, though I would dearly love us to win the Grand Final this year, I won't regard it as a tragedy if we don't. I would certainly be disappointed if we didn't reach the final, having finished in first place, but I feel we're ahead of schedule and have already done more than we could have possibly expected this year The rebuilding phase is almost over, and Wigan are back at last.

1) Brian Noble coming and sorting out the club from top to bottom.
2) The new training facilities at Orrell.
3) The emergence of the best academy teams/ players for many years. (Points 1 to 3 are all related)
4) IL buying the club
5) Getting a hooker who played with his head up. (and we're going to miss him next year.)
6) The recruitment of Maguire and the inspirational choice of Wane as his assistant.
7) Goto to 3) . Those players filtering (now pouring) into the first team.

brian noble must take some credit

Ian lenegan coming in

On the playing front there are two significant events IMO:

1. Appointing Noble in 2006 along with Fielden and Dobson
2. Getting rid of Noble at the end of 2009 and the appointment of not only of MM but Shaun Wane for 2010

The appointment of Noble along with Fielden and Dobson arriving in 2006 undoubtedly saved us from relegation but the team stagnated for the next three seasons and he overstayed his welcome IMO.

Administratively

1. IL taking over and his subsequent diplomacy seems to have got rid of much of the antagonism Wigan seemed top generate in the ranks of the RFL.
1. The deal DW gave IL which included Orrell has probably helped the coaching staff enormously. Orrell is hugely important IMO.
2. Mick Hogan. He did a lot to improve the relationship the fans have with the club. Pity he is no longer here.

Dave

So, are we suggesting here that generosity from DW is also a factor?

Genuine question, because I'd imagine that IL probably had to bargain quite hard for this deal you mention. It may be that DW has been generous to us, but he's not renowned for giving things away.

From the way you worded it, it doesn't seem to be giving IL much credit for what was surely a very key development in our recovery.

At the time IL publicly stated what a good deal DW given him IIRC. That along with the generous lease terms on the DW are something DW didn't have to agree to. IMO DW did us a big favour in letting the club get hold of Orrell.

Opposition fans go on about us not owning the ground but IMO we have a very good set up as we do own Orrell and have very good terms on the lease to the DW. DW himself is few peoples cup of tea but hard nosed business man or not, he agreed to sell up on very generous terms.

Dave

Sorry, but I can't accept that most of the credit should go one way.

I'm reliably informed that Whelan is still, at heart, a Wigan fan, and that he wanted the club to prosper when he sold it on. But negotiating with a notoriously tough businessman like him can never be so straightforward a matter. You make it sound as if they just walked into a room and shook hands because the terms were so staggeringly generous. Merely agreeing a price for Wigan, I'd imagine, would take some intense discussion.

But that aside, I still think IL deserves a bit more credit for where we are now. To just congratulate him for showing 'diplomatic skills with the RFL' sounds a bit mealey-mouthed to me.