I really think taking the captaincy off Lockers would cause a lot of trouble with little reward at the end of it. McGuire could alienate the team in one fell swoop, and for what? Most of the potential captains (Carmont, Deacon, Bailey) will retire in a year or two, leaving the successor looking like sloppy seconds. That's not the kind of forward thinking I want from a coach. The captain should be Lockers with Bailey as vice if/when he signs a new deal, if not then Leuluai.

To way to think about it is this:

If there was no current Wigan captain, and they were picking from a clean slate, who would be the main candidate?

O'Loughlin by a country mile.

I'm 100% sure McGuire will pick him as captain, and he would be right to do so.

To give it to anyone other than Lockers would be daft IMO

Lockers as captain but what about Gleeson as vice it might work out if needed?

I would have had Fielden as captain but as it is looking like he will be coming off the bench again, I would have to stick with Sean as long as he keeps leading from the front and growing in stature, a little extra talking and he will be great.

you need to select a player who is defo first choice in his postion and is going to play the full game...and that imo is to Lockers....

anyone but Lockers ffs

Because unlike oloughlin (nothing against him btw), sam is a natural leader and already directs the team around the field and has something we have been missing in a captain since farrell, vision.

Giving him his head would just make him better at it IMO and the team would start to play off him more and more, improving this aspect of his game further. He already guides the team around massively anyway and it would be a natural step

Tomkins is already plays a captains role in the team now, look at all the ordering around he did last season despite being a rookie and in a new team. give him the opportunity and you'll see more of this.

You only have to look at how rudderless we are without sam to see what an impact he brings to the team, what organisation he brings to the team, and what tactically he gives the team....all qualities of a natural captain IMO

And whoever said he was too young a certain Mr Farrel was captain of his country only 1yr older than sam!!

Farrell had played many more games than Sam has to date at first team level. I would think it is far better to let Sam gain more experience at this level and concentrate on his own game rather than trying to lead the entire team. As a HB he will be doing a lot of direction on the field anyway - that's part of his job. Sam may well be team captain one day - but not for now.

Well that is pure speculation isn't it? How about alienating the players because instead of going through the process of deciding who he thinks is the best man for job (which could well be Lockers in MM's eyes) he just sticks with the current captain while at the same time telling all the rest they must earn their spot in the team?

If you are going to run the thing based on merit you have to apply that principle to every decision you make and that includes choice of captain.



Such considerations about how long players are going to be here might be factors in his decision but even so, if he thinks we stand a better chance with Carmont (for example) as captain than Lockers the fact Lockers will be here longer is no reason to stick with him if MM decides he does not provide the right sort of on field leadership. That sort of "there no one better" thinking does not address the issue (if there is one). The captain needs to be chosen as captain for positive reasons not just because the alternatives might be leaving in a year or two.

Dave

And who is your choice, Dave?

I'd say it's a fair comment, he's a local lad and been captain for years now so lots of players are bound to feel loyal to him.


Even if there is a better long term candidate (which I doubt) it would quite probably be too much too soon



Picking anyone who's leaving in a year two would be ridiculously short sighted.

Lockers should be captain. I thinkhe was a bit too young when he was made captain initially, but now he's getting a bit older and he is one of the players that the younger lads seem to look up to.