I'm a Rabbitohs fan from Sydney and was told by someone at the club that it is pretty much a done deal and just need to dot the i's and cross the t's.

My Question to Warriors fans was how did the Warriors play the year before he coached them and what transformation did you see in the following season in 2010 when you won the title?

What do you think his strengths as a coach is and does he have any weaknesses?

Thanks

We're a dirty team now he's coaching us. Ask anyone from Yorkshire.

IL needs to respond quickly to this so its out in the open. Not let rumours cause disruption within the team and the fan base. If its true say so, so we can look at sending him out on a high, if its not then it will stop the disruption. Last thing we need is another rumour dragging on for weeks causing unrest.

He turned us from a mid table team who did OK in the playoffs to Champions using the same squad in his first season.

indeed. he did have deacon at his disposal which nobby didn't but other than that he turned the same bunch of players from decent Sl professionals into a champion side in one year. not bad going.

am gutted if this is true but if it is then he has certainly set the platform for the players and they should carry any momentum gained under Madge forward under the new coach whether it be wane or someone else. i just hope if someone else is brought in that they don't change too much and i'd certainly hope that IL isn't going to let MM go and poach our players too!

Madge has a 3 year contract as far as I understand it. So unless Wiagn have agreed to release him from that contract - he'll have to stay at Wigan.

I know lots of players riggle out of contracts - Matt Orford, Trent B, Piggy etc and you wonder whether they're worth the paper the're written on. But a contract is a contract (genuis!)...IL needs to apply the pressure if this rumour is true. Madge strikes me as an honest / honourable bloke I dont see him doing one if Wigan are against releasing him. We need to keep him he's starting to shape the team now (3 melb players) and more to come next term know doubt - the last thing we need is a new coach.

Incedentally there is no mention of this on any of the reputable RL news aussie sources.

Or Jon Wilkin, tackling advisor to the RFL.

Depends what the actual terms of his contract are, there might be various get-out clauses such as getting a NRL job etc, after 2 years. We'll just have to wait and see.

if it's not on any sports / news sites whether online or on tv then where has sgtwilko got it from?!

Hes rubbish.
His teams are negative and boring. He sends his players sorry thugs out to ruin games with their ultimate fighting tatics. His teams are the only ones who slow the ball down so much every tackle pushes 20 seconds! Apparently watching paint dry is better! When they finally get the ball his teams just scoot from dummy half!!
If you could just pass this on to the powers that be and they can rip up the contract save putting you through season upon season of this!!

I'm not happy about this if it's true. It could spiral out of control and cause much dissension.

If there is such a clause then IL screwed up because you could guarantee some coach or other would lose his job in the NRL and a get out clause like that for Madge is just going to invite bids for his services were he to be successful in those first two seasons - which he has been already.

We know with players who have options on further years and its never been mentioned Madge was only here for two seasons with an option for a third so it's really doubtful he's on that kind of deal IMO.

If he is on a standard 3 year deal IL ought to tell him to stick it out, tell other clubs "hands off" and Madge himself ought to honour the deal. You can't run an RL side if each time a coach has some success he leaves.

There's not a lot we can do regardless of clauses - contracts of the coach count for practically nothing in sport.

Well not quite true, but there would be nothing worse than forcing a coach to stay when he wanted to leave