OK I'll bite

Won the Championship final to get Huddersfield promoted to Super League
Won two Grand Finals with Leeds (including their first in 32 years)
Won the World Club challenge with Leeds (their first ever)
Whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 when Great Britain coach
Won three Challenge Cup Finals with Warrington after a 19 year drought

Obviously he couldn't get Warrington their Grand Final win, but there's 10 massive games he's coached teams to win. Most of which were teams that hadn't won trophies in a long time prior. Not to mention all the knock out games his teams will have won to get to that point. Smith as Director of Rugby with Lam working under him doesn't sound like a bad idea at all to me.

I'm tempted to berate people for not turning up to support their team, but I can't. There are lots of reasons why individuals don't, and in most cases it would be none of my business.

But I do wonder how, at Wigan, winning silverware doesn't necessarily mean that more people will pile onto the terraces. No one could have known that 2019 was going to be such an onfield damp squib. We started the season as champions after a storming finish to last season, with massive World Club Challenge looming, and yet ... we also started with crowds down.

If that's not a worry, it should be, as it may lead our owners to wonder why they bother.

Does it happen to other clubs, or is it just a Wigan thing?

I'd love to understand the psychology of this.

I think attendances at this club (along with success) is cyclical. We do seem to have higher average attendances following lean periods over a number of years as we see a resurgence then big dips post success. Yes I know we could still be classed as being successful (current champions) but definitely feels like we've peaked and are heading for a lean period.


Early to mid 80's (mild success following dire 70's) - up to 10k
Mid 80's to Mid 90's (Glory years) - up to 14k
Late 90's to late 00's (Post Glory Years) - down to 9-12k
2010 to 2014 (Maguire/Early Wane Years) - up to 16k
2015 to 2019 (Late Wane years) - down to 10-11k


Could we see a resurgence in attendances if say we don't win anything for a decade and then become a force again (similar to Maguire years) is that what it takes?

Do we have that long? Sky deal, the sport long term plan.... Etc?

All clubs see attendance go down when they don't perform. There may be exceptions like when we faced relegation in 2006 but not by much.

I'm going to try to answer my own question here. Not only do I think success on the pitch has an affect to attendances but also the players who have contributed to that success:

Exciting, talented players that put bums on seats. During our glory years we had these in abundance.

Starting off with Gill, Ferguson & Kenny.

Then Hanley, Gregory, Robinson, Offiah.

During the Maguire years we had Sam Tomkins and Charnley genuine World Class players. I also think the 'Melbourne Three' contributed to the resurgence in attendances.

Does anyone remember that challenge Cup semi final against Saints at the HJ. Still to this day probably the best atmosphere I've seen from our supporters away from home.

Farrells last minute win on Good Friday in front of a full house? You couldn't get a ticket 2 days before the game.



Now look at our squad and honestly name me a player that genuinely excites.

I'm struggling. Burgess now and again possibly? We have a few backs that can get us going now and again. But the in effectiveness of the forwards compounds this, we can't get out of our own thirty these days.

If I remember correctly shirt sales with Barba's name on the back went through the roof last year, add to that other types of merchandise then it probably paid a good chunk of his wage.

Star names help and there’s undoubtedly a malaise hanging over the supporters because we just don’t really sign those wow players anymore but we have enough attacking talent in that team to get more bums on seats.

I look at Cas in 2017 and you couldn’t really say they had any out and out star turns but they played a brand of rugby that brought the people of Cas out in their droves. Our issue when I compare what Lam wants to do with what Cas did do in 2017 is a lack of metre making forwards. They weren't necessarily high profile names (the likes of Sene Lefao, Moors, McMeekan, Millington etc weren’t on arrival at Cas) but they laid the foundations with big bodies and let the likes of Hardaker, Gale and Roberts go to work. I’d say in Hardaker himself, Williams, Gildart, Burgess etc we have at worst as good a set of backs as they did in 2017 bit our pack is in horrendous shape.

In short sort the pack out with some savvy signings (and sign a proper replacement for Williams) and we may see better rugby and bigger crowds. There’s only so long people would turn up to watch a couple of star names but without work on that pack we’re not going to see long term improvements.

I was told this by someone who currently works at the club. I have no reason to believe that they would be winding me up.
If I recall correctly I think that it is Simon collinson who now also runs Marketing together with his previous role. I am terrible at remembering names but hopefully the ageing grey matter is correct this time.

I thought Collinson left the club a while back?

Simon collinson left nearly 3 years ago

massive loss

Not as daft as it first seems.

I understand Matty Peet is returning to Wigan as AL assistant with an emphasis on defensive responsibility.

Sorry you are right Bigred. Collinson left in Sept 17 and MacLeod left last year.
It's McLoughlin who now heads up marketing together with his previous role.
Macleod has gone to Warrington RL.