I’ve heard Manfredi has broken his hand. If it’s true it’s looking like a lengthy recovery, on the good side least it’s not his ACL.

So you want me to lie and say that i think we are going to win? I say it as i see it and i think we will lose. I do not see a great season ahead. Thats my honest opinion, im not here to happy clap and dwell in an echo chamber of delusions.

But here's the thing; saying they are delusions, as you put it, doesn't make it fact. You have no better idea than anyone else how our season is going to go. It's just a guess, like everyone else's, at this stage. Therefore you are CHOOSING to be negative. Do you see? You could just as easily focus on the positives such as having signed last year's standout player and reigning Man of Steel or the fact that our first team outclassed a SL rival in the recent pre-season game or that we've strengthened the pack from last season, something we've all been asking for, or even that we possibly have the best crop of youngsters coming through in decades!

You could be positive going in to a new season but, as ever, you CHOOSE to be negative. ''I say it as I see it" is the worst excuse for negativity there is as it makes the assumption that you have no CHOICE. You do.

Didn't Lam say it wasn't too serious? Easy for me to say but I don't think it takes THAT long to recover from a broken hand.

I didnt say any one thought was delusional i said that im not here to dwell in an echo chamber of delusions. If everybody is a happy clapper and knowingly lies by saying they think things will be great when they are really thinking something else then you end up with an echo chamber of delusion.

Why do you not want diverse opinion and thought? What is the point of even having a forum if everybody just agrees?

I have very good reason for my belief we wont have a great season

1. Universal opinion is that Lam is not up to the job.
2. Hastings is a good signing but the loss of Williams will offset much of what Hastings brings.
3. Its unknown how G Burgess will go. People keep talking about our much improved pack but Burgess is a player well past his best. Even if he manages to return to his form of 5+ years ago, there are still glaring weaknesses in our other forwards and one man is not going to suddenly fix that.

The best we can hope for this season is to try and improve on lasts years dismal showing but we still look miles off winning anything in my opinion.

I’m not a happy clapper either but I can’t remember the last positive thing you said about us, out of interest what makes you think we’ll have a poor season? We’ve made some great signings and should have adapted to Lam’s style of play. That being said the one question mark I have is over Lam but time will tell

You don't go to games why even bother feigning interest.

1 - Where does this universal opinion come from?
2 - Personally I think they are similar players so you couldn't have them both in the team at the same time
3 - Is that the same George Burgess picked every week in the NRL except when suspended? Hardly past his best..
.
And if we improve on last years dismal showing then we'll either make the final or finish top.

1: It is not a universal opinion that Lam is not up to the job. I’m cautiously optimistic about what he is trying to do as I think he has a squad better equipped to play the way he wants this year, the jury is still out on that one.

2: A significant number, I would guess including yourself (can’t be bothered to go back and check) spent the last few years telling us how overrated Williams was. Hastings is a very different half who I’d expect to control the team better than Williams did, shame he hasn't got Williams running off him though.

3: If Burgess plays at the level he did last year he’s an improvement of what we had. He has good size and experience and is still only 27. I think he’ll go well for us though some should consider curtailing their expectations. I have a feeling not being outshone by his brothers may benefit him but time will tell.


I think the main point is we don’t know, we can’t judge by a handful of pre season games. What I don’t understand is the constant negativity, try a bit of optimism, it’s actually quite fun.

One thing I can confidently predict is that if we don’t hammer Warrington and play free flowing vibrant rugby from the off a large number of posters, probably including yourself will be straight on this board demanding the coach and half the team are not good enough and should be sacked.

You're still missing the point; nothing, including you being optimistic, is delusional at this stage. It's all opinion and you can CHOOSE to be optimistic or not. Neither are delusional but both ARE choices. You are CHOOSING to be pessimistic since your pessimism is based on nothing but groundless opinion, as indeed would be your optimism should you CHOOSE to be so.

I don't want everyone to have the same opinion. Discussion is good. But discussion only has a point if both parties are open to the opposite point of view. Many, indeed most, posters, including your aforementioned happy clappers, have expressed opinions from both camps. You, on the other hand, are unfailingly negative. Therefore expressing your opinion is pointless as you could do the same job simply by posting a single sticky that said "Whatever the club do, my opinion is that it will fail" Ergo your contrary opinions offer nothing to the debate. You're asking why would I want everyone to have the same opinion. As I say, I don't but I would like something beyond a Monty Python 'Argument Clinic' approach to the debate.

I won't go into your reasons for pessimism as others have already done it, other than to say you have proven my point far better than I ever could. Everyone else's positives are your negatives. QED.

Really looking forward to the opener against Warrington and the season as a whole.
The new signings and our young stars being one year older whets my appetite.
I’ll be putting a small bet on Wigan winning the Grand Final and Challenge Cup to give me an extra interest.
I backed Wigan at 12 to 1 for the former last year and doubt if I will get that price again! In the end it might have well been a million to one as we faded badly in the last two games because we had nothing left in the tank.
I’d love Wigan to win a trophy but I’m sure I’ll enjoy the season even if they don’t because I’m sure they will endeavour to entertain.

I dont go because i like to save my money for other hobbies. That does not mean i do not enjoy watching Wigan and being an armchair supporter of them. I can still have an opinion, we live in a free country.

Even if i wanted to go, i only finish work at 7, sometimes later so getting there would be a rush i do not wish to have to go through when i can come home, make some tea, get changed and switch the TV on and watch the game from the comfort of my home.

“ I enjoy being an armchair supporter of them” that says it all really

Optimism and pessimism are part of life, same as being happy or feeling depressed. They are natural human reactions based on ones own thoughts. My own thoughts are that theres nothing to get excited about with the season ahead. You may disagree and thats fine but im not going to come on here and say we are going to have a great season if i dont genuinely believe that we are. I just dont see anything to be optimistic about. I am sorry if thats not the answer you wanted to hear.

Care to elaborate? Does it make me a bad person or my opinion less worthy?