Wigan Warriors have announced that Shaun Edwards OBE will return to the Club as Head Coach for the 2020 season after signing a three-year contract.

The legendary former Wigan star will join his boyhood Club once again when his commitments with the Wales Rugby Union side come to a close after the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup.

The Club are also excited to announce that Adrian Lam, Wigan’s 2002 Challenge Cup winning halfback, will return to the Club to take up the interim Head Coach position for the 2019 season to replace outgoing Head Coach Shaun Wane.

"Shaun Edwards is a legendary figure in both codes of rugby as a supremely gifted player and as a highly successful Coach," Wigan Warriors Chairman, Ian Lenagan said.

“He is an inspirational figure, a born leader and a winner at everything he has turned his attention to. He also has Wigan Rugby League Club in his blood. We’re delighted to have been able to bring Shaun back to the Club which he represented with such distinction.


“Shaun will undoubtedly inject some fresh ideas and impetus into the game, drawing on his extensive experience in rugby union, and we’re proud to have made such a progressive appointment. We’re looking forward to how he builds on the very strong foundations that we have in place at Wigan.

“Wigan enjoys a global standing within our sport and beyond and, having Shaun at the helm is a shot in arm for the Club and also for the sport of Rugby League and the Super League competition.”

On Adrian Lam’s appointment as interim coach, Lenagan added: “We’re extremely fortunate to have a man of Adrian’s calibre to come into the Head Coach role on an interim basis for the 2019 season.

"Adrian won the hearts and minds of every Wigan fan during his time here as a player and he’s coming to Wigan us as one of Australia’s brightest and most respected coaches having coached the Papua New Guinea national team and with the Sydney Roosters. He’s a great addition - one that myself, Kris Radlinski and Shaun Edwards are extremely enthused about.

“We all feel Adrian will have significant impact on the Wigan team before returning to Australia with the additional experience to be capable of taking up a Head Coach role there.”

Executive Director, Kris Radlinski: “Shaun Edwards is one the sport’s most respected coaches and personalities who will bring with him a wealth of experience to Wigan Warriors.
“His knowledge of Rugby League is still as sharp as it was when he was the leader of Wigan’s finest-ever side as a player, and we think he’ll bring a fresh, innovative approach to our organisation having spent 18 years in Rugby Union. We believe that we have the structures in place for Shaun to thrive as a Rugby League coach and we’re delighted to have him back at the Club.

“Adrian Lam’s reputation as one of Australia’s brightest coaches is one that we as Wigan fans should also be very excited about. There are many parallels with when Michael Maguire came over as an Assistant Coach from the Melbourne Storm to lead the Club, so Adrian’s year with Wigan promises to be an exciting one.”

Perhaps Lam is bringing his son to get a year in the limelight and if he does well they can lever a higher profile gig for both of them.

Fantastic news!!!

I think this in itself creates a problem, perfect world; Both Lams are sensational and we win something, Challenge Cup let’s say, both Lams leave at seasons end and Edwards comes in.

Suddenly we have a huge void to fill at #7. We can’t use our marquee spot as it’s spent on Bateman and GW. Who do we then turn to?

I’m chuffed to bits Lam and Edwards are coming in, as baffled as I am by it but all this does for me is gloss over a huge crack with the Bateman deal and the position it puts us in which is a significantly weaker transfer negotiating position for any new #7. Immediately Edwards starts on the back foot looking for a new 7 instead of having a squad he can pick up and run with.

I think any signings will have the approval of Edwards for this season.

Bateman will be a marquee man in 2021 at the earliest and in could be 2022 if he takes up an option at Canberra so the chances are we’ll have a spot open for two years in 2020 and 2021 anyway. That’s before taking in to account that it’s far from certain Williams will be around on his marquee deal until the point Bateman comes back.

I get that and that there’s no guarantee for GW to keep it - on that I hope next season he explodes back on to the scene! But if Wigan approached you and said we can offer you a marquee for at least 1yr, possibly 2 dependant on when John comes back, it’s not very appealing is it?

It also weakens our negotiating position as I’m sure above a certain salary, the player should be on marquee to keep the squad numbers.

For those in doubt; I genuinely am chuffed Edwards is coming back and that Lam is also coming back. Confused about it but chuffed!

It depends who it is for those one or two years though. Yes we wouldn’t be handing an internal player a marquee deal for just one or two years but why not a big Aussie or Kiwi name to get bums on seats for the years we have a spot open?

If I win the lottery at the weekend expect to see Jonathan Thurston in a Wigan shirt in 2019 and 2020

I suppose so, it’s all hypothetical really. Just got to wait and see what happens!

Woah, it’s my turn to win this weekend pal!

Will the marquee player rule be around in the future? With major chances to come in RL, who knows. I think it was the Rugby Leaguer who questioned the longevity of the marquee rule.

Will Wigan now be looking into the RU market for players? I am sure Edwards will know of plenty players that may make the grade in RL. If there are still dispensations for signing RU players it could be well worth a fishing trip or two.

If they get rid of the marquee allowance they would have to take into account any contracts that are already signed and make allowances for them.