Assistant coach at NZ Warriors from next season is what I'm hearing FWIW.

It would be just nice for once if some people on here became capable of reasoned arguments.

Why does everything have to be black and white when it comes to Wane.

I think he's done a lot of good in his time. We've got a good young squad who are being shown that you need to work hard for your right to wear the shirt. I also think he's been excellent in the transfer market with Smith, Green & Taylor being very good signings.

However i have to admit i don't like a couple of things he's done/said. I do think we aren't as physical as we were under Madge. I'm not saying we are soft or anything but i don't think we are as relentless or organised as we were in Madge's era.

I also don't love his media skills. I have to admit one of the things that really made me like Madge was his handling of the media. I loved his say nothing to the media style. No need for sound-bites or headline grabbing comments.

But I'm not sure any team will ever have the perfect coach.

While I thought Maguire was the best coach we've had since Monie/Lowe in terms of his effectiveness on the pitch - the press weren't always fans because he'd never say anything, the rest of SL disliked him because he 'introduced wrestling tactics' (rubbish, I know, but it was something we were constantly criticised for), and ultimately he high-tailed it out of here sooner than any of us would have liked, or expected.

It always seems to me that even the most successful coaches fail to tick all the boxes. Look at Tony Smith - clearly a good motivator, tactician, man-manager etc, but dreadful in front of the cameras, especially if his team has lost. A few years ago, Millward and Noble seemed the ideal SL coaches, and yet since then they've been badly exposed at clubs where they hadn't inherited teams that were already of exceptional quality.

I think, in Wane, we've got the sort of guy that SL clubs should be looking to employ. Young, British, and not over-reliant on overseas superstars (okay, I'd like to have some superstars, but that's another conversation). He has still to win 'proper' silverware - the only thing he'll be judged on in due course (probably by IL as much as by the fans) - but we can't really complain about the standard of performances his team is displaying most weeks. And this year it's not as if he's burning up all his resources before the business end; at least not yet.

I like Wane, and simply can't understand the constant belittling that he is subjected to by some fans on here. If it's true that he's currently sizing up an assistant job in the NRL, I don't totally blame him - he wants some job security for next year, and it may be that Wigan will only be satisfied enough to give him another deal if we reach a final. Alternatively, Wigan may be in talks with him and he's trying to force their hand.

Someone commented they'd rather have Tim Sheens. I find that amazing. A 62-year-old Aussie, who knows none our juniors (a local bunch, which by necessity will be the bedrock of the club in the years to come), and who probably goes through the motions when he's coaching Australia.

All that said, if Wigan win nothing this year - again, I feel the management could get twitchy.

I think that's a fair assessment.

Your right that no coach is perfect and it's fanciful to think otherwise. Even Madge who is a truly world class coach, an obviously strewed tactician and excellent motivator did at times fail to put faith in some of the younger players. Wane has obviously done this in his short time at Wigan and it's a massive tick in the box.

I'm happy that we've got Wane and the points that irk me about him could potentially be changed or at least curbed by a word in his ear by IL. I'm sure IL, like many of us, has the odd grimace on his face when he hears some of the stuff that comes out of Wane's mouth. Lets face it IL is the master at keeping things in house and keeping those cards as close to his chest as possible.

And what has that got to do with a coach going the other way?

Who was the last British coach to get a job in the NRL or even the ARL for that matter?!

Interesting. You bite within a minute and claim it as a victory. Oh, well......

I infuriate you more now by signing out.

I don't give a toss about Wanes' (or any coach's) media skills. What matters is what they do at their club in terms of performances, and structural issues such as development of young players, "club culture" and suchlike, and Wane has done a terrific job given all the problems already outlined.

I do wonder, though, whether many of his qualities would readily transfer to another club. Here, he's built on his familiarity with the existing youth setup, and the fact that he's a Wiganer through and through. He knows intimately the strengths and weaknesses of his existing squad, how they best fit into the system and how best to motivate them. I'm not sure he'd have the same success, at least not straight away, with a bunch of strangers.

I hope he stays for a good few years yet.

The other issue is, if he has - as some people say - communication issues, won't those become even more apparent in a foreign land where the accents and culture are radically different?

Don't think it would be the best move for him. Or for us.

I think given how well he's doing with our youth a club like New Zealand Warriors would be ideal for him, incredible potential there being wasted by Elliot.

We have not won a major trophy yet under Wane. Hence why he has put himself 'into the shop window...'


And also why he might not get another contract from Mr Lenegan.

It is expected that he/we, will lift a trophy. That is why 'Nobby' was sacked.

It is no good bragging, when we have become a second second class competition and with all the defections 'downunder', we are getting weaker all the time.

We will see the standard of our game come Autumn.

IMHO our standards have fallen. And that is why 'Sam' will go to pastures new.

The UK game has NOT fought to keep Sam.

I do agree that the game has major problems, which is why I'm glad to see a major structural review in progress, though I fear that is a little like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

But it frustrates me to increasingly see this opinion that 'Shaun Wane is only winning each week because the rest of the competition is so dire'. That's a very contrived and spurious position to take, IMO. We could just as easily apply it to the time when Madge was in charge - that was only two years ago. Wane can only beat what's in front of him, and in most cases he does that very convincingly. I agree that he really needs to claim some major silverware now, but it's wrong to keep dissing the guy before this year's main cup competitions have even got going.

Shaun Wane will appeal to the NZW due to him getting Wigan to the top of the league and keeping them there. He has lost senior players, replaced them and still Wigan are top of the League.
His pack is now very big and will get bigger when A Powell joins the club. They are also aggressive without being illdisciplined yet skillful. Wigan has a good youth structure yet is nothing compared to number of players available in NZ.
It won't have gone un noticed either that his team are playing very fast, skillfull, entertaining and best of all winning Rugby.
After SW's comments about having the desire to coach in the NRL I'm sure a guy as smart as Shaun won't have come out with all that if it wasn't already a done deal. NZW are joint bottom of the NRL and the chances of Elliot being there next years are probably minus zero.
If he goes good luck and good fortune to him.