Mate, you're watching a different game to me. Our attack is on par with Wane's team at best. We have scored some scintillating tries, but not at a higher frequency than under Wane.

Everything else is worse.

I understand Lam has been hamstrung by a lack of investment, but the prospect of watching a side coached by this balloon for 2 more years, is not wetting the appetite.

We have been far better to watch in attack this season than in any season under Waney, despite the obvious injury situation. Go back to the injury ravaged seasons of 2 & 3 years ago (such as when Wakey beat us 62-0) because otherwise you’re comparing apples with oranges.
Our attack against Catalan and in the 1st half versus Cas was some of the best rugby I’ve seen from Wigan for a very long time. Defensively we’ve been poor but we have now conceded just 1 try (from a kick) in the last two games.

Lam has not had a fair crack at it yet and your ‘balloon’ comment typifies that fact. We need to judge him when we’ve at least had some consistency in the squad. If we get some consistency and the rugby is still hit & miss, then I’ll accept it might be a coaching issue.

We won the gf in 2016...

Correct, which is exactly my point. We had a spell where we couldn’t buy a win that year but we turned it around. I’m not saying that’ll happen again but we need to judge Lammy when he’s been able to choose a consistent squad. That is my only pointing this thread really.

I keep hearing it said that the squad isn't much different to the one that won the GF last year. That's all good and well but it's completely irrelevant if you can't play them! Last night only 5 of the starting team was from last year's Grand Final 17. On the bench we had 3 more. That's a total of 8, or in other words, less than half of the players who played in the final. Just to give that further perspective, the situation has at times been even worse than that with one particular match only having 3 of the GF winning team able to take the field!

BRW makes the point that people are currently comparing apples and oranges and I have to say that is the most accurate comment I've read so far on this thread. Whether Lam can turn it round (as Wane had to in previous seasons) is the true test. I'm not convinced we have the squad available even when fully fit. However, I do know that the Easter period is not the time to be judging this. I've seen enough flat games over this period from championship winning teams to know that with absolute certainty.

Lam doesn’t have the experience or the players to turn this season around, the only thing left to play for is the Challenge Cup and the only way we would do well in that is if we got a new coach ASAP and signed a couple of forwards.

The reality is that we are not going to sign any new players mid season unless someone does something stupid a al Joel.

Lam was always on a hiding to nothing this year. He has a remit to change to a more expansive style of play but doesn’t have the playing personnel to do so.

I don’t think anyone would disagree we need investment in the pack, until we do so then the only style of play that will suit us is the Shayne Wane one.

I’ve seen plenty of signs that Lam is attempting to be more expansive however we don’t have the dominant pack to implement that change properly. I hope Lam signs for a further 2 years, one he has had a chance to bring in a few players who will complement what he is trying to do then I will judge him but that won’t be this season.

Someone has done something stupid, Gabe Hamlin, so we are a prop short.

He's had 14 games of his 29 game tenure. I reckon that's enough.

I totally agree with you. That Catalan game was one of the most exciting attacking displays I’ve seen from Wigan in the last five to ten years. The first twenty minutes at Cas likewise until the injury crisis intensified.

People tend to sensationalise too much in sport and never look at the bigger picture. The same people who want Lam gone probably wanted Wane gone, probably wanted Madge gone etc. Lam hasn’t had a settled 17 nor have things been settled off the pitch either but all of that should help him in the future.

I remember on here last year everyone was saying they couldn’t see where our next win was coming from, the season was over, everyone should leave they’re all an embarrassment then come October everyone’s happy again.

I bet every opposition player licks their lips at the thought of playing Wigan

How much experience had Michael Maguire had before coming here?
How much experience had Justin Holbrook had before going to Saints?
How much ex had Steve Price had before going to Wire?
How much experience had Shaun Wane had before becoming head coach?

Lam has been coaching since 2005. That’s 14 years. He’s been head coach of PNG national side and is still an assistant coach to the Australia first team. His previous role was assistant coach at the current NRL champions and I’d say he’s served his apprenticeship and is due a fair shot as a head coach. The problem he’s got is the the majority of Wigan fans are not patient enough to give him a fair shot.

He’s had 14 games, for me the problems run deeper than just playing a bit crap and losing a few games. Enough time has passed now to make a decision.

You quote Magiure, Holbrook and Price as examples of how inexperienced assistants go on to head coaches roles and achieve good starts and in doing so gave my argument creedence. All those did well, Lam isn’t, that’s a fact and that defeats your own argument.

Years in a job does mean experience but doesn’t mean it’s good experience or valuable experience. I could go and be assistant coach for Australia and put that on my CV and think I’m fantastic but it’s different when it’s your name in the coach’s job and it all rests on you, that’s the true test of a coaches ability, not whether he was a good assistant or even good player and judging him on that he’s failing.

Hardaker looks to be trying but not gelling with the team, is he an outcast? Same can be said with Bullock. Are there factions in the squad? If there are they need addressing by the coach.

We look like a team that is poorly coached, we lack any sort of organisation and direction on the field. What targets is he setting the players? How is he getting the players up for games? Is he coming up with great game plans but the players are incapable or unwilling to carry out the game plan? If so then he needs to deal with it. I understand his hands may be tied on some things and he’s only signed a 1 year deal and that won’t give him the respect a coach may get if they were in the job permanently, this is and always has been a job interview or trial to put his coaching in the shop window and he’s failing on the basics. Sorry but he needs to go.

How many times has he been able to pick his strongest side?
How many times has he been missing 5, 6 even 7 nailed on picks?
How many times have we finished with 17 fit players come the end of the game?

Even under Shaun Wane at this stage of the season with this sort of inexperienced team we would be struggling, see 2016 and 2017 as evidence of that.

Personally, I would give him a 3 year deal and task him with turning the ship round ala Brian Noble in 2006. Unless of course someone as successful as Noble was becomes available.

weve lost the same amount of games now than we did in 2016