It sounds like there's a decent financial reward on offer, an opportunity to raise our profile through increased media exposure and all the Wigan players are clearly thrilled at the opportunity to go over and test themselves. Opportunities like this makes the club an attractive proposition to any potential future signings and whilst it puts our players in a shop window, it can also sway some of them in to staying here if the club is to provide chances like this for them. If I was a young player or a more experienced lad with an opportunity to sign for Wigan or another club and I was torn before things like this, I certainly wouldn't be now!!

And everyone's getting a cheaper season ticket...winner!!

Except those who would prefer the normal number of home games. If you read it carefully you will realise the finance on offer only covers the cost of the trip "Sponsorship is already secured for the trip...". The sponsorship from sydney.com is for the trip and in return Wigan have that logo on the shirt for the rest of this season and all of the next. Syndey.com haver got a very good deal there. The rest of the blurb about long term benefits is all about [ipotential[/i deals and I have no idea why it puts in the front of the queue for players who are interested in coming to the UK (of which there are very few who are any good anyway). There is nothing concrete here and just as with Millwall, why the club needs to go looking for revenue (which we all know it needs to generate) in far flung places, this time 12,000 miles away and just who in Oz will want to fling cash Wigan's way is a mystery. It may be the biggest rugby league market in the world but the NRL have it taped.

I don't really know how to reply to be honest. Sometimes the club just can't win. How the same people constantly criticising the style of play, entertainment value and coaching methods can then complain they'll miss out on one extra game is beyond me! It should surely be celebrated if it saves the boredom of 80 mins and knocks a few quid off a season ticket.

Each to their own but honestly if I had that many issues with anything and everything involving Wigan Rugby League club I think I'd turn it in.

Its a typical DaveO post, it doesnt really merit a reply

From the official siteI can’t go, how will this affect my season ticket next year?

Season tickets will be priced on 13 games instead of the usual 14 so you will not pay for this game as part of your 2018 season ticket.'"

Minimum regular season home games 11
Minimum super 8 home games 3

Total = 14

less Hull home game

Total = 13

Regards , EW

Sorry yes you're right. My bad!

Loving the news having moved to Oz in 2013 I have only got to see Wigan twice live since. I would rather they did this the following year though as my old man is coming over for the World Cup and would have given him a chance to do this to come back but it's too soon.

Well you could try discussing the points I made instead of making a rather silly point implying we should be happy to miss a game because we are poor.

I can see why NSW tourism has gone for this. For sponsoring a game between two high profile SL teams they get a potential influx for foreign tourists and the chance quite a few domestic fans will pop along. Seems quite a reasonable bit of marketing to me. They aren't the ones expecting long term benefits from this and will be quite happy if they get their projected return on their cash. Once the fans have gone home they will still have spent their money in NSW.

From the Wigan point of view which bit or market research has told the club we are going to be in front of the queue to sign Aussie players? Which bit of market research has identified how many potential sponsors beyond the game there are likely to be, in Australia? Which bit of market research has come up with a figure for potential new fans and supporters of the club and what they will contribute to its revenues going forward? What infrastructure have Wigan got in the marketing department to capitalise on any of this?

To do something like this it ought to be so well researched it is an absolute nailed on certainty that even at the lower end of projections the club will gain substantial benefits. When I see one of those benefits being touted as being at the front of the queue for Aussie players it gives me the impression it's being made up as they go along.

Apologies if this is a typical DaveO post (Gareth) but there you go. It's my opinion.

Both me and you don't have the first clue what research has gone in to this or if it's likely to be financially rewarding. I'm prepared to put my trust in the powers that be though as I believe they've more then earned our trust over the last decade.

Every time I feel negative about how things are going, I let my mind drift back to 2005/6 and I get an overwhelming sense of satisfaction at the position the club is currently in. The owner took the club over with it in an absolute mess from top to bottom. It's currently in pretty good health from top to bottom and if he thinks this is worthwhile then that'll do for me. Is everything perfect? No. Has every decision Lenagan and the management team have made the correct one? No. Are they doing a good job overall though? Without any shadow of a doubt.

I can understand people having reservations about this (I, myself, am ambivalent about it).

But only at Wigan, it seems, could fans then start concluding that this is happening because the chairman is only here to profiteer from the club.

That's a brave accusation given that in his 10 years at Wigan, IL has paid lots of bills and delivered some pretty decent silverware.

But it's also a pretty aggressive accusation. I can honestly say - having watched Wigan since the 1960s - that IL is easily one of our better chairmen, and yet I can't remember one other who has attracted as much flak from certain corners of fandom.

It may be that malcontents have always been there, only now the internet gives them a voice. But I still find it totally baffling.

No we don't know what research has gone into it but that is the same sort of argument that justifies, for example, any signing the club makes despite any reservations from fans. The club must know best. No point discussing it then. Why is this different? If you read what they say about this objectively, they don't say a lot.



Just because we were poor in 2005/6 doesn't give the club a permanent get out of jail card. As you say not everything is perfect and not every decision Lenagan and the management team have made the correct one and I happen to think this isn't a correct one for the reasons I state.

If you want a positive then us beating Salford and so we have a Wigan v Hull Challenge Cup final is a gift for marketing this game between these two teams in Oz. The question is, who to?

It would be even nicer to see their club offer to play the return fixture at some neutral venue. Somewhere where we could help spread the gospel but where there would likely be a possibility of negotiating a deal to offset loss of revenue. Toronto?

Wigan and Hull fans based in the UK and Wigan and Hull fan immigrants in Aus. It's not to grow the game, or any of that nonsense, purely to get a payout from the NSW tourism board.