It's been split from the Mike Cooper thread as there were 30 odd posts in a row off topic. No problem if you want to discuss the merits/shortcomings of Wigan and Sts relative to one another, but please confine it to here so other topics can be discussed elsewhere without descending into the usual.

which to be honest Stu that is what we want a honest debate and if you want to comment do so.
I seem to have lost a couple of posts regarding your last comment.

Yep a few disappeared when I split the topic. Sorry about that.

Having a Wigan and Saints thread is probably needed. Loads of threads are going back to that us vs them debate but it’s not surprising. Love it or hate it, we have to measure ourselves against them because they’ve been the best side for the past few seasons and realistically it feels like it’s only them stopping us having an amazing chance to do a double or even treble. So if we sign a player, it results in conversations about how that player will help close the gap to Saints, we discuss a game and it turns it to looking at positives and negatives around details that will help or hinder us closing the gap to Saints, a disciplinary debate turns in right comparisons between our incidents and there’s and so on and on and on.

I enjoy it tbh, I think it shows we’ve closed the gap somewhat that Saints fans feel the need to jump in and comment on certain points but I get why it becomes tedious to others. The rivalry lost some of its magic IMO around 2004/5 until recently because there have been long spells where one side has been dominant over the other and for the game as a whole, that’s not good. It feels like the fixture is getting in to a place now where there will be huge anticipation before fixtures and that’s great. It makes those Derby days the occasion they should be. We’ve work to do to go in to one as the favourite or an evens chance but we’re getting there.

Ok,some of my best work went

Speaking of things that level the playing field, looks like Woolf now all but confirmed as leaving for the Dolphins - assistant to Bennet for 2023 and 2024, head coach from 2025: https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/sta ... pmljjM03vQ No Woolf and no Roby is a big shift for us for next year.

Speaking of things that level the playing field, looks like Woolf now all but confirmed as leaving for the Dolphins - assistant to Bennet for 2023 and 2024, head coach from 2025: https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/sta ... pmljjM03vQ No Woolf and no Roby is a big shift for us for next year.

You'd have to be a complete numpty not to get a title challenge out of the squad St Helens have - I certainly don't think there would be a Cunningham esque meltdown if Wellens took over.

Roby is doing another year.

Correct. It's the reason we pulled out of the verbal agreement we had with Dwyer.

As for Woolf, it'll be sad to see him go but it's also exciting to see Wellens take the job on. There'll always be the fear of another Cunningham scenario happening but I feel like Wellens is more prepared and has a bigger and better standing within the game than Cunningham had.

Someone mentioned Peet and Watson battling it out but what about Peet and Wellens. Two locals lads head to head coaching their boyhood clubs at the top. Can't ask for better than that as far as the derby goes.

He’s also got a far far better side than the one Cunningham took on. I’m not sure the worst coach in the league could fail to make you extremely competitive. Guys like Roby, Lomax, Makinson and Knowles won’t let standards slip. He’s really lucky in that regard Wellens.

I bet Adrian Lam could...

I’d love to see it!

So difficult to judge what type of job Lam has done at Leigh. I think anybody on here could throw that group of players out in the championship and get similar results.