Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:27 pm  

because having 13 of your first choice 19 out for several weeks and in some cases months or indeed the whole season isnt a reasonable reason for having a poor season?
i think if your were objective you would say it is.
what exactly does 'bucket loads of money' have to do with it?
you really need to let go of that. widnes have exaclty the same scope for spending on players as any other team in the league. SALARY CAP ringing any bells?
we are completely self sufficient, without the need for the chairman to put money in to cover operating costs, whether they be bills, wages or anything else. we have by far the biggest income from sponsorships in the championship, a huge merchandise turnover and the biggest attendances, therefore the most money coming in. steve O connor could walk away tomorrow and the club would be perfectly fine.
of course all his has been pointed out to you and many others a thousand times on these boards. but please just keep believing whatever gives you something to snipe about.

OK lets have a look at this. 13 out of 19 players out injured, firstly was this every year or just one? if it was just one year that meant the other 2 were a poor squad. If it was all three years then you need a whole new back room staff that can condition and treat injured players correctly.

Salary cap can be worked around using creative accounting, sponsorship, and second jobs, and yes it probably happens at a lot of clubs but the more money the chairman has the easier it is. If Steve O connor was to quit the club would he take stobarts sponsorship with him? how much sponsorship do stobarts pay is it relative to other sponsorship packages? or a whole lot bigger. I am not saying this is wrong but if you can't say that if Steve O connor left you would be fine. I would expect he has a lot of muscle gaining sponsorship. Just the crowd now then and you have a fantastic following some thing that cannot be taken away from you and long may it continue, even if you don't make the first round of super league acceptance and have to apply later with all the other clubs.

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:36 pm  

littlerich wrote:

It doesn't read well does it? But deep deep down, you know it's true. If the main pre-requisite was success on the field do you really think nothing would have changed at Widnes over the last two years? You're in MASSIVE denial if not. SOC set out to do what was necessary to get into SL. When you won the NRC that was one door opened. No need to keep wasting his resources by continuing to open the same door. As i've said many a time - not his fault or the fault of Widnes - but totally the fault of the RFL that they have created this situation.

We spent the full £300k cap. What more could he have done other than spend over the cap like you guys?
That's the story now right? You let those players go not because you were broke but because you were given an allowance of £100k more for one year.

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:43 pm  

Chris B wrote:

We spent the full £300k cap. What more could he have done other than spend over the cap like you guys?
That's the story now right? You let those players go not because you were broke but because you were given an allowance of £100k more for one year.

What players? And what did we sign our new players with?

Sorry mate, i know you mean well but your man O'Connor would have won the Championship 3 times if he really had to.

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:54 pm  

Starbug wrote:

Personally I don't think Widnes would have done any better no matter if they had ticked the box or not , in recent years they have been poorly coached and have under performed in a very competitive league

They would have done what was necessary to get into SL. If that meant dipping their heads in radioactive paint they'd have done it. Widnes were going into SL the day after they were rejected last time for going into administration the year before.

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:57 pm  

littlerich wrote:

What players? And what did we sign our new players with?

Sorry mate, i know you mean well but your man O'Connor would have won the Championship 3 times if he really had to.

Branighan and and a few others. It was widely discussed on these boards that a number of players were asked to renegotiate their contracts down or they could be released from their contracts.
At the time it was speculated that this was because of a shortage of cash at your place. Then someone floated the idea that it was actually because you had been given a dispensation from the £300k salary cap and possibly because this was less devastating than having to admit that the club was close to going broke or because it was the truth this was the story that was ran with.

I couldn't guess how many of the Championship clubs are spending up to the limit but you would wager that at least two thirds are. Spending power to build a squad becomes meaningless. That's the whole point of the salary cap. What more could he do?

Sorry for the radical edit but I was struggling after having a few beers last night, whilst trying to use my iphone whilst watching Shutter Island.
Horrible filum..

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:05 pm  

vikingsmurf wrote:

we have by far the biggest income from sponsorships in the championship,

How do you know that?

Re: Wakey to stay full time : Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:26 pm  

littlerich wrote:

Widnes were going into SL the day after they were rejected last time for going into administration the year before.

I'd agree with that