Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 3:59 pm  

Stu M wrote:

I'm a little bit biased here as one of my best mates was involved working for Wigan with Lam and despite the banter we had and continue to have, I still stick up for him.

What I will say is that Lam was without French and Field for all of last season and if you look at the number of tries scored and the assists from both this season then if you take them out of the current Wigan team, you wouldn't have won the CC or sit 2nd in the league. In 2020 you were inches away from winning the Grand Final having finished top of the league. Lam had a hell of a lot of bad luck despite everything and I know a lot of what went on behind the scenes trust me.

As good as Wigan have been in parts you were less than 4 mins away from losing that CC Final. Things could look very different had that not gone your way.

With all due respect, I fully disagree.

It's easy to paint it as bad luck, but he did sweet FA with the talent he did have fit. Zak, Hastings, Faz, Bateman spring to mind. I then look at the post Lam improvements of Byrne, Smith, Marshall too. I'm not saying that we should have won the league or anything, but it was criminal how little he got out of the lads. Every player has gone up 20/30% since he left and that's not a coincidence imo.

I look at the Salford side that took us to the cleaners in his 1st season and the side we had was better on paper imo. The difference was a game plan and actual coaching etc.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:00 pm  

I watched the Saints v Hudds match after I got back from our game on Friday - Lam was the guest and he made the point that he was 'instrumental' in bringing French and Field in. Probably understandable for him to make that point even if it did come across slightly as sour grapes.

He also fast tracked Havard and Byrne into the first team - we're benefitting from that now. I thought we looked a really good team at times in 2020.

On the flip side there was no excusing what happened last year. The worst year of rugby entertainment Iv ever watched since I started supporting Wigan in 1993. The first time Iv ever switched over and watched Coronation Street. The players weren't happy at all and Peet has been key in getting the morale of the group right again. Some of his comments in the 2nd half of 2021 were borderline delusional and certainly wound me up at the time.

Great player for us - let's just stick with that.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:00 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

With all due respect, I fully disagree.

It's easy to paint it as bad luck, but he did sweet FA with the talent he did have fit. Zak, Hastings, Faz, Bateman spring to mind. I then look at the post Lam improvements of Byrne, Smith, Marshall too. I'm not saying that we should have won the league or anything, but it was criminal how little he got out of the lads. Every player has gone up 20/30% since he left and that's not a coincidence imo.

I look at the Salford side that took us to the cleaners in his 1st season and the side we had was better on paper imo. The difference was a game plan and actual coaching etc.

Mate I agree that Peet has done a good job, he's clearly getting the best out of players. I just think that Lam wasn't as bad as he is made out to be that's all.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:12 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Mate I agree that Peet has done a good job, he's clearly getting the best out of players. I just think that Lam wasn't as bad as he is made out to be that's all.

I just cant see how that was the case tho? We failed to score Vs Leeds, despite having a half decent team out. Hastings bossed the league at Salford, but didn't do anything of note under Lam. He had Niall Evans at FB at Salford FFS and had Zak at FB at Wigan but did absolutely nothing.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 6:49 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I just cant see how that was the case tho? We failed to score Vs Leeds, despite having a half decent team out. Hastings bossed the league at Salford, but didn't do anything of note under Lam. He had Niall Evans at FB at Salford FFS and had Zak at FB at Wigan but did absolutely nothing.

Two things I believe he got right, Field signing and Lam was always bullish of how good and fast he was. Ball playing amongst the young forwards, they all offer a pass and off load.

On the other side he oversaw some of the most soul destroying displays that I have ever witnessed, he turned the experience of watching RL into the sort of torture the Geneva convention outlawed.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 7:20 pm  

I can’t even give Lammy too much credit for the young forwards getting games. The likes of Byrne, Havard and Smithies got their chances, of course they did, but he flogged them to bits at times and he could really have damaged their careers. Thankfully they seem to be coming out the other side now.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 7:29 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Mate I agree that Peet has done a good job, he's clearly getting the best out of players. I just think that Lam wasn't as bad as he is made out to be that's all.

Results say otherwise

[edit]+ entertainment factor[/edit]

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Wed Jul 20, 2022 8:15 pm  

We've scored about 170 pts more already than we did in the entirety of last season when we were the only team to fulfil every fixture, that speaks volumes, whatever happens between now and the end of the season we can't complain about the entertainment on offer

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Thu Jul 21, 2022 5:55 am  

Lam opted to take the 2 when we were 6 points down against Saints in a home game.

Went on to lose 26-2, dreadful spineless coach.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion : Thu Jul 21, 2022 6:39 am  

Stu M wrote:

I'm a little bit biased here as one of my best mates was involved working for Wigan with Lam and despite the banter we had and continue to have, I still stick up for him.

What I will say is that Lam was without French and Field for all of last season and if you look at the number of tries scored and the assists from both this season then if you take them out of the current Wigan team, you wouldn't have won the CC or sit 2nd in the league. In 2020 you were inches away from winning the Grand Final having finished top of the league. Lam had a hell of a lot of bad luck despite everything and I know a lot of what went on behind the scenes trust me.

As good as Wigan have been in parts you were less than 4 mins away from losing that CC Final. Things could look very different had that not gone your way.

Lam great player less so being a coach,
I like it when you point out You take French an Field out we dont score as much you take welsby out and you Poss dont win the final,you Take Marshall out we dont beat you lot in semi and win final,you take Tommy out we dont win the final as he stated the last play you take Batchelor out you dont win the Derby in other words it is irrelevant all this if they dont play scenario as they did and it would pan out differently but we will never know the outcome.
All I know is Peet has got this team playing some brilliant rugby ,Lam didnt. And I believe we are as good as Saints if not better as the only trophy up for grabs we have and we beat Saints on our way.Lets just see how this season pans out who ever wins the Grand Final will be the best team this year.