Re: Ian Millward : Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:54 pm
Jukesays wrote:
I agree that his mismatches arent correct, it was FAR FAR WORSE than portrayed above. I'm not going to make those comparisons as I cant bring myself to type some of the names involved.
PS Brown played centre the majority of 04/05
What is correct is this
Even when we were slightly more successful a few years earlier the transfer policy still seemed to be let's get who can as quick as we can, which was ok when we had the Rads, Connolly,Cassidy,Farrell,o'Connors/Betts of the world to back them up.
When we lost those players circa 2003 thru end of 2004 it was a disaster waiting to happen.
And the transfer policy coupled with the alarming lack of an organised pathway for youth development was exposed.
Now then, there was some bad luck couple dwith that in terms of injuries etc.
But it took until 2008 (and anyone who was at the Deanery high school fans forum can probably vouch for this) for the whole thing to be unpicked and new systems, processes, youth development pathways and probably as importantly as anything else the salary cap distribution between the top players evened out better and co tracts run down and renegotiated for it all to turn round.
The mess of 2005/6/7 was turned around in 2008/9 and was paramount to the fortunes and success of 2010 onwards.
Best thing to happen to Wigan RLFC in 30 years at that point.
PS Brown played centre the majority of 04/05
What is correct is this
Even when we were slightly more successful a few years earlier the transfer policy still seemed to be let's get who can as quick as we can, which was ok when we had the Rads, Connolly,Cassidy,Farrell,o'Connors/Betts of the world to back them up.
When we lost those players circa 2003 thru end of 2004 it was a disaster waiting to happen.
And the transfer policy coupled with the alarming lack of an organised pathway for youth development was exposed.
Now then, there was some bad luck couple dwith that in terms of injuries etc.
But it took until 2008 (and anyone who was at the Deanery high school fans forum can probably vouch for this) for the whole thing to be unpicked and new systems, processes, youth development pathways and probably as importantly as anything else the salary cap distribution between the top players evened out better and co tracts run down and renegotiated for it all to turn round.
The mess of 2005/6/7 was turned around in 2008/9 and was paramount to the fortunes and success of 2010 onwards.
Best thing to happen to Wigan RLFC in 30 years at that point.
We certainly did have a lot of experienced players retire or leave at the same time but it was also around this time players like Hock, Hansen and Lockers arrived on the scene. Brown was hailed as something special as will (with Stevo buying him a watch for what he thought was a MoM performance). There were other young players making their way through back then such as Goulding so I don't think it's fair to say there was no planning. We had a good production line back then some of whom went on to provide the backbone of Madge and Wanes teams. If there was a failing it was lack of an experienced side for them to slot into.
Recruitment, transfer policy and planning remains a hot topic now under IL. The fact Lockers and Tommy have gone on as long as they have is just as bad a bit of succession planning as anything under the previous regime. Giving Clubb a two year extension hardly went without more than a few negative comments. That's three senior players who should have hung up their boots by now. As to people pointing out Moran as an awful signing, what about the farce that was the signing of Andy Powell under IL?
It's pretty easy to point to failings of past regimes but the current one is not without its faults.
As to players who were brought in back in 2006 there were some dire panic buys but what was striking about 2006 was a change of coach and the addition of two players, Fielden and Dobson, completely turned the teams performances around. They didn't replace the entire team. I bet Millward was more than a bit miffed he wasn't given those two players to add to his team when the wheels were coming off.