Exactly, the standards are set and remain within the club. Rather than the standards are set at the top and run through everything they do i think at a club like Wigan the standards are set at the under 16s and run through to the first team, every single one of them first team players know there are ten lads with the desire to take that first team spot away from them so the standards are set from the bottom up

1. Radlinski (GB, England international)
2. Wane (multiple GF winner as coach)
3. O'Loughlin (GB, England international, multiple GF winner)

The hierarchy at Wigan are all ex-Wigan. They haven't suddenly gone shopping for "outsiders". They have trusted their own. When Peet was given the coaching job most from outside of Wigan said who?
I'm afraid there are no easy answers for doing similar at Wire.

"Exactly, the standards are set and remain within the club. Rather than the standards are set at the top and run through everything they do i think at a club like Wigan the standards are set at the under 16s and run through to the first team, every single one of them first team players know there are ten lads with the desire to take that first team spot away from them so the standards are set from the bottom up"

I find this is closer to the nub of bridging the gap. When junior teams from Wire area play those from Wigan are we still finding there is a gap. I would love to spend time in the schools & in local rugby to try to put my finger on what needs to be done. Whenever we get a decent team at Warrington (say at U16 level) we play Wigan ... and find it tough. Wire won't buy our way (long term) out of this problem.

They also have that winning culture of breaching the salary cap 3 times and buying their way out of relegation. Scum.

Wigan love-in needed redressing - making me bilious.

Regardless of what club does what the culture that grew at our club in the past needs to be 100% eradicated. It did start to Change when Smith came in but then stalled, I’m not sure why but my theory was what was already embedded within the club we never completely removed it. Jobs for the boys etc and back room staff or staff in the office we still had links with the past.

Now this is only me theorising but that’s how I see it. With the appointment of Chambers as DoR and some of the changes he has helped to make we can be the club some hope for, it’s just going to take time. Where it will be hard to compete with Wigan is they have a bigger catchment when it comes to schools rugby and are a lot longer established at bringing them through.

Chambers is over at Vegas now sorcing training facilities for the team.
Glad we are taking it very seriously.

Wigan fan in peace, I like reading this board as there are some really balanced and sensible views and some really good discussions.

Not sure about the bit in bold you have said, I don't think it is because there is a bigger catchment when it comes to the schools as such, Wigan often venture out much further afield than just local schools and that is something that all clubs could do.

One thing that Wigan do do really well is the pathway to being a Wigan player, they have the futures programme (age 14) which takes players from amateur clubs and puts them all together for an intense programme to see what the players are like, often these are assisted by coaches of the local clubs, under the guidance of Wigan coaching staff, further local club coaches can attend sessions with the Wigan coaching staff to see how the club train and build a winning culture.

So the pathway that is built at Wigan often starts at the local clubs and the kids coming through have already been coached in the 'Wigan way' before they are even signed on at the club, I don't know the pathways at Warrington but to build that culture of young kids wanting to put their bodies on the line for the club, it has to start at an early age and the club cascading that down to the local clubs and schools is a key part of that.

Good post I liked reading that, of course I don’t know the full workings of how Wigan get the kids through I just know from history they are better than we have been at this. I am just hopeful it’s a path we can start to take, think it was a few years ago when Saints came and swooped up a load of kids and I was thinking at the time why have we allowed this but then we were still in the trying to buy a win phase.

Just for context regarding that Saints raid - we've got Taylor-Wray, Lindop and Holroyd about to become first team regulars and all three are top drawer players. The Rylands side that Saints scooped up - correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think one of them is anywhere close to the Saints first team.....and they've had Waqa Blake in the side.

Which is a fair point, BUT I'd like a set up where we are geared up for having 'first dibs' on local talent.

If you have a good set up with good progression from juniors through to first team and that ‘first dibs’ will follow. I think the club have been too quick to plug perceived gaps in the squad from outside, rather than focusing on the talent coming through. The key of course is having that quality in place, no point throwing a kid in for the sake of it - it all needs to be aligned


Warrington have the PDP (Player Devlopment Pathway) from u12’s (high school) onwards, which is open to players in Warrington and beyond. I know Wigan and Saints do similar. As the players progress through the system a select number I.e the best prospects will be invited to join tailored training sessions. PDP sessions remain open to everyone though through to U16’s I think. At which point players can join up with a programme at Priestly College I think.

In terms of Wigan, I like the idea of the club coaches being involved - not sure how much of that goes on at the Wire.

All SL clubs do the pathway, nothing new there, just depends which tracksuit the young kids want to wear, I’ve seen lads on scholarship turn up with their scholarship clubs gear on for their community clubs games, not a good look

I think it is more based on how Wigan do the pathway by also involving local club coaches and holding sessions for coaches, that then is taken back to the amateur club and taught to the kids.

I would imagine a Warrington youngster would dream of wearing home town colours unless they were a fan of a different club and for them seeing a clear pathway to first grade is essential, first team success also plays a part as well as all want to win when playing sports, but there is a lot of pride in making at your home town club and I think those who come through the pathway at Wigan can see that it does work whereas I am not sure it is reflected the same at other clubs

They also use community club coaches as well, for quite a while now , not just a Wigan thing

Wigan's great success over the years has been special. But if Bevan French was suddenly transferred to another top clubs the big games might be a bit more competitive. So they have also made some excellent recruits to add to their Wigan born ones.

Yes exactly. I made this point recently on another thread. Their recruitment has been excellent for the last 5 years. Not that many duffers in this list which have won 1 or more GFs.

2019 - French
2021 - Field
2022 - Miski
2022 - Ellis
2022 - Mago
2023 - Wardle
2023 - Dupree
2023 - King (loan)
2024 - Keighran
2024 - Thompson
2024 - Leeming

Then you think in the same period we have signed the likes of the following, none of which you could call a success.

2019 - Tasi
2019 - Akauola
2019 - Mamo
2019 - Matt Davies
2019 - Jason Clark
2020 - Gelling
2020 - Brand
2020 - Kibula
2021 - Inglis
2022 - Dudson
2022 - Matautia
2022 - Bullock
2022 - Holmes
2022 - Minikin
2022 - Magoulias
2022 - Mikaele
2023 - McGuire
2023 - Russell
2023 - Kasiano
2024 - Musgrove
2024 - Dwyer
2024 - Bruines

There are a lot of "misses" there but, to be fair, we have made some great signings in Ashton, Dufty, Vaughan, Walker, Williams, Nicholson, Fitzgibbon.

I get your point but you could have picked some better Wire recruits than that so it didn't look quite so bad & I'm sure Wigan must have signed the odd duffer. For example in 2019 Wigan recruited Bullock, Hardaker & Sammut.
French & Field are the two diamonds that I was thinking of.

I listed Ashton, Dufty, Vaughan, Walker, Williams, Nicholson, Fitzgibbon. Who else, signed in the last 5 years, would you add to that list? Have I missed a diamond? Maybe Harrison.

I guess my general point is that our recruitment has been pretty average at best for a while and I missed off Widdop and Luther Burrell. Former was past it, the latter never had it.

You missed our greatest ever signing Roy Asotasi or was it to painful to mention

Ha Ha i just looked at the last 5 years. If we widen it to 10 years big Roy will be on the list alongside a lot of other turkey signings.

I think we need to face facts - our recruitment has not been great.

Yep we have bought some duffers who haven't lasted long. Good idea to look at other clubs' recruitment too. We obviously remember Wire failures but I bet if you looked at Leeds, Hull, Huddersfield & others you'd see a few clangers too.

I didn't pick up these names on original list.

Without a doubt but other clubs could cover it up better than us because we had that buying a win tag on us and everyone including the other clubs fans would pick up on it. That tag was with us for a long time but I like to think that’s going to be in the past now.

Agent: Don’t worry Roy I know a club that will take you and pay you what you want.