Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:34 pm  

Powell brings more things to the table that you can statistically judge than McIlorum did, so things like tackles, less missed tackles, assists, try’s etc but McIlorum brought more on which you don’t have statistics for, such as his sheer intimidation factor, the force at which he hit in the tackle and the line speed he brought in defence. I loved Micky Mac but Powell’s improvement has been that vast I struggle to split them. I would add that Micky Mac’s attacking numbers would probably have gone up under Lam as well. That’s not a criticism of Wane, it’s just they seem to want different things from their hookers.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:20 pm  

Loved Micky Mac but the decision to move on from him in favour of Powell was a bold but very smart decision by the club.

I also agree with Grimmy’s view on Madge. He was blessed with a 21 year old Sam Tomkins and 27 year old Lockers though. 2 incredible players.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:29 pm  

Why would anyone want a coach back who left at the first chance he got, He's been dead shoddy for half a decade, Why do Wigan fans constantly want to live in the past, First it's bringing back former players, Now it's former coaches Christ on a bike, How can we ever move forward

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:15 pm  

I think one person out of about 12-15 posters has said they’d have him back.

Not exactly Wigan ‘fans’ living in the past.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:04 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I think one person out of about 12-15 posters has said they’d have him back.

Not exactly Wigan ‘fans’ living in the past.

Where's that guy who wanted Kelvin Skerret coaching the forwards when you need him?

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Mon Apr 26, 2021 10:07 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

Deacon was a shrewd signing. We needed both him and Madge at the club at the time as one without the other doesn’t make a Grand Final let alone win it IMO. He was the exact half back we needed.

The fitness of that team was something else, that must have been one gruelling pre season for the lads

Could be the memory playing tricks, but didn't he cancel warm weather pre season camp and take them to some grim part of the UK instead?

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:45 am  

Maguire was the coach we needed at the time but it seems like he can burn out and be too intense for the long term.

I think you could argue for him or Wane being our best coach since Monie (?).

Maguire was the revolution and Wane took over and continued the success over a long period, essentially turning the team over but staying at the top throughout.

I can't see Maguire coming back and I don't think it would be a great idea.

On Powell and McIlorum it's hard to split them now, especially since Powell has become a try machine.

I can't see Catalans winning the cup if they got Powell instead of Micky Mac though, the way they played in that run was him all over.

He was unlucky not to win the Lance Todd that year and his best performances for us were in the biggest games. The 2010 and 13 grand finals spring to mind and the 2014 magic game where he lead a load of kids against Leeds was amazing. I don't think Powell has stood out in that way.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:33 am  

For me, Madge made a huge impact on a team that was packed with talent but severely underperforming.

It was difficult to work out what was wrong with Wigan in the late 2000s. They had so many good young players, and yet, while Mike Gregory's illness was a huge blow and Ian Millward;'s brief tenure seemed to be riddled with behind-the-scenes issues (plus I don't think Millward was that great - I just think he inherited a very well-oiled machine at Saints), Nobby took over with a rep for being one of the best coaches in the UK. And yet he never got us higher than 4th or 5th. He stabilized the ship, but I don't remember us ever really getting a sniff of any silverware.

Maguire changed all that in one off-season. By all accounts he was a real task-master. The stories of pre-season commando training were everywhere. the intense one-to-ones he did with players were legendary.

We were evidently miles fitter than before when we finally took the field. But also the attitude was markedly different. It was that 'search and destroy' attitude that was so exciting about 2010.

Would it work now? Again, it's difficult to say because we've hit our straps early this season, so we need to see where it takes us. It might be a culture shock to some players, though. I hear we're not big on backroom discipline, though to be fair, the ones I heard whispered about have mostly now left.

One thing I do believe is that, burned out in the NRL or not, Madge would still work wonders at clubs like Hull, Huddersfield, Catalans and Warrington, where the raw talent is immense but the attitude and performances are patchy.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Tue Apr 27, 2021 11:21 am  

Today I'd take Powell over McIlorum. He's exactly what we need in terms of the workrate he's getting through in defence, and he's offering more in attack. He's an 80min player too which allows us an extra forward on the bench. I'd also imagine he's taking up less cap space than McIlorum would.

Over the course of their careers I'd easily say McIlorum though, he has been a major influence on us/Catalans for 12 seasons, in teams which have won two Grand Finals and three Challenge Cups. Powell has been a starter for a while but only really been a major influence since last season IMO, which didn't see us win any trophies. Powell can't really point to a performance in a big game on a par with McIlorum in the 2010 Grand Final.

Re: Former coach Michael Maguire : Tue Apr 27, 2021 2:56 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Could be the memory playing tricks, but didn't he cancel warm weather pre season camp and take them to some grim part of the UK instead?

Yes I’m pretty sure it was in Brecon with the army, could be wrong on that though. That must have been a right morale killing meeting. “Right lads, fitness camp in the warmth is gone, you’re off to the freezing Brecon Beacons instead for training with the Army.”

“Cheers Madge”