When Wigan dominated

[superten]

I started  a similar thread regarding this era . I started with late 80s early 90s when the British had the best two club sides in the world with Wigan and Widnes . So many big games involved the two teams Wigan v Manly 1987 , Widnes v Canberra 89 and Wigan v Penrith 91 . Also Wigan v Australia 1990 25.000 plus and Widnes v Australia Widnes ran them close . 29,000 PLUS for Wigan v Widnes at Central park and that was a midweek night game .    

[Wigan Riversider]

Was a good era yet so long ago

[Trojan]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

Yes indeed, refs do make mistakes. in addition, fans do see  errors that don't exist. As well as that , some fans conclude that refs are prejudiced against their team. Some even think that refs are under instruction from above to favour one team over  another. Fortunately, such fans do not post on here.

As a subject rather than an object, it's easy to scoff.  I've never forgotten that evening.  As is happens i was standing with my workmates who were from Wigan and had come over especially for the game, and they all agreed that Bibb had scored.  It wasn't a mistake it was a perverse decision. One of many that as Fev fans we were encouraged to "get over it."  Perhaps if it hadn't happened quite so often, my team wouldn't be playing in the Championship. but in SL.  Even last season, when we had such a good run to the final we had to play away in France and away in Canada in the same week.  But we have to "get over it"! 

[meast]

26 minutes ago, Trojan said:

As a subject rather than an object, it's easy to scoff.  I've never forgotten that evening.  As is happens i was standing with my workmates who were from Wigan and had come over especially for the game, and they all agreed that Bibb had scored.  It wasn't a mistake it was a perverse decision. One of many that as Fev fans we were encouraged to "get over it."  Perhaps if it hadn't happened quite so often, my team wouldn't be playing in the Championship. but in SL.  Even last season, when we had such a good run to the final we had to play away in France and away in Canada in the same week.  But we have to "get over it"! 

Is this the same reason that Featherstone weren't "allowed" in super league?

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Wigan Riversider said:

Was a good era yet so long ago

Not convinced it was a better era than now really

Just the Aussies have steamed so far ahead it makes it look worse 

I wish we could have maybe 3 new teams win SL over the next few years 

[Trojan]

36 minutes ago, meast said:

Is this the same reason that Featherstone weren't "allowed" in super league?

There must have been a reason.  We weren't in a relegation place, we were CC semi finalists (25K at Elland Road)   but we missed out in favour of London and Paris St Germaine

[fieldofclothofgold]

7 hours ago, bobbruce said:

Not together though

After all these years I can only now marvel at that Offiah try against Leeds and that great athlete Hanley taunting the Halifax defence 

[Tonka]

This reminds me of a colleague of mine who said Alex Ferguson’s success could be put down to one word: cheating. 

Which I thought was a little much.

 I don’t know whether Wigan got the rub of the green or not truth be told but I don’t think that’s the story of that team in the 80s and 90s.  Generally I agree it’s not good to have one team so dominant although it’s never sat entirely comfortably with me that, when Wigan were a club with national fame and recognition, the decision was to level out the sport downwards so that no team could dominate.  Maybe that’s the only realistic approach financially but I always thought Wigan should be emulated as an example of how to be successful.  
 

But anyway...

[Wigan Riversider]

53 minutes ago, Trojan said:

There must have been a reason.  We weren't in a relegation place, we were CC semi finalists (25K at Elland Road)   but we missed out in favour of London and Paris St Germaine

Murdoch had no interest in UK rugby league. He saw a gap in the summer sports market for his TV channels and made his offer in 1995.

I felt for Fev, Widnes, Keighley and Sheffield at the time. 

[JohnM]

2 hours ago, Trojan said:

As a subject rather than an object, it's easy to scoff.  I've never forgotten that evening.  As is happens i was standing with my workmates who were from Wigan and had come over especially for the game, and they all agreed that Bibb had scored.  It wasn't a mistake it was a perverse decision. One of many that as Fev fans we were encouraged to "get over it."  Perhaps if it hadn't happened quite so often, my team wouldn't be playing in the Championship. but in SL.  Even last season, when we had such a good run to the final we had to play away in France and away in Canada in the same week.  But we have to "get over it"! 

Give over. Shoulder-chips are not a good look.

[Trojan]

20 hours ago, Tonka said:

This reminds me of a colleague of mine who said Alex Ferguson’s success could be put down to one word: cheating. 

Which I thought was a little much.

 I don’t know whether Wigan got the rub of the green or not truth be told but I don’t think that’s the story of that team in the 80s and 90s.  Generally I agree it’s not good to have one team so dominant although it’s never sat entirely comfortably with me that, when Wigan were a club with national fame and recognition, the decision was to level out the sport downwards so that no team could dominate.  Maybe that’s the only realistic approach financially but I always thought Wigan should be emulated as an example of how to be successful.  
 

But anyway...

But they nearly went bust in 1996

[Trojan]

20 hours ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

After all these years I can only now marvel at that Offiah try against Leeds and that great athlete Hanley taunting the Halifax defence 

Offiah was a great player. And very quick. But the try at Wembley against Leeds was Alan Tait's fault.  He was poorly positioned.  He was very quick in attack, and good under the high ball, but Chris Bibb or Steve Hampson left him standing when it came to using the touchline as an extra defender.

[Trojan]

18 hours ago, JohnM said:

Give over. Shoulder-chips are not a good look.

Easy to say when it's never  your team that's on the wrong end of these "mistakes"

[Allora]

On 10/06/2020 at 17:11, Oxford said:

Aren't the Australians still talking about Ashes decisions from the 1950s.

In fact I'm sure there's an Aussie book that's only about wrong doings of the past. And they have the nerve to call us whinging Poms, the cheek!

The people that saw that game would be dead by now. 

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Trojan said:

Easy to say when it's never  your team that's on the wrong end of these "mistakes"

I rest my case. 

[Cerulean]

22 hours ago, JohnM said:

Give over. Shoulder-chips are not a good look.

There are many - Google it: there are too many to link - studies which prove that referees show bias. Big teams, big names, reputations, teams with the largest crowds, home teams, crowd density, and even the colour red. These are detailed serious studies, peer reviewed, and verifiable, and no one should be surprised.

The chip on the shoulder is justified.

And how does a sport deal with the problem? As with attempting to maintain the integrity of politicians - by constant vigilance.

The chip on the shoulder is not only justified, it is necessary.

[Niels]

I think they were the best ever club team, but it was rugby union that benefited most afterwards from their legacy. 

I think that's possibly why they don't get as much credit as they deserve. 

 

[JohnM]

26 minutes ago, Cerulean said:

There are many - Google it: there are too many to link - studies which prove that referees show bias. Big teams, big names, reputations, teams with the largest crowds, home teams, crowd density, and even the colour red. These are detailed serious studies, peer reviewed, and verifiable, and no one should be surprised.

The chip on the shoulder is justified.

And how does a sport deal with the problem? As with attempting to maintain the integrity of politicians - by constant vigilance.

The chip on the shoulder is not only justified, it is necessary.

I really don't think its a problem...other than to Trojan. If it wasn't that. he'd find something else to complain about how Featherstone we cheated out of something or other by someone or other.

[Jao 711]

On 10/06/2020 at 11:02, del capo said:

  Reputations  are sometimes not warranted. He could  both give it and take it  at a time when the game was far more . '  robust ' .

People are often surprised  by the fact that the little fella  was only ever sent off once  in his whole career and then  , if my fading memory is correct , got  either a not guilty or SOS  in front of BBC cameras at the tribunal at Chapeltown Road.

Sent off at Widnes after Kurt Sorenson accused him of biting his arm as he was attempting suffocate him.(Very early in the game of course.) Iremember a Widnes supporter saying “It’s in the bag” however it wasn’t because Wigan won with twelve men and no favours from the referee who I think was Colin Morris who had a bit of history with Andy.

[Wigan Riversider]

1 hour ago, Jao 711 said:

Sent off at Widnes after Kurt Sorenson accused him of biting his arm as he was attempting suffocate him.(Very early in the game of course.) Iremember a Widnes supporter saying “It’s in the bag” however it wasn’t because Wigan won with twelve men and no favours from the referee who I think was Colin Morris who had a bit of history with Andy.

I went to that game. 

Greg was also sent off after trampling on Nick Du Toit in a Lancashire Cup Final playing for Wire in 1985() at Knowsley Road. 

[Oldbear]

On 10/06/2020 at 06:55, superten said:

I started  a similar thread regarding this era . I started with late 80s early 90s when the British had the best two club sides in the world with Wigan and Widnes . So many big games involved the two teams Wigan v Manly 1987 , Widnes v Canberra 89 and Wigan v Penrith 91 . Also Wigan v Australia 1990 25.000 plus and Widnes v Australia Widnes ran them close . 29,000 PLUS for Wigan v Widnes at Central park and that was a midweek night game .    

I still think that the Wigan v Manly game in 87 was the best game I ever saw live. 37,000 at Central Park, the atmosphere was electric. That stadium was a real dump but there was something special about it when there was a big crowd on. In the end it was good that one team dominating came to an end, but I wished it would have been purely because everyone else got a lot better and catching Wigan, instead of everyone else getting a little better and Wigan falling back to the pack.

[Cerulean]

15 hours ago, JohnM said:

I really don't think its a problem...other than to Trojan. If it wasn't that. he'd find something else to complain about how Featherstone we cheated out of something or other by someone or other.

It seems to me that Trojan is a serious fan of the game, with a long term involvement, keen to discuss every possible aspect of Rugby League, adding intelligent and thoughtful contributions to many discussions. If he or she comments from a perspective seen through the lens of his or her own club, he or she is hardly alone.

Those who support the lower clubs, in any sport, do not do so in the expectation of success. We take what comes and treasure occasional success. I tire of those supporters of the big clubs - no idea if you belong to this group - who believe the status of their own team confers some sort of superiority to their comments. Hardly a position which stands up to scrutiny.

[Wigan Riversider]

13 hours ago, Oldbear said:

I still think that the Wigan v Manly game in 87 was the best game I ever saw live. 37,000 at Central Park, the atmosphere was electric. That stadium was a real dump but there was something special about it when there was a big crowd on. In the end it was good that one team dominating came to an end, but I wished it would have been purely because everyone else got a lot better and catching Wigan, instead of everyone else getting a little better and Wigan falling back to the pack.

Think it became a real dump particularly after the sale of 1997 but new stand opened in1991 to me improved the stadium a lot. 

Agree with rest of your post absolutely. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

I liked the pies at Central Park and always looked forward to going to derbies.

I’ve always wondered whether Wigan fans would prefer a home of their own in the future when the DW stadium has run it’s course?

[JohnM]

We have a home of our own.