Kris Radlinksi has promised Wigan will “do justice” to the memory of Maurice Lindsay.
The Warriors executive director says the club will try to take full advantage of the opportunity to win the trophy he was most synonymous with when they face Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Lindsay, the legendary former Wigan chairman, died aged 81 last Tuesday.
An experienced sports administrator, he also served as Great Britain team manager, Rugby Football League president and chief executive, chairman of the Rugby League International Board and chief executive of Super League.
Radlinski insists that without Lindsay’s vision to create Super League in 1996, the sport would be “semi-professional at best”.
He said: “I was expecting it to be big news but the enormity of it, the comments that have come from around the world crediting him as a visionary and a pioneer, have been unbelievable. He made some controversial calls along the way and he wound some people up.
“But he ultimately had the game’s best interests at heart. He adored the sport, and he wanted Wigan and all of us to be huge and have a major profile.
“He’s the most charismatic man I’ve ever met. He was a showman; he held every single room in the palm of his hand.
“I remember visiting him in hospital because he’d had a fall and nurses were running round doing everything he asked of them. He had a certain manner that was unique.
“From a Chairman, playing under him, you knew who controlled the club, he was some character.
“He could sell ice to the Eskimos. When he offered you a contract, you knew you were taking it – there was no negotiating.
“But beneath that tough exterior there was a great man. Rugby league owes him a great debt. Without Maurice Lindsay, a lot of what we have today doesn’t exist. For that, we should all be thankful.”
Ken Davy, chair of Super League said: “Super League sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Maurice at this very sad time.
“His impact on the game cannot be overstated. Rugby League in this country wouldn’t be in the position it is now without him and his vision for the sport.”
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