karlpejera: Wigan silent as rival coaches voice concern over tackles and tactics

An alleged tip sheet explains why certain Warrior techniques under Michael Maguire have been criticised

Russell Crowe is the latest member of the Michael Maguire fan club, having headhunted the Wigan coach to take charge of his South Sydney Rabbitohs next season. But to rival Super League coaches, players and administrators Maguire remains a divisive figure because of the tactics, and, specifically, tackling techniques, that underpinned Wigan's rapid rise last season from the chasing pack to a first Grand Final win since 1998.

That situation has intensified since some tip sheets from the Australian's first season at Wigan began to circulate several weeks ago. The sheets, which have been seen by the Guardian, seem to confirm what most Super League coaches suspected, and several suggested ? that the team's success was built on a hyper-aggressive attitude to defence that had never been seen in this country. Wigan accept that at least one tip sheet is in circulation but say that one version may have been doctored. Regardless, the tone, set at the top of the first page, simply reflects the attitude that drove Wigan to the dominant position they once took for granted: "Together we all HUNT like a pack of hungry dogs."

It is the way in which Maguire has had his Warriors hunting that continues to fuel so much resentment ? or sour grapes, from Wigan's point of view. It is a near repeat of the controversy that accompanied the success enjoyed by his former employers, Melbourne Storm, where he was a key member of Craig Bellamy's support staff as they reached four consecutive Grand Finals from 2006-09 (although there is no suggestion that Wigan are cheating the salary cap, as the Storm were later found to have done).

One Sydney newspaper once sent professional wrestlers to a Melbourne training session as a provocative publicity stunt, such was the storm over the holds and manoeuvres their players had mastered to secure dominance of the play-the-balls that hold the key to any rugby league game. There has been no repeat of that in Wigan but there has been plenty of chuntering.

John Kear, the grand old man of British coaching, was one of the first to criticise Wigan's approach after his Wakefield team were beaten 54-14 at the DW Stadium last Easter. "I was accused of sour grapes a year ago but that was exactly the reason I mentioned it," Kear said when commentating for BBC radio on the latest controversial incident involving a Wigan player in their draw at Leeds on 1 April. "It's a hard game, and one that I've played. You don't want people attacking your joints just to hurt you."

Mick Potter, who is now the Bradford coach but suffered two derby defeats by Wigan last season when he was in charge at St Helens, said before the Bulls played Wigan (a week before the Leeds game): "It comes down to ethics. If you are going to potentially injure people doing it, then it's not the way to go for me."

Wigan and Maguire deny any intent to cause injury by their players and say that the Rugby Football League endorses their claim of not having done so. On the record their chairman, Ian Lenagan, refused to make any comment about the contents of the tip sheets but made it clear that Maguire and the rest of his coaching staff retain his complete support.

The general feeling is that the authorities are now getting to grips with the wrestling tactics, which all clubs practised, but Wigan undoubtedly mastered. After a pre-season summit of Super League coaches, and a more recent gathering of chief executives and chairmen, the RFL has empowered referees to send players to the sin-bin for "dangerous contact". Jeff Lima, a New Zealand prop who joined Wigan from Melbourne in the winter, became one of the first victims of the policy during the stormy draw at Leeds, for attacking the legs of the young Rhinos forward Chris Clarkson when he was held by two other Wigan players.

As Nathan Brown, the Australian coach of Huddersfield, the Super League leaders, said after his team's win at Leeds last Friday: "Some things have changed. They've got the stupid wrestling tactics, the chicken wings and all those coward's things when they've got you on the ground with your back turned, they're getting that out of the game."

But the combination of Lima's antics, and the tip sheets, mean the controversy will not go away as Super League enters a busy Easter weekend in which Wigan face St Helens in the traditional Good Friday derby. Lima received a two-match suspension when he was found guilty of a "chicken wing" ? wrenching the arm of the St Helens forward Jon Wilkin behind his back ? in his Wigan debut at the Millennium Magic weekend and, having served a one-match ban for his 'tackle' on Clarkson, he was put on report again for a similar tackle in the closing stages of last Friday's win at Hull KR that sparked another brawl. The RFL's match review panel ruled that the footage was not sufficiently clear to prove his action or intent, so he is available to face Saints.

One international player ? speaking on condition of anonymity, like the other Super League coaches and officials canvassed ? confirmed that the tip sheets have been the talk of his and other dressing rooms and suggested that teams have benefited this season from going into matches against Wigan better prepared.

At least one club has used them for motivation ahead of a game against Maguire's team and the champions' failure to reproduce their 2010 dominance ? they are fifth in the table, and had gone three games without a win until victory at Hull KR ? has led to suggestions they may have lost their competitive advantage.

That seems unlikely as, irrespective of the tone of the sheets, it is easy to see from them why Maguire has made such a positive impression at Wigan: they provide strikingly detailed instruction for the players in a clear, concise way.

In Australia, Melbourne came through a salary cap scandal as well as the introduction of a second referee to police the play-the-balls, and Maguire's mentor, Bellamy, has them back at the top of the NRL table. Maguire may well do the same with Wigan, allowing him to leave them on a high ? although probably without earning widespread admiration. It is hard to see him being too bothered.

Andy Wilson

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