The club are asking fans to vote for the clubs best manager.
For me, it has to be Douggie unequivocally, not only the most successful but he built 2 great teams, produced one of the most exciting teams in RL history and outcompeted one of the most expensively assembled team’s in history.
Side note, Steve Mc, been nominated is embarrassing, squandered 2 promotional campaigns with a decent budget and a good set of players.
Sir Douglas Laughton all day long.
We missed out Betts one of the longest serving coaches. lol
In the same respect that Daniel Frame was nominated for best loose forward, it must be so some of the younger fans can relate.
Another vote for Douggie, he produced a World Champion club side - nuff said. Pivotal in plucking the likes of Offiah, Grima, Tait out of nowhere and luring Davies/Moriarty/Devereux over from Wales. You also have to remember in his second stint in the mid 90's the Challenge Cup game against Wigan that went into extra time. That Wigan side should have blown us away and we were so unlucky not to beat them. I was by the dug out for that game and remember the stand going crazy when we scored and Douggie just lighting another cigarette, brilliant.
I have gone for Laughton in view of his success at the club and the entertaining rugby during his tenure, but Karalius is up there for the way he changed the club. His ideas on fitness were way ahead of his time and he instilled his own determination and work ethic into the team.
Karalius turned the club from the doldrums to Cup Kings in the early 70's, returning in the 80's to win the CC again.
Vinty, all day long.
Paulie xx
Vinty laid the foundation for a decade of success, Frank got us our first championship and Doug brought to Widnes numerous silverware and great signings.So, unable to choose, I have gone for Bernard Long.
Doug was the icing on the cake. Frank built on solid foundations so Vinty for me - what he did set the platform for all the stuff that followed to happen.
That said, they were all very, very good.
Thinking to well before the great days and Joe Egan made a big step in Widnes aspirations.
He signed Vinty iirc and brought a new purpose. We became a team that could really attack rather than a team that would 'give anybody a hard time'.
Dougie for me for his style of play and the achievements but he built on good foundations!
I did not think we had "Managers" thought they were "Hesd Coaches"
I did not think we had “Managers” thought they were “Hesd Coaches”
I think if you go back to the days of Joe Egan, we only had a ‘trainer’.
Choosing between Vinty and Doug is a bit like choosing between Shanks and Paisley; Shankly started the revolution, Paisley delivered on it. I would still plump for Doug, what he did and what he delivered was the best that I ever remember rugby being, can't get past that to be honest.
Both absolutely great Widnes born players and coaches and there’s really nothing to choose between their times here.
I know it’s a cop-out, but for me they have to share the “award” of best manager.
Side note, Steve Mc, been nominated is embarrassing, squandered 2 promotional campaigns with a decent budget and a good set of players.
I didnt vote Steve and im not saying he should be nominated.
In the interests of balance, I'll say that Hull KR and Cas were very strong sides.
Hull KR season - We were transitioning from being relegated the season before iirc.
Can season - There wasnt actually much between us and them. We just didn't compete in the final. Then we had administration a few days later.
He wasnt the greatest coach we have had but i thought he did OK. We didn't have an abundance of resources in those seasons.
The big thing with Dougie, for me at any rate, was the freedom he appeared to give to players that he had chosen, and who he trusted to play the game. Macca was trusted to call the shots and did so to good effect.
I remember that Larder wanted the team to play to his orders rather than theirs!