Trawl through social media at the minute and you'd quickly get the impression that Wigan Warriors is a club in disarray.
There's a high level of apathy among the Wigan fanbase. There are several reasons for it. Performances this year have been underwhelming, even if results haven't been anywhere near as bad. There's disillusion regarding the club's recruitment, which includes the re-signing of a former centre playing for Super League's only winless side and a winger currently playing in the Championship.
Fans are upset with the players leaving too. Oliver Gildart is the latest academy product to leave the club and you can throw in Jackson Hastings too. Add to that, George Williams decided to join Warrington over a return to his boyhood club, and it's not hard to see why fans could be disappointed.
But after the Warriors picked up their latest victory over Huddersfield at the weekend, things really aren't as bad as it seems.
Wigan defeated the Giants on Friday with eight players under the age of 21, a phenomenal stat even by the club's standards.
It's no secret that Wigan are one of the world's best for developing talent, their product line is extraordinarily good, but to have so much young talent at one time, and win at the top level, is nothing short of exceptional.
That in itself bodes well for the future. It's clear that, even during seemingly difficult times, the club's academy is alive, well and vibrant.
The cornerstone to the club's success has been its production line. While that remains strong, Wigan will remain strong.
It would be foolish to suggest everything is rosy at Wigan. It isn't. The aforementioned issues need addressing and if they don't, the steady yet alarming fall in attendances through the years pre-covid is likely to continue. Perhaps the biggest issue the club has to address right now is finding a way to meet the fans' expectations. Winning simply isn't enough for the Warriors fanbase, they want dominance and substance.
But as is often the case, things are almost certainly not as bad as they seem to most.
