IT WAS Sam Goldwyn who came up with the phrase: A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

Between them, Shaun Edwards and Wigan Warriors owner Ian Lenagan have confirmed that the film producer knew what he was talking about.

After announcing that he will be the new head coach of his home town cub Wigan in 2020 – in a blaze of media attention that almost matched the one that heralded his signing for the club on his 17th birthday back in 1983 – Wigan then tell us that isn’t quite the case. In fact, nothing has been signed or sealed and it now appears highly unlikely the local hero will be delivered.

Edwards, who played 467 games for Wigan and 30 times for Great Britain, has been out of rugby league since 2001.

Since then he has made a name for himself as a defensive coach in rugby union, first at Wasps and then as a member of Warren Gatland’s Grand Slam-winning Welsh team. His connection with his former life has been largely restricted to the same role of most of us, that of a spectator.

So what is it that made the former scrum-half and captain such a big attraction to hand him a three-year contract after nearly two decades out of the game?

Many sports clubs have a habit of jumping the gun when it comes to seeking the right kind of publicity. When that gun then backfires they are left to pick up the pieces and backtrack.

Wigan are still the biggest name in the game, but they are struggling following the departure of Super League winner Shaun Wane, so maybe the idea of Edwards returning when his stint with Wales ended later this year was just the headline the fans needed to make their day.

The announcement Edwards had signed a three-year contract was just a bit premature. We now hear that he has been offered the chance to return to his old club Wasps – where his son has been following in his dad’s scrum-half footsteps – is on the table.

There is even some talk that he might be invited to join England’s rugby union set-up.

Meanwhile, Adrian Lam is the temporary occupant of the Wigan hot seat.

He might like to be told if he is just keeping it warm form another new man, but he should make sure he has got it in writing.

* GREATEST of All Time is the sort of phrase that is bandied about whenever an individual comes along the challenge the accepted order of things.

But 'Rocket' Ronnie O'Sullivan is getting on for 44 years old and still packing them in wherever he plays. He has equalled Stephen Hendry’s haul of 36 ranking titles, clocked up 1,000 century breaks and now he has his sights on one more place in the record books – to top the Scot’s seven world titles.

He is just two short of equalling that mark and the bookies have him firm favourite to chalk up his sixth Crucible title this year. Time may be running out, but despite all the young talent crowding in there are few who will bet against that.

In darts, the feeling is that there will never be another Phil Taylor who eclipsed his mentor Eric Bristow and bagged 16 world titles. In tennis, there are few challengers to Roger Federer’s claims to be the best of all. In snooker there can only ever be one Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Elsewhere it was a fairly “shockless” weekend for your average sports fan.

Scotland followed up their humiliating 3-0 defeat in Kazakhstan by struggling to beat the lowest ranked team in the world San Marino 2-0 – a performance greeted with boos from the travelling Tartan Army, still clearly not yet used to disappointment from Alex McLeish’s men.

And in Gibraltar, good old Mick McCarthy marked his return as Republic of Ireland manager with the most honest opinion from a football manager, summing up their 1-0 win with the view: “It was a horrible match. I have not enjoyed a single minute of it until he blew the final whistle.”

Up in the Highland League Fort William conceded their 210th goal of the season with an 11-0 defeat, while closer to home both Barrow teams surrendered leads to finish with a draw at Holker Street and a defeat at Craven Park

Maybe O’Sullivan’s return to the top is not such a surprise after all.

* THE organisers of this year’s World Cups in rugby union and cricket may be preening themselves for blanket nationwide TV coverage of their events that will shove all other interests off the screen altogether or behind the Red Button.

They will be mistaken. Both the BBC and Sky will be giving a “third World Cup” extensive coverage in July. It will all be played in Liverpool and England are among the favourites to take the title.

The occasion is the Netball World Cup and under coach Tracey Neville, after a successful Commonwealth Games, they are ready to take on the rest of the world.

With Eoin Morgan’s cricket team and Eddie Jones’s rugby squad in Japan also setting their sights on world titles, could we end up with the ultimate treble of three World Cups in one year?

That would certainly give Harry Kane and Company something to aim for. And the manager of England’s women team, Phil Neville, could then target a family double.