Quote: Wigan/Leeds Andy "Must be a new record? We really are the new chokers on the block. Three of those games were lost before half time and the other one we really never looked like winning.
Hopefully some good will come from this (i.e. a public announcement this week that Noble won't be coach next year), in the same way Mo's departure was secured and announced days after the Catalan defeat.
I think today again confirmed for a lot of people that we need a new halfback and some new props if we want to be considered as serious contenders for trophies. I really hope the sandwich business in Keighley picks up by the end of 2010 because I don't see any club wanting to touch Fielden with a barge pole, and as I've said before WTF does Mick Forshaw actually do, becuase he certainly doesn't seem to be conditioning Feka.
I like Lenagan and think he is the man to take us forward long term, but he has so far failed on the two major issues that have been on most people's radar for the majority of the seasonSorting out the coaching situation. If what he says is true and I have no reason to doubt him, we're still fecking about with it and even considering a year extension for Noble - hopefully today proved that Noble can't take us to the next level. We desperately need an experienced NRL coach and Lenagan will need to put his hand in his pocket to get one. You only have to look at what has happened to the last two clubs who have taken on coaches who have only coached in the NRL. Brown at Huddersfield has worked wonders and made them a tough, rough team who are hard to beat, and Anderson at Stains took them to an even higher level. Put your hand in your pocket and get a CURRENT NRL coach.
2. Player recruitment - or lack of. Probably linked to 1, which makes it all the more of a balls up. Anybody who watches us without the beer goggles on can see we need a new halfback and props and yet despite all Lenagan's talk to the press, both here and in Aus, we have precisely no one new for next year and look increasingly likely to be going with what we've got for next year. I hope not and he's got some good rabbits in the hat to be pulled out otherwise his credibility with me will soon be on a par with Mo in his final years.
Less talk, more action Pollard!'"
Well I have been away on holiday (though saw the semi on the BBC in Puerto Pollensa) and completely agree with the above.
What struck me having read the after match comments was Noble saying something along the lines we need to learn form this and it was a bad game to get taught a lesson or some such.
I thought that is what was supposed to have happened after we conceded over 30 points to Les cats in our last cup final semi?
As someone else has posted in this thread, no great improvement under Noble is there?
As to recruitment the thread with the link to the WEP article where it seems we are going with the players we have for 2010 then I think your hopes for new players in the positions you want will be dashed.
The idea it's a good thing to spend 4 x £50K on juniors rather than £200K on a class player doesn't really work if sides that have done the latter are the ones that win the trophies. It's a balance of experience and youth and while blowing all the cap on a couple of players won't work a side devoid of class and full of inexperienced players won't prosper. I also find the focus on home grown talent a bit ironic form IL when he employed Roberts a year early on a four year deal and Roberts has controversially kept out a home grown player.
It's interesting to see some of the threads that have cropped up since I have been away. Roberts has got some stick for his defence I see - justifiably IMO and of course Noble gets a lot of the blame for being out coached, also justifiably IMO.
Unfortunately I can't see much changing in 2010. If what I read about Noble not waning to coach in SL after 2010 is correct and the lack of recruitment also proves correct we will, I think, have the same coach for one more season and will be re-running many of this seasons threads next year, Noble's selection policy, Noble's tactics, unfit players, Roberts v Ainscough, Feka is too fat, TL isn't a 7 etc.
Not a good couple of weeks to be a Wigan fan, thank God for Sangria.
Dave
