Kris Radlinski - he was inspirational when he returned to help the club out in 2006 (although he was physical not fit) and I think his presence at Wigan is one of the reasons why the club has raised it's standards in many areas over the last couple of seasons.

Dobson/Noble/Fielden

I think take any of those away and we would have gone down.

Total urban legend, perpetuated only a week or so ago by Brian Carney. Sam was already playing regularly before Smith got injured. Check out the player lists on Bilko's site for details.

Significant turning points for me, already mentioned by several posters before me, are getting rid of Nill-ward, bringing in Noble and Dobson (not so much Fielden IMO, although he helped), and then IL and Madge (chronologically).

IL is the winner for me though, as all the really good stuff has come about from his vision being put into practice.

Radds return coinsided with Dobson's i belive first game against Catalans. Remeber coming up M6 and hearing that Wakey had beaten Warrington by a point i think and Briers had missed a pen to win the game. Thought then if we lost to Catalan that day we were gone after that result. That game maybe is the biggest league win we have had in the SL era. We won a very nervey game. I am certain we played them in the league home again inside a month at home and we batterd them.

If we got relegated it would have been a disaster as most of the players like Lockers, Richards would not have stayed and we would defenitley not have been in an attractive position to sign Leuluai, Coley etc and defenitely no Barrett. The cap is much lower in the lower division and any player with any SL ambition will leave. There was some deadwood but the side that almost got relegated was one of the best SL sqauds assembled that season it was run by the worst coach we have had.

Noble's side was better than anyside that season apart from Saints who if we had got to the GF we would have given them a better game than Hull in Old Trafford. We had a good side on paper but paper is thin just like our defence until Noble took over. If anyone thinks that relegation was a good option does not realise that you will lose your entire playing staff in one go if you do go down.

Dobson, Carmont, Leaulia and if they can be classed as signings Madge and IL

*and Trent