I think Noble is giving the young lads a chance he just doesnt want to have to rely on them weekly and put that pressure on them of having to maintain a level of performance. I think this is were we went wrong with Kev Brown, following the examples of Roby, Graham, Clough and Eastmond at Saints with Tomkins, Mossop, McIlloram and maybe Goulding might be put back down a step and introduce them slowly easing them into regular first team spots.

Kevin Brown is a successful first grade player with Huddersfield. James Roby, James Graham and Clough are weekly selections for St Helens, selected younger than when Noble gives a oung player the odd game. Eastmond has to displace Long. Wigan look a far better team for having young players in the first team.

What cack. Noble clearly does give young players a chance.

J Tomkins
Goulding
Prescott
S Tomkins
Ainscough
O Carroll

Which is practically half a team. This plus a mixture of imports and regular first team regulars (Hock, Lockers etc) is a level balance.

Come on Nobby haters let it drop.

McGuire returned, who at the time was far inferior to Pryce, as both results and performance proved beyond any doubt whatsoever. McGuire also did not gel with Sean Long, whereas Pryce had a world class combination going with Long.

So, yes, my argument is very convincing.

I don't hate Noble. I think he's great motivationally, but rubbish tactically.

In any case, when the above players came through, what alternative did we have?

J Tomkins - Picked because O'Loughlin was injured last year.
Goulding - Bit of an iffy one - was already gettin first team games when nobby was here
Prescott - He's 23!!
S Tomkins - Picked because Micky Mac was banned
Ainscough - Picked because Phelps is injured and Mathers was banned, lets face it if mathers only got one match ban we wouldnt have seen ainscough yet.
O'Carroll - Ill give you that one O'Carroll has come on leaps and bounds since nobby came.

Joel Tomkins brought through by Millward. Only given a chance by Noble when he had no choice.

O'Carrol and Prescott deemed not good enough by Noble who tried everything to sign a prop.

Goulding brought through by Millward, dropped umpteen times by Noble.

Sam Tomkins and Shaun Ainscough only selected when Noble had little choice.

J Tomkins, S Tomkins and Ainscough only got a chance due to there being no other options.

Goulding is being given a chance and fair play, sadly he does not seem to be taking it, but i would put him in the bracket with Prescott as already being given a chance prior to the arrival of Noble, which i think O'Carroll was also.

Very few lads have been given a chance by Noble, and when they have been it has been when his hand has been forced, which if you are a top team performing well is often the way, but if you are a team performing as poorly as we have for the last 2 years is a different matter.

on that point, i've been meaning to scan in an article from RL world rag from last year where they did a bit piece on noble, along with a small section on the bit highlighted "i'm a big believer of giving youth a chance"

Thought it might make interesting reading for you kids.

The point is Huddersfield have benefited by Wigan putting Brown in too soon and expecting too much from him and he crumbled but now hes bulit himself up at an older age. Graham Roby and Clough have been brought in gradually and had good protection and thats the example we should follow.

Graham debuted in 2003 and gradually brought through full time, and Roby in 2004 and brought through over the period of 2 or 3 years before they were regular first teamers.

Not really when you said he put Pryce on the wing for Horne. Didnt happen.

We hit the panic button with Brown. Graham and Roby have not been protected. They never needed it which contradicts the Noble duty of care garbage.