I agree on the prop front, I think we only need one, and I think (hope) it's been sorted.

I believe it would help Fielden.

But I would give Noble one more year at the very least.

We'll know soon.

Thats the fear with Noble i suppose........the more senior players you give him the less opportunities will be given to the younger lads.

If Tim Smith was still fit Sam Tomkins would find himself either on the bench or out of the side.

If we sign an experienced prop for next year will it be Fielden or Prescott to miss out on a place in the 17?

If Nobby can find a ruthless side i think we can really go places under him.

He's got 2.

At least 2 years or nothing imo.

We can't keep reviewing the situation year on year and let distractions get in the way of the overall goals.

If he could start the season half as well as he can finish it, i dont think anyone would have a problem, i certainly wouldnt, but for me its his inabiltiy to prepare the team to start the season better than they finished the last one.

Each year it has been like a new side. Having tos start again

The aim for Noble and the players has to be to start a season the way they've been finishing them.

If we get a forward or 2 in i believe we can do that and hopefully finish in the top 3.

Do that and work from there in the play offs.

Look at the positions we changed at the start of the year -middle.

We’ve changed a 6 and a 9 that takes time to settle.

If you remember people on here where stating that amos, piggy and tim smith where a waste of space. Except when they started finding there feet they have become more accepted.

So was that not the problem at the start of the season

Or was it just noble??

Personally i think it was the team and players becoming a new team.

And noble has signed a 2 year deal

But NK isn't it the same with all teams.
Eastmond wouldn't be there if Long wasn't injured.
Ashurst, Dixon, Lomax and Armstrong wouldn't be there but for injuries.

Kallum Watkins soon disappeared into the reserves.
Paul McShane was soon dropped when Boderus returned from injury.

I suppose it is the same but if we use Leeds and Saints as examples they're the top 2 teams in the comp so therefore have the best players. Their young players will find it hard to break into a side preforming well and to displace a top player is going to be a very tough task.

On the other hand here at Wigan we don't have as good a set of players and have stuggled for the vast majority of the season. Theres been times when i believe we should have given certain senior players a message that their form isn't good enough and leave them out of the side but that hasn't happened(bar one game with Roberts).

I'm not a fan that wants to see a full 17 made up of local kids but i do believe that our best 17 at the moment just happens to contain a few locally produced youngsters and they deserve a place on merit.

Noble just needs to find the right balance and a way of keeping everybody on their toes by using his 'squad'.

Wasn't Tim Smith the best thing since sliced bread when you first signed him? Young player of the year and all that?

I would wet my pants if Hull was half as exciting to watch as Wigan. I think on form you have as good a chance as any other team of winning the grand final.

Tim Smith with a pack that was dominating was a very good player. Murrayfield being a prime example.

When he was left stranded defensively he was poor. He certainly looked better in that department when Gleeson was signed.

The change at 6 has happened by accident not design. As NickyKiss said if Smith were still fit Noble would be dropping Sam T to the bench as he isn't the "finished article".

We almost need a certain number of players to be injured so Noble doesn't have the option to do what he always does which is play the established players regardless of form.

There is a long thread about Fielden's form and you just know even if we sign another prop he won't get dropped. There is no evidence that if you are a senior player you must compete for your place.



He doesn't deserve it. I hope IL has the guts to sack him if we start next season as we did this. Starting a fourth like we have the last three is just not acceptable. Actually starting three as we have done is not good enough and reason alone to get rid never mind the way he picks the team which if I had to pick my biggest beef with him would be at the top of the list.

Dave

Who would you have then whos availble??

At the end of the day i would love to have Wayne Bennett at wigan

BUT its not going to happen!

And nobles record speaks for it self. if we keep a bit of Consistency for at least a year would that not be a true test??

Then there would be no excuses for a slow start ( even tho we seem to do this under every coach recently)

Whats the Answer??

Martyn Sadler in the League Express reckons any Wigan fans who have holidays booked for the 2nd week of October(grand final week) should cancel them!

Thanks to the Girlfriend i'm one of those

and theres not a chance i'll be able to cancel!