My sentiments exactly

Absolutely DeanoG, (and if I had my way it would be even harder). However, is it REALLY that much of an advantage to finish higher up the league?

One game?


As I have said, win on Saturday and early season form is irrelevant. That isn't an opinion, that is stating a fact.



You could even argue that the team coming from further down the league will be in a BETTER position for the final as it is "likely" that they will have had a harder route. Are they more "match hardened" than the team who, for sake of argument came first, beat the 2nd placed team and chose the easier option in the SF?

I honestly can't believe that you think finishing mid-table is okay for a club like Wigan, or indeed any club with aspirations to field a great side and entertain big crowds.

However, if what you say is true, then this clearly explains why Noble has been given his marching orders. If any coach went to his chairman, and made a presentation of this sort, he would definitely be collecting his pink slip before the end of the season.

...Apart from Challenge Cup semi-finals...and Super League semi-finals (this Saturday excepted, we hope).

I appreciate Brian Noble's contribution, and wish him good luck for the future, but, whatever happens in the rest of this season, it's time for a change. Too many awful, disinterested performances this season and in previous ones.

Maybe we have played better rugby this season because in the last 2 seasons all Noble had to do was say "give it to Trent" and this season he has actually had to do something different, although he was developing a "give it to Hock" mentality earlier in the season.

Interesting point, that. I've raised the cup on this thread but the pro-Noble people don't seem to want to talk about how this end of season peaking strategy Noble apparently has works for that particularly trophy. Maybe they don't care about the cup anymore? I do. I would like to see Wigan back at Wembley but I can't see the cup coming back to Wigan under BN's leadership.

Yeah, always used to do that at Bradford - in fact for the whole five seasons that he took us to the Grand Final, winning three. Just face it; Wigan's unrealistic expectations have cost you one of the best coaches in Super League. Hope you win it, it'd be hilarious. Because you won't win it next year under a rookie coach.

The past is a bitch when it won't stop gnawing at your underachieving backside, isn't it?

Problem is for much of his tenure BN has used the same tactics he employed back then, which have dated very quickly.

Lets face it he could not get away from the sinking ship that was Bradford Bulls and fair play to him for that, i'll give him credit for being pretty clued in when it comes to ensuring his survival as a coach.

Naturally, I want us to win it but it won't seem quite right when we have lost so many matches in the league this season. If we had finished sixth but only beeen 2 to 4 points behind the leaders I would be happy with that but to be cast adrift and win the final doesn't seem quite right. Don't suppose anyone will agree, apart from Saints' and Leeds' fans.

I think it's true. We have some great players who have scored individual tries. Had we scored more tries like the ones at Hull K R, which were team efforts, I would be happy to keep Noble but that is not the case.

By unrealistic expectations, i assume you mean us wanting to have our players ready both mentally and physically for the start of the season, not just the last 5 games. Also wanting the team to turn up each week and give 100% effort and not be regularly "out enthused". The ability to perform the "basics" and not watch the same people making the same mistakes week in and week out.

Whilst i appreciate that the last one is also down to the players, its the coaches job to ensure that a spell in the stands is on the cards if you cant get things sorted. And lets face it Nobby never drops anyone, except Mark Calderwood, and he not here to drop now.

I do.

This one comment shows the absolute dross spoken regarding Brian Noble.

I will name a few he has dropped off the top of my head.

Andy Coley
Amos Roberts
Tim Smith

I am also sure there was a spell when Mark Riddell was playing in the reserves at one point.

I can only assume that Wigan fans will not be happy until they get a coach who has dropped the entire team into the resrves at one point or another throughout the season.