see what the weather is like first

Really? Tomkins in " I like playing rugby" shocked

I'd be more worried If he was chuffed he was dropped

It's not 1 game though. He hasn't hit the standards we expected all year. Keep citing those useless stats on the SL website. Most people know they are garbage.

I can't help but think back to somebody like Craig Smith when looking at Riddells contribution so far.

It like Smiths in his first year has been ok but probably not as good as we'd all expected. Riddell again like Smith carried an injury into this his first season and has picked up another couple of knocks during it.

I know it probably sounds like i'm trying to make excuses for him but i realise he must improve. I also realise he can improve and that overseas players need time to settle in.

We were all too quick to write off Smith, Richards etc and hopefully Riddell will improve like one of those.

Tim Smith had not played the game for a while before he came and Pat Richards was played out of position at centre.

This whole idea of "overseas players taking time to settle" is inconsistent because it didn't apply to Trent Barrett or Steve Renouf etc.

I didn't know Riddell was carrying a knock - if he has been doing then that makes Noble's decision all the more bizarre to include him. Why not let him rest and get fit seems as Michael McIlorum is in fantastic form and Sam Tomkins is in brilliant form as well.

Riddell must improve in the next few weeks/months otherwise it will have proved to have been a naff signing altogether because people will still question whether he has been an improvement from Higham. Make that a vast/significant improvement from Higham because if he isn't then what is the point in bringing someone half way around the world, taking up an overseas quota spot if we can do better with the players we already have at the club - i.e Thomas Leuluai and Michael McIlorum.

I was on about Craig Smith not Tim who carried a knock throughout the whole of his first season.

I'm not saying Riddell has been as good as we'd have hoped for as that would be a complete lie but i still believe he could be. I was only on here last week saying we should be looking only at players that would defo improve the side and thats nothing else would do. I agree Riddell hasn't been an improvment on Higham just yet but i feel he has alot more to give.

He missed out on the friendly at Leigh in pre season after getting injured in training and carried that into the start of the year after being a doubt for the Wakey game.

Even his iffy form has been as good as Highams best so we could still be proved right in letting Higham go and replacing him with Riddell.

I just think all us Wigans fans should have learned by now that patience will sometimes bring you results. We've rushed into far too many things in the past only to realise we maybe should have just given certain individuals a little more time.

The majority of people on this forum change their minds week in week out, one minute it's 'McLorum isn't good enough' then it's 'McLorum should be in the side week in week out!' ... You all did the same with Tim Smith, 'Smith is Sh!t'... Then it's 'Smith is brilliant' - Wigan fans are the worst for this, they are so two faced it's unbelievable.

Let's be honest, Sam Tomkins in that Hull KR game would have been smashed around the pitch, you all seen the amount of big hits in the game, they would have targeted him every time... They were constantly heading at Smith, and they would have done the same against Sam... Simple as that.