I'm still not a big fan of Phelps at fullback. He's had one decent game there so far. Otherwise I feel he's been average.

I agree that there are too many internet coaches who are ready to jump on Noble for the slightest decision, without knowing ANY of the facts. But this business with Ainscough is getting a big bewildering. If they're genuinely concerned about his defence under the high ball, they should be working on it - and I don't mean in training, I mean in proper matches.

I only hope he doesn't drop Sam out of contention as well. Those two seemed to enthuse the entire team when they were first picked. I can't accept that they need rest now. At their age, they need more football.

I know!

Trouble is I don't know how to take it off!

This is what I don't understand with many Wigan fans. Young and Wigan does not mean they are better than their overseas counterparts.

I'd love a full team of Wigan lads, but guess what it isn't going to happen.

The other thing is that if Wigan win the Superleague and Challenge Cup with 17 ex Saints players or 17 Kolpack / Aussie/ NZ players and they are the best available would that be wrong?

Surely it's Ian Lenagans DUTY to provide Wigan with the best players he can REGARDLESS of where they come from, be it Wigan, Oldham, St. Helens China, Samoa, India, Mexico etc.

I didn't see the Man U fans complaining the other week whenthey started without a British player.

Oh oh!

Youve left yourself wide open here Brian!

i get what your saying but will the others? Stands back and awaits the Criticism!

Your right about Phelps, he ran really hard at the Saints line on kick returns when he was determined to take his chance, now he's got his place he doesn't seem to interested at taking the line on, he gave it Roberts to take on a few occasions on friday.

Personally I'm disapointed to see Ainscough missing out agian, he's not going to get any better in the reserves and deserves to be in our 19, even if he's just missing out on the 17. However it's Noble's job to pick the 19 not mine, so do what you gota do for the cabbage cliche man

Well when they do, ask them about when we tried it with Billy Melling, Terry Hollinsworth, Jimmy Hornby, Dave Walsh, Dave Regan, Ronnie Dootson etc.

It didn't work then, so why would it now?

I said it 2004ish! Brown/Robinson/Tickle/O'Loughlin/Wild/Aspinwall/Briscoe/Hock etc

You can't play them all, all of the time they would end up Punch Drunk!

As for some of our fans Moaning!

God they would moan if we had to watch those lot again! (You missed Ray Farnworth off the list as well! Them days were Bad!).

i never said that he should be playing every week and i do agree that young players need protecting (to an extent). but he has not played since the wakey game weeks ago. even then he was not listed as being on the teamsheet. it was this "young" lad that started our revival and now he is nowhere to be seen exept the reserves.

as for carmont, he was obviously declared fit to play last week but blatently was not fit enough to play, he need resting because IMO older players can still suffer with burnout so he needed the week off (probably get MOM now i have said this ).

you cannont put a price on enthusiasm, and shaun has more than many.

I agree with that, noble will get slated from all directions for his team selection, but he has nothing to lose from giving Shaun a run out this weekend. I mean honestly would you be upset if he made the starting line-up?.

yes he is not a world beater under the high ball (however some of the criticism he has had on here makes him sound inept, which he clearly is not). besides which, how is he going to get better?

by getting out on the park and learning his trade the best way possible? or by languishing in the reserves with his past mistakes eating away at him.

the lad has one of the best attitudes I have seen in a player in a long time, the worst thing we could do is let him lose that.

he has had a taste of the big time and during that time been all but excellent, it is unfair to keep him out all the time.

Nobby's shown that he's prepared to change a winning team, so by his logic he won't change a losing one.

There are a lot of the current side that look in need of a rest - Carmont, for example, whose two almost identical recent missed tackles that led to tries looked at least in part down to his injury. Until he's fully fit again, why not put Bails back in at centre (or, better still, recall Goulding) and play Hock, Hansen & JT at second row?


Noble has a habit of dropping his most in-form players, so it wouldn't surprise me if he did drop McIlorum after his coaches MoM performance last week.

Last week showed how much we miss Sam T when he doesn't play, so I expect Nobby to drop him again, just because he can.

Look for the usual 17 based on accent, not form.

i also think had sam been in for the 18 plays he would of come up with some thing too

If Carmont plays and struggles again like he has the last 2 weeks major questions need to be asked. The lad is clerly not 90% never mind 100%.

I think it has been a massive error of judgement on Noble's part selecting him the last few weeks ahead of Ainscough which he basically has.

Hopefully this week it will be third time lucky.

I hope those claiming S. Tomkins looked tired even though he scored the match winner against Trinity and justified his dropping because of it can see Carmont has struggled much more than Sam did in that game and aginst Hull KR.

Especially as we also have Karl Pryce as an available like for like replacement.

Wash your mouth out with...err..something!

We do have Bails as an option there, though.