I am stuck here in Milwaukee and it is VERY cold. -7 at the warmest today (-12 tonight and forecast -9 tomorrow in the day) but seeing Noble didn't drop Ainscough and gave S Tomkins a game has brought a nice warm glow!

The fact I have read on here that Tomkins was solid in defence is even better as he was supposedly going to get walked all over due to his relatively small stature.

OK it was "only" Quins but it sounds like he handled it well and took it all in his stride.

As to the post that started this thread about Nobby doubters, my doubts remain. His hand has been forced IMO either by the previous three results, the chairman or simply the weight of public (fans) opinion. To do as he did last season and religiously stick with his favourites was simply [inot[/i an option any more IMO. The pressure was on and it was his [ionly [/ioption to play these lads IMO. It is what he does next that will be very interesting.

Dave

I agree as if you read the last bit of my post I said his fitness needs to improve.

But I did think he showed signs of improvement and had his best game in a Wigan shirt so far (eventhough it didn't take much )

5 minutes away from another disaster. Quins threw the game away, literally. He is still on borrowed time, Bradford and Leeds next up, could be one win in 6. Im sure if it is you will even be calling for his head.

The only thing that'll save him for me is if the passion that Ainscough and Tomkins showed spreads and other players start showing some pride in the shirt.

The Wigan fans will accept defeat if the team try their very hardest and show some pride in the badge.

Spot on.

I've been a harsh (but fair I think) critic on this board of the way standards have slipped at Wigan recently, particularly in terms of the lack of commitment and the failure of many associated with the club to understand what Wigan stands for and what it means to wear the cherry and white.

In the after match interview though you could exactly see what playing for Wigan means to Ainscough, he looked like he was ready to burst with pride. That's what we need at Wigan. Fantastic stuff.

We know young players like Ainscough are going to make mistakes from time to time but they MUST be given a chance over more established players that simply aren't working hard enough in training or on the field of play.

It was also great to see Tomkins do well - what potential this lad has, working out how to ensure he develops into a world class player should be BN's top priority not "protecting" underperforming established players.

If BN and Wigan get things right with Tomkins - as I'm sure the coaches and backroom staff would have done 15-20 years ago, Edwards, Faz and Robinson were brought into the great Wigan sides at young ages - we could well have a player who will play a massive role at the club, we could build a team around this lad.

Seeing the pride Ainscough had in his performance and watching Tomkins do well gives me hope and makes me proud to be a Wigan fan again after the shameful Wakefield performance and the ridiculous bleating by BN in the press.

Well done lads for showing the way and giving us hope again - there is a lot of work to be done at the club but if the underperformers and BN can reach your standards of desire, passion and commitment then maybe this season won't be a complete write-off.

The result yesterday was excellent, however, the performance was far from it.

We can't simply forget the previous three games. Before the start of the season we all felt we could go unbeaten until Leeds away, and what we all really wanted to see was some good, attacking rugby.

We simply haven't seen that in either the three losses, or last night. We have looked clueless in attack; one man rugby, too many basic errors and no kicking game what so ever.

The result last night was as good as it could have been i.e. a win, however, the performances and start to the season in general has been woeful, and I saw nothing last night bar good performances from the youngsters to suggest to me that we are anywhere near competing with the best in the competition.

Noble must go.

Is this the new buzz phrase? How did we look 'clueless in attack' last night? All our tries were excellent including a contender for 'try of the season'!!! I'll accept the criticism of defensive lapses but please stop regurgitating the stock phrases because you thought they sounded good when someone else used them in the context of some other game where it was actually applicable!

Our tries came from good breaks, 3 or 4 breaks in a whole match constituted our entire attack.

We have a complete inability to build pressure and get a number of sets of six on the bounce or even a number of sets of six in the opponents half.

As I said, in general there is very little support play, we play '5 drives and a kick' rugby, we attempt to offload in impossible positions because there's b*gger all else on, we take the ball standing still, our attacking line is as flat as a pancake, we have no kicking game (which contributes to the fact we can't get one set of 6 after another), we make basic mistakes i.e. silly handling errors, our half backs fail to control the game, our pack is getting dominated and I don't think I've seen a set move, even as something as simple as a scissors all season.

I could go on, but I think it's safe to conclude we are in fact clueless in attack. It is entirely predictable what we are going to do.



I haven't read any other comments on here for quite a while but the phrase 'clueless in attack' has been applicable to Noble's entire Wigan reign.

Im still not convinced at all, PLB is far too slow, we cant get the opposition on the back foot often enough. The defensive line wasnt much better IMO Quins went through us alot without finishing tries off, another day that game could of been lost before H/T.

You said it.

Only just come across this thread after being away for the weekend and one i fully expected though i have to say.

BN owes a still drink to the 2 lads who were it not for injury would not have got a game, and a stiffer one to Chad Randall. We did not win that game Quins lost it.

Having said that i have to say the signs of improvement were there, and finally although it still took over a half of comedy errors in the defence out wide we moved forward as a unit, its a shame it takes nearly 3 years for him to recognise his method was not working, if indeed it was him who called the shots for it to be changed during the game.

I hope to god Noble can learn from these lessons on Saturday, it was still a pretty average perfomance, but there were huge indications and signs to where and how we can improve and build some momentum. BN seem to adopt the osterich mentality to these in the past, lets hope he can see them and use them to his personal development for the good of the team and his own career, otherwise Saturday was simply a stay of execution.

Is Nobles contract up at the end of this season?

I was right, Noble was built on the win at Quins and we looked a hell of allot better this time out, another silent week for the Nobby doubters.

No, Im sure they will claim this is down to the players / fan pressure or something. The man will never win some fans over. But clearly we are putting humpty together in positive way in relation to what we might achieve.