Why not offer him a four months contract next season - (July to October)?

My view is that it's still too early to offer him either. We need to go on a prolonged winning run - playing regularly at full capacity - before we can definitively say that we've turned that all-important corner.

Unfortunately, I'd imagine that if you're going to replace your head-coach with someone good, you start looking early. This doesn't mean to say that someone else is already coming, but the search may be on - which would certainly give IL a headache if Noble now proves that he's worth another deal. Though I suppose it would be a nice headache to have compared to other types I could name.

Agreed. His future is in his hands. Saturday is a huge test.

Why do people think 2010 will see some big transformation of the side player-wise? Now TL has been given a new deal there are not that many players out of contract at the end of 2009 who will be on a significant wage.

Bailey, Phelps, Smith and Carmont are the most senior players out of contract. That will not IMO give a huge wadge of cash to play with. The quota also goes down so I do not see what the significance of 2010 is.

The team won't change that much IMO and so given it is already "his" team as near as should make no difference (not that they odd player not being his signing should anyway) Noble needs to be judged at the end of this season at the latest because that is when his contract is up.

Otherwise it will always be "next" year when Fielden's contract is up or Feka's or Hansens etc.

Three and a half years is long enough to form an opinion based on his record if he deserves a new deal or we may end up with Cullen MkII.



Any coach from the top half of the NRL would be a prime candidate IMO. Getting one depends on if IL's persuasive powers are up to Mo's.

Dave

Im speculating, but Tommy & Bailey are supposed to be on huge ££££, I imagine Tommy has resigned for more realistic terms and Bailey/Coley going should free up the money to recruit the prop we are desperate for.

I would expect to see some movement in terms of a halves/hooker as we need to balance the playing roster in those positions.

The squad might not improve in terms of numbers etc, but the quality should spread a little further around which will improve us.

That depends on what sticking with him means. Another one year deal and another year of dross performances would IMO be too high a price to pay just because no one else was available. He would also have another contract IL would have to pay-up if things did not improve. Sometimes you just have to let people go and then search for a replacement.

There being no one else available better if the current employee is judged sub-standard is just about the worst reason I can think of for giving someone a new deal.

Dave

No one is saying keep him if he is substandard, but if we truely have turned a corner and the side are now developing the ability to play with the style we have for 3 weeks on a consistant basis, why would we remove Noble?

Cullen won nothing and is never likely to Noble has won everything and is very likely to again

We will have to wait and see but I doubt TL will have signed for peanuts being a world cup winning international. It may be less than before bug significantly so? I have my doubts.

As to Bailey he was hardly top drawer but of course he was a Mo signing so who knows.

I just don't think there is any radical change going to happen that should be an excuse to give Noble another year. His contract is up and so he should be judged on what will be the last 3 1/2 seasons come the end of the 2009 campaign.

Dave

Dave, I sometimes think you argue to convenience. How can you possibly say that the odd player makes no difference when you, yourself have argued the opposite on many occassions. Next season we are problably looking at 2 or possibly 3 new signings. Depending on who they are that could make the world of difference to this team! However I do agree with you that there is enough playing personel showing that they are of the right quality for Noble to be judged from here on in. Why do I say 'from here on in', in effect wiping out the poor start? Because I think it has taken the signing of Gleeson, plus the 'settling in' periods of Smith and Phelps, not to mention our front row finally starting to show they can match it with the rest of SL in order for us to start playing how Noble wants us to.

Im not suggesting Tommy will have resigned for peanuts though am i? It was announced Richards had resigned for less, I merely put the point across that Tommy is likely to have been offered a similar fair but more resonable deal.

Bailey I would suspect is over paid for the calibre of player he is given he was a Maurice signing.



There wont. But if the team can continue with its current form, and who knows, won a trophy, then he will rightly be judged on that and given a new contract.

This is key, the seaosn has really started now, its sink or swim time, Saturday is massive in relation to everything Noble is trying to do and everything IL expects.

Which is turn the club around from a miss managed club on a downward spiral to a club that has now good foundations and has been within 80mins of a Grand Final for the last 2 years and is very likely to win silverware or at least make a final this year. The team is starting to come together now and play the way he wants them to he deserves to get chance to finish the job he came to do and no doubt I.L. will give him the chance

He has won nothing at Wigan and if he fails to deliver this year any significant improvement he has more in common with Cullen than his own past record. Past success is no guarantee of future performance etc.

Dave

It takes time it is not and never was an overnight fix like so many others the club tried and failed in