Exactly,the 7th of November. By that time it was apparent that the chances of suddenly finding a replacement for Barrett were very slim.

Also,it seems funny how Roberts move was suddenly brought forward a year. Had IL missed out on all the other available players? Was he not prepared to match the money on offer from other clubs? Not that it matters now but im sure we missed out on Greg Bird and Todd Carney? Both stand offs which means IL never had any faith in a Timmy and Tommy pairing. Charlie Seeling who seems to have very close ties with the club mentioned that Noble was hell bent on us getting Greg Bird.

And thats the problem you still expect to be top, it takes years, which your chairman has alluded to, to get to consistant top side. If you can base your team around people like sam etc. i'm sure you'll have the success you had when you built a team around Farrell/radlinski etc

So are most of the teams who have beaten us yet they play better RL than we do. The question most Wigan fans want answering is why the likes of Cas and Wakey play better more attractive RL than we do when on paper we arguably have better players in most positions.

The answer to this question many fans have come up with is that those sides are better coached than we are.

No one is under any illusion we are full of class player though we do have several current internationals in the side. The problem many fans see is Noble isn't even getting the best out of what we have.



Well the simple answer is for Noble not to play Smith and put McIllorum on the bench instead, yet each week the fans ponder what permutation Noble will come up with in the 17 (or 19) as he seemingly tries to force square pegs into round holes (like picking too many back rowers and Smith instead of McIllorum).

Dave

It was brought forward a year simply because he came available a year earlier than expected.

Whether it was a good idea to sign him a year early I have my doubts as I think other areas of the team needed addressing first. If by not signing him a year early Roberts signed for someone else and thus we would not have got him in 2010, so what?

We can only speculate that IL wanted his flying winger he was going on about and so when he was available sooner he signed him or if he was just being too nice and did Roberts a favour! I can't think of any other reasons.

Either way his signing a year early was clearly driven by events and that doesn't look good from a long term planning point of view to me.

Dave

The reason other average teams are better than us is they better halfbacks than us. We simply do not have a decent organiser/halfback in the whole team. Tommy has been proven to be a better 9 than 7,Tim Smith is not up to the job of organising and far too hot and cold and Tomkins is too young to be expected to lead us around the park and organise. There is just no organiser in the whole squad and add to that none of them can kick a long ball if their life depended on it.

What we need to do is decide is Tomkins a long term 6 or 7 and sign a world class organising halfback to partner him. somebody who can direct the play around the field every week and can put a long kick in.

I can't understand the 4 year contract. 2 years is long enough (or maybe one) for anyone who hasn't proved himself. If he has a great 2 years both parties would want to extend the contact.
If he is substandard we can let him go.

But why was the money available to sign a player a year early? Why was we not using that money to bring in a player to strengthen the team where it needs it -prop/centre/halfback ?

Those are my concerns about signing him a year early. He has taken up salary cap space and a quota slot neither of which were expected to be used on him.

Then when Bird comes available we have no slots left on the overseas quota never mind money to pay him.

Dave

True about Bird. I know we couldnt of signed him anyway but that is not the point. Didnt we go for Tod Carney as well but IL wouldnt match his wages or something? Irrelevant in the long run as both players where refused visa's but it just shows that IL and BN both knew we needed a replacement for Barrett and did not have faith in a Tommy and Timmy pairing this year. As for Roberts well IMO he was signed early just to satisfy the fans as we would of only had Riddell to show for Trent Barrett,Mark Calderwood and Micky Higham.

I think pinning it all on the half backs lack of ability and nothing else is a bit simplistic. It has got to be a combination of factors but even if you are right and it's all down to the half backs Noble compounds the problem by his selections and tactics.

Lockers can kick a long ball but rarely does. Why is this? Because that is not part of the game plan or what?



That would just take us back to where we were under Barrett. When he was here he dragged the team up a level but IMO all this did was paper over the cracks. I reckon Noble would be gone already if it were not for Barrett in 2007 and 2008 so while we may need a new half back other things need to change including the tactics.

I think this current team under achieves but then so did the 2007 and 2008 teams even with Barrett in them. I think most people share this view we have an under achieving side and when you have such a side the finger gets pointed at the coach.

Dave

I am sure the club expressed interest in Carney as well as Bird and the I am sure the reasoning given behind it when supposedly we already had our half backs sorted was Wigan are always interested in signing top quality players.

It's a pretty bullet proof statement you can't argue with! The trouble is we were in no position to even consider Bird with both Roberts and Phelps signed up taking quota slots. So the club left itself no room to manoeuvre as it had filled the quota with these two.

Dave

Personally Dave i dont think the team underachieves at all. I think far too many of our players are over-rated by our own fans.