But there in lies the problem who would take these players and there wages onboard? I cannot see anyone wanting to.

It will not be till the end of 2009/off season 2010, where Smith will also be on that list, till we see exactly who we can bring to the club.

I would anticipate that would give us somewhere in the region of between £300 000-£350 000k to play with, and the positive side of this is that we should not have to recruit anyone to replace those players generally as all the players are in house and contracted already, more or less.

It all depends on SBW and if he's not enjoying French life or if he's not enjoying RU in general. Hopefully it's the latter as then SL is his only option His market value in RL is different to his market value in RU also. SBW and his agent will know this and they'll still go to the highest bidder but they know they'll never get what he's on now in RL.

In regards to numbers i guess it's a question of if you want quality or quantity. I'd prefer a mixture of both tbh but i'd like our back ups to be be kids like Mossop, O'Carroll, Ainscough and Farrell rather than Phelps & Mathers etc.

For me this club is crying out for a true world class talent and SBW is certainly that.
We need someone who can just provide that Xfactor when the chips are down like they were on Sunday and produce on game changing moment of magic. Farrell used to do it, Trent did it many times but who’s gonna do it now for us?

I say stop all this talk about SBW its never going to happen and will only make you depressed

I agree with the Preistman85.

A good team has it's youngsters breaking through, it's week in week out performers/solid players with experience and it's star players with spark who have that certain something who can win you a game from no where.

Over the years we've gone from having one of these players in ever position Hanley Greg Dermo Edwards etc, to having a few in a team Farrell. Renoef Lam to having one, Faz then Baz to nowadays were we have not one in our team.

If we do have that much to spend I dont think we shoud replace all those players directly but get in some real world class players and blood some youngsters.

surely at that v first fans forum at deanery IL said that it was THIS season that we would enjoy some cap space freed up - especially seeing that TB went on top of what we all would have predicted.

Dont hold your breth troops

Interesting article regarding Eddie Jones here: www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/lo ... 14482.html Quote But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia. "I played league when I was a young kid and loved the game," he said from London. "I always watched the game pretty intently and still watch it. "If ever there was an opportunity to do that I would jump at it because I think it is a fantastic game. It would be a great challenge."'" Although the article says 'But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia', I think he means Rugby League in general.

Interesting article regarding Eddie Jones here: www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/lo ... 14482.html Quote But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia. "I played league when I was a young kid and loved the game," he said from London. "I always watched the game pretty intently and still watch it. "If ever there was an opportunity to do that I would jump at it because I think it is a fantastic game. It would be a great challenge."'" Although the article says 'But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia', I think he means Rugby League in general.

Quote ="Alex BP'"Interesting article regarding Eddie Jones here: www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/lo ... 14482.html Although the article says 'But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia', I think he means Rugby League in general.'" Well if Edwards can do so well in Union, why cant Jones do the same in League? Would be interesting atleast to see how he turned out if he became a League coach

Quote ="Alex BP'"Interesting article regarding Eddie Jones here: www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/lo ... 14482.html Although the article says 'But his dream is to coach in the NRL in Australia', I think he means Rugby League in general.'" Well if Edwards can do so well in Union, why cant Jones do the same in League? Would be interesting atleast to see how he turned out if he became a League coach

Why are we entertaining the prospect of an RU coach. Its absurb and hopefully IL will view it as such.

sonny money bill is a game breaker . and he knows it . he carved up teams in the nrl by himself

Yeah, we've picked that up.

Who's ever said anything about Noble leaving the club?

By discussing and wanting other coaches isn't exactly a good way to thank a coach who took us from the being the worst team in the league to 3rd two seasons running.

Yes at times we might disagree with his tactics or squad selection, but he's the man who's got us 3rd best from worst in no time at all. Lets play this season and maybe next out first.

Sorting out the cr*p at Wigan isn't an overnight job.

Agreed but seeing basic improvement over the time he has been here which is now 2.5 years should be expected.

The fact of the matter is we have seen no improvement from the displays of the team he took over under Millward, despite the squad being more "his players" at the start of every season.

Well put. I don't think IL would rush to sack Noble with the same speed and eagerness that someone like Whelan would, but if last Sunday's form persists for any length of time this season, I'd be very surprised if an alternative coach wasn't being sought by the mid-way stage. I can't see the club would have any option.

It's not the lack of trophies, but the lack of improvement that is frustrating so many people.

You're making the assumption that they are 'his' players. Not necessarily the case.

So are you claiming that the team he has now, has less players that he wants in the team than the team he took over from Millward?

Are you claiming the team that kicked off the 08 season had more players he wanted in than the 09 season.

Perhaps we are wrong but i think Noble identified long ago that Calderwood and Higham were 2 players he did not want in the team, he has replaced them with Riddell and Roberts for example, or is there something you know that we do not?

I think this 'his players' business is being overstated a little. While I appreciate that coaches have types of player they prefer, at the end of the day they're all professionals and should be able to play a basic professional game. Often last season, and definitely last Sunday, this was distinctly lacking. And the buck for that stops with the coach.

Just because new players arrive, don't be so naive as to assume they are always Noble's choices. Some may be, others are not

Minimal improvement?

I don't call taking a team from rock bottom to 3rd minimal. Has it been done in any other sport? It's drastic improvement on behave of Noble.

Not to mention the total mess behind the scenes which is also work on to improve.

Is it just the fact we are getting bored? Still with Nobby, he has experience in internationals and lots on club level. As far as I can see he has forged a good working relationship with IL and are both working together with aim to make Wigan successful.

IL is a Wigan fan like me and you, he will not want this club to do anything but succeed, but of course there's always red tape and business that will prevent certain deals or movement from happening. Deals than no one outside of the club will know about.

We have to remain relaxed with our someone frustrating team performances and squad selection. Have faith in Nobby for the time being. See what develops over this season.

Even if they are not, given he wanted shut of Higham & Calderwood, surely we should expect improvement now they are gone.

Do you know of any players definetly not his? I heard rumours some time back Riddell wasn't.

Do you think Nobby would have wanted to lose Trent? works both ways.

The argument that the team is not more his than it was when he took over is stupid, i'm not even going to bother continuing with it.

Regards the improvement this is the point, we played our best most consistent rugby with the Millward team minus Brown and Moran + Dobson and Fielden in the last few months of the 06 season. In Nobles time we have never come near that standard of play since nor have we come near that consistency.

Our points for and against has decreased from 07 to 08, and i feel the performances did.

We have the same players making the same errors time and time again and we have the same failing "game plan" time and time again regardless of our opposition.

We as a team are not moving forward, we are not learning from our errors, at best we are stagnating, at worst we are moving backwards which i feel is the case and is a failure.

I said from day one i did not think Noble was the man to take us forward. I would say his time at the club though to date has been a success as he has done what we needed stabilised us. I think it is a huge gamble for his own career to take Wigan on in 09, one that i think he may well regrett. If the links to Les Cats were true i think he would have been much safer career wise to go there, a team much more suited to his style and away from the stoplight.

A poor performance tonight and a loss he is under massive pressure. A poor performance and a win gives him a bit of breathing space. A good performance and win buys him considerable breathing space.

If we do not performe to a reasonable standard tonight regardless of the result and lose to Cas next week then he simply has to go.

Not taking us forward?

ROCK BOTTOM to 3rd is moving us forward! What do you want? instant champs?

In the last 2 years have you seen improvement in the team?

In the last 2 years we've finished 3rd behind Leeds and Saints.