What was alarming was the lack of support play at times, (Paat's try excluded), i.e. Fielden and S. Tomkins both looking to offload and no one wanting to get involved. This is one area we need to improve on a area Phelps could improve on, he needs to take a few more lessons off Radz and watch Briscoe a little more.

Our second phase under BN has been nothing short of garbage.

[size=150NOBLE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/size

The ship was stabilized within 12 months of Nobby being here and we all thank him for that but we have been woefully poor in a lot of games so he cant really complain that he hasnt been given a new contract because he hasnt earned one, well done IL for keeping the club going forward.

Let me see what I can do for you, I'll give Ian a ring.

*edit*

Ok, spoken to Ian, and he has agreed not to renew Nobles contract for me. Yes, I am that well connected

Tbf tommy was on one leg for most of the game and still had the most line breaks in a Wigan top!

Our backing up when breaks were made was almost none existant tonight! Tommy made a few big 'game changing' plays but the lack of support was the difference between converting them and winning and it just being another break and offload.

For me the only player who let us down tonight was Roberts. He cost us one try by poor defending and I think a winger with as many NRL tries as him should have made a far better effort late in the game when lockers gave him space 2 go for the corner flag!

Joel Tomkins missed a far worse hit on Eastmond for mine.

It was a bad tackle but Roberts defensive positioning for their last try was poor at best!

Yes you can pick faults with Joel and even Prescott but at the end of the day they still aren't the finished articles & Roberts is and I'd expect more from a guy with his rep both in attack and defence.

Neither Joel or Prescott or Sam were starters at the begining of the season which shows there level in the team.

Though Roberts did a lot right tonight to be honest, missed a bad one but saved us a couple of times, cant pick fault really with anyone, but i will say not being the finished article in my opinion is not an excuse they are SL players and should be judged just as that.

In my opinion lack of opinions cost us.

IMO Roberts cost us a try and didn't make enough of a good opportunity to score in the corner and little things like that are the difference between a win and loss in close games like this.

I'd expect more from him but I'm also willing to give him some more time yet as he has improved as the season has gone on and has shown enough of a spark to warrent it.

not sure how he could have done more to score in the corner, Wellens may be slow but positionally at this level he is good and pulled off a cracking tackle.


Richards had a far clearer opportunity but again it was a tough one and made less of it.

By it's a late one for you lads ain't it.

He is a Warrington lad get your parochial blinkers off!

Ahh, Roberts to blame, thats suprising.

Now, is he worth a 4 year contract is a different debate, and how the hell did he get such a deal when the norm under IL seems to be 1 year with a 2nd year option in our favour.

Joel Tomkins was the villian tonight, in the first 5 and last 5 minutes, but he won't get the blame because he isn't Australian.

Roberts was cack tonight and the 4 year deal is ridiculous, Joel made the same mistake that he did a few weeks ago and cost us the game tonight, im sure the new coach will address these issues.

I do look forward to seeing how Joel Tomkins progresses under a new coach, personally think he has bags of ability but makes some poor decisions and basic errors, a new man may just be the coach to progress him as a player.

Joel has all the abilty to be one of the top running forwards in the game but he as a lot of other players haven't progressed under BN.

Don't be daft. He made some mistakes but if he gets any leeway its because he isn't as an experienced a player than someone like Roberts.

If Roberts gets picked up on is mistakes more than Tomkins it's because he IS an experienced player not because he is an Aussie.

The reason the club brings in players like Roberts is supposed to be because they are the finished article and while no one expects them to be infallible they are rightly judged to higher standards than young players.

Dave

What utter bunkum.

You can put the label "SL player" on whoever you like but you know as well as I do that experience does not count for nothing.

It therefore works the other way and experienced players are expected to be better than their inexperienced counterparts.

I suppose you can make up daft notions like the above to defend experienced players who are not up to much up but honestly, read it again to see how daft it is.

Dave

Who wouldn't want the job:

Team not far away with some areas that can clearly be improved.
Players who aren't playing to their full potential who can be improved or shipped out.
A young team.
Some further great talent coming through.
The top 2 looking available as Saints are in decline from their own high standards.
Backing of the Wigan fans if youth is gven its chance.

Firts job for the new coach

Ask Fielden if he wants to play for Wigan, with all the moaning about the fans, the fact that Noble has gone and the fact that he is a shadow of the player he once was and the fact Celtic are a little light in the pack and have some cash to spend after the visas scandal maybe he can pack his bags freeing up valuable cap space for Moi Moi.

I feel a bit sorry for Roberts. Towards the end of the season he was alot better and more confident in taking the high balls. Usually his positioning is alright and a number of times he has come out the line and put a big hit on the oppostion's centre. He tried this tonight for the Meli try and got caught out.

Disappointment for me was Joel Tomkins. He really needs to pick his game up. I cant remember who is it was, might have been Jonh who was calling for Joel to be dropped as the last few games, even though we won, has been a liability. They also said that one day he is going to cost us the game and he did that last night. Why he thought he could go round Long, is beyond me, especially with 6 to go and 10 metres out. He even tried it against Cas when we had 6 to go and got taken into touch by Owen.

Btw I heard a story that when Roberts was in the NRL he went up to catch a high ball and it snapped his finger back and it broke. Not an excuse but that could be one of the reason's, why sometimes he is a bit dodgy under the high ball.

I found it most interesting watching it back on Sky + last night and guess who the idiot was who decided to go short side a give it to Joel Tomkins, yes you guessed it it was Amos Roberts.

Roberts had a hand in every try that Saints scored - the sooner people stop defending him because he is an Aussie the better.

Joel is in no way perfect but the raw talent is there. Defensively Roberts is a shambles and imo opinion time would be better spent developing Ainscoughs game than his.

They are all equal when they step out on the field and should be judged as such in my opinion.

Ok Roberts gave it Joel on the short side but we still had six to go. It still didnt mean Joel had to try and go on the outside of Long.

Also I think you will find it was Joel's missed tackle that led to the first try. I dont think Roberts was anywhere near the Long try but he was at fault for Meli's try.

Joel Tomkins is a great prospect and hopefully his mistakes from the end of the season he will learn from, and come back an even better player next year. What Tomkins did last night was typical of what Wigan do in a tight game when we have a set near the opposition's line. We lack composure and it often results in us giving away possession cheaply. If nothing is on force another set of 6 instead of trying to do something special that only comes off once every blue moon.