do you think the players want to play for noble?

I also shall be shouting for Cas. As I do for any team playing Wigan.

It sounds like you may not be on your own



I can partly understand the short term loss, long term gain idea. But I can't see me ever going to a game and hoping we will loose.

Even Warrington? You'll find that in last night's game many Wiganers wanted Warrington to lose (can't bring ourselves to say the other aspect of course

)

What I meant was more along the lines of the choice of coach. For years now although we've had youngsters that have decent enough skill levels to seemingly excel at academy level, those same youngsters have also struggled when they take the step up. Basically they are good, have always had good potential but, don't have the strength in depth skill wise to become good at the next level, where it actually matters. There's something about their skills education that doesn't provide them with the necessary level or depth of skills required. This can't be coincidental with every coach we've had for the last umpteen years, but although we (Wigan) excel at academy level by and large academy level is of mediocre quality and diminishing every year. We are amongst the best of a mediocre bunch. For me when Bell went I was surprised the rest of the staff survived and have done as long as they have. Toughing it out and ripping it up only goes so far and is very quickly found out by better skill sets. Putting someone who, has been part of a regime that has produced mediocrity in the past, in charge of the 1st team just seems counter productive. He's a home grown lad with Cherry & White blood but maybe not the choice to achieve what's needed.

Right off the bat = I'm a Cas fan, so, cheers - i hope we stuff you too!



However, as an objective "outsider", I'd say you have (arguably) the best coach in the country.

Forgetting the old animosity (if only for a moment!) you were seriously facing relegation when Noble was appointed. Since then you have narrowly missed out on two grand finals - ostensibly with sides not that much stronger than the one which he inherited.

Two types of Wigan fan me thinks:

1. Those whom thank their lucky stars that Noble ever arrived.

2. Those whom judge their so-called beloved team on a one week to the next basis.

Ah I see, I would have Lam as the Head Coach and Wane in a supporting role. Take your point re the kids coming through but you can't expect all of them to make the SL grade, 3 or 4 of a side perhaps but I'd suggest more is unlikely.

Can't see anything changing until after Easter myself and only then if we've been consistantly poor. IMO Noble came in when we needed someone to steady the ship, which he did very well indeed, but thats all we are "steady". We won't be bottom three or four, on current form we won't be top three or four. I want to be entertained when I go to a match. Win, lose or draw I want to see good rugby, how often have we seen that in recent years. For that reason alone I think Noble's time is long overdue.

There is also the issue of who replaces him if Ian Lenegan does eventually decide to pull the trigger. I don't think Hanley is the man at all. Finest player I've ever seen but best coach? I don't think so. My first choice would be Edwards though I fear he will never coach Wigan. So with that in mind I'd like to see either Adrian Lam who I think will be a top drawer coach in the very near future his or Ricky Stuart with three Grand Final appearances in five years with the Roosters, NSW origin coach and of course Australian national coach I think we could do a lot worse.

No doubt there will be some howls of derision but thats my opinion fwiw.

Even Warrington, I can't stand it when Wigan win.

What makes you think Lenegan would pay the wages of such people. Sean Edwards if he ever came back would demand huge wages as would Ricky Stuart. Ian Lenegan has shown with his signings and his disgust at certain players wages that he is a man who likes bargains. Unfortunately, as with everything in life,you normally get what you pay for.

If Noble did go then id expect Lenegan to bring in somebody on less money. There can be no doubt that Noble will be on very good money as he was brought in by Maurice and Whelan who were not afraid to pay big money to get there man.

Personally I think hes right....lose to cas and nobles position starts to become untenable!! within a few weeks we might have a decent chance of getting shut and bringing someone in who knows how to coach the team! IMO we do have the right personell but nobby is making the wrong selections time and time again!!

Its right to blame the team to an extent, (as people have pointed out its not noble who is dropping balls) but noble has to take a great deal of blame as well IMO....

the hooker(half back/ Looseforward) debacle last week followed by the fullback (centre/winger) debacle last night - How does that possibly aid a team?!! Constantly he changes key positions in the team MID GAME for little or no reason...the players dont know where each of their teammates are on the field as noble keeps moving them.....perhaps he is trying to hide his tactical inadequacies by chopping and changing the team so it at least looks like he is doing something??!?!

At the end of the day goulding missed that tackle on Cusack (a front rower ffs) last night that cost us the game...but youve got to question wtf goulding (a centre) was doing at FB....and also probably our 10th change of FB of the night!!!! Had richards been there does anyone on here think cusack would have scored?!?!!? we would have then still been in the game and had a chance.

Yes it was gouldings fault he scored but why was he there in the first place?!!? NOBLE and his ridiculous tactics.....the only thing 'over elaborate' as noble says, at wigan at the moment is his own coaching!!

GIVE O. personally I think this season will now start like 2006. We might manage to scrape cas next week but the current way we are playing we will lose to quins, lose to bradford and lose to leeds....we will then go to salford with 1 from 6 and at the bottom of the table with no confidence and who knows what will happen at the willows!?! Maybe then though that might just be the final straw for noble

Apart from the ridiculous FB switching, I don't think we did to bad last night. With a little bit of luck and a few dodgy decisions going our way we'd have won and by some way as well, imo.

I'm not a supporter of Noble and never have been, but it's far too early in the season to call for his head (imo, IL will not sack Noble, he might not renew his contract but he won't sack him). Wigan played some good rugby at times last night.

Would it not be better for Wigan to form a much stronger backroom staff to support Noble rather than completely criticise him?

I can see the point 'jonh' is making but for me Noble is a good coach who has certain faults. If we had a more effective backroom then perhaps we could find a solid partnership in which the players respect and perform well for.

Brian Noble & Ellery Hanley in some capacity at the club could help us move forward.

It was well documented that Carlos Queiroz was a major motivator for Manchester United during their successes in the Premiership last season despite United having Sir Alex Ferguson as manager so the importance of an effective backroom is integral to winning trophies in football and I would assume it is the same principle in any sport, including Rugby League.

I'm not criticising our current staff as I'm sure they do a good job and give hundred percent, but seeing as coaches do not count on the salary cap and as our team is supposedly a team that can challenge for honours this is the most logical step for me IMO.

noble has had 3 years to sort the discipline out and hes still not done it.

The reason for the full back switching was that Richards who had gone to fullback was injured.

Wigan finished the game with only 11 fit players (see tonight W.E.P), which may account for the way we faded in the last twenty minutes.

Now is not the time to be swapping coaches around - the first few weeks were always going to be a bit of a struggle with the new combinations at 6, 7 and 9.

The thing in our favour is that it is not first past the post any longer and dropping 10 games in a season does not necessarily mean that you don't get a shot at being champions - Saints lost 5 out of their first 10 last year, they didn't panic and sack Anderson.

Noble deserves to see at least half the season out imo.

Will he take us any further than that though?

I never suggested that he might pay the kind of money that those coaches might command. Merely, stated what I'd like if/when Noble goes. In an ideal world where money is no object I'd like Edwards, second choice would be Stuart and third Lam. Of the three I think Lam is the most realistic target, I'd love to see him here and I believe he'd do an outstanding job.

I'd also like to be woke up on Monday morning by Charlize Theron, wrapped in a towel, carrying a large suitcase full of tenners. Another unlikely item on my wish list but we all have our dreams.

No i do not where have i ever said that?

Much of the rest of your post is incorrect as well, but everyone is entitled to there opinion.

wouldnt happen

Ellery would want 100% control imo.

Agreed, he seems to have foregotten the whole lot!

It is more likely the abismal fitness levels of our first team why they faded in the last 20.

A prominant local coach was brought in after they got back from lanzarote, and he had them running a very big slag heap in aspull. He couldnt belive how unfit the majority of the squad where! Infact he went as far as to say he has 10 year olds at his club who could have done better.

It is not just noble that is the problem in my opinion, the entire back room staff needs looking at, i blamed forshaw for the lack of fitness last year, and it appears they are in no better condition to me.
Granted he cant do it all by himself, but exactly what qualifications/experience did he have in this field before he decided he wanted to do it?

Just because he was super fit himself, does not mean he can condition an entire team.

I would invest in a new back room team who actually have skills in this area as oppposed to changing the head coach, as i do not belive that

A) Is Lenegan strong enough to sack nobby? I dont think he is from impresions.
B) He wont pay a transfer fee for a prop or standoff (which even stevie wonder can see we need) so why on earth would he pay compensation to another club for a coach! That means we will end up with a out of work coach and how are they going to be better than what we have?

Yes it does. Drop that many games and it says two things.

You start lower down in the play offs and history tells us only one side has won it outside the top 2 (and they were very lucky with injuries to the top 2).

It also tells us the team isn't that good. How do expect a team that drops 10 games to be good enough to win something?

This notion the fact we have a play off system means teams can be crap for a half a season gives a false sense of security to fans and is just an excuse to back poor play and coaching IMO.



That is probably because in the previous season they had seen what he and the team were capable of and was good rugby. The same can't be said about our team and coach. Why do you ignore this obvious and glaring difference?



He has had two and bit seasons already.

Dave

How would you sum up his efforts in those 2 and a half seasons?