Wish him well, he's a pretty good egg. For me he'd taken Wigan as far as he could and we needed a change.

One thing I will NEVER understand about him though was at the fans forum, he asked for mint sauce on his pie....????????

That a sacking if i ever heard one

True but the man deserves to be shown some respect by us, not only for what he achieved on the pitch, but off it too in the groundwork he put in. The benefits of which we'll probably not see for a few years.

He may not of delivered as in 'success' but looking back to 2006, as someone else has said, 3 3rd place SL finishes and 4 semi-final appearences I would of snatched someones hand off for that back then.

Here's to 3 years of success and progression under Michael Maguire

Tell u what he's got a massive job on his hands hasn't he!

If he doesn't pull some signings out of the hat soon it's looking like a massive Wigan win on the first day of the season.

Have they got enough players for a team yet?

Its reported in this weeks edition of League Weekly that the Crusaders are sending representatives to Australia before Christmas with the objective of signing some players including Willie Mason who has turned down a lucrative offer to play rugby in Japan and in France.

If they do get Mason then it would certanly add some spice to the Wigan game.

How long will the recruitment drive take?

The season starts in what 6-8 weeks? Time is ticking for them to sign and mold a team by the Wigan game isn't it!

Perfect 1st game for Wigan really. Get the Noble issue out of the way early, it should start the season with a big win meaning we go into the Wire game with confidence.

Don't wanna go OTT but if we are looking at challenging next season then we've gotta may teams in this situation pay. No slacking off or going easy we've gotta go out there and blow them away.

They play Leeds the week before they play Wigan.

You could just be setting yourself up for a big fall there.You forgot last season already

What's the point in remembering it when so much has changed since it ended?

The only reason you remember it is because you were fortunate enough to meet a Brian Noble-uninspired Wigan in the semi.

Me. The three years that followed that epic half a season in 2006 were complete dross.

After 2006 I thought we would really kick on in 2007. Very disappointed it didn't happen but put it down to a one off and gave him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately it was followed by two more years of the same dross.



It was his job after he saved us from relegation and he failed which is why he isn't here any longer. Thankfully.

Dave

The prospect of Noble as coach and their recruitment problems is mouth watering for our first game. Mouth watering.

Respect for what he done for the club in 06, OK he did not build on that to the level we would have wanted/ expected but never the less he will het a warm welcome from me.

And a realisation that in the 3 seasons that followed we were 11, then 14, then 12 points off the pace in the league and saw the likes of Wakey finish above us.

I too would give him a warm welcome. Out of common courtesy and notwithstanding the garbage I had to endure for too much of his tenure.

I'm afraid it's difficult to deny the basic truth of this.

By all means, let's say a big 'hello' to him. But please, let's not start to rewrite the facts of history.

Yes there is no point being discourteous but that is all there ought to be behind any warm welcome IMO. I can't just write those three years off as if they never happened and I not sure why anyone else could either.

Dave

Some of us have the ability to view the past through rose-tinted spectacles remarkably soon after the era in question is over.

I don't have a problem with that in itself, but it would be a real shame - and I'm not saying anyone currently posting will adopt this view, but others may - if Maguire's regime gets off to a slow start and comparisons with Noble's regime immediately start being made. Even before Maguire got in the saddle, we had ridiculous statements to the effect that, should he not win silverware in the first season it will prove that he is a lesser coach than Nobby. Heaven knows what some will say if we actually lose a few matches.

Maguire should be given at least three years, IMO, to put his plan to fruition, but for some the shadow of Nobby still looms large - and I can't for the life of me think why.

I respect your opinion, but you are a typical example of our fans being used to the best in the late 80s and early 90s and expecting similar things now. It was never going to happen with the team we had!

I don't think many other coaches would of done much better with the team.

If you think it was complete dross, thats your opinion but we have been involved in some of the best games over the last few years, each year in the play-offs has been great and we have had many good memories, the only problem was consistancy!

The Crusaders are still 6/5 to finish bottom of super league.Looks a good bet if i ever saw!

So you think Wakefield's squad was better than ours last season?

Depends how you look at it. I agree with the four semi-finals but three 3rd place finishes? Sounds better than it actually was. However, I do wish him well at Crusaders. Just glad he's gone.

No I am not "a typical example of our fans being used to the best in the late 80s and early 90s and expecting similar things now."

I am simply someone who recognised that what Noble's sides were serving up was not good enough with respect to the competition it has been playing in over the last three years. My opinion on Noble's tenure has got nothing to do with how the side played in the past.

Anyone could see how poor the team played at times in absolute terms not benchmarked against any past Wigan team.



Quality performances were few and far between and to say we were inconsistent is an understatement. Winning one week and not just losing the next but getting beaten by obviously poor sides was as frustrating at it was inexplicable. Losing is not a problem if the effort in there but the manner of far too many losses was not acceptable.

As to no one doing much better with this team we will soon see what it is capable of under different coaches because it is virtually unchanged for 2010.

Noble had three years to get a team together and playing as he wanted and yet for three years we put in three similar standard seasons that were sub-standard.

And for the record I don't expect miracles from the side just because we have a new coach for the very reason it is virtually the same side as 2009 but I do expect some improvement because I believe Maguire will address several issues Noble never got to grips with.

I can not see why anyone considers the 2007 to 2009 seasons as reasons to give Noble a warm welcome.

Dave

Crusaders are an absolute shambles at the moment, even if they do get a load of good players on board in the next couple of weeks they are going to struggle early on in the year. Shame on the RFL for allowing them to continue when there are clubs with a decent set-up waiting for a place.

Maybe its more to do with the way he conducted himself, the passion and pride he always represented the Wigan club with, the fact that he (along with IL) restored alot of integrity to the club ater DW/Millward, the work he did at all levels of the club with regards the setup than something purely based on results.

But stick to your agenda Dave, you normally do.

He left the club in a much better state than when he took over. That is worth a warm welcome if nothing else!

I can see both points of view though id mibbe side with the view that during 07,08 and 09 the league form was 2nd classs and we were , as said before treated to quite a lot of pathetic performances from a group of players punching below their weight. Il certainly give him a round of applause but not for the tripe he served us in 60% of games he managed us..

What i will say is that the ends to the three aforementioned seasons were outstanding and i wont forget those dramatic playoff match wins at Bradford, Hull, Perpignan and Hull KR