[urlhttp://www.wigantoday.net/warriors/Nobby-hails-39complete39-Sean.5097639.jp[/url
Noble's happy with Sean's start to the year.

I think hes done fantastic at the start of the season coming of the back of a injury and hes been on of our best most consistant performers.

Thoughts?

I think Wigan have been spoiled by the class of captain that we have had in the past : Ellery, Dean, Shaun, Faz, Lockers will never live up to these

he is top tackler in the league so he is putting the work in!

He is having a good season. Works so hard in defence, his involvement in attacking moves had increased also.

Keep it up Lockers.

I think he's started the season well. The stats may prove me wrong me wrong but he doesn't seem as penalty-prone so far this season as he was last year.

so what, if hes playing well defending well and scoring trys i dont care, he is never gonna be that class because people like you wont give him time to be a captian

I wish you were in Cyprus too!

This is 2009! Yes we have had some great Captains but................... i/we dont really get your point from your post mate!

As you can see i was feeling rather over protective over lockers

O'Loughlin is the best defender at the club - this has never been an issue. What has been an issue is his attack. Theres no doubt he has ability with the ball in his band but he was struggling to use at the right times. This year though he seems to have come on a bit but for me though there is still more to come...

It is nice to see a thread praising a O'Loughlin for once as he gets alot of undeserved stick on these boards and on the terraces.

I thought he was great v Salford. Set up a couple of tries out wide.

Nods.....

I thought he deserved one

Hes class

He was suggesting Lockers is actually a good captain but is unfairly compared by some to the previous players who performed his current role?

Is the penny finally dropping that Lockers is actually a hardworking, quality player who Wigan fans should be backing rather than comparing to legends the like of which no SL team currently has, let alone Wigan?

Or have the Lockers knockers just gone to ground for a while and the people on this thread are just the sensible ones who realised the truth all along

Correct Lockers is a good hard working player, nothing more





He is a good player but not a good captain IMO. The comments from Noble paraphrase what most of the Lockers fans say on here i.e.

"If you're looking for a captain, sometimes it is not a great orator you need, it is somebody who is prepared to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in."

So basically our coach thinks Lockers (to coin an overused phrase) leads by example. I don't agree with Noble and have never agreed with this opinion no matter who trots it out because why can't you have both a great orator and a player who gets stuck in? Surely that is the complete captain.

Our team has needed the "great orator" quite a few times over the last two seasons, in several games this season as well and before anyone says our players should be more professional and not need organising etc, [uthe fact is they do[/u.

The "leads by example" captain is a luxury successful teams can afford. Sinfield at Leeds and Joynt when he was at Saints don't and didn't need to be vocal because their teams are/were very successful. Ours isn't.

Mind you this all stems from a statement made by Noble who last week was saying it is all about ability and not age when talking about S Tomkins and Ainscough which is the exact opposite of what he said last season when he was trotting out "duty of care" excuses for not playing them so I take everything he says with a pinch of salt.

Dave

I persoanally have always been a big fan of Lockys, if not his biggest fan



I think every team needs a player like him in the team. Look at Leeds with JJB. He is another who i would take in a flash. They do all the ugly hard work (which 80% of rugby fans dont notice) and it kind of annoys me. Locky would have IMO finished top tackler in the league last year had it not been for his injury. I have noticed a big improvment in his ability to join the line this season though aswell, kind of like when he first broke into the first team. Lets hope he keeps up his good form as hes deffinatly been in the top 3 most consistant players sp far this season

No complaints about Lockers from me. Been one of our most consistent players for years now (when he's been fit).

Very important to our team imo, especially in terms of defensive structure.

Almost the perfect thread for you, Dave. You can knock both of your pet hates in one go! If only there was some praise for Higham in that piece...

who else would you have as captain?

Fielden

Dont you think he should focus on his performance first?

Why what's he done wrong? I'm not saying he should be captain but his performances haven't been bad at all.

They are fine - but we know he has it in him to do great. I would rather he did that than became captain. Plus I like lockers at captain, and Fielden isn't guaranteed to be here next season is he?

You not watch him last season when we made him co-captain and gave him more responsibility?

His best form since 2006 and an on form Fielden is a worry for super league

Under contract till the end of 2010 so he will be here yes