After last night I think I'm more of a Noble Doubter than ever. I just can't see him taking this team any further. 3 wins from 9 with this squad simply isn't good enough.

Yet again the Wigan players proved that they can be competitive against a top side, despite a shocking start to the season overall.

Yet again we appear to have very few moves and to be poorly organised in attack.

If the failure of Wigan to deliver more consistent performances and to be better organised in attack isn't BN's responsiblity then whose is it? I'd really like to hear this from the Noble Defenders. (And please, no Lockers Knockers claiming everything is our captain's fault!).

At the end of the day BN is the coach and this side simply does not look well coached.

The rumours are that a search for a replacement is already underway but that we will have to wait until the off-season. This means that this season is likely to be a write-off, I hope I'm wrong but I can't see us getting a result at Wakey in the CC, which for me in reality will be the end of our season this year: we are just going to finish too low in the table to be able to mount a successful challenge for the GF (assuming of course that we even finish in the top 8, which is doubtful at the moment

).

Surely the answer is simple then. Wait till the end of the year and see if what you think happens and then if it does make a judgement.

Noble's contract is till the end of the year, untill then he should be supported.

I agree. Last night showed up the lack of attacking and defensive organisation we need to kick on. The players as individuals can not be faulted on last nights efforts (well almost, some did better than others but that is normal).

This is the coaches responsibility. The credit for getting close to a win goes to the players not the coach.

Dave

I don't think we'll have to wait till the end of the year, our season could effectively be over within a month at this rate.

This is the same defence that we struggled to break down that Leeds couldn't get a sniff of breaking down... Saints are a very, very good defensive unit under Potter.

Well we will have to break a few omelettes and build a few eggs then.

True. But we did all the right things to make a lot of good field position last night - a good long kicking game and great defence to restrict Saints to their own half for long periods - but basically we look clueless in good field position. IMO that's down to poor coaching. And if we're honest, it's been the same story for the last couple of years. Time for a change I think.

The tactics last night should have been for Hock and Feka to run at the young lads especially Eastmond with Phelps and Tommy backing up for the offload.

I'm not a Noble defender normally, but to play devil's advocate on this, I thought the tactics last night were spot on. We made more than enough breaks to win the game, but poor execution/passing options let us down. To be fair to Noble it's not his fault that Roberts drops the ball or doesn't put his foot through it when clear to the line, or Lulu/Riddell don't pass when there are runners next to them.

I agree that the options near the line are limited, but earlier this season we weren't making a single break down the middle & last night we managed it a fair few times. It was also a long way from the 5 drives & a kick which we suffered through against Wakey, Cas & Hudds. Honestly think things are slowly improving.

Absolute rubbish. We played very well last night and had we had a bit more luck/composure/experience would of beaten Saints. Do not lose sight of the fact that Saints have just dismantled Leeds at Headingly and are the best team in the comp by far.

The problem for Wigan last night was when Ainscough got that second try we got too carried away as a team thinking we had won it. Saints managed to get into a good position and scored one try from a error by Carmont (rushing out of defence) and then another try by a speculative bomb. Luckily the ball came free and Pryce was in the right place at the right time-game over. Had we took all our chances then we would of been out of sight anyway but thats the way Rugby League goes.

To keep bringing up the early season losses does no good for anybody. Weve lost those games now and theres no amount of moaning will alter the past.

They are but they are slowly getting better. The signing of Gleeson will allow Noble to get some combinations going down our right. Lets be honest, Hock and Carmont work fantastic together down the left but our right hand side has lacked any real punch. Once Gleeson gets to know the players around him and they get to know him we will have options on both sides. We also have to remember that Tomkins and Tommy will only improve as time goes on.

stop talking crap we played very well last night a broke the line more last night than we have all season saints on the line defnce was awsome

At last a sensible post.
We all wish we hadnt lost the early games, but anybody that cant see the improvements must just have an agenda or axe to grind.

It's not getting rid of him before the end of the season that could be difficult, it's replacing him before then.

I too feel that Noble has taken us as far as he's capable, and that the club should act accordingly. But we have to get the right person to replace him, and that may take time.

Grr get behind Noble and the team, then if he leaves forget him if you want but while he is at Wigan I am behind him and the team 100%

Now, now. There's no need for abuse. If you don't agree with me then fine.

Many posters on this thread seem to be satisfied with a narrow defeat to Saints even if the rest of the season so far has been poor.

I do have "an axe to grind" which is that this is not good enough for Wigan. Maybe you all have different ideas about what Wigan's standards should be, perhaps you're all happy with 3 wins from 9 and a narrow defeat to Saints at home. I'm not.

The point I was making was that both the inconsistency so far this season and the lack of attacking moves are BN's responsibility at the end of the day. I stand by that.

To be honest I am amazed that Noble has so many defenders, most of the people that I spoke to last night are fed up with the poor tactics, poor preparation and the boring one-man style of rugby that BN favours.

The fact is at times we were stood still in attack with no runners. Players were stood still when taking the ball. It was the same last night at times as it has been all season.

Likewise we have conceded tries close to our line all season. We often spend time in the opposition half but come up with little or nothing then as soon as they get a sniff of our line they are in. That is exactly what happened last night but has been this way all season.

Dave

Don't disagree. Sadly though I think there's a big chance our season will be over in a few weeks' time. That's a depressing thought.

What I can't understand is why Noble still has so many supporters when the team is not delivering good performances (let alone winnning) on a consistent basis.

I don't think he will have for long. It possibly depends on what happens in the cup, given that the league's already long gone.

One thing's for sure. People will no longer be fooled by the end of season spurt (assuming it happens with no Trent Barrett to inspire it).

?????


The league only starts in 3 or 4 months time.

LOL, talk about wanting a man to fail!

Agree

i believe we need change but i would never wish anyone to fail

One other way to look at it is that so long as Noble is able to keep Wigan afloat - at mid-table or slightly higher - the more difficult it is for the club to replace him. Whereas, if we drop to the bottom of the table, there'll be no option and no argument.

I don't want us to be cellar dwellers, but neither do I wish us to continue indefinitely with a coach who is looking increasingly out of his depth at the higher end of SL.

Last night was a classic illustration. We did the hard work. We matched Saints in the middle of the field for a lot of the game. But when it came to being clever and putting our chances away with smart attacking moves, we were bereft of ideas.

We also - yet again, and once again it was a fatal error - went to sleep for about twenty minutes in the second half. That shows a lack of mental toughness.

Both of these fundamental problems can be laid at the door of the head-coach. If not him, who else?

He's been one of the longest serving coaches we've had for some time, yet we've not visibly improved under him, even though on paper we're probably a better side than we were when he took over.

I don't want to see him sacked - I feel that would cause disruption and would be poor reward for a man who's not been successful rather than has actually failed. But I want to see a modern, forward-thinking coach take over when Nobby's contract expires at the end of this season.

Exactly RHJ, composure is what we lack when we get behind in games as happens so often.. Had we shown a bit more composure we would have beaten Wakefield, Hull, Castleford and probably Wakefield, but we didn't. Coaching composure and having a plan B when the chips are down is obviously not one of Noble's strong points.

This is the reason weve bought Gleeson to give us options down the right as well as the left. You say we had no idea well in all honesty niether did Leeds last week who couldnt break Saints defence down. Give Saints some credit for their heroic defence at least. Also add to that the fact we are playing a young lad in a pivotal position and our 7 is not exactly a great defence opener. On top of that we had the chances to win the game easily but couldnt finish them.

I failed to see any 20 minute lapse as you put it. Had that happened Saints would of run in try after try. What we did see was 2 individual errors cost us the game. Carmonts charging out of the line leaving Gidley half a chance that he took and Roberts failing to catch a bomb. There never was a 20 minute lapse as you put it.