i take it the 15 who voted 'no' are hull fans?

Funnily enough I thought we did.

Dave

I don't think Noble can be bagged for selecting him today. In a nutshell Mathers was given the benefit of the doubt last season as he returned from injury so it was odds on he'd get the no. 1 slot today.

It is what Noble does now with the full back slot that counts.

Unlike you I am at the opposite end of the Noble appreciation society but he has to find out if Mathers is good enough.

We shout loud enough when Noble is seemingly too quick to drop players for the flimsiest of excuses such as Goulding so I suppose sticking loyally to Mathers just compounds our frustration when other more talented players only have to sneeze out of place to get dropped but I still think Noble was bound to play Mathers today.

Dave

I nearly gave myself a coronary as I had thought that they had announced him as MOTM

My only concern is if we replace Mathers with Roberts I'm not sure we'll see a big improvement.

The guy looked below average today. Positionally he was poor at times, together with the desperately poor Phelps he formed the worst centre pairing defensively that I think I've ever seen at Wigan, and he displayed little of the pace I was expecting.

Let's pray he improves as the season wears on.

I think Amos missed two tackles into the run up for the first try, and I thought "f*** me we've bought an aussie who can't tackle" - and then later in the game I think he laid somebody out with a pearler of a tackle in front of the posts - maybe it was just the newness factor, first game for the pairing, unfamiliar with each other etc . Kear targetted them very effectively today - good call sir!

I suspect those two will get markedly better.

Whereas Mathers............

i say keep him in the squad can only got worse

dirty bas tard he is, and always has been / will be

Might not be a decision you need to make.

If the RFL have any bottle they'll ban him anyway. Disgusting and very dangerous behaviour.

Sorry, have I missed something?



(Wasn't at the game yesterday)

So JD manages to knock a 20st prop off his feet with a high shot and gets nothing? Double standards me thinks.

One more vote till we get 100...

Mathers got sin binned for taking out Halley with a kind of trip/kick.

We'll get far more than 100.

Again, I'm feeling a bit tight seeing a poll with over 100 people and 80-odd percent of supporters calling for him to be dropped. Still, Noble selecting him is going to keep him open to justified criticism. He isn't a scape goat nor is he just going through a 'poor patch'. He is a consistantly below average player who has a become a risk in a crucial and key position on the pitch. Supporters reactions to him haven't been brought on by off the field antics, it's what we've seen ON the field and patience has clearly worn thin.

Sorry, but that's the bottom line at the moment.

Why? Its not under 9's rugby league. Mathers simply isnt performing and the only times he has looked good in a Wigan shirt is against National League oppostion. We cannot afford to piggy back him any longer.

This is a good point. I wouldn't have played him today, personally. But Noble could argue he was giving him the benefit of the doubt. The upside is there's no possible way he can select him next week. Surely?

With the best will in the world, Mathers has had his chance for the time being. Now he should be given his chance to play in the reserves and see if he can get the basics right.

Even those who feel sorry for him - and I'm one - must admit that yesterday will have done him no good whatsoever. Further humiliations of that sort will finish his career early.

drop him. Amos to fb and Ainscough on the wing

Who keeps voting to keep him in the team.

Or are there a lot of votes from Hull ?

If I was a Hull fan I would want him to play.

Worst full-back in Wigan's history. End of story. And as for the coach who keeps picking him.....

Mathers is a gutless, dirty, gobby sod and out of his depth at this level. Good at waving his arms and applauding the fans though



Yesterday there was a first-half chip kick that bounced mid-way between him and the onrushing Wakey player - and he completely bottled it. Not for the first time, either.

Lord knows what Gold Coast were thinking of when offering him a chance in the NRL. And Leeds got rid for a very good reason. He is bloody hopeless.

Brian Noble talks about duty of care. Does he exercise duty of care with Mathers?

Agreed. Now we have to hope that Noble was adopting that view and that the result will be Mathers nowhere near the squad for Friday.