I said after last week, I hope we where starting to see the Amos Roberts that we signed. I know that Maguire has come in and given everyone a little but he looks to have done miracles with Amos.

I think we all knew he has talent but under Noble the tactics starved his game and he had low confidence and didn't seem that interested, this season it’s like we have signed a new player I hope he keeps it up as he will be a great asset throughout the season.

Two words, coaching, fitness.
Great work Amos , have you been on the phone to Brett Dallas.

No he wasn't and everyone knows that. There has been a big change around but if you keep insisting he was a good player last season no one will take any notice of what else you say.

Dave

I'm sorry but everyone doesn't know that.

Amos Roberts was a good player last season. His performance levels were lower than the exceptional ones set so far this season but in no was not a good player last season.

For a start he was a marked improvement on the woeful Calderwood and Colbon and his form last season was that of a good if not exceptional SL winger.

I can't see how you can say otherwise?

Because, like Rafa, DaveO's opinions are FACTS!!!



Roberts is like a different player, and his first two performances have been a joy to behold.

No Dave you are wrong, again. There were quite a few of us telling you last season that Roberts was the best winger at the club. It's just that you had your Ainscough eyes on, and then blamed Noble.

What will be your thoughts if next week Maguire picks Goulding or Pryce on the wing?

It will be a toughie, becuase its will be the well its not Noble argument v the Ainscough love in. I predict no comment!

Well said fully agree keep it up Amos, I did feel sorry for Amos last season the skill was there but didn`t seem to come out and sometimes he was the scapegoat when things went wrong, But well done lad long may it last.

Well we will just have to disagree on that because he was nothing special at all last season and I have no idea why anyone thinks he was a good player for us in 2009. Those signing "Your not Amos any more" or whatever mentioned earlier in the thread are not wrong!



What's has being better then them got to do with it? It's about being good enough in absolute terms and I am confident the vast majority of Wigan fans were none too impressed with him last season but are pleasantly surprised so far this. And that is not just based on what I think people who post on here think about it but the opinions of people at the DW/JJB last season and this.

I can honestly say no one sat around me was impressed with him in 2009 but everyone is now singing his praises. What on earth is wrong with acknowledging he was nothing special in 2009 but looks a different player in 2010????

Dave

I have to agree he was a little off last year he looked poor under the high ball, teams often kicked to him, and although chasing back his pace did get us out of trouble sometimes (which Phil Clarke often went on about), going forward he seemed to lack that killer edge. This year he seems to me to be a little bit fitter a lot keaner and a damn site better, he came with a big reputation and scored a lot of tries down under, he can be forgiven in his first year (like Richards), as long as he kicks on from now on, he has made a good start I just hope he continues because if he is scoring and Richards is scoring and Gleeson and Carmont weigh in with their fair share of tries then we are in for a good year.

No its you who are wrong - yet again because you had [unothing[/u at all to base that opinion on.

Or do you go off reputation rather than what you actually see with out own eyes?

Why was I wrong? Because he was ripping up sides week in week out and being a rock in defence? He was neither.



Well IMO the support for Roberts came from the pro Noble brigade who had to justify his selection to support the coach. It's the same now as the attempts to rewrite history that he was obviously a top player for us in 2009 show





He won't pick Pryce in a game like that and given Goulding has bee in the 19 for the past two weeks but has missed out I can't see MM bringing back a player on loan even if it is dual registered in favour of Goulding.

It seem pretty logical to me he will pick Goulding but you obviously want to know would I prefer Ainscough. I would say yes because Ainscough has that something about him that makes him a dangerous player.

I suspect Goulding could not go out on a dual contact due to how much he earns so Ainscough went and I don't think he will be called back given Goulding is fit and is a good player in his own right.

As an aside I am sure I have read somewhere Goulding is off to Salford (might have been on Mikes forum) whether loan or permanent I don't know but if he is going that would increase the chances of Ainscough being called back depending when(if) he goes.

Dave

Defensively is Goulding up for it love him or hate him Briers is no mug and will kick to whoever comes in I just wonder will Pryce be a better option than Goulding. I would like to see Ainscough back but I would also like to see Josh get a shot at the FB role.

God I wouldn't like to be Maguire at the moment, but I suppose that what he gets paid for making the big calls.

I've mentioned this before on here. I spoke to Amos last year, and he told me that the injury he had before last season started meant he wasn't fully fit and carried that injury into the season. His exact words to me were "Give me a proper off season and I'll show what I can do." And he did start playing better in the second half of the season.

Amos WAS a good player last year, our team just never attacked down the right hand side. Has everyone forgot all the moaning that was happening about Gleeson not being the player he should be too? When the ball did eventually find its way to the right hand side and Sam Tomkins missed out his brother, Amos did as much as Richards in attack. And no one on here said Richards was bad.

The fact that our team has learned to attack down the right hand side as well now, is maybe highlighting how much better Amos is playing, because he's getting more ball.


I will say one thing though... I didn't notice the ball land in Amos' hands all that much when Hull KR were kicking to his wing. That's still something that needs work on I feel.

It's not re-writing history to say in the second half of last season Roberts was the best winger at the club.

Better than Pat??? Just a question not a dig, but how do you come to this conclusion????

Because that is his, and a lot of other people's opinion? Because when DaveO states something it isn't actually FACT?

Big difference is, those who wanted Ainscough in the team at whatever expense used Roberts as the scapegoat to try and make that happen.

Those who Knew (In their opinion) that Roberts was a Good un and was playing well didn't need to have a pop at anyone else to justify his inclusion.

It's too easy for people to talk about him being a "Different Player" or he's playing Better because of a "Diggerent coach".

End of the day he was IMO & a lot of others, the best winger in the club last year and certainly the best right winger. His performances have got better, but I would say he's gone from a 8/10 to a 9/10 player for us.
Not the 4/10 to 8/10 that some people would, in their opinion, have you believe.

Last year certain posters claimed BN had a vendetta out against Ainscough and his non-inclusion was a disgrace and a complete mess up on BN's Part.

I asked the question, what will you say when MM picks Roberts over Ainscough? I again ask this question.
People will say oh well, that's because he is playing better than Ainscough now but he wasn't last year! Well I don't agree, I can't "PROVE" it, no-one can prove otherwise though.
All I know is that MM has picked almost the same team that BN did, he may be getting more out of them (We have a long way to go to prove this one yet) but that's a different argument.

As Woody_Woody says DaveO, He was the best winger at the club for certainly the 2nd half of the season and IMO probably the last 2/3rds.
He certainly was the best right winger.

Quite a lot of people agree, so having a dig at Rogues for having a different opinion to yours, stating things like "No its you who are wrong - yet again because you had nothing at all to base that opinion on." or "Or do you go off reputation rather than what you actually see with out own eyes?" and infer that these people you are quoting are some kind of idiots is nothing short of pathetic!
There's only 1 person who's coming across that way IMO

I would say that Amos has gone from a 6/10 last year to a 8/10 this year. I hope the guy does well because he came with a big reputation as a flyer. Like I said last week I hope that this is the Roberts we signed originally, he just looks hungrier this year, faster and sharper. I think he will certainly benefit from a fit and in form Gleeson this term. As for picking him over Ainscough if he is playing better and training better and scoring like he is doing so far. I wouldn't change him, as I was always a little unconvinced by Shauns defence, this was a area that Phil Clarke used to rave on about Amos his ability to get back and make the tackle. But I just think last year he needed time to settle, this year lets see how he goes in the next 4 games, Wire, Dragons, Bulls and Long FC as these will all have half backs who will look to kick to him.

Not having a great "rugby brain", I must defer to most of the comments made here. I would, however, like to make some observations as a former winger.
BN came to Wigan to save us from relegation, not to play "exciting" rugby. To do this he implemented a policy of tight play using, primarily, the pack. In attack, the ball was passed slowly along the line and across the field. This was demonstrated by investing is Stu. Fielden, one of the world's best forwards. The price we paid was that the outside men had no space in which to move. The system worked, we were saved from the drop. Howver, our whole plan was "forward" dominated. I said at the time that even Offiah would struggle to score in this team. Poor Calderwood has been slated here, but I remember some of the match-saving defending he did. Not what he was brought in for, but all he was able to give in the circumstances he was in.
Now we have a coach who wasn't a front row forward, the relegation threat is no longer and he can see the opportunity to use our backs. The team can play more adventurously, and Amos is no longer squeezed into a foot of space between him and the touchline. He has options to attack either side and is,
making best use of them.
One thing has been explained to me too, if he was carrying an injury last year, I understand why I thought then he wasn't fast enough to be a good winger.

but we also invested in a scrum half to sort the backs out, we invested in Fielden due to our other major front row forward being knackered (seu seu).

Noble just was inept at any other game plan except route 1.

We also had a hooker who didn't have a pass in him. Isn't it strange how we managed to score more tries after he left?

what does ainscough offer, he offers nothing, hes ok when he has no one infront of him and he is 5 yard from the line, he can run himself up his own and he it pathetic under a high ball, i think daz should have a go on the wing or even at full back,

Now that's a desperately unfair assessment of Ainscough as a player. He's a very agile winger with great acceleration and deceptively strong for his size, and also has great determination. Whilst he lacks a little experience defensively at super league level and does need to contest the high ball more (I believe he's been doing more since the early days last season), it's totally ridiculous to have a dig like that. Fair enough you can prefer Goulding or whoever you like on the wing or FB or whatever, but really there's knack all need to have a go at one of our own players so unfairly.

I agree. Ainscough has good acceleration, is strong and knows where the try line is. He is not as fast over the distance as say Roberts, Richards, Charnley or Marsh, but he is very dangerous from 0 to 40 metres out.