One would have to think so, Noble has said it is his best squad and we have players now who can enable him to change our style of play, should it not happen in 09 and we serve up similar tripe to much of last season then I suspect at the end of the year Noble will bid farewell and we will bring in someone else to improve things.

A word of caution is the last man who attempted all out attacking rugby was Millward........

A change at hooker will bring us structure - because without wanting to start the Higham debate again - he was no use whatsoever in terms of structure or building pressure.

Much this season hangs on TL/TS gelling and O'Loughlin really starting to dominate games like we have seen him come close to doing at International level.

What rumours?

the golden rule with wigans performances since 2002 as been consistency! e.g. win against leeds/saints at home and then lose away at wakefield or huddersfield the week after

I am not sure why this is news to anyone.

Months ago I was posting exactly the sort of thing you say above. Over the past 12 months or so the club has made announcements about signing younger players on two year deals and so on which isn't going to happen on peanut wages they may have been on as U18 or U21 players.

I have also kept saying if people think losing Trent Barrett, Calders and Higham was going to free up a load of dosh they were living in cloud cuckoo land. I just could not see why and it looks like I was right



Dave

First times and all that

Oh just that Hock has enrolled on a degree course with UCLAN

Oki...

Personally I recommend ChrisA for that job.



Not just mine obviously.



Lunatics who think Millard was a good player for Wigan is one idea that crossed my mind.

Dave

Does it not Hurt being right all the time!
And surely if your are right all the time then being a pessimist isnt good?

It's a burden I carry with a smile.



Read the sig again.

Dave

But surely being Omnipotent means that you don't need to be a pessimist as you already know everything anyway???

PS

Have you been editing My comments using your Mod Profile? That second post regarding Nominating ChrisA for the job was not made by me, I think you may have been "Putting words in my mouth" so to speak!

And Although I know deep down you would love to be able to speak to others on here with the Knowledge that I have you can't just pinch my Avatar and put your own words in to make people think you know more than you actually do!
It's nice to know that you want to be like me!

Can you remember the players who were in the accelerate squad? Or anyone else for that matter.

They must be listed somewhere. It was all the ones you'd expect, about 9 in total, I think.

Neil Holland
Josh Vievers
Ben Davies
Sean Ainscough
Lee Mossop
Ian Thornley
Mark Flanagan
Joe Mellor
Liam Farrell
Stuart Howarth
Sam Tomkins

Holland and Howarth, not heard much on these, what positions do they play?

Neil Holland is a prop forward - won't play until MAy or June due to surgery on his shoulder.


Stuart Howarth is a utilty player who has played , stand off, hooker , second row and loose forward.

Form the list on the night it is also worth noting that they are not all full time and training with the first team squad, as someone mentioned earlier.

All very talented individuals. Although sometimes watching Holland I get the feeling his heart is not 100% in it, having said that I cannot doubt his ability.

I would be over the moon if all of these one day pull on a first team jersey, they are all worthy of it.

I know that the kit is to be unveiled next Friday(ish) but was there any mention of when it will actually go on sale?

It 'should' go on sale before the first game against Wakey.

Holland is a prop. When he first came to the club I was not very impressed. IMO he was one of the big if not biggest improvers in 2008. At first he was simply noted for putting on bigs hits and soon became exhausted and replaced. Not sure where the lack of heart comment came from but he always struck me as somebody who would put his body on the line from day 1. In 2008 his running the ball improved.

I like his build. I have always believed the best prop appear thick set, that their body is deeper than the norm. Lazarus, Webcke, Skerret, Platt. I have always preferred that build to the tall rangy prop. Holland is not as thick as those guys in build but he does have the inklings of that build about him and is 6ft I am guessing maybe 6ft 1 or 2. He hits in defence with everything but what some fans do not realise is that big hits use a lot of energy. His running still needs to develop and as yet he has no offloading game.

If he goes further he will become a Mr 100% consistent bookend type of prop. Not flash but a guy that does the hard yards.

Howarth came as a utility player. He played back row and centre mainly. He looked to be one of those youngsters who had good all round skills but nothing physical / athletic to take him to the next level. I do not believe he has the pace/evasion to be a SL outside back nor the size/strength to be a SL back row forward. Last season he often played 6 to Sam T but in fact Howarth was often first receiver and he has a good pass. Later and when I became impressed was a stint he had at hooker. His quality passing, brain as to when to let the pass go close to the opposition line really stood out. His defence was decent and he has a good kicking game. For me his potential is as a well skilled but slow stand off / loose forward in the NL or as a hooker at any level.

Just received this email confirming next Friday for the unveiling.

[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=4437[/url

Any idea what it looks like ?

1 - no answers were given to any of the questions i have put on here.
2 - i didnt ask IL the q's for the very reason you said - gives me half a brain - if youd read my post properly youd know that
3 - i think vast majority of fans would like to know how the money from trent, higham, calderwood, colborn leaving equates to wages for riddell and amos roberts - seems standard to me?
4 - lend us a quid then.

the event is fine, reflecting on it a few days later i suppose it serves a purpose. i am very appreciative to BN for his coaching and him being able to sit through the drivel that preceeded him. in this circumstance IL will always win - he makes the rules for the forum so yeah he should come away looking good.

Nope. Nor do I know who the sponsor is.