I dont believe that for one minute Dave. If you have faith in your halfback pairing you dont go signing another halfback just for the sake of it because he is a good player. What that shows to me is they had major doubts about Tommy and Timmy. If there was no salary cap i could understand their statement but under the salary cap you cannot afford to just sign a players who you do not really need especially not when there are other positions in the squad in desperate need of strengthening.

I agree with the salary cap you have to plan your squad recruitment carefully not react to events which is what the club seemingly did with Roberts and then Bird when he suddenly became available.



I said signing Roberts was event driven and not planned at the time we were rumoured to be getting him early but IL was still flavour of the month so I am not sure my view was very popular.



I had thought there was some planning going on for example the length of Phelps contract coincides (when it expires) with a further reduction in the quota. He wanted a longer deal and Wigan didn't give him one as it would have meant a precious quota spot going on him that year (whether he should have been signed at all is another matter). But then when the club signed Roberts early that didn't look like planning to me.



As to the half backs I had hoped Smith and S Tomkins could pair up and form a new partnership but this is/was too radical for Noble. Smith is a 7 and S Tomkins a better stand off than either Smith or TL. I doubt Noble will try it given Smith's defence but I don't reckon he has worked out half the positions in the side in terms of his best combination including half back. Noble's solution was to go for Bird and when that could not come off he has been left with what he has got but has not made the best of it IMO.



Dave

Dave Whelan bought that. Wigan had it before IL arrived. He bought it along with the club.



Dave

If Noble is going to be sacked it will be at the end of the season.



Untill he is sacked I am right behind him and the team.

Hear hear.

I thought he just had a 99 year contract with Hilton Street Shop, Edge Hall & The JJB?

I am pretty sure there was a transaction that went onto the clubs books for a substantial amount of money (over a million quidor two) to buy Edge Hall Road when IL bought the club. So technically it was the club that bought it off DW not IL but DW bought it in the first place. I was under the impression he just sold it along with his interest in the club.



If didn't think Edge Hall Road was leased and thought the club now owned it.



Dave

I am pretty sure there was a transaction that went onto the clubs books for a substantial amount of money (over a million quid or two) to buy Edge Hall Road when IL bought the club. So technically it was the club that bought it off DW not IL but DW bought it in the first place. I was under the impression he just sold it along with his interest in the club.



If didn't think Edge Hall Road was leased and thought the club now owned it.



Dave

Isn't the Hilton Street shop on a 999 year lease?

Thought we owned the Hilton Street shop? Could be wrong though ....

I really do think IL used the Roberts situation to try and gain more brownie points with the fans by making it look like he had pulled off some kind of great business by getting Roberts here early. It seems Roberts becoming available just papered over the fact that we had failed to sign anyone bar Riddell.







In fairness i think you kind of answered your own thoughts when you said 'I doubt Noble will try it given Smith's defence'. Smith has now sent a message out to the rest of SL that if they run big men at him they will eventually score trys. Not only is his defence very,very poor,he looks seriously unfit. I really dont see how Noble can try Smith and Tomkins together as i dont see how Smith is going to get back into the team unless he suddenly learns how to tackle. I really dont see how you can point the finger at Noble regarding the halfback problem especially when he was desperate to sign a replacement for Barrett but ended up with a winger a year early.

Because he will continue to (try and) play Smith IMO, won't play him in the right position and will compromise the side in that it ought to have McIllorum on the bench not Smith. If Smith plays again we will see him hanging out in the centres in defence and getting run all over when IMO he should stay in the middle where someone like Hansen can take care of him. He was looked after when playing in Oz by some great defenders alongside him.



The fact we have not got Bird means Noble needs to get over it and make the best of what he has got. He is IMO the worst coach in the league for making the best of what he has available. If his players are not his type of player he does not seem to be able to make the adjustments necessary to get the best of what he does have.



Dave