Noble certainly didn't want Higham

Is this true mate is is it just a bit of guesswork that is doing the rounds?

It seems to be doing the rounds that Noble wanted somebody else. Maybe Buderus? Not sure but Riddell was not his first choice according to people who claim to be in the know.

Just to add i think the signing of Roberts a year early was maybe because we missed out on other players,Roberts became available so we thought we might as well take him now whilst we had no chance of anybody else.

Its also been stated that Noble was obsessed with signing Greg Bird so you would have to say he was not comfortable with both Smith and Lulu starting 6 & 7. I know Bird has not been allowed a visa anyway but our offer for him was rejected. Makes you wonder why we cannot compete with other teams money wise when it comes to signing good players.

What's Stuart Raper up to these days?!?! hed be a good replacement IMO and as far as im aware he is not coaching with any club?

True.

In your opinion - and leading on:



I beg to differ; I believe you're looking at a season by season basis; I'm viewing it on the whole of BN's reign, therefore I don't see us as 2 games in but into the third season.



Shame because this is at least intelligent discourse as opposed to 'JonH is talking cr*p' (inference - not actual quote) as we've had from some.



Don't know but I'd go with Raper over Hanley on the grounds that Raper's a proven top flight coach.

Does this mean that NickmanHighamlover is Brian Noble?!

No, Noble had targeted another hooker but IL wanted Piggy.

I don't think it's a case of Noble not wanting Piggy just more that he was his second choice. Couldn't get his first choice.

Because i have put my family first, i am now earning more money in a stable environment than i could ever hope to in rugby league, i was offered a position on the staff of a top SL club (not Wigan) which i refused due to the fact i have responsibilities and am not willing to risk these for trying to continue my coaching career, which ultimately is a very unstable profession and a change in personel can affect your career even if you are perfoming miracles.

Thats basically why in a nut shell.

I have been out of the game for 3 months by the way not a year.

Now i still await the answer to my questions about who is responsinble for picking the team, will have a major say in player signings and who is responsible from the balance in the dressing room and controlling these ego's and agendas if not the coach?

Wigans initial target was Buderus but Leeds offered him the big money so we went for our second choice in Riddell, a decision i do not think we will regret.

I have never said Hanley is a master coach but i think he is a good coach and also has the personality to succeed at Wigan something that Ian Millward did not and neither in my opinion does Noble, i continue to hear stories of unrest in the dressing room from numerous sources, also by looking at the body language of the players they are clearly not enjoying the game, have no enthusiasm etc have not for the last 2 years in general.