I don't know why you have highlighted that bit of pilgrims post, I think that part is correct. If Smith hadn't got injured perhaps Noble would probably still be using him as your your starting half-back and Tomkins wouldn't get a chance. ( I can only go on what was happening before Smith got injured). As for Ainscough, he looked superb early on.(If anyone can say, hand on heart, that Roberts has been better than those early performances, then fair enough, but I don't watch Wigan every week).



As for you comparing your named 5 'youngsters'

to our 5 youngsters you compared them with.... 2 of them are nearly 24, 2 of them are 22 and a bit and 1 is nearly 22.

Out of Saints 5 you named, 4 are all under 20 and one is 21 and half.(If we are talkig 23/24 we might as well include Hargreaves, and the 2 last winners of MOS to the list.

).

Give them a couple of years and I'm sure they will reach the dizzy heights of your Wigan 'youngsters'

And you are wrong, even before Smith got injured at Hull KR Sam still had more starts than Smith and IMO would have continued to do so as when Smith was poor he was dropped to the reserves. It's just that people like to make things up and would rather have a go at Noble rather than looking at the facts. Some Wigan fans make me cringe when they don't check up on things first and jump onto the bandwagon along with them 2 clowns on sky.

I agree with some of what you are saying , but you are, conveniently missing a couple of things out to back up your point.... I think Smith probably missed the odd match due to injury prior to Hull KR. He also missed matces on compassionate grounds as well (both of which would have boosted his appearances).a And when you say ' When he was poor, he was dropped.' You know as well as I do that he was playing bad for a while and the fans where slagging him and Noble off for playing him ahead of Tomkins, before he was dropped!

simply a no

Dean and Wheeler are just on their way back from injury; Ellis has only had two games so far this season and the playoffs are not the time to be integrating newbies; Ashurst and Dixon are both contracted to the first team and have had lots of game time due to injuries. They are both young players promoted from the academy squad and so they should not be over played at first grade level. We have had Fas and others back recently and they should rightfully play since that is what we pay them well to do.



All our young players have done very well in what have been very trying circumstances for them this season. At no time have any of them shown themselves up. They have not had the luxury enjoyed by Sam Tomkins of being protected and assisted as they have been integrated. Due to our awful injury situation at one time they were all just thrown in at the deep end. Hopefully, assuming we don't suffer yet another injury crisis next season, we will have a better chance to see what they are all made of next season when there will be a more settled team playing.



Of those you listed, Wheeler is the stand out player at present. He settled right in and won the confidence of fans very quickly. He is a year older than the rest you mention, being of the same cohort as Eastmond. Wheeler has a rugby brain, good hands, quick feet, has pace and can kick when called upon. He also is totally committed, enthusiastic and seemingly will injure himself rather than concede a try. I'd like to see him play more games, which he would have done this season had he not been blighted by injury, because I really think he is a talent.

Nail on head, really. Particularly the bit about Wheeler. If Gaskell is able to make the step up, then things will really start to get interesting.

That's an interesting take on events. In the last two seasons, Leeds have put wigan out of the playoffs. In 07 Leeds were beaten by saints in a bruising game the previous week; last year we were absolutely hammered. On neither occasion was Noble able to take advantage against a team on the ropes. If he had done so, then you, not us, might well have won both GFs.

2009-2006=3. Four years ago was 2005. This is not a disputed fact so, yep, you are going senile.