: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:49 pm  

G1 wrote:

This was a lad that was very, very talented.

It surely can't be make or break time in his career at this age. Is he really playing any worse than any of the journeymen antipodeans' that don't appear to come under the same type of scrutiny in the league?

Anyway, he's still a better player than Michael Platt.

Not make or break to the letter, but a couple more duff years and the quality of clubs interested in his services would dip. Surely?

Yes and I agree, while ever Michelle Platt's still knocking about, Mathers can sleep at night. Talk about a bag of sh*t.

: Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:02 pm  

G1 wrote:

This was a lad that was very, very talented.

Have to agree there. I remember the start of the 2004 season where he'd ousted Gary Connolly from the fullback spot, and fully deserved the position too. Remember he had a cracker away at Hull FC the week they released Connolly from his contract.

Felt he was also a strong contender for the man of the match in the 2004 Grand Final. Some of the bombs he defused under the pressure that night were awesome (didn't he also have to miss the internationals post-season due to a wrist injury from the final too?).

Shame to see such a decline in someone who clearly does have great ability.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:28 am  

thebloodbath wrote: Proper punishment on his way to Mathers? http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=13004 Mathers has been banned for two matches.

thebloodbath wrote: Proper punishment on his way to Mathers? http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=13004 Mathers has been banned for two matches.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:55 am  

G1 wrote:

Is he really playing any worse than any of the journeymen antipodeans' that don't appear to come under the same type of scrutiny in the league?

It would appear so, just take a look at the pies board

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:36 am  

Old Feller wrote:

Mathers has been banned for two matches.

Good to know.

It should have been red anyway and this banning sends a clear message, that trippers (or feckwitts) will be handed a sensible punishment for an act of stupidity. I know I'm harping on about it, but I still feel it's worth a red in the game as well. Mathers comments, on the eve of the season, about knuckling down and keeping his nose clean are highly hilarious, now he's been banned after the the first game.

: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:51 pm  

Had to bring this back up. Going by what he has been spouting on the SL Show Nobby has lost the plot. He has a decent array of youth tallent at his disposal at Wigan but ellects to play Overseas players intstead of blooding them. Saying that Superleague clubs need to look in to poaching youth tallent from union squads because of a lack of youth tallent in league is another nail in his coffin IMO

: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:54 pm  

gulfcoast_highwayman wrote:

Home grown players?? AS IF!!

Here's a comment of Nobby's from last week's Grauniad:

But Noble, who has first-hand experience of the difficulty of preparing an international team at the end of a long club season after coaching Great Britain from 2004-06, believes the problem is not too many games but too few players. "As things stand, clubs can't afford to take a chance on a rugby union player because of the salary cap."

That darn salary cap!

From last Sunday.

: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:10 pm  

gulfcoast_highwayman wrote:

From last Sunday.

Indeed ... He was spouting it on the SL Show this week.

I like the bit where he said 'the views of other well-known thinkers on the game' .... Not Mo Lindsay perchance ?

Are there any Union players in their game that a) We'd want and thus make the GB side better ? b) Would want to leave their massive salaries and chance their arm at a game that they've never played before or would have any assurance they'd be half-decent at ? 14 Union rejects WILL NOT make a difference to the national side. By the way, would that the be same national side where you wouldn't pick the only recognised player in that position (Rob Burrow at scrum half) because of the team he played for ? It is one of the few credible suggestions for your selection policy during the Tri-Nations. You had decent players, trying swallowing your pride and picking a few of them ?

Take a note of the recent Grand Finalists and have a look at the number of home-developed players in each side. It is not as if there is a shortage of decent amateur teams within 30 minutes drive of the JJB they could go visit. We got Kallum Watkins from Latchford Albion, that well-known suburb of Yorkshire.

So Wigan, stop any attempt you can to bend the cap. Invest that money that is burning a hole in your pocket in a decent youth set up and go nurture anyone within 30 miles of your ground that looks half decent and stop behaving like Leeds used to do in the SL days before Caddick / Hetherington arrived.

: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:12 pm  

spaffy wrote:

Saying that Superleague clubs need to look in to poaching youth tallent from union squads because of a lack of youth tallent in league is another nail in his coffin IMO

Except poaching youth Rugby Union players played no part in what Noble was suggesting, if I understood him right.

His idea was for each of the 14 SL clubs to be allowed to bring in one top profile RU player on say £50K within the salary cap and an unlimited top up salary paid for by sponsorship or a wealthy benefactor. The names he mentioned were Brian O'Driscoll (yes please) and Jonny Wilkinson (flawed example or what.)

Unfortunately the potential rise in media profile for the game would come at the expense of the integrity of the 'level' salary cap.

: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:39 pm  

I would love Wigan to sign Dame Biscuit Knees!

Hilarity would most definitely ensue.....