Team Yes, Coach No? : Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:08 am  

I've never been a great Noble basher, I've criticised him when needed but still had belief in him as a coach.

Last night - despite some errors (all teams have errors!), I was actually pleased with the team. Expansive, hard working, options both down the middle and outside. This was all before halftime, where I believe the pressure was off for us and the players were relaxed, flowing and just played a bit of rugby. In the first half we were by far the better team.

Then half time came. Whatever Noble said, with the game so tight it was clearly "up your jumper" time, and we just went middle middle middle, drive drive drive, scoot scoot scoot. All that positive play went down the toilet.

So, despite plenty threads players slating and coach slating, anyone else have a similar inkling to my way of thinking after tonight? Although the team need to improve their execution and improve their match fitness, I'm confident with that team.

What I am not confident with is the dire tactics used. Tactics lost us that game last night - even with a couple of errors that cost us tries, we still could have won that game with better tactics.

Credit to Hull, they played in the second exactly how we played in the first.

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:13 am  

i was thinking how well wigan do considering the choice of players noble has

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:40 am  

Bighead wrote:

i was thinking how well wigan do considering the choice of players noble has

True, but he signed most of them.

Re: Team Yes, Coach No? : Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:50 am  

Elle Coco wrote:

I've never been a great Noble basher, I've criticised him when needed but still had belief in him as a coach.

Last night - despite some errors (all teams have errors!), I was actually pleased with the team. Expansive, hard working, options both down the middle and outside. This was all before halftime, where I believe the pressure was off for us and the players were relaxed, flowing and just played a bit of rugby. In the first half we were by far the better team.

Then half time came. Whatever Noble said, with the game so tight it was clearly "up your jumper" time, and we just went middle middle middle, drive drive drive, scoot scoot scoot. All that positive play went down the toilet.

So, despite plenty threads players slating and coach slating, anyone else have a similar inkling to my way of thinking after tonight? Although the team need to improve their execution and improve their match fitness, I'm confident with that team.

What I am not confident with is the dire tactics used. Tactics lost us that game last night - even with a couple of errors that cost us tries, we still could have won that game with better tactics.

Credit to Hull, they played in the second exactly how we played in the first.

I would say that is a fair assessment of how the game happened. I thought that the Hull try in the first half should not have happened because in a play before the move that led to the try imo Hull should have been penalised for obstruction.

Like you say though in the 2nd half it was ball up jumper time, one out rugby and scoots giving us poor field position on the final kick. When we did get good field position most of the time we put in a poor kick or we dropped the ball.

In a 5 min spell we had 3 sets of 6 in a very good position. We dropped the ball on the 2nd play twice and then on the first play

Yes Noble needs to take the blame for the second half of a game we could have won if we played it like we played the first, but the some of the players need to look at themselves as well imo.

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:02 am  

Wigan appear to have fallen in to the trap of signing average overseas players. From your overseas players in the squad id only want Richards, Smith and Feka. The rest are forgettable, and there are British players about who could do an equal job.

read on this board that Riddell is injured, so he can maybe be cut some slack, but i thought he was very poor last night, especially considering Berrigan had a quiet game by his standards.

you also looked to tire more quickly than Hull

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:04 am  

UllFC wrote:

Wigan appear to have fallen in to the trap of signing average overseas players. From your overseas players in the squad id only want Richards, Smith and Feka. The rest are forgettable, and there are British players about who could do an equal job.

read on this board that Riddell is injured, so he can maybe be cut some slack, but i thought he was very poor last night, especially considering Berrigan had a quiet game by his standards.

you also looked to tire more quickly than Hull

This is a recurring theme across a number of threads and clearly will be a major issue if we don't get it sorted sharpish.

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:10 am  

WigansForeignLegion wrote:

This is a recurring theme across a number of threads and clearly will be a major issue if we don't get it sorted sharpish.

Riddell looks terrible , you`ve wasted your cash there !
On the whole last night was the classic game of 2 halfs. We muscled up in defence and repelled some strong attacking play from Wigan.

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:28 am  

HFC Boy wrote:

Riddell looks terrible , you`ve wasted your cash there !
On the whole last night was the classic game of 2 halfs. We muscled up in defence and repelled some strong attacking play from Wigan.

he picked up a knock early in the game, hence off after 15ish mins. I reckon he'll be reet when he gets match fit (whatever that means for him)

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:33 am  

There seems to be little acknowledgement on here today that Hull FC may have played a good game and been good value for their win...

: Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:37 am  

Memony wrote:

There seems to be little acknowledgement on here today that Hull FC may have played a good game and been good value for their win...

thats probably because we were in the lead, then gifted them a try by letting the ball bounce, and then refused to catch the ball when we were anywhere near their line.

hull did everything they needed to do to win (and deserved their win), but on this occasion, we helped to throw it away, rather than last week when we were never even in the game.