: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:34 pm  

DaveO wrote:

Come back Higham all is forgiven? The game was begging for a dummy half runner of Higham's style so at least putting TL there gave is something along those lines.

Pity the rest of the team had to be disrupted to do that.

Dave

Higham was garbage for 3 years. Why would he suddenly make a difference.

[DaveO]

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:37 pm  

Murphys Magic wrote:

[/b]

Serious Question. Why didn't Noble /IL replace Barrett with another quality stand off? Surely this was the most sensible thing to do or give Sam Tomkins the job. He won't learn anything new playing in the reserves/academy.

Wigan now have too many players in the squad who naturally play in the same position and Noble doesn't know where to play them and who is the best player for each position.

Tim Smith and Leuluai are both Scrum half's (Leuluai is better at hooker IMHO!

Riddell, McIlorum and Leuluai all vying to play at Hooker

Players don't play well when they keep rotating positions. I understand the benefits of having two hookers with one coming off the bench but this idea of rotating players between scrum half and hooker all the time is unsettling. Stability is what's needed and giving a lad who is a proper stand off more game time at stand off.

A couple of weeks ago I posted the recruitment in the off season looked event driven not planned by which I meant we tied up a quota spot and a chunk of wages on Roberts who came a year earlier than expected.

Not matter how good he is the fact we have him in the team this season is one reason why we could not get Bird. Phelps was also given a new deal and takes a quota spot up and wages.

Other positions needed addressing before either of these players got deal for 2009 IMO. Had Roberts then gone elsewhere and not been available for us in 2010 so what? Ainscough would have had to come through. And in any case our wingers tend to be pretty superfluous!

Dave

[DaveO]

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:41 pm  

AJ wrote:

Higham was garbage for 3 years. Why would he suddenly make a difference.

I really don't care about your opinion of him because it isn't worth reading.

The point I was making was in that game it was crying out for a player to run at them from dummy half. Riddell didn't so TL got moved there and the team was disrupted so we could have a bit of Higham type play.

Dave

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:47 pm  

Well I've got to say I tried to stay out of the debate 'proper' because I believe there were rights and wrongs on both sides. However after today's selection policies and other things came home to roost, I think Noble has been disappointing in this first game. Mathers should never pull the Cherry and White on again, Coley does not deserve his spot 'on merit' above Prescott, and the debacle surrounding half back and the non playing of Tompkins is nothing short of farcical. Can't think of anything positive to post other than TL should definitely be interchange hooker...as long as that means Tompkins gets game time either from the bench or starting...either will suit me fine!

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:49 pm  

Laura xxx wrote:

All I am saying is that its very easy to post that something is "fact" and from "several sources" to back up an argument / make people believe you know all the ins and outs.

Sorry but the only way I will ever say something in any part of my life is if I know it is correct and thus if I knew nothing I would not say anything. The difference between myself and many others is that I will stand in front of anybody/anywhere and speak up. It is not something I decided to do one day it is simply how I am and whatsmore so was my father before me. Ultimately, that is perceived by many to be a good quality particularly when combined with not betraying trust.

You and i are different types of people. Via your female friend I presume you can ascertain quite a lot of information. You could or Alex could IMO add quite a bit to the discussions that take place here. However, by doing so you put yourselves in the limelight. You make people aware of what you think. Neither of you are prepared to do that.

You cannot hide and neither can I. Numerous people know who I am etc.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:49 pm  

Good Points Dave about recruitment.

You can't have cohesion in a team when players are shifted positions to accomodate substitutions. Any subsitution should be tactical, player replacing player without having to move other players on the pitch in order to accommodate as its too disruptive.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:56 pm  

DaveO wrote:

I really don't care about your opinion of him because it isn't worth reading.

Seriously, do you actually love him?

I've never in my life read such biased one eyed blatant rubbish. Dave, get over yourself, every normal fan could see he offered us little in relation to kicking on, but yet you arrogantly swan in with your "i dont care" dismissive attitude of people on here. To think someone made you a moderator

Higham-esk type play doesnt win SL, nor does it help you win tight games, we have seen this first hand for 3 years.

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:59 pm  

I am not a Higham devotee. However, it is silly to describe him as garbage. He had strengths and he had weaknesess. He was virtually an every pesent and by and large IMO a very good player.

However, I fully acept the view that a hooker needs to be a playmaker in todys RL. Brad Drew was an excellent example of that today, Scott Moore was a good example v Huddersfield.

Yet, just as some would argue that a Dave O would say Higham could do no wrong then with some it seems Piggy can do no wrong either. An Australian I respect describes piggy as more of a personality than a player.

When Piggy arrived. He was very unfit, only managing 20 minutes of trainin. Staff have commented re his knee being a mess. Piggy did not want to play v Wire. Noble insisted he did. He did not play v Leigh either. He's played 2 gmes and we have seen very little IMO.

Is that down to Piggy or the coach. I am prepared to give Piggy the benefit of the doubt for now. If a hooker is going to playmake he needs a well planned structure re runners etc and plays. So far that has not ben evident. It was not with Higham either. You need to realise how detailed and well reheased Melbourne Storm are in order to make Cam Smith look as good as he is. So are the 2 hookers to blame or the coaches?

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:00 pm  

Charlie Seeling wrote:

snip

Charlie, you have your wires so far crossed you have no idea. Now you are inventing a "female friend" as a "source" of mine?

I'm a rugby fan, I come on here to chat with friends and debate rugby issues. You seem to love the idea of there being a big conspiracy of "sources" and you cannot resist suggesting I hide what I think?

You couldn't be further from the truth.

[DaveO]

: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:07 pm  

AJ wrote:

Seriously, do you actually love him?

I've never in my life read such biased one eyed blatant rubbish.

Try reading what you write yourself about Higham. It qualifies. He is not "garbage" and that is all there is too it.

Dave