Pressure mounts on Noble

8:20am Friday 1st August 2008

BRIAN Noble goes into possibly the biggest game of his Wigan career confident his side can turn things around.

In a miserable last week, the Super League club were thrashed 34-4 by Huddersfield, had Gareth Hock suspended for the rest of the regular season and were dumped by sponsors JJB Sports.

Now owner Ian Lenegan has turned up the heat on the former Great Britain boss by telling him performances must improve.

Warriors entertain Carnegie Challenge Cup finalists Hull on Friday night looking to end an abysmal run of three straight defeats.

But Noble is adamant his players can silence their critics.

“Nobody likes the shenanigans of last week and we were all disappointed,” he said.

“But the reality is that we have to respond and that’s always the case. In life you go through adversity and the only thing that you can do is respond and that’s hopefully what we’ll do.

“I am extremely proud of what we have done over the last couple of years, so to have the reaction we have is difficult – but we have to take it.

“Losing three games in a row is not fatal but it’s a wake-up call and we have to respond. We’ve got some good players here and we’re capable of a good run in.

“Everyone’s expectations have to be realistic though. Mine have been all year and I’m excited by what we can still achieve.

“Things are on the up here and we’re going in the right direction.”

The cherry and whites faithful vented their frustrations at the final whistle as boos rang around the JJB following last Friday’s abject display against Giants – but Noble has no doubts the fans will get fully behind the team against Hull “The fans will respond in the right way, as they have done over the last five or six years when things haven’t gone their way,” added Noble.

The Warriors coach will be without injured captain Sean O’Loughlin and Paul Prescott, while pack star Hock sits out the first match of his five-game ban for grabbing the referee’s arm in the Huddersfield debacle. Michael McIlorum is also suspended after being sent off against St Helens the week before.

Meanwhile, Wigan are considering a move for Hull’s Garreth Carvell. The 28-year-old GB prop is expected to quit the KC Stadium at the end of this summer.