Noble combines his role at Bradford with coaching Great Britain

Lindsay will speak to Noble on Friday having been given permission by the Bulls and held talks with his agent.

"We are not short of applicants but Brian's credentials are outstanding," Lindsay told BBC's Sport on Five.

"If he was to consider it, we would certainly consider him and he would be a very strong favourite."

Following Bradford's 20-18 win at Leeds, Noble refused to comment on whether it was his last game in charge of the Bulls.

But he said he was proud of his achievements at Odsal and predicted further success for his team this season.

"I'm very, very confident this team can not only go on and win the Super League, they can go on and win the Challenge Cup as well if they want," he said.

"The club's very, very healthy and I'm proud of the fact that I've played a part in that."

Lindsay had earlier told Wigan's website the club were "on the brink of making an announcement" and hoped the new coach would be able to take up his post early next week ahead of their game with Huddersfield.

Maybe Brian is ready for a new challenge Maurice Lindsay

He also said their preferred choice was "a man of quality and integrity" with a "terrific track record".

"No decision has been made but it looks as if the timing might be in our favour," Lindsay told Sport on Five.

"Bradford have got a younger assistant coach (Steve McNamara) who will do a very good job and Brian has spent a lifetime there, having been assistant to two previous coaches as well.

"He has certainly served his apprenticeship and maybe he is ready for a new challenge. If he is, he will certainly be high on our list of candidates."

Lindsay said that list also included "our good old friend" Adrian Lam - the former Warriors scrum-half who is currently an assistant to former Wigan boss Stuart Raper at NRL side Cronulla Sharks - and "two of the greatest coaches in Australia".

There is no panic from us about the situation Bradford chief executive Gareth Davies

Noble's Bradford deal runs until the end of next season and he has made it clear that he will be moving on after that, possibly to Australia.

The Great Britain coach has taken the Bulls to the last five Grand Finals and led the club to victory in the World Club Challenge against Wests Tigers in February.

Bradford chief Gareth Davies confirmed on Thursday he had given Noble permission to speak to Wigan, but said the presence of McNamara at Odsal made him relaxed about Noble's possible departure.

As a Bradford fan it wouldn't bother me if he left. Every club and coach needs a change of scenery From NN Have your say on Five Live

The Bulls recently gave Hull permission to speak to McNamara about the vacant coach's job at the KC Stadium, but he chose to remain with Bradford.

"The success that Brian has brought to the club is probably unrepeatable, in leading us to five successive grand finals," said Davies.

"But I have been on record as saying that Steve McNamara is our heir apparent, and therefore if it is forced on us now, we have the right guy in situ.

"One of the things that this club's success has been built on the back of was a tradition not dissimilar to that of Liverpool (Football Club) in the 1970s and 1980s, of promoting from within.

"We have long since seen Steve McNamara fitting that mould, and that is why there is no panic from us about the situation.

"We certainly didn't envisage that succession happening this quickly, in April 2006, if indeed it does."

I haven't had a bust-up with Ian, but it is sad we have had to part company Maurice Lindsay

Millward was sacked after less than a year in charge, paying the price for Wigan's dreadful start to the season.

The Warriors, who have had six coaches in seven years since Lindsay returned as chairman, are bottom of the Super League table with one win from eight games.

But Lindsay denied there was any personal fall-out between the pair, insisting the decision was made by the whole Wigan board "purely on form".

"Ian spent the afternoon at my house and we only drank water," Lindsay added.

"We spent a couple of hours talking in as friendly a way as you can when you have just had to sack someone.

"But we have never fallen out. Ian knows it was a board decision and our friendship will continue. We haven't had a bust-up, but it is sad we have had to part company."