By Dave Woods

Bradford coach Noble faces a tough choice - Wigan or Bulls?

It should come as no surprise that Wigan want to speak to Brian Noble - he is undoubtedly the best English coach of his generation.

The big question, though, is why should Noble even entertain the notion of moving away from his highly successful Bradford Bulls set-up to take on the mess that is Wigan?

The job at the JJB has been described, with some justification, as a poisoned chalice by former incumbent Frank Endacott.

Following the dismissal of Ian Millward this week, six coaches have now come and gone in the seven years since Maurice Lindsay returned as chairman.

Noble's chances of coaching in the NRL would also be enhanced if he could mastermind a turn around in fortunes at Wigan

Twelve months ago Millward was held in the same esteem as Noble is now.

He was seen as one of the brightest coaches in the game, and Wigan could hardly believe their luck when St Helens decided to sack him for alleged gross misconduct - a sacking fuelled by a terminal breakdown in the relationship between the coach and the St Helens board.

But Millward wasn't given long before Messrs [Dave] Whelan and Lindsay lost patience with yet another coach.

And Noble, should he decide to walk away from Bradford now, won't be given long either, whatever promises he's given at the outset.

Bradford are happy for Noble to speak with the Wigan board for two reasons.

One, they are presumably confident that Noble will turn down the overtures from across the Pennines.

Millward was sacked after just 11 months at Wigan

And two, even if he does do the unthinkable and go, they have a ready made replacement in current assistant coach Steve McNamara, who's already been promised the job from the end of next year when Noble had signalled he would be leaving anyway.

So only one imponderable remains. Why would Noble give up his palace at Odsal and take on the crumbled empire of Wigan?

Because he wants to coach in Australia, that's why.

If he could lead Great Britain to a Tri-nations success down under in the Autumn, his stock would rise immeasurably down under.

But failing that, his chances of coaching in the NRL would also be enhanced if he could mastermind a turnround in fortunes at Wigan.

Maybe the demands of history, and more importantly the [Wigan] owner and chairman, are unrealistically high

Reaching five consecutive Grand Finals, winning three of them, with Bradford has no doubt made one or two Aussie club owners sit up and take notice of this phlegmatic coach.

If in the next two years he could take Wigan, the world famous Wigan, from rock bottom to back amongst the contenders, he would be judged even higher by an NRL cognoscenti that is normally sniffy about the British game.

On the other hand...

He can't rule out the possibility of failing at Wigan, just like - with the honourable exception of Mike Gregory - every one of his predecessors in the last seven years.

Maybe the demands of history, and more importantly the owner and chairman, are unrealistically high.

It's going to be a tough couple of days for Brian Noble as he weighs up what's best.

Should he plod the predictable and familiar path back to the play-offs with Bradford?