• I'M certainly looking forward to going back to my old club St Helens on Friday a lot more than our last trip there.

    It will be my second visit since I lost my job at Knowsley Road and I'm determined that the 75-0 defeat we suffered there in the Challenge Cup quarter-final last month will be left in the record books.

    We know we can't change what happened that day, so we have to forget it.

    I've been asked what are St Helens' weaknesses and I've had to answer there aren't any because I recruited all those boys!

    I still talk to Saints players on the phone and I'll be looking forward to seeing some old mates.

    My confidence has grown because of the way Wigan have played in the last two games, coming from behind to win against Leigh and Warrington. Against Leigh we were 10-8 down at half-time and the way we fought back, away from home against a local team, showed a lot about our character.

    Then, on Saturday, even though we were under-strength in a lot quicker game we did the same.

    The key moment for me was when Warrington stand-off Chris Bridge went over 18 minutes from time to put the Wolves back in the lead.

    We had to question if we had the strength and the character and the ability to stick to our game plan in the face of that setback.

    We answered all those questions and that's why we can go to St Helens full of confidence.

    The mood has been good ever since I've been here but you need confidence.

    You can go to war with big bullets but if you don't have leaders and confidence then you have nowhere to fire them.

  • THE Lions looked tired and jaded going down for a third time to the All Blacks at the weekend.

    Clive Woodward may have called the tour a success, but he can only have been referring to the midweek games because in the Tests his side never looked to have a chance.

    But, at least from Wigan's point of view, we may have got something from the tour.

    I was straight on to the phone to Maurice Lindsay after seeing the performance by New Zealand outside half Luke McAlister, whose dad Danny used to play for Oldham.

    I wanted to know what chance there was of bringing him to Wigan.McAlister's game looks perfectly suited for rugby league, but unfortunately Maurice told me he's got a three-year contract with New Zealand.

    We'll be keeping an eye on him, though, and three years down the line, well watch this space.

  • I DON'T think there is anyone reading this who wouldn't love to spend his days going round the world watching the major sporting events.

    That's why I'm so happy to be going to the Open at St Andrews as a special guest of the BBC this Saturday.

    This is the one, as far as I'm concerned. As an Aussie, it's the Open and Wimbledon that really make you think of Britain.

    First and foremost, I'd love to see Jack Nicklaus make the cut. That would be fantastic, especially as I can't see any Aussies ready to jump out of the woodwork and make a push for the title.

    So my tip is for a bloke who has been playing really consistent golf and is a rugby league fan to boot, Lee Westwood.

    It would be great to have a local winner after a strange week for this country with London's brilliant achievement in being awarded the Olympic Games followed by the horrendous terrorist attacks.

  • I HAVE a solution to the import problem in rugby league - but it has to kept secret.

    At the moment there are just too many of them, leaving it difficult for English players to break through.

    My club Wigan has seven imports on the books and my old club St Helens has the same number.

    It's going to have a negative effect on the way this country develops its rugby league sides all the way up to the World Cup.

    The only way I can see around it, and the only solution available without the need for legislation, is for limits to be imposed in secret.

    That means the chairmen of the 12 Super League clubs to get together in a room and agree to limit the number of players they can import to three. Then they all have to stick to it.

    Everyone is entitled to strengthen their team, but this way the local boys wouldn't suffer.