WIGAN Warriors spent most of last season staring relegation in the face. Somehow they survived, and now coach Brian Noble is planning early in a bid to avoid a repeat in 2007.

It's a big season for both Wigan and Noble and the boss is fired up for what promises to be a cracking campaign in which he fully intends making sure his new-look team is back at the top end of the table.

Noble himself is back at the helm after leading Great Britain during the Tri-Nations tournament and he believes Wigan could be in the shake-up once the sparks start to fly in the Super League cauldron.

He told M.E.N. Sport: "I hope the new season is not as traumatic but just as dramatic. I don't want to be in the sticky situation we found ourselves in last time round. We are preparing well but the proof of the pudding will come when we get going. You can be sure we will be a whole lot tougher and wiser and I think the top six will be very unpredictable.

"Saints were absolutely outstanding last year when they set the standard but it's up to the rest of us to improve. I think we will go close but everything could hinge on a decision, the bounce of the ball or the slightest thing.

"Everyone has raised the bar and I predict a furious fight for the top six places. It's going to be exciting and very tough. Standards continue to rise at every club, possibly because of a cross-pollination of ideas.

"Coaching standards have gone up, so too have playing standards and there is an extreme closeness because all players coming into this level have applied themselves superbly.

Competition

"I am delighted with the make-up of the squad at Wigan and I am sure Australian Trent Barratt will be a great acquisition. He has soon felt at home and his signing is a great coup for Super League. I am sure he will put a massive stamp on the competition because he's a world class player.

"We have some other tremendous players coming through. We saw last season that Gareth Hock, Sean O'Loughlin and Harrison Hanson will be around for a long time and we are now looking to the likes of Paul Prescott to come through.

"Things look exciting but there is a need to add an element of toughness.

"I've got to be excited when I think what lies ahead but when you look across the board at Salford, Warrington and at other clubs, they have taken things up a level, they've increased the competition and it all makes for a closely contended Super League competition.

"A good start is vital and we don't want a repeat of last season when things went against us and we really had to dig deep.

"Training is going well, the lads are putting in a lot of effort and we'll be ready and fully prepared."

New signing Barratt said: "I'm finding life at Wigan refreshing and a new environment has done me good. We've already done a lot of work in the gym on the weights and with fitness. This is a tremendous challenge for me. I've a lot to offer and I'm looking forward to working with Brian."

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