I`m a firm believer that you should pick any national team on form whether thats in rugby league or football, like a lot of people ive questioned some of Richie Mathers past form which has mainly been because of his error rate but over the last month since it was announced that we were signing Brett Hodgson he`s been the stand out full back in SL in my opinion.

Its even more suprising that Mathers has been left out to include Gareth Widdop who has mainly been playing for Melbourne's academy and Under-20s team, also Mathers had a blinder right under the nose of Steve McNamara when we knocked the Bulls out of the cup.

So what form warrants Gareth Widdop`s inclusion ahead of the form full back in SL ?

Just keep on what your doing Richie, your playing some top quality RL at the min.

Agree totally Rob, and based on performance over the last month or so, I know who I would prefer to have at FB next year!

Q. Why did it take us to sign another player in order to kick Mathers in to this recent form?

After his complete Twitter spitting, he's been great but it's also quite annoying to see him like this when it's come too late.

I'd keep him the extra year, personally.

Myler & Briers have both missed chunks of this season, if that happened next year which is always likely, you could play Hodgson at six, and Mathers at 1.

In the event you had a fully fit squad, I think he's push a decent case for inclusion in the bench most weeks to given you versatily at 1-7 really.

All this, i'm saying it'd be on reduced terms (£££'s).

Can't imagine he's on a massive contract anyhoo, JWP, considering the desire he had to get away from Wigan when the deal came about. I'd have him for another year too - it's a squad game after all.

I can only imagine that Widdop was included to 'tie' him to England. Not sure why that is necessary as he is unlikely to be in contention for a green and gold jersey in the foreseeable future (if ever), and we all know that players can change their national allegiance more often than Danny Brough changes clubs! IMO Mathers, Halley, Shaun Briscoe, Cudjoe, or even Leon Pryce should all be ahead of Widdop.

How many of Widdop's games have you managed to watch to deduce he's not in form? Or how many of the other fullbacks in SL have you watched in that time?

He's played most games this season if what I've read is right. He was at fullback for them last weekend and has been playing centre and stand off for them too. You can see from that he's already massively better than calamity Mathers.

Mathers will be a joke figure at Cas this time next season.

Wow, i just had a frighteining thought of Mathers trying to tackle Greg Inglis against Australia at the end of the year, like a lamb to slaughter. He might be ok in attack but his defence is laughable and if he was included in Englands Squad McNamara would just be shooting himself in the foot. Search Gareth Widdop on youtube he is miles better than what Mathers is or ever will be already. Im glad we're giving him a chance.

did you see shaun briscoe trying to tackle ade gardner a few weeks ago.. now THAT was laughable.

mathers defence may have been poor when he played for you, but it has been decent this season for us.

Absolutely, looked a class above where he's ever been before at times on Sunday. His last man tackle on Orford as he was a few metres out from the line was superb.

I think you're judging the Mathers you saw at Wigan. Honestly, I can't remember seeing a fullback make as many 1 on 1 'saves' as Mathers has for us. He made one on Sunday, holding Orford up over the line when he looked all the money to have scored. Also, in the first half with the line broken he made a trysaver, did the same at Hudds in the last round too.

I've never seen a 'held up' stat nor a 'line broken - fullback trysaver' but if there were, I'd wager he'd be up there for both.

Form full back over the last month?

What about Pat Richards?

You mean the same Pat Richards that was left wanting when Lee Smith waltzed through to score the winning try at Headingley ? It was 2 poor attempted tackles from Gleeson and Richards that eventually knocked you oput of the cup, yeh i`d call that a great last line of defence.



In comparison Richie Mathers played a large part in us knocking out Bradford both in defence and attack, he gave a great pass to Hicks to put him in for a try and he then made some great tackles in defence like on Orford to save a certain try.

I didnt see that no, but i dont think Briscoe is good enough for England either anyway.

Hopefully Widdop will live up to expectations, otherwise we are screwed, lets face it - the fullbacks who we are talking about here, and who we have available: Mathers, Briscoe, Leon Pryce, Wellens, etc are classes and classes and classes below what they produce in Australia.

So you would say you would rather have Mathers in your team over Richards? Because of one missed tackle? Even though Richards got Man of the Match?

lol.

Obviously I would have Richards in my team... I wouldn't play him at fullback though. He is much more effective on the wing.

He's played just 2 games this season and his career. Saw lots of him in the Toyota cup last year and he was going great best full back in the comp at under 20's level, not sure how he's doing this year in the NSW Cup. Great prospect but ive questioned his inclusion. The Aussies must be wondering why we have to pick a 2nd grader for full back. Certainly cant be considered to be the form full back when he isnt even play enough 1st grade to have any form...

Its not just one missed tackle though is it, its one missed tackle that knocked you out of the challenge cup. That undoes anything else he did during that game, as a full back he was left wanting when it mattered.

Thats a far bigger error from Richards than anything that Mathers has come up with in the past whilst at Warrington.

can you honestly say that richards deserved MOM , as much as i dislike o`loughlin him and andy coley were immense for you lot on saturday

What a suprise that it's the Wigan fans who are "mocking" Mathers, it's time to change the record, whilst we have a Saint know-it-all who has just exposed his knowledge, or to be correct his lack of knowledge, of the the NRL to us.

I agree with Rob that the inclusion of Widdop in the squad is an absolute joke. Two first grade games all season in the NRL and we wonder why the Aussies give international rugby league any respect. Whether Mathers should be picked or not I'm not sure. I can't think of a full-back in Super League qualified for England who is currently playing better. However given a choice I'd have played Eastmond there but now he's injured I think Leon Pryce may be the best option.

I again agree with Rob that Mathers was outstanding against Bradford and played a major role in getting us through.

I think the 'from what I've read', bit excludes me from that, as I clearly wasn't claiming any knowledge of it.



How do you know he's not been known about my McNamara for a while? He is a very lively player, certainly already a better bet than what we have available. He 'could' be outstanding for all we know. Why not pick him?

so why do you consider yourself qualified to make the statement:



Do you really consider somebody who has played 2 first grade games a better option than a player who has been a regular, putting in a number of good performances, in a team running second in Super League and as good as in the Challenge Cup final which the same player scored the opening try in last season's final on the way to lifting the trophy?



How do you know he "is a very lively player"? You have never ever seen him.

If, as some people seem to be putting about, England wanted to make sure he remained available for England rather than Australia then I suggest they should have picked Rhys Evans, after-all he's only 2 first team games behind Widdop.

Quick put Sky Sports 4 on now as the NRL review is on, you can see Widdop playing full-back; according to yourself that is. I bet he looks like a Billy Slater clone to the casual viewer.

That was my main point, out of all the english qualified full backs i can`t think of anyone thats in better form than Richie Mathers.

Ok he isn`t Billy Slater and never will be, its about picking an England team based on form and he`s the in form english full back.

I`m not sure why people brought up Pat Richards on an England squad based thread as we all know he`s irish through and through, anyway he`d never consider playing for another country outisde of the one that he grew up in across the oirish sea.

to be fair give widdop a chance i know it a brave decision to play him after only two games but from what other people to be sayin he the real deal even thou they have only at under 20 level. if he puts in a MOM performance against france i bet ya you will change your tune then

As much as i like Mathers, the answer to Englands on going full back search is long-term, therefore why not give Widdop a chance the lad is only 21.

He can't be that bad to play under Bellamy and Storm.

I think the inclusion of Widdop is a good decision by McNamara and could prove alot of people wrong.