I'm a massive Feka fan but i can't disagree with anything you've put there.

I’d love to keep him on at Wigan next season as I appreciate that not all players/props are the same and Feka’s game is different to that of the other props we have on our books. I like the fact that he can do stuff the other guys can’t and I’d prefer to ‘carry’ a player like Feka in the same way Leeds ‘carry’ Lauititi in that sometimes you need that impact in your team.

But as I stated earlier if he’s replaced at the end of the season by say someone like Lima I will be gutted to see him go but I’ll also understand why he’s been let go as well. I just can’t see the point in leaving him out until the end of the season as there isn’t a quality player to replace him in the squad.

As you said Feka still has a massive part to play in way things go for us this season.

That's pretty much how I feel, too, but I'd hate for him to be playing against us!

Think about what Solomona did to us at Wire and he's just a 3rd rate Feka!

The thought of Feka playing against us isn't a good one at all.

Well since MaGuire has been in charge he has placed a great emphasis on defence. Like many Australian coaches, he practices the theory that defence wins you matches. Collectively we all agreed that Feka would be put through his paces in terms of fitness and has done so quite admirably in shifting off the excess weight. However, to the suprise of many, Feka still continued to be left in the Reserves and was dropped for consecutive weeks. The area that I think we have overlooked is his defence. Feka has become a firm fans favourite due to his barnstorming runs that used to light up our dull rugby, but now we're not playing dull rugby and Feka is no longer capable of having the same impact that he did. IMO, Madge wants Feka to be another prop forward - like Andy Coley & Stuart Fielden - sharing the work rate in both attack and defence. I think he is more than happy to see Feka make a few less metres in attack if he is stronger in defence. Otherwise his great work going forward is wasted if he is pin pointed in defence and is a leak. And as fans, I think we have been somewhat blinded by his vulnerability in defence due to his strength and impact in attack.

So with this in mind, I've been observing his work rate in defence and mobility getting back in the line and from marker and Feka is still very, very slow in comparison to our other forwards - Stuart Fielden and Andy Coley. The area in particular he is most vulnerable at is at marker. I've tried to be more objective in my opinion of Feka, because, like you, he has always been a favourite player of mine, but putting that to one side, I can see why he has been out of favour with MaGuire. So on friday he still looked vulnerable in defence. He isn't as mobile as our other forwards like Coley and Fielden - particularly at marker. We sometimes seemed to overlook this for his metre gains in attack, but now he isn't that player anymore - he no longer makes those metres. He is being moulded into another Coley/Fielden. So he has to put in that workload in attack and most importantly with MaGuire - defence.

Next week should be an interesting team selection if I am right. Many people believe he had a far better game against Harlequins, but we also thought he had a good game against St.Helens. So with that in mind, I magnified in on his defence and I still think he is vulnerable. There is time for Feka to turn it around and, IMO, adapt to the new role he is being asked to play, which he used to play for New Zealand Warriors. Perhaps it is this player MaGuire has seen in the NRL and wants to see again at Wigan, because we have to admit, his condition deteriorated whilst he was here.

Tough times ahead for Feka, the neglect of the conditioning here at Wigan isn't entirely his fault, but unfortunately he is the player with the most work to do. From a personal point of view I hope he can turn it around. My heart says he can, but my head says his days in a Wigan shirt are numbered.

So is he the "World's greatest impact player" or not?

He is.

He did alright against your mob on Good Friday.

Bdumtish!

FEKA

Fair enough he might not be the fittest player on the pitch, but lets go back to the Saints game I think he turned the game around (IMO). He pushed the whole Saints team in the scrum which then Sean O'Loughlin picked the ball up and went 3/4s of the field - then we scored. He also scored a try himself if I can remember correctly. I think his defencive effort has improved, and he isn't as lazy as he was last season even though he is still only lasting several minutes. But he is putting in alot more effort in defence and attack this season.

Now for Stuart Fielden I would of got rid of him after Willie Mason give him a Straightener on pitch because ever since his has gone and the only thing hes got over Feka is fitness. Fielden out then the money we will have from his wages we could get a decent player to either replace Fielden or to strengthen a position.

Adey

You was doing ok until you brought Fielden into it. Fielden does massive amounts of work in defence and under Maguire has been very good going forward. A reduced contract and a 1/2 year extension is what will happen with Fielden.

Sorry mate but I don't agree with that I don't rate Fielden anymore at all. When he was at Bradford he was best forward in England... The defensive situation all the wigan defence is just awesome (except for the last couple of weeks) we could put any player in his position to defend. In attack he runs the ball in 10 metres and gets carried back 15... then he will throw a stupid ball. then in defence he will give a penalty away. 1/2 reducing his wage will not make him play better it would just make him worse just sell him there is many players out there who will fill his position and more for half of his wage. I mean look at Andy Coley recently I know hes been picking up injuries but hes our best forward when he plays.

choice between fielden and feka feka every time, fielden is a liability knock ons penalties no yards gained, you get none of those from feka.

Yeah Feka never knocks on does he?

In a way I’d say I’d take Feka over Fielden.

This isn’t a knock at Fielden btw it’s just I want to see players like Feka at the matches I go to. I wanna see the massive bustling runs through defence and I want to see him barging over the line with three players on his back against Saints.

It’s the same way that I like to see players like Hock or Lauititi play as you never know if their next touch will change the game or if they are gonna come up with that magic offload which puts you in right back in the game. Yes all of the above have weaknesses to their game but I’d be more than happy to accommodate them as they’ve got that ‘x factor’ about them.

I’m worried that in a few years players like this will be gone from our game in favour of players like Coley, Hansen & Fielden who although I appreciate the talents they have and the hard work they put in there should, imo, be room for players like Feka.

He's making 0.4 metres per carry less than Feka, that's 40 cm. So 40 cm is the difference in your eyes between one guy making 'no yards' and another guy making good yards? Fielden is also busting 4 times the number of tackles. The greater penalties and errors are a reflection of doing much more work defensively, which is why Lockers has made even more the Stu. There's actually only a 1% difference between Feka and Stu in penalties per tackle (in Feka's favour), and 0.5% difference in errors per carry (in Stu's favour).

Maybe it's not quite the picture that you paint?

Maybe that's why Stu is being selected all the time and Feka is not?

Maybe Maguire knows more about Rugby than both of us?

Feka is a total liability.

When is on the pitch, the opposition have learned to run four or five quick plays at him and then go through the gap.

He spends very little time on the pitch so others have to do more work.

Yes he makes the odd barnstorming run but that's about it.

He's a poor man's Kelvin Skerret. Kelvin could play 80 minutes. Tackle all day and do barnstorming runs to boot.

Feka wants to find an NFL team who need an impact player for 5 minutes a game.

Fielden is getting picked over Feka due to his fitness nothing else. Fielden takes 3 drives to every 1 drive Feka does but Feka still makes the same yards. Fielden might burst more tackles but thats because he takes 3X the amount of drives. He bursts the tackles then makes a stupid mistake like a offload when not needed.

At the games feka gets the crowd going, he is a big impact player its just ashame that he can't last very long.

Feka should keep working on his fitness but try to keep the same size/weight and know its not easy to do but if that could be possible then I think thats what Mcguire will try to do. He comes on and sometimes changes the game IMO i've never seen that done before at WIGAN from Fielden...

what he said with knobs on,

What a frightening assessment of the two players.

Thank god you never get near picking a team.

Here's the reality.
[urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_player.php?hs1=2010&hp1=29&hs2=2010&hp2=1135&stat=tries&season=[/url

Your analysis is flawed tbh, I gave figures pro rata based on an equal number of carries, Stu actually makes a fracition less mistakes per carry (0.5%) and a fraction more penalties per tackle (1%) though the difference is so small as to be largely meaningless, i.e. =#FF0040Stu doesn't actually make any more mistakes than Feka could be predicted to do given the same game time/carries/tackle rate.

Fielden isn't there to come on and change a game, he's not being tasked with that role, like many other props for many other teams. What he is there to do is get through a lot of graft, which this season especially he's been doing pretty damn well at.

None of what I am saying should be taken as any detriment to Feka, just feel I have to dispel the myth held by a small number that Stu is always making mistakes. Quite clearly both the stats show that he isn't, and a coach who dropped Mossop for "dropping off tackles" when the majority of fans were singing Mossop's praises, can't feel that he does either - or Stu would be dropped week after week.

When it comes to Rugby League, perception doesn't actually mold reality.

ok as you are picking selected stats try these.
penalties given away fielden 16 feka 5
errors 18 14
missed tackles 51 33
busts 78 97
offloads 14 42
yards made 2557 2678
these are from last year.
the only thing fielden is better at is tackling, these stats are from last season if they played the same this season feka would be shown to be the better again.
i like fielden he is a top forward he just needs to cut out the errors get on with the game and stop whineing when he mucks up, and then he will be back to his best.

He is playing better this year than last, so the stats are rather irrelevant

Yeah.. let's go off last years form. You really aren't helping yourself.

Last season we finished 6th and got only 15 wins. This season we are top and already have 10 wins. You compare Fielden's stats to Feka's this season and Fielden's are better. I much prefer the current situation than any from last season or the last god knows how many seasons.