He's the best FB at the club IMO.

Far more balanced with Phelps at FB and Amos and Pat on the wings.

I know I keep repeating it but I'd love 2 see him have an extended run again.

Agreed.

[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=28&t=444665&hilit=Phelps&start=15[/url

As sad as it is, I've dug that up. I really rate Phelps at fullback and I wanted to try to get people to cast their minds back to just how good he was. I know Amos was a revelation there, and I know he is more dangerous up the middle, but for me our strongest and most balanced team has Phelps in the number one shirt.

Sam was moved to full back on 50 minutes, when the squad was lacking any ideas and everything they tried had failed.

On 51 minutes he broke through your line and set up the try.

Things have not gone to plan (because of the Roberts injury) but having the luxury of playing Sam there has meant we have a chance at 'shifting the goal posts' - so to speak.

As you'll know, when you go through a season as consistent and successful as this, teams will do their best to study you ahead of the back end of the season. Sam is one of the most important players in the team, and giving him opportunities there makes us harder to read. Especially when you consider the type of players that replace him in the halves.

I agree. Phelps - if he can get fit - deserves another run, the balance is so much better with him at fullback.

Amos seems to have totally lost his confidence after his injury and currently doesn't merit selection.

I had a quick look at that thread and there is a comment on the first or 2nd page that says how we will miss him if he out injured for an extended period. Well he has played a grand total of six SL games for us this season and the fact of the matter is we have not missed him at all.

With Roberts out of sorts for whatever reason, Phelps will no doubt get another chance if fit and Madge thinks he deserves it but I think anyone saying he was outstanding before has forgotten who he played against and the fact he has figured very little this season. I think he played about 1 1/2 games before his first injury. He's been injured and out of the side too long to have had a major influence on our season.

Dave

I don't see how you can say "the fact of the matter is we have not missed him at all", when we could have definitely have done with him on Friday. And I think the people who refer to him as possibly being the best fullback at the club are referring to his performances last season where he was outstanding at FB.

I think the best full back at the club is Pat Richards and by some distance. In a pressure game i know who i would want to be under a high ball with defenders closing in and its Pat every time, his positional sense seems spot on and he is a strong one on one defender.

Having said this Richards is such a dangerous attacking threat out wide, especially in the air that i do like him on the wing too!

In attack Roberts was sensational earlier in the season but he's clearly not the same player now since the injury he picked up earlier in the season and to play him on Friday was a risk that back-fired on us spectacularly.

As for Phelps well he has not been consistent enough at full-back to warrent a regular place in the team this season, he seems to have some positional issues in the full back slot.

That leaves us with Vievers who i have not yet seen in action but by all accounts is another promising player who hopefully will get an opportunity at Wigan next season.

I wonder if we'd have seen Veivers had we won on Friday.

He's getting better all the time, but I'm not convinced he's up to SL standard yet.