always concerns me that tactic.

a good coach should play it by ear and substitute when he thinks the times right, not by the clock.
and IIRC he brought off feka in one game with 39 minutes on the clock............im sure he could have managed 1 more minute and saved a substitution.

This threads not about Lee Briers i'm afraid.

Feka is an impact prop and needs to stay as one if loosing weight will give him more time on the pitch but loose his "impactness" then i for one would like him to keep the weight. as to the Leeds game he was used as an impact and what an impact he had. Him coming on changed the pattern of the game and would like to see him stay in his current role.

Spot on.

Noble's subs by the clock annoy me as well. It wouldn't be hard to get them more efficient.

Hardly. Feka can't defend for toffee. For this reason and this reason alone we should let him go and get a decent prop in who can defend AND make barnstorming runs.

Who do you suggest?

Tbh, I'd be happy with some one who can defend over some one who makes great runs but can't defend. We seem so much weaker when Feka is on the field and we are defending.

Agree, but we are better going forward with him on the field. It's a team game and about finding the right balance. One of the reasons I am challenging the Fielden thread is that Fielden HAS to do so much work around the marker area when Feka is on the field.

Saints have a similar problem with Maurie Fa'asavalu but he doesn't get the same amount of criticism does he?

[urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_player.php?hs1=2009&hp1=1950&hs2=2009&hp2=1135&stat=tries&season=2008[/url

If Feka can't defend for toffee how do you explain his 300+ tackles? To avoid the game time v tackles made just look at the percentage missed:

Scott Murell (league leader for tackles made) 11% missed
Terry Newton 9% missed
Feka - 7% missed
Paul Wellens - 12% missed
Danny Sculthorpe - 3% missed
Jon Wilkin - 7% missed
Brent Webb - 22% missed
Danny Ward - 6% missed
Jason Cayless - 6% missed
Andy Coley - 6% missed
Adrian Morley - 10% missed

Feka doesn't jump out as somebody who misses tackles, his number of tackles made is low but this could be down to game time, it could be a reflection of not getting involved in defense or it could be a reflection of people not running at him because he doesn't miss.

I think the perception that Feka is bad defensively is because of size, not actual ability. I am often supprised when I see him turn and catch somebody like Burrow as he did last week.

How do you just 'let him go'.

People still say this as if we're living in an era before contracts.

IMO Feka could lose some weight (about a stone) and still be as effective if not more. My reasoning....

Look at his build, he is probably about 18+stone in weight, so losing a stone would make him about 17 stone (fot this arguement). 17 stone is still a heavy prop but what makes Feka so good in the first place is the fact that he is barely over 6" which makes his centre of gravity extremely low compared to someone like Peacock who is 6"5 making him far more stable in the collision.

On that basis losing the weight shouldnt really matter because his power comes from his body type as more than it does from his weight that he is.

True, but it would be interesting to see what constitutes a missed tackle.

Feka gets stood up in the line a lot and struggles at marker through a lack of mobility, to the extent that quite often he doesn't lay a hand on opponents. Is that a missed tackle?

Maurie's misses tend to be more flying out for a big shot or being unable to hang on, rather than not being able to get there.

Maurie has come in for lots of criticism too over the past 12 months, but has recently picked up his form. I would venture he's on much less wedge than Feka too, and high earners inevitably come in for more stick as (rightly) more is expected of them.

All sounds pretty reasonable to me and in any case Feka provides some entertainment we he comes on. For quite some time our bench looked lack luster and at times simply there to make up the numbers whereas Feka offers something different when he comes on.

Dave

Its interesting you use Maurie as an example because in my opinion, and alot of saints fans his form at the start of the season was poor, when he was being used for longer peiods, when potter started reducing his time on the pitch, his impact was much greater. Maybe the same would happen to feka??

This post isn't going to please very many.

IMHO, Feka is over-rated.

Now let me explain - attacking wise it's nothing short of fantastic with his yardage on a carry. But that's it.

His defence is woeful (70% of the time) and his fitness is awful for a SL player. I'm not saying "get rid" - after all even I have to admit he's our best prop at present. Which tells a different story all together.

IMO Feka lacks what Fielden has (defense, fitness) and Fielden lacks what Feka has (attacking power and speed)

If Feka had what Fielden has and Fielden had what Feka has they'd be astronomical - two absolute world beaters IMHO.

Yes, we should tell him to eat more and stay in bed. He'd be sensational.

More pies for Feka

Feka does his job, and does it brilliantly.

His purpose as an impact prop is to come onto the pitch and give his team attacking momentum, which he undoubtedly does.

Nowhere does it say they have to defend well, i can't care less if he can defend, if he keeps doing the brilliant attacking runs that he does.

He also shouldn't need to be on the pitch for any longer than he is currently. I'm pretty sure he comes on, and 70% sets us on an attacking roll. His job is then done. He doesn't need to spend more time on the pitch, because then he will become targeted in the line and become a defensive liability [which for the record, i don't think he's half as bad as people make out.

However i do think he could lose a bit of weight, get back to where he was 2nd half of last season. But then again he doesn't seem to be struggling at the moment, when he breaks the line he doesn't pull up huffing and puffing a lot.

Once, just once I would love to see Wigan pack down on their opponents 20 metre line with head & feed, Gleeson to run and pack into the scrum, Feka in Gleeson's centre position.

Tommy to Tomkins to Feka.

Opposing Centre / Winger fecking no chance....TRY!!



Cup Semi would do.

We have just won five games on the bounce, Why do we have to start out Bi-weekly Witch hunt?.

Feka has a job to do and he does it very well. Get off his back.

So u like Fielden then????

IMO Paleaaeseena is a bit of a luxury player. Sure, he gets the Wigan fans going when he comes on in short stints but he's never going to be as important as a Graham or Peacock type who can play 60-80 minutes putting in solid yards and a strong defensive workload.

The game against Leeds did nothing to change my mind. IIRC he only made one significant bullocking run and lost possession immediately afterwards. Otherwise his impact on the game was close to minimal.

In his first season with Wigan his weight seemed about right and if he can return to this and play longer stints he may be worth it...

shame we dont have anyone of that ilk

I think you're spot on here. In 2006 he was in far better shape and I pray that we can get him back to that in the off season.

I also agree with the 'luxury player' point. A luxury player can only really be afforded when you have a great front row to support and we don't have that. Fielden's poor form and Feka's limitations are the two main reasons why we need to recruit props.

feka needs to keep his weight but turn his fat into muscle