One of the most experienced players in Super League is of the opinion that the only reason why Wigan aren't challenging Leeds/Stains is "because their props don't work hard enough, simple as that".

Based on those statistics I can see what he means.

What to do with Fielden is becoming a major issue. I don't like badmouthing individual players, but he has failed to deliver for 95% of the time he's been at the club, yet it's been well documented that he's taking a very large wage. Whatever the problem is, it's clearly insurmountable - either for club or player, because I can't believe that Stuart himself is happy with his performances at Wigan and he'd surely be trying to put it right if he could. In which case, all we can do is wait until his contract expires and then say goodbye.

What to do with Feka is less complicted. He should be told that he either gets fit very quickly, or that he gets sacked for being in breach of his contract. That's how I'd now play it. I doubt he's still paid as much as when Maurice first signed him, but however much it is, it's too much given that he's supposed to be a professional athlete and yet is unable or unwilling to get himself into athletic condition. I'd also tell whoever's in charge of conditioning Feka that his own employment at Wigan is now dependent on the next month or so.

That is our prop problem in a nutshell, for me. Coley and Prescott I'm more than happy with. O'Carroll too was doing well until he got injured. But it's the two big-earners who are really letting the side down.

Fielden need to be told his future isn't at Wigan and that he can find another club. If that doesn't work we put him on the transfer list for his true value - i.e. £0.

Granted there will be salary cap issues as he's unlikely to get what we are paying him elsewhere, but even if we have to continue paying a proportion of his current salary next season, I'm sure we can get a better contribution to the team with what we save.

Fielden or Feka are going nowhere until their contracts finish end of 2010.
Wigan RL have to deal with it.
Monaghan was MOM by a mile. He killed us down the middle. King scored three and wasn't fit. His running was so restricted you could see it in the warm up. The risk of playing Bailey & Lockers (with hindsight) didn't come off.
When Ainscough was on our left wing at the HJ King played on their right.
Richards was on our left so they played King on their left facing Roberts.
When Bailey went off our right side defence was Roberts, Gleeson, Flanagan & Sam T. King skittled through Sam & Flanagan. Had Mossop been the replacement for Bailey then I'm not sure King was have had it as easy.
Fielden and Feka were very poor but we let Monaghan run riot. He should have been picked up and that should have been sorted by the coaches who should have got the message out. Monaghan has been playing very well from 9 for a few weeks, wasn't that dealt with in the coaching sessions.
Surely IL can't still think we can go next year as we are now after that shambles. He simply has to make the signings needed to improve the squad.
We still need a minimum of one prop if not two.

What a load of e how can he be in breach of his contract for his weight you complete numpty .

So its only fielden and feka who are letting the side down not other players having e games as well or the coaching staff for picking the team.

no, but fielden and feka are both playing well below what we know they can.

Feka in particular is putting in some seriously poor performances because of the condition he's allowing himself to get in to. If the club were trying to get him to lose weight and he was ignoring them then surely the club would be well within there rights to discipline him in someway as he isn't getting himself in the correct condition to do what is required of him in his career.

Sadly I dont think it is going to happen though

feka needs get on a push bike loose some weight, i have always been a big fan of his but on sat he was a joke. For the past 2 seasons wigan have said his fitness is improving well im sorry to say i dont think it is still the same game time and he looks bigger than ever.

come on mike forshaw sort the big fella out.

No props = no cups

Do they make a suitable bike?

In all seriousness, he wouldnt get there.

The problem is compounded by the fact that we dont have a busy hooker who is able to compensate for Feka's vunerability in defence (unless Mclorum plays).

thats not entirely fair - I have a mate who worked at Wigan as a conditioner a last year go (on a student placement from Uni). He basically said it was obvious that Feka is basically lazy. He put in as little work as possible during sessions, and as soon he left the sessions he was doing no work on his own and wasnt looking after his diet etc...

There is only so much a fitness conditioner can do. He does his job and tells the player what to do, the player has to make a decision about their own condition, the coach then picks the team and is ultimately responsible.

Karl Pryce was worse than Feka apparantly.

Looking at the state of him that figures and if i were in charge at Wigan the guy would be told he was out of the first team until he got in better shape.

He could be one of the best props in the world if he truely wanted it enough but it doesn't look like he does.

He needs a push in the right direction and him being dropped may give him that.

It's just a shame the likes of O'Carroll and Bailey are injured and obviously Hock isn't available as it makes it difficult to leave him out.

I was a big fan of Feka before this season. But overall I think he's not been worth a spot this season mainly because his fitness is an absolute disgrace for a professional sportsman. This only added to his shocking defence on Saturday, which Wire played to very well.

The Wire fans behind us on Saturday were laughing at him. With him and Piggy it's like having 15 players some weeks. I just don't get it, if he was fit imagine the damage he'd do, he'd be even more unstoppable (than he is some weeks).

Fair enough, a great impact player on his day, but surely we have to expect more than 15-20 mins per week?

Agree with all you say pretty much bar comparing Riddells fitness to that of Feka.

Riddell is miles fitter then Feka and unlike Feka will bend his back in defence and get stuck in.

Sometimes appearences can be diseptive and in Riddells case they are.......if Feka's case they're not! He really is as unfit as he looks.

I'm maybe a bit harsh on Piggy. His wrist was knackered on Saturday and he came back on and fronted up. Not many hookers do or need to do the full 80 in SL either these days.

If Feka gets any more unfit for next season he'll be a complete liability. If other teams watch Saturday's game back he's in for trouble. Make him tackle, pile in when he runs and he's shot.

Bring back Chris Butler and get him running up Rivington Pike!

But this is exactly the conditioners responsibility, they have to get the best out of each player in the time they have together, if he is not putting it in in sessions then something must be done about it by the conditioner.

I do worry about all this talk from Wigan of Feka's "fitness" on Saturday it was not his fitness that let him down, it was his conditioning or lack of it, his agility and lateral movement is non existant, so while he may be able to run for further without blowing is anyone actually looking into improving his rugby specific conditioning or are we looking to turn him into the worlds biggest marathon runner by working on his fitness?

I disagree - the conditioner tells him what to do but if he doesn't do it - it's up to the coach to drop him until he does IMO.

The coach is the boss at the end of the day and if he keeps picking him despite him ignoring the conditioner, then he completely undermines the conditioner and makes his job impossible.

Psst ... don't tell everyone, but there's a big difference between playing badly and not making an effort to get fit or into athletic condition.

Every contract is different, but in most cases if an employee regularly renders himself - either by action or inaction - unable to perform his job, then he's on very thin ice (especially if his employer is looking for a reason to get rid of him, like, for example, if he's costing an awful lot of money!!!).

A professional athlete needs to be athletic. Or he's no bloody use to whoever's paying him.

It's not difficult when you think about it. It's a bit like a doctor who doesn't know anything about medicine. Or a rocket scientist who can't be d learning rocket science.

Simple enough for you?

But unless he lied about his qualifications in getting the job, which Feka clearly didn't (but a doctor or rocket scientist clearly would have to) then it's your own fault for hiring him.

He can perform his job. He's just sh*te at it, but then he was already overweight when you signed him so not sure what your point is.

He would never be in breach of contract for not being at his physical peak.

Sadly we could have the same shortcomings for any given player highlighted each week by opponents but they will still get picked.

Noble has shown repeatedly that he will not drop anyone from the team barring an injury unless that player is 21 or younger in which case he will instantly replace them when someone older is available. That is just one reason why we need a new coach.

Spot on - it's Feka's job to be fit and he's nowhere near that at the moment. Pryce as well.

I'm not saying I want an 80 minute Feka, but he's got to do more than he does at the moment.

Feka at the moment is an opposition coaches dream. They know when he will be coming on the field as the subs are done by the clock. When he gets you on the front foot it is fantastic to watch but when he is defending its painful. Run straight at him and its OK, step dart or scoot and yards are there to be made. It was an embarrassment to watch Morley spotting Feka in the defencive line on Sat. They all new the plan, spot and dart at/around him. To which MM did very well. You would normally associate the likes of Tomkins to be picked out. Spotting players in the line is nothing new, but spotting a prop???