At this time last year, could we see Amos coming within 1/10th of what he was at the beginning of 2010? I don't think so. I just think we'll start with Sam at FB, if only because Paddy is out injured. If Amos shows the form he had at the beginning of this year, then he may very well make the FB spot his own.

Agree about Amos - he was such a class act before he got injured on Easter Monday.

I've often wondered these past few months how successful Wigan would have been if Roberts had maintained his fitness and form that he showed in the first 2 months of the season. With all due respect he was only a shadow of himself when he played later in the season - starting with the CC Q/F against Leeds.

With a fully fit Roberts would Wigan have won the CC? ( Sorry Wires fans, but imo yes!)

Would playing a CC S/F and Final have impacted on Wigan's form/performances in the Play Offs and thus possibly resulted in us not winning the GF? Maybe.

It is a big ask to do the double with the CC S/F and Final so late in the season - maybe this is the season a team may do it. ( And Wires fans, I don't think it will be Warrington!)

In all honesty, depending on injuries/form, Wigan could have Sam, Amos or Pat at FB next season. Or if there were lots of injuries, maybe even Marsh or Charnley.

If Wigan's pack is firing and the halves are moving us around the park and kicking well, any of the above at FB will flourish.

I reckon we'll start with Amos there, providing hes fit. Sam back at 6, Darrell and possibly Charnley/Marsh on the other wing. hopefully Pryce wont be on the other wing as its looking likely hes gonna sign a one year deal!

No need to change a championship winning team.

Amos needs to earn his place in the team whether it be on the wing or at FB. He has good competition from Charnley, Marsh Richard (injured) and Goulding.

No one in our starting 17 deserves to be dropped.

And none of them deserve to keep there spot, if you know what i mean.

Roberts before is injury was the best full back in super league maybe the world...If he is back to that form. no team in world rugby cannot pick him..sam tomkins or not.

1. ROBERTS
6. TOMKINS

You earn the right to keep your spot. And winning the GF does exactly that. Reward success with keeping your place. We should carry on exactly how we left off.

Obviously the best thing to do would be to judge how the players are performing in the off season, but if they're all going at it at 100% Gotta stick to the winning team.

Jesus Christ, nest FB in the world?! Please take off the cherry and white tinted specs. Take a look at Billy Slater or Jarred Hayne for starts. They are also Aussie like Roberts who walk into the Kangeroos light years ahead of Amos.

just 3 points for you here.

1. I said maybe

2. Roberts form before his injury was up there with anything i have seen from slater or hayne.

3. He plays over here so wouldnt even get a mention for aussie selection.

+1

+1

+1

Re-check your quote, you don't say maybe. Roberts played 65 times for St George, 23 times for Panthers and 89 times for the Roosters and never got a call up to the national side, so him being over he is irrelevant.

sorry, you did say maybe the world. still an outrageously biased claim.

I dont give a damn how many games and how many teams Roberts have played.

In MY opinion for the first 10 games of the 2010 season for wigan before his injury..Roberts was up there with the very best in the world.

Roberts for me.

Whoa, did somebody say Roberts was possibly the form fullback in the world for any period this year? Amos Roberts? Lucky to crack top 5 at best, very lucky.

although roberts may be a good addition to the fullback position, his try scoring record was so good early on in the season when he was on the wing. when he played full back he hardly scored. surely wigan will want him on the wing for his try scoring

Not really - a fullback will normally score less than a winger anyway, especially the way we played this season. 4 tries in 5.5 games is a pretty good return for a fullback (and compares favourably with Sam's 10 tries in 12 games), and the quality of the tries he scored was outstanding.

I agree that 8 tries in 4 games on the wing is good, too, but Goulding and Richards (and even Pryce) were getting similar returns with the style of play we were employing.

so basically geoff, it would be more beneficial to play tomkins there as he scores tries from that position whereas roberts didnt. im a little confused now as to where some people thought roberts was the best full back in the world before easter monday. he only played half his games in that position

I wouldn't say Roberts was anywhere near world-class at fullback, personally.

It's a tricky decision, though; I don't think there's much to choose between Sam & Amos at fullback, but both deserve to be in the team, as do Richards & Goulding, so the only way to accommodate all of them is Roberts #1 and Sam #6.

If Sam does play fullback (after Richards returns from injury), either Roberts or Goulding has to be dropped, and I don't think either of them deserve it.

I think Sam will start at FB to begin the season, but if Amos is able to recover his early 2010 form then he'd be my number 1. Sam's been great at FB but when compared with Amos and the form he was in there's only one winner for me.

With Richards being out I imagine Sam would start the season at FB. However I still think that when Richards is back Roberts should go to 1 with Sam moving back to 6. I think Gouldings deserved his place in the side.

Absolutely, Goulding showed all last year he's worthy of his spot. I think it get's overlooked just how safe Darrel is under the highball. He did go through a shaky patch midway through the season where he'd position himself wrong in the defensive line, or come out when he shouldn't. But thankfully he's rectified those weaknesses in his game and he's a much improved player for it.

I completely agree. If everyone is fit and on form then Roberts has to be at 1 in my opinion.

I think the pre season friendlys will determine alot of these 'problems' (what great problems to have!)

Who will play fullback? Who will play in the halves? Who will play in the back row? Who will cover Pats wing whilst he's injured?

Go back 4 or 5 years and we were asking similar questions, but more so because the players we had were rubbish. 'Is there ANYONE else who can play fullback instead of Mathers/Vaeliki/Moran

Now we have a dilemma of choosing between Sam Tomkins and Amos Roberts.





Its great to have such healthy competition in the squad, and I would go as far as saying no-ones place is safe, we could put out two completely different starting 13's and each one would still give Super League a good go:

1. Sam - Roberts
2. Goulding - Charnley
3. Gleeson - Carmont
4. Marsh - Pryce
5. King - Richards
6. Deacon - O'Loughlin
7. Mellor - Finch
8. Fielden - Coley
9. Leuluai - McIlorum
10. Prescott - Lima
11. Hoffman - Hansen
12. Tuson - Joel
13. Farrell - Mossop