I think phelps has been one of most consistent players this year.. he gets on well with the tomkins brothers, prescott and ainscough,

I think he deffinately deserves a new contract for his versatility... I just wonder if we could have a player of Greenshelds esc... who is truely world class... the question is what are we willing to accept in terms of a player who is very good or should we look to get a world class player in that position such as anthony minichello, billy slater etc.. etc yes I like phelps but how much does a world class full back add to a team? Is the full back position such an influential one in the game nowadays that we should be looking to get a world class player in this position?? or should world class players wages be spent in the front row or the half backs?

But he's one of the few players who have progressed in what has been a difficult season.

Think back to the Saints game and how shaky he was when he first started playing at 1 and how much more assured he looks now.

His positional play is getting better as is his link up play and kick returns.

If he progresses at the rate he currently is by the end of the season it would stupid not to keep him in the squad and the continuity it would give us.

Sign him up. All players take time to learn their trade, and to play with different players and systems. He'll only get better.

I like phelps but how much does a world class full back add to a team? Is the full back position such an influential one in the game nowadays that we should be looking to get a world class player in this position?? or should world class players wages be spent in the front row or the half backs?'"

been saying it for a while. Phelps is improving all the time. We look a better much team with him at full back. He should stay IMO.

My worry is he lacks real athleticism that i like from an oiutside back. I never see him as a top player and if resigning him means we are unable to bring in quality from overseas in other positions then for me he can go, if however we are unable to bring in a quality player then i agree he is worth another year.

Definitely. We need to improve in other areas more urgently than we do in the FB position.

Phelps has a good positional sense and offers us an extra dimension in attack from the full back position, should definitely get a new deal.

I'd give him the first part of a return ticket to Aus with Hunt taking his quota place and return ticket, but that doesnt mean he wouldnt be a good solid player for a middle of the table team.

Yep.

No disputing that Hunt isnt world class but look at the money he is commanding. Japanese rah rah is offering a million dollars for him. My point is that we need to strenghten the forwards urgently before full back.

He is a none federation trained player and the number of those we can have drops to 6 next year. So if IL wants to sign 2 new overseas players he needs to lose two from the roster. Phelps is one of the players out of contract who is none federation trained which makes him a prime candidate for the chop.

So it depends if you think he is good enough to hold a none-federation trained spot over and above the players IL has been looking at.

We do have other options for full back such as Roberts and Richards and while you may argue neither are as good as Phelps at certain aspects of the full backs job they have contracts for next year and so it is how retaining or releasing Phelps fits into the overall scheme of things.

Dave

Another dreamer. Hunt is looking for the bulk of any teams salary cap just for his own wages.

Phelps was nothing short of excellent tonight. I would say a new contract is in his own hands to some degree. If he can continue to improve at the rate he is doing (and of course dependant on quota spots/who we're looking to bring in) he could make the fullback position his own. Then his utility value and back up kicking are a bonus. Over to you Cameron....

This reminds me of Richards and what happened when he was give a little time to prove his worth. IMO Give him another 12 mths and go from there, he better that mathers!!!! (mind you so's my nan and she died in 2003).

Going off subject Micky Mac was imense tonight!!!

Very good point, something I hadn't looked at myself.

Who else is OOC at the end of the season who is non-federation trained?

I agree, the forwards are the biggest problem in the team at the moment but we should still be in the mix for a player like Hunt, the RU bodies often offer wages to players that dont really turn out to be the great amounts quoted in the press. Of course we couldnt compete with a crazy Jap wage but we should at least be in the mix.

I would retain him.

Good utility player.

Smith, Carmont and Bailey but Bailey can apply for Federation status as he was here before the rules came in. So at the moment he counts as none federation trained until his current deal expires then he can become none federation trained.

Richards is classed as none federation trained as well I think as he signed a new deal before this concession came in.

So our none federation trained players are Feka, Richards, Smith, Carmont, Phelps, Bailey, Roberts and Riddell - 8 players.

We expect Smith and Bailey to leave and regardless of Bailey's potential change of status if he stayed, that still leaves us with 6 none federation trained players.

So if we sign two Aussies/Kiwi's as IL has said we are after doing then we need to lose two of that six and with Carmont and Phelps OOC then it's got to be them.

Dave

I think phelps is someone showing some enthusiasm and passion in playing for the team and trying very hard to improve in the fb position, esp now learning from radlinski - this has got to be a good thing. He should get some praise for this because we want people to be enthusiastic about playing for wigan and have some pride in the shirt.

Phelps new contract?

Yes- shows enthusiasm, looks more dangerous than anyone else we try at fullback, probably cheap.


No-takes an overseas spot, could we do better? stops Ainscough or Veivers getting a game.

Contract talks at this point in the season are not going to take place, it will all depend on a range of things

SL finishing spot
CC

T. Smith the sooner the better in my opinion, can not stand him on and off the field.

Carmont, to gain a new deal, will have to show them injuries aren't a constant thing with him these days.

Bailey, I'd like to see get another 12months, always a great defence, no matter what others say, and his involvement with the squad his great, well settled in.

Phelps - I thought with him recieving the 1 on 1 off Rads, that had won his place for next year and he's resign, but I still thing he'll be on a Virgin flight back to Oz in the winter!

id love a team full of players who play with the commitment like phelpsy- a shoe in for a new contract IMO

Its ironic people want players to show passion and pride, Phelps does, they want him gone.

I think Phelps suffered in terms of fans opinions of his value to the squad due to him initially being used and described by the club as a utility player as changing your role constantly doesn't help you to find your feet.
Since starting to feature at full back he has shown so much promise that he has been kept largely to one role and so has been able to improve which he has done rapidly. I for one would like to see him resign for at least next year but not simply for his standard of performance. The lad has a fantastic attitude and will to succeed, he accepts areas where he needs improvement and seeks out knowledge and training to do so and he doesn't just talk up what he wants to do in the press and then show nothing on the pitch. He has taken the chance to instill himself in a position where there is competition from at least two other first choice players and to make himself in many people's opinions the best we have in that position.

It isn't up to us fans who stays or doesn't of course but I would be very disappointed if Phelps was let go simply because of his nationality. He has earned a place for next year where many of the squad have failed to justify theirs. If the all of the overseas signings we have made in the last few seasons shared Phelps' attitude (I accept that some do but a lot haven't) and desire to improve there would be a lot less people moaning about the number of them in our squad.

Is that enough though. Perhaps in the current band, but if we want to get where we should be as a club we must also recruit on ability. In relation to some of the players Phelps excells in pride and passion, BUT players with the ability of Phelps will not put us back in a silverware winning category consistantly. 1 year at the most if we cannot recruit real quality, as the quota drops after next year he will be gone without doubt if retained.