Agree with Wrencat.
Cannot understand the continued criticism of Mathers.
Being retired I have had the time recently to watch recordings of last season and to me Mathers is always dangerous on attack and as previously stated by Fred Gee gives us another option re. stand off play.
As regards L Smith he undoubtedly had class, lets hope he can recapture the form he demonstrated in the past.
Remember another great attacking full back , not mentioned much on the all time Trinity thread.
The great international Gary Cooper.
Yeah he made some mistakes at the back but boy was he exciting to watch.

pretty happy you post on here and not on the coaching staff then.



Mathers has his faults but is still well in the top 10 specialist fullbacks in SL. I'm also happy with Smith at centre, as long as he is fit and there is no reason why he shouldn't be with the likelihood of regular starts and a good offseason.

let me try and explain to jacques my criticism of mathers. Like him im retired and remember gary cooper well and surely your not putting mathers alongside him. Mathers as no pace and these who liken him to a number 6 must know a stand off needs that. But his first job is to tackle, and if im the only one on here who sees he cant do that then id better be visiting specsavers . I also must be the only one who notices that when a try is scored against us our number 1 arrives on the scene later. Pocket 4s puts him in the top 10 fullbacks in sl but yet including his spell in aus every team got rid of him quickley . another gripe i have is with the club, why give a player in his 30s and with all his experience but makes the mistakes of a novice is given a2 year contract when as far as i know wasnt wanted by any other club.

Now I am not RM's biggest fan but you are way off the mark here i'm afraid. A speeedster he isn't but saying he has no pace is harsh. When you think of some of the fullbacks we've had over the last 20 years, guys like Spencer, Holland, Field, Blaymire & Halpenny he's positively rapid. His tackling isn't great i'd agree but last year he was generally sound under the high ball and positionally in the right place 99% of the time so his has defensive assets. He is a good talker & organiser at the back and links into the line well in attack. He only left Leeds because a once in a lifetime chance to move to Australia which only got curtailed due to a serious injury. Hasn't done badly on his return being first choice fullback for Wigan & Warrington has he? The only one that didn't work out was under Millward at Cas and that isn't the first time thats happened. As for his age he only turned 29 after the season ended, not exactly ancient.

Bare in mind where we have come from recently, two years ago we could have only dreamed of having a squad like this and that includes Mathers & Smith. On our budget he will do just fine for now.

I'd say the game has changed and a full backs role isn't to be a fantastic defender, its to collect the ball and return well giving us a better attacking position plus backing up all half breaks. If we NEED a full back who is a fantastic defender, I'd question why that is and look to change the people consistently letting people through the line

sorry if i have made him out to be older than he is , but i still hold the veiw that hes slow and im afraid that at 29 he wont get quicker .I agree hes a good talker telling people where they should be but my point was he was never there himself where he shouldve been in our defensive line. I agree he was signed by both wigan and warrington as afullback but i still maintain he was realitivity quickley released by both clubs and both sets of fans particulary those at wigan were more critical of his defencive frailties than i.Idont expect every one to agree with me im only giving my opinion of watching rugby league at all levels for more years than i care to remember and i certainly respect all other views and i suppose the mathers saga will run and run Before submitting this reply i noticed maple syrups post ,yea i agree the game as changed its changed in many ways since it started it his to catch and retun the ball and back up breaks thats just another part of mathers game your happy with and i think hes average but come on afullback that cant tackle i cant be watching rugby league please give us a break

I think you are right here, he is great in this "attacking fullback" role. The full back is the last line of defence, often there have been mistakes further up the field for the player to get to there. Its unfortunate he is in a position where everything he does is magnified. I think he does a good job for us!

Totally agree.

I know everyone's got their own opinions and all that but to suggest that Mathers is slow, as well as average in kick return and supporting the man with ball, well they must be watching a different game to me and I'm no Mathers fan. As for tackling, sure it's not his strength but I remember him making some key tackles for us last season, he just needs to improve his consistency.

I reckon Lee Smith this up coming season is going to surprise a few of these doubters and have a very good season for us, all he's ever needed is match fitness and game time and he'll produce the goods.

I'm not a big fan of Mellors, i'd rather stick with Smith.

I'd say EVERYONE has to be a great defender otherwise there will be gaps that the other team will exploit. I got shot down for saying this previously but Mathers was really poor at times last season when trying to tackle and he cost us many points. It was his attempted shoulder tackles that really let him down. I agree when attacking he's a good addition but he needs to work on his defense.

Dear me, you believe that if you want - to mis-qoute John Lennon, he's not one of the best in SL, he's not even the best at Wakefield.

We shall see, but halfway through last year the whole forum thought he was losing us games (and he was) and wanted shut. Be careful what you wish for and how knowledgeable you clearly feel you are

Agree, the role of F/B has changed but the need to be able to defend at this level has not.

There will always be times when a breakaway play happens that leaves the fb in no-mans land; he's the last line of defence and if he doesn't pull off the tackle, he can't always be held solely responsible.

I think Mathers did make a few howlers in defence last season, as did most fb's in SL; some were his responsibility and some weren't but as I said at the time, he's far from the worst and is significantly better than some. He also adds a lot in attack, which can't be discounted.

Overall, I'm happy with him at Wakey.

At no time last season did I want shot of mathers, so sorry fella you are not speaking on behalf of the whole forum, and IMHO Mathers offers us a great deal more in attacking options than a lot of other FB in SL and only looks vunerable only when exposed when the line in front have let him down

Even when he did make a few mistakes last year and people got on his back, I certainly don't remember the whole forum wanting shut of him, I didn't anyway.

I agree with vastman peope on here WERE giving mathers stick early in the season, then came that exiting finish and suddenly hes a hero when the same schoolboy errors were in his game.A fullback cant be blamed for every tackle he misses thats for sure, but its the attempt that hes judged on and although im a non drinker and never leave my vantage point during a game with all due respect shifty i cant remember him making a key tackle. I think ive given my opinion on mr mathers and am prepared to wait and see , when ill be back on this subject with either ahumble apology or an i told you so.

[iSome[/i people - a few, but by no means a majority.

This.

Having watched him there for Leeds on a few occasions, im not convinced Smith is any better defensively than Mathers and certainly not as good under the high ball.

Other than a 3 or 4 game slump in mid season, i think Mathers was one of our more consistent players. Yes, he is no Slater or Barba but he is certainly good enough for where we are at at the moment and imo is the best fullback at the club both last year and this although it is a shame we wont get the chance to see how young Grayston would have done.

There has been a good few times that Sam Tomkins has looked scared to death under a high ball and bottled taking the catch. Billy Slater is also well known to have the odd brain fart, in fact he probably cost Australia a world cup because of one. Would you not want either of them in the team as well then?

i think ive made my point of what my opinion of richard mathers is but when tomkins and billy slaters names are brought in has comparisons i think id better retire from the argument im beat. Answer to last question YES suprisingly i would prefer both to mathers.

This is getting silly now, how's he been made into a hero, or been called anything close to that.

People acknowledge his faults but also can see the the good attributes he has.

I remember a similar thing going on with Blaymire, where he'd become the focus of a few people's wrath during the season, just like this case unfairly.

Another here who never wanted rid of or over crticised Mathers.
Funny how some players become scapegoats when things are not going well.
He is one of the best full backs we have had for quite a while.