Which is why I started this thread in the first place. The guy is class, but Agar needs to be mindful of not burning him out, infact I was very surprised that Agar didn't take him off for the last 10 mins or so like he did against cas.

To have any chance of winning silverware, we will need Fitz to be performing for us at a consitent level all season. We can't expect him to get through his current workload week after week without the odd rest.

Shoddy work. Only second?

Which is the reason i've said in the Salford thread that i'd rest Fitz plus O'Meley. We have strength in depth and we should use it when it's available rather than wishing we had used it when maybe it isn't available or we pick up injuries.

Then if Agar does drop players and we happen to lose, we can start Agar out again



As proved already this season there are no more "give me games" anymore, imo play your best team at all times, unless you're fortunate to be 7 points clear with 3 games left.

Quote ="chico's nose"As we have all seen since the start of the season, Fitz is simply amazing. His work ethic each week is top noch and he holds nothing back. Last night's performance was again outstanding, and without seeing the stats I would imagine that he made between 25 - 30 tackles and had around 20 hit ups. Whatever the stats say, it was another phenomonal effort. The man seems to be a machine and he gives us 80 mins most weeks. Although he seems to be a freak, should we be expecting these types of performance every single week?. Surly the point will come when the guy deserves a breather, if only to try to prevent burn out or injury. So question is when, if ever do people feel that Fitz is due a rest? For me, next week at Salford would be the ideal chance to give the guy a break before the Easter programme and two tough games with Leeds.'" www.sporthull.co.uk/headlines/Hu ... ticle.html

Quote ="chico's nose"As we have all seen since the start of the season, Fitz is simply amazing. His work ethic each week is top noch and he holds nothing back. Last night's performance was again outstanding, and without seeing the stats I would imagine that he made between 25 - 30 tackles and had around 20 hit ups. Whatever the stats say, it was another phenomonal effort. The man seems to be a machine and he gives us 80 mins most weeks. Although he seems to be a freak, should we be expecting these types of performance every single week?. Surly the point will come when the guy deserves a breather, if only to try to prevent burn out or injury. So question is when, if ever do people feel that Fitz is due a rest? For me, next week at Salford would be the ideal chance to give the guy a break before the Easter programme and two tough games with Leeds.'" www.sporthull.co.uk/headlines/Hu ... ticle.html

Agreed.

Anyone that is 100% fit should play, anyone who isn't shouldn't. Every team is capable of beating each other, why give them the opportunity by 'resting' players that are fit?

Completely agree, although it seems unlikely reading the article Wolfie has linked. Fair enough I guess Agar and the players know better than us what they are capable of.

Not according to some on here

Agree. Hope we don't regret it come playoff time.

Maybe, but look at Fielden, best prop in the world at one point, overplayed supposedly at his behest and Noble allowing it, and burnt out. I'd hope Fitz could be persuaded to take a match off.

Don't let the bleatings of Eddie and Stevo fool you; he was never anywhere being the best prop in the world.

He was never the best prop in SL!

Fielden put the minutes in, but a bit like Dowes for me, a good workhouse with a decent engine, but not the best in the world by a long way. I'd like to think that someone who's played 300 plus first grade games at the top level plus internationals knows what he's capable of, plus I wouldn't have thought he has had to hit the heights of previous seasons to be a stand out player in SL. Keep him out there, leading by example.

Can't believe people want to rest our best players, if we do we have a good chance of getting beat, only rest players when they need it. Start Fitz and give him rest during the game would be a better option. If we had to rest players over the Easter period I would rest them for the Leeds away game.

He made the Dream Team 3 times and was an 80-minute cornerstone of the Bradford pack that steamrollered them to 3 GF wins, 2 CC wins and 3 World Club Challenges (including the infamous man of the match performance vs Wests where he was declared as the best prop in the world.)



Maybe I'm exaggerating to make a point, but Fielden [uwas[/u an absolutely top drawer prop at Bradford who, in many peoples' opinion, burnt out due to overuse by his insistence on playing 80 minutes (and Noble allowing him to do so).

Are you saying that the Fielden that played for Bradford Bulls, and commanded the game's highest transfer fee of the SL era, was no better than Dowes? Sorry but I can't agree with that. People forget how good he was IMO. I know he's done nothing startling at Wigan, but that just emphasises the point that possibly overuse has shortened what could have been a longer career right at the top.

Maybe not THE best but he was up there with the very best the NRL had to offer.

didnt he actually win world forward of the year or something a while back when at bradford, got to say the Fielden I remember in a GB shirt at Wigan a little while ago had no one any where near him as props go and rattles everyone from Macdermott to Webke on his way....
I wish we had him back then!!

by a clear mile he was for some time

He was never in the same class as someone like, for example, Webcke. Just to rattle of a few names of props that were comfortably better than Fielden during Fielden's peak years you've got Petero Civoniceva, Luke Bailey, Jason Ryles, Steve Price, Roy Asotasi, Willie Mason, Mark O'Meley, Ruben Wiki, Jason Cayless and even Adrian Morley. So without really having to think, that's 11 who were better than Fielden throughout Fielden's best years. Four of them were in the same team! There'll be plenty more, especially if we take it a year at a time. He used to be very good, but he was nowhere near being one of the best.

Yes they are, at some point they have had to throw some youngsters in the line up. We should be looking to win every week and not throwing a game away in order to win another.

Sends the wrong message to the players IMO.

The transfer fee was paid by an over eager Wigan club, struggling with injuries. Also it's easy to forget that Fielden was helped in his epic Bradford performances by Mssrs Vagana, Anderson and Peacock, who steamrolled over most teams. You could have put Hutch Maiva in that pack and he'd have looked good. The demise of that pack led to the demise of Fielden imo. Good workhorse forward, burnt out ? not really, just not playing in the same quality pack.

All great props but at his best Fielden was up there with them, he was that good. Better, maybe not but as good easily with possibly Webcke being a class apart.

I disagree. Strongly.