Once again had a poor game for me. He's a little like Horne in the fact that when the ball gets to him in attack it just stops dead, he's inability to catch continues to show and we miss McKinnon big style IMO. He's good driving it forward and returning it but has too many basic flaws in his game to make it at Wigan IMO.

Think he will make a decent SL player but not at full back.

Probably right. He's certainly not a full back from what I've seen of him.

His running game is good enough to be 6 but his passing is really poor for a FT professional, if you watch him he really seems to struggle when passing.

I agree with all that.

He was my motm last week , Great enthusiasm , Good at taking it forward but lacking any confidence at taking a bomb . We're just back to square one at fullback.

Terrible under the high bomb,he will be targetted by every team but without an alternative we will just have to try and protect him a bit more

I'd let him go back and play Horne at 1 and Ellis/Whiting/Nicklas/Westerman at 6.

do we give lyin another shot?

I could be wrong here so apologies if i am but being a saints fan and being there last week against you boys there seemed to be no help for him as in no kick pressure and and no one around him when the kicks go up i watch other teams and the wingers centres always help out the full back which you boys never appear to do! Your experienced players without a doubt are currently not stepping up! i was at the magic weekend with your fans and to be honest the majority seem to be happy with matty what you have to realise is that he has virtually no SL experience which isnt his fault and As time goes by this season the more he plays the better he will get but your experience needs to help out your younger lads! look at us last year our experience helped out the youngsters! anyway this is just a blip im sure you will be back no doubt super league is competitive this year bar wigan!!

For heavens sake NO!

Ha Ha I
was just putting it out there i think Russell is doing ok.
but that's all there is really after him and if we go with horne next year the games he misses we are in the same boat.

We need to sign a full back for next year. Horne should be used as a utility to cover absences. Questions of ability aside, he's way too injury prone to be a first choice anything.

Unfortunately Matty has a lot to learn and whilst he is filling a hole for us he's also learning on "our time" rather than Wigans. Decent runner of the ball but looks very uncomfortable being asked to perform any sort of playmaker role and his positioning is really naive at times.

Agree with you RG! But we won't sign a top quality 6 and a fullback for the same season. I'd be happy to go with signing a top 6 for next season with Horne fb and then the season after next sign a top fullback and Horne become a utility for us.

Would have won the last 3 games had mckinnon not gone home. russell is a poor substitute

yea cos he was safe as houses want he?

He's right though we are missing Wade

got to agree with this,think the signing of a full back for next year is as important as a half back..

Got a point though. Wade's positioning and ability to take the high bomb would have seen us get 6 points from 6 over the 3 games IMO.

But who will play FB next year for the half season that Horne misses?

That is my fear, Horneys record this last few seasons is very poor, we simply cannot afford to go with him as 1st choice f/back next season

It's not just that, we miss him as an attacking option too.

Arguably more so.

yea we are but don't think he would of dragged us around for the last 10min or so and keep us going while we throw away big leads.
i know Russell has made mistakes but the kid is 100% and i don't think our last 2 defeats and draw are down to us having him instead of wade.