Do you mean as a Bradford or Wigan player?

Wellens more so, solid but nothing more. The difference between him and Slater in 08 WC was laughable.

I think most people here have made the assumption that we're comparing SuperLeague players. Slater doesn't enter into the equation. In any case the difference between almost any English player and Billy Slater is usually laughable.

Wellens has been much more than 'solid' for a long, long time. You don't win MoS, Lance Todd (twice in a row), Harry Sunderland and Players' Player trophies by being just solid. His positional play has always been superb and for a relatively slow player his scoring record (almost exactly one try every two games) is pretty good.

Our original discussion that inspired the post [urlhttp://1895sports.com/opinion/full-backs-best-of-the-super-league-era/[/url was focused purely upon players who have played in the Super League.

You're right though, if you look at it from a perspective of the years since the Super League was created, but not to have necessarily play in the league itself, Billy Slater for me would be the best hands down.

People seem to forget just how good Brent Webb was before his injuries, He's still a good Super League player now but his first couple of years at Leeds he was fantastic.

I think he's overrated and has played in a top team for many seasons. I don't think he'd have stood out in an average team. Don't forgot Ade Gardner was a prolific try scorer at saints and he is bang average.

Oooh Paul Reilly - man or machine?



Best FB end of - could be slghtly biased?

Chris thorman!

Agree about Ade Gardner but we'll have to agree to disagree about Wellens. At times he's not just played in, but has stood out in a top team and has many individual awards to prove it.

If we're bring international performances into it the Wellens wins hands down. Wellens was at least pretty solid and had a couple of MOM displays for GB. Radlinski's record against the Aussies is amongst the worst in recent history.

Nothing in it between them, internationally against Australia. Both shown up at regular intervals for being out of their depth against that level of opposition.

Radlinski played in 13 Tests against Australia, scoring 2 tries, on winning side 3 times, on losing side 10 times.
Wellens in played 12 Tests against Australia, scoring 1 try, on winning side 3 times, on losing side 9 times.

Not close......note even near to being close!
Richard Rohan Barnett.........best full back the London Club ever had (or will) and a superb NRL player in his day.......

I would think the Bradford vintage

What's Webb's record like against Australia?

Mark McLinden was one of the most exciting players I have ever seen. He was a legend at London and would have been a legend in any Super League side

I always find Luke Dorn to be a hugely underrated player, especially in his pomp.

Gardner had the best centres in the league on his inside for 5 years in Lyon and Gidley. Anyone would have scored 80% of the tries he did, they were all walk ins from 3 yards, he was worse than average he was garbage, if had played on the other side he would have scored about 5 tries a season. Wellens obviously stood out enough to voted Mos of Steel win a Harry Sunderland Trophy and a few Lance Todd Trophies. How much more do you have to stand out to not be classed as an average player.

David Peachey!

Cr@p tonight.

Didn't play SL unfortunately!

He was signed though when you were still in Super League? I think it counts!

True that he signed for us while we were in SL...not sure if that still counts though

.

He was a class act. Hardly looked like he broke sweat with his languid style (also playing at a lower level) but still got 10 trys in 9 games and you could see him running the game from full back. Top bloke too by all counts.

Webb played in 10 Tests against his fellow countrymen Australia, scoring 3 tries, on winning side 2 times, one draw, and on the losing side 7 times.

Wellens and Radlinski were stand out players of the SL. Trouble is the SL was no where near the standard of the NRL in that era. They were average in comparison to the world best players.

The best fb of the SL era is Sam Tomkins.

Wellens. Solid as a rock, good positional sense in both defence and attack. If he had a decent turn of pace, he could have been one of GB's best ever.

The fundamental flaw with the debate, which has already been identified, is the role of fullback has been turned on its head. The role is now the first lines of attack, not the last line of defence.