I would leave him till next season IMO, changed my mind about him. Let him have a top pre-season and come back blistering start of next year for the WCC.

+1

That's a decent team. Personally I'd swop Phelps and Sam around. Purely for the kicking game of Phelps.

who is going to kick goals then?

I could probably do a job in there with all them paddys knocking about

Got to be Phelps at full back hasn't it. Leave Pat on the wing and Lockers at loose forward please. I agree that Tommy and Lockers in the halves offers no threat whatsoever. Our kicking game without Deacon is poor so Phelps has to come in. On the Roberts issue, I heard that he has lost some confidence after the injury, but i hope i am wrong

That seems to be the best bet for Friday.

I'd be tempted to put Phelps at SO though.

Not sure he is any good at playing away. I think he's ended-up a loser both at home and away.

Based on what some Bulldogs fans said when we signed him & from talking to people who watch the 20's, its perhaps not a bad idea.

Got to be worth a shot, Amos looks off the pace still, and I really can't cope with another Lockers at 6 display, i'd rather have Gleeson there (can't believe I just said that)

If Phelps does come into the team what is there to stop us rotating Phelps and Sam between SO and FB during the game - gives us a lot more option.

Perhaps. Certainly I'd play Phelps ahead of Roberts on U20's recent performances, and he has mostly been playing at #6 for them. MM favours defence, though, and I still feel we need a better defensive fullback than Sam, which really means putting Pat there, despite the loss of his attacking prowess out wide.

That also blunts the attack from fullback too. As much as i like Pat, he isn't a ball player like Tomkins, Webb, Greenshields or even Wellens.

When asked the question about half back partnerships (about 3 mins into the clip) MM's first reaction is we have plenty of combinations and mentions the first as Sam at 6 and Pat at 1. Could be the pairing for Friday. www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news

When asked the question about half back partnerships (about 3 mins into the clip) MM's first reaction is we have plenty of combinations and mentions the first as Sam at 6 and Pat at 1. Could be the pairing for Friday. www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... &type=news

Wigan may miss Deacon, but we will have a very strong team on Friday.

In fact, a few months ago we got along very well without him. Whether we play Roberts, Phelps, Charnley, Marsh or Pryce in his place, we should be ok if we play to anything like our potential. If he is fit, I'd go with Phelps and Sam at 1/6, swapping as necessary.

What hurt us on Sunday was his early injury and playing 65 minutes with a key back missing. Lockers, unfortunately, will always struggle at SO against the better teams.

I agree, I'm kinda going off MM's concentration on defence. We could still play Sam at #1 in attack and Pat when we're defending, though. Sam has the speed to defend on the wing, where he's not going to get trampled by the big guys in the middle.

Charnley can play full back,wing,centre.He played full back at St Pats fuel for thought...