Cameron Phelps - Good Enough to be Full Back?

[si_bax]

Dont get me wrong i think he is a decent player, but is he good enough to be our number 1? he is a bit suceptable under the bomb and at times can be caught out of position,

[exile in Tiger country]

Simple answer Yes.
To go a bit further, do we have anyone else in the squad apart from Pat that can play there?
Do we have anyone that has (allegedly) been receiving one to one coaching in the role from Kris Radlinski?
I am expecting a Cameron Phelps that is vastly improved under high bombs next season, I think he was doing a good job last season, and was not at all surprised when he got the number one shirt.
Hell, they gave it to Mathers last year.

[wiggydoran]

Dont get me wrong i think he is a decent player, but is he good enough to be our number 1? he is a bit suceptable under the bomb and at times can be caught out of position,

I agree with a bit of what you said. But he showed enough last season to warrant the No1 jersey this season. he needs to improve his positioning and catching but I think he is Wigan's best option for the next year. His play going forward is brilliant. How many times did he come in the Bar last season as coaches man of the match ??? I forget. Am guessing around 5 or 6. He puts his heart into playing for Wigan every week. Thanks Phelpsy keep it up!

:eusa2:

[MrDave]

Phelps is an all-round good player hence why he can play in a lot of different positions.

One of the best things about Phelps playing full back is when he joins in the attacking line he can play like an extra half back because of his time spent playing stand-off (which was his preferred position if I remember correctly from his interview).

Radlinski will no doubt offer help to Phelps with positioning and catching etc. My only worry about Phelps is his tendency to try and tackle people with his head and consequently knocking himself out.

[NICKYKISS]

He's good enough and was improving all the time in the position last season. He needs to improve his positioning and composure under the high ball but besides that I thought he was pretty solid.

Attack wise he was very good I thought and made rafts of metres in broken field but as pointed out his best asset was his ability to chime into the line and set up trys like an extra halfback. He's a former Australian schoolboys stand off and you could tell with some of the quality ball he got out to the wingers/centres.

If you add those things into his bravery and sheer will to win you've got the basis of a very good fullback if he continues to work hard at his game and improve.

[cherrywarrior]

He was good enough last season, and with a full off season with Radlinski and Maguire Im expecting big things!!!

[Wigan Watcher]

Yes he is our best option but the question is ....is he good enough to play for Wigan at fullback... Lets soften the blow...he tries very hard and wants to win..

But the answer has got to be NO!

[si_bax]

I do agree that he has improved since the start of last season and is settling in to the role as our starting full back, just think that his positioning and consistency with defusing kicks could do with being improved, with Rads now helping him out i do expect to see a vastly improved player at the start of next year, fingers crossed he can continue his form from last year

[cpwigan]

Yes he is our best option but the question is ....is he good enough to play for Wigan at fullback... Lets soften the blow...he tries very hard and wants to win..

But the answer has got to be NO!

:eusa2: Totally agree.

I think it is Phelps best position but it is also one of the 3 or 4 most important positions in modern RL and the players tht fill those positions have to be the 3 or 4 best players in the team.

I would really like to see Stefan Marsh given some opportunities at fullback. It is a position he was noted for as a junior and he is IMO not big enough to be a SL centre and would be better served at fullback and wing. I prefer Marsh over Josh Vievers.

[butt monkey]

Yes he is our best option but the question is ....is he good enough to play for Wigan at fullback... Lets soften the blow...he tries very hard and wants to win..

But the answer has got to be NO!

:eusa2: Totally agree.

If you actually look at rival teams and their incumbent full backs, who would you really have?

None are particulary "great". Warrington - Mathers, Bradford - Reardon/Platt/Halley, Stains - Wellens, Hull KR - Briscoe, Quins - Melling, Wakefield - Blaymire, Hull - Tansey, Salford - Fitzpatrick, Castleford - Owen/McGoldrick. Of the others - Celtic's Duggan has left, and Webb (Leeds), Hodgson (Huddersfield) and Greenshields (Catalans) have no chance of being sold/released just to suite Wigan.

I would really like to see Stefan Marsh given some opportunities at fullback. It is a position he was noted for as a junior and he is IMO not big enough to be a SL centre

This "bothers" me. Would he be big enough or have the technique to stop players at full back if he is in your own words "not big enough" for a centre?