Between Wellens and our two error-prone wingers we're giving up twenty yards per set of six to the opposition. That just isn't sustainable.

You lot have such low expectations though. So Wellens doesn't make many mistakes and is solid defensively? So bloody what. The team is as tight as a nut anyway, we need to make the side more dangerous and expansive.

Wello didn't have a great season, he struggled a lot of the time, it just wasn't as noticable as the whole team was turgid and he doesn't drop the ball. That is the sole thing Saints fans look to in order to rate players, how often they knock on.

I can't believe some of you want to wait for 2 years to think about replacing him. He's not what he once was.

Well how do I say this

I may be a visionary, missionary, pain the arriss to most on here.

But I will take great delight in saying


















I TOLD YOU SO

And years ago.

You said years ago that Wellens would still be the best British full back even when 30 and way passed his best? Yes, you visionary!

Except he is nothing like.

And I never said it.

Wellens finished last season very strongly, being one of our better players throughout the play off, IIRC.

Centre? If you had the choice between a slow but experienced full back and a slow and inexperienced centre, isn't the choice obvious. Especially when Wheeler looked good in the centre last year and we've got Soliola knocking about.

There is a good argument for examining our overall lack of pace, although Easmond backing up in the middle this season may make people less concerned with that, but Wellens wouldn't necessarily be the first I looked at <cough>gardner<cough>.

Where has his support play gone? A few years ago you could guarantee he would be on the shoulder of every half break. Now a days he is no where to be seen!

To support a half break you need a half break.

To be fair, he was our second top try scorer last season.

However, I feel the initial poster is right and Wellens is no longer an ideal choice at full back.

It's very much a Phil Veivers type scenario. Veivers had been our best player for a number of years and was walking away with Player of the Year Awards. However, it got to a point when his ability to read the game and take the high ball was not really covering for his lack of pace like it used to. In the end, he ended up playing at centre, stand off, second row and loose forward and continued to do a bloody good job.

The game has changed a lot over the last three or four years and there is every need for pace at full back now rather than reliability. As it happens, we could do with some pace in the centres so I don't see what he would offer there either.

He has been a magnificent full back for us but he is only a good one now. Two years is too long for him to be our No.1 and, this year, we need to be looking at different options in the full back role and different positions for Wellens.

Wello to centre, Leon to full back, and Wheeler to stand off?

There must have been some terrible players around when Wello won MOS, Lance Todd, Harry Sunderland, PPOY and numerous Britain and England caps.

I wonder if any other full back in the modren era could match all that?

And Tomkins isn't as fast as a young Long, so he must be rubbish.