We could win trophies with wellens at fullback, but the trophy winning plays wouldn't come from him, more he'd fall into the "solid but did nothing spectacular" category (the mike bennett category if you will ) and we'd have to find inspiration from elsewhere (Walsh or roby.)

I dont think we could.
Its a shame but he's a shadow of the immense defender he once was

And I think this is where the fundamental difference of opinion in saints fans come from. You can put anyone in the third receiver role (Sam tomkins was originally a halfback who was moved just to fill that role) in the attacking line keeping wello away from the creative roles (imo his ability to read the game means he'd still be able to run supporting lines it's just whether he'd be caught before getting it to the next supporting player) so re switching the 1 and 6 roles in attack again.

I just found out he's the 10th oldest man in super league now ... I remember his debut and it's making me feel old!

Haha yeah I remember too! Very depressing.

I think with our current problems at 6, and attacking no.1 is essential. If Lomax got injured and we went for Wellens with Hohaia at 6, we would have very little running threat.

We'd definitely have to go for the third man attack option. If I were coach, I'd have Walsh and Wilkin (he has better distribution than hohaia) as 1st and 2nd receiver Hohaia as the third man attacking the line, with jones outside him and wello inside him if/ when he inevitably gets smashed and can get the offload away. It would (probably) work for a couple of games at least but organisation is the absolute key to those plays coming off - which is why we'd need both roby and Walsh on to compensate for it (and it would weaken our right hand side attack as I imagine Wilkin will play as the pivot on that side).

All conjecture of course - just imo we'd still be competitive with 2 out of the three (lomax Walsh roby) lose 2 of them and we probably couldn't cope with wellens in the team for the big games.

I see what you're saying but I just think he has become a passenger now and slows things down to the point where he has a negative effect.

Anyway, as you say it's all conjecture and either one of us or neither will be proved right in the next 10 months.

Let's look at this without sympathy and nostalgia. Wellens' time has come and he's no longer anywhere near the player he was. He's had 17 years at the top level which is a damn sight more than many players get, if he was playing at the standard he is now in that first year he'd have been at Rochdale or the like within 2 years.

The only time he should be in that team is if a raging virus takes out 17 players one weekend.

Having said that, if he is providing valuable experience and learning to the younger players I have no real issue with him being in the squad.

The way I see it. You need to play in different positions to be a utility player. Based on all the years I've been watching wello, he can only play fullback.

He's not a utility player. IMO he's just a squad player that should only play if we have dire injury problems.

Sadly it seems Brown thinks otherwise