www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -for-place Decent read , personally for most games I wouldnt use a bench spot up with a guy who is likely to have very limited game time. I'd love to think he will prove a success covering 6 or 9 but given his lack of pace and mobility I seriously doubt it.

www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -for-place Decent read , personally for most games I wouldnt use a bench spot up with a guy who is likely to have very limited game time. I'd love to think he will prove a success covering 6 or 9 but given his lack of pace and mobility I seriously doubt it.

It's a complete joke. Surely Wello can see how utterly terrible he is at any other position than fullback? He's turning into a joke and is destroying his legacy for me. Hogging a shirt he must know he's not deserving of and holding the club back.

If the club wanted to keep him as a player for his influence on the kids, he shouldn't be promoted above his level. If that level, which it is, happens to be fourth or fifth choice fullback, he shouldn't play unless there are no preferable options. This notion of him being a utility player is utterly stupid. He cannot contribute anything of note in any position.

He should have the pride in himself to acknowledge that, which is the most disappointing thing about this.

As i've said before...
Its a shame, he's given so much for our club. But as has been said countless times, there's no room for sentiment in competitive sports. He's not good enough for the starting 13, and the only bench spot he could fill would be our old friend of a "back on the bench" Harsh, but i think fair

I think that's fair.

Personally, I think wello is a body on the field who falls into the category of "won't win you the game, but probably won't lose it either"

In the case of an injury crisis, 6 and 9 are our shallowest positions, so having someone whose practiced those roles is better than moving 15 players across the pitch. I think it's very telling brown has wello practising at 6 instead of wheeler mind.

Those who .., aren't a fan, like to say he's not a game changer, which is true to an extent, but if he comes on in a game he seems to have a calming affect on some of the players who might be overexcited - which is very good in tight games (provided were already winning) - is it enough to get him into the squad week in week out? No. Is it in case the of a couple of players missing out? Sure.

He's still a player who should demand the uttermost respect for his services to the club.

I would only use him for cover. If he's on the bench every week, it means that a greenwood, a Savelio etc will miss out on game time.

Considering we'll be carrying Walmsley and Masoe too for the majority of games, that final bench spot is crucial.

Luke Walsh did say in an interview the other day that he'd been practising with Wheeler at 6 as well as Hohaia, so it sounds like a few options are being covered in training.

On Wello, if he gets in on performance then that's fair enough, but if it's just to be there, it will do us no good. You have to hope Brown is a pro as he has the final say on these things and no reason to pick a player for sentiment.

On the wider issue, competition for places always makes people up their game so no harm in throwing another body in a position as a threat to make people up their own game.

The coach may say one thing but be thinking another. But no harm in making players think that they are under threat.

This is my worry, he's put on the bench at the expense of a younger player who could do with the experience

There's only one reason that I can it worth running with Wello in the 17 and that would be if we had a lot of senior players missing and we were short of men (as opposed to kids).
He's not as good a fullback as Lomax and, by now, probably Swift and Makinson too. He can't defend effectively outwide, so can't play centre or half and he's not as big and strong as about 20 forwards we have on our books.

Unless we had a huge amount of injuries then he would be a complete waste of a shirt in the 17.

Anyone who suggests otherwise has their judgement massively clouded by sentimental nostalgia for the bloke.

He simply isn't good enough anymore.

I still think having him as a reserve FB if Lomax is injured is not a bad call. But that is different to being a back on the bench.

Even if Lomax gets injured, he still shouldn't play. He doesn't have the required skills to at at 1 anymore. A steady fullback who is good defensively will not win you trophies.

I'm not on about him being a fullback to win trophies, I'm talking a 2nd string FB. Just as I would not expect a stand in for Roby to win trophies.

A fair point but I suspect Swift and Makinson are more than capable of playing at 1 and excelling and we have Percival and Dawson to provide cover on the wings if needed. Short of an injury crisis I cant see a place for him in the team

Isn't that like saying if Lomax gets injured then we are automatically out of the running for a trophy? I'd like to think that isn't the case.