Quote: Geoff "In a way though, that seems to be how a lot of modern fullbacks are these days. Even Sam Tomkins is not the greatest in defence, especially under the high balls, but coaches seem prepared to accept that a fullback is more important in attack than defence. From an entertainment viewpoint, I tend to agree...I'd rather see a dangerous attacking fullback with less than perfect defence to one who's solid in defence but offers litle danger in attack.
The younger, attacking, fullbacks like Escare, Tomkins, Hardacre, Ratchford and Eden are undeniably exciting to watch, even if they're not as solid in defence as other options a coach may have.'"
Spot on.
I've said this for years. Fullback is about the extra man in attack. I can forgive defensive errors if they provide that extra something in attack. As a Salford fan, I was constantly defending Luke Patten last year as he was fantastic going forward. As soon as he missed a tackle or had a brain fart he was enemy number one.