That is the antiquated attitude most over here have still and that's why we've produced fullbacks like Wellens. It's starting to change a bit and the fullback is being used better at a lot of teams now (although that's still mainly in teams with antipodean fullbacks), but it's going to be a long time before we regularly start producing attacking options there from the junior levels upwards.

Let's get this straight, compare any fullback to the likes of Billy Slater and they will look average, the guy is a freak!

The comparison with others is always the problem. Wellans is one of the most reliable in SL. Do I think he's a world beater no, but definatley reliable. I too am baffled how he scores so many tries when he clearly 'lightning slow', but the stats don't lie.

I did like his comment during the interview about the players in the world cup........

What about comparing fullbacks to the likes of, to pick some names from recent years, Karmichael Hunt, Luke Patten, Clinton Schifcofske, David Peachey, Preston Campbell, Brett Stewart, Kurt Gidley, Brent Webb, Matt Bowen, Jarryd Hayne, Rhys Wesser, Nathan Merritt, Anthony Minichiello, Clint Greenshields, Brett Hodgson?

That's one from each NRL club from the last 5 years better than anything we've produced in the last 15. And I've kindly left it at just one, whilst also excluding Slater, because apparently it's not fair to compare our players with him. That means players like Darius Boyd, Ben Hornby, Wade McKinnon, Luke Burt, Amos Roberts aren't included and nor are youngsters just coming through like Josh Dugan, Lachlan Coote, etc.

It's not about picking a one off and comparing them, it's every single club, every year that has a better fullback than anything we've got.

Why does a truly great performance have to bring out the negative in so many people ? Some fans, honestly.....

I'm no Saints fan, nor an apologist for Paul Wellens, but he was absolutely outstanding on attack and defence on Sunday and the difference between Saints winning and losing.

He would never claim to be in the Billy Slater class but no one can question whether he made the most of his talent, giving 100% in every one of his 400 games.

Never mind slating Eddie Hemmings, the real dummy is the reporter (James Robertson) from League Weekly who gave Wellens 6/10 for his performance at Wigan - while alongside his match report editor Danny Lockwood was describing the Saints full-back as 'sublime'.

I used to think Briscoe was a better FB than Wellens but PW'S performance against Wigan was fantastic, obviously you can't judge on one game alone but this year Wellens has been a class above Shaun Briscoe.

I thought Eddie Hemmings had every right to cream himself with Wellens' performance, he deserved MOTM, not Jamie Foster who looked shaky, but that was understandable.

Wellens was the difference in us winning and losing on Sunday.

For sheer consistency, Wellens' only British rival in the Super League era is Radlinski. For a decade he has been a rock for Saints.

Briscoe has his moments (obviously his 4 tries at Odsal when the Bulls were good) but they are too few and far between to stand any comparison with Wellens.

Saddened you two faced g1t.

I'm not convinced that every single one of the players you've named are better fullbacks than Wellens or Radlinski. A number of those players have their own flaws, so I wouldn't hype them up too much. You also have to consider how those players fit into the sides they play in, someone like Preston Campbell for example is really a halfback whose converted into an attacking fullback because his clubs have worked out he's more influential there than as a halfback proper. Amos Roberts is a decent wing/fullback, but I wouldn't have him in front of Wellens, same with Clint Greenshields, I'm not even convinced I'd take Brett Hodgson over Wellens, but again it really depends on the balance of the side, particularly the defensive capabilities of the outside backs.

Hemmings is not as bad as Clarke is about Wigan the mans sickofantic.

But isn't he an ex Wigan player??

Obviously he is going to support his former club!

When a bomb goes up, we like to remind the kicker "We've got Paul Wellens', d*ckh3ad."

I would struggle to reach two hands to think of the amount of times he has missed a bomb.

He would never have been a Minichello, or Slater, he lacked the pace, but he supplied Saimts with years of passion, dependability and quite often a game turning tackle.

I love him, Saints fans love him, and we will hold him in high regard for years to come.

Wellens and before his time, Radlinski, are both pure class full backs. There are dimwits who just want a pacey, attacking f/b, and are too thick or unknowledegable to understand that there are other types of f/b too, who do different jobs. For instance, Keith Mumby, the best defensive f/b who ever drew breath in this world. He had no real pace, but joining the line and scoring tries wan't what Sir Keith was about, and I have still never seen a better tackler of the last man.

Well before Mumby (for me, ordinary at best although a great servant to Northern) was Hull's Arthur Keegan who rarely missed a tackle.

Then there was the great Paul Charlton who took full-back to another level, outstanding on attack and superb defensively.

The Aussies talk about Billy Slater, but, for me, Graham Eadie was the best I saw - an absolute powerhouse on the '78 Kangaroos tour.