I have rated Burgess very highly for a long time. He is a real modern day winger with speed and size and is a ready made replacement for Pat.

Bateman has impressed too. He has the heart of a lion and is very strong for his size. My only real criticism of him is that only attack stops dead on the right as he doesnt pass and doesnt seem to know the plays to be a decoy.

I have never really been too concerned about replacing Pat apart from his kicking. His open field play was on the decline in my opinion and whilst clearly a great pro I don't think he contributed much other than being Mr. Reliable, which to be fair is no bad thing but he lacked that pace or spark to create something out if nothing that we now have in both flanks.

Richards was exceptional in 2010 but that injury in the GF took a bit of something away from him. He was still one of the leagues best wingers over the following seasons and you can't buy that feeling if security he always gave you. If a kick went near him he caught it, if a try needed finishing he finished it, he was pretty much error free and kicked goals at 80%. He was like a safety blanket for the side.

Moving on to this year we have Burgess who might have a little error or two more in him then Richards (no more then that) and he doesn't kick but he has a real calmness about him and he brings an X factor Richards didn't anymore. He's a frightening prospect for 19 years of age and he's already looking like one if the leagues top wingmen. Somebody near me said after Burgess's stunning try at Cas that Richards wouldn't have missed the conversion (as Smith did) but as I pointed out Richards wouldn't have scored that try in the first place. We need Smith to improve with the boot but we may have actually gained in open play with Burgess on the left and the lad couldn't be paid a higher compliment then that when he's taking over from a player of Richard's stature.

Nicky I agree whole heartedly with what you say, Burgess has something that a person is born with, pure pace.
I first watched him about 2/3 years ago in a couple of rounds of the 9s and you could see then the potential.

If used in the right way he could be devastating, knowing when to pass, when to go inside or outside of the fullback when in the clear will only come with experience.

But I have noticed already this season when the ball is moved to the left the players involved seem to be stood rather tighter together when swinging it left (the famed structure), this means that when the centre gives Burgess the ball he has that half a yard which is all he needs to get clear.

If it is a conscious attempt to create more room on the left, the same tactic could be used to give Charnley more room on the right, because at present when Wigan move the ball to the right all the players seem to slide a bit to far which means that when the ball gets to the winger it is a bit to congested.

All what I have said though could have an explanation in the theory that some players are better passing the ball to the left or vice-versa.

Burgess made 196 metres at Warrington on Thursday and Bateman 153. Liam Farrell 164.

Warringtons top meter maker was Westwood with 155. Amazingly it lists Gareth O'Brien - 2 ball carries for 3 metres!