Since when does dropping the ball and sulking constitute carrying our front row? Fair play for backing the lad , but that statement is b0ll0cks

You can't use lacking support from his team mates as an excuse for a prop. Fair enough if he was a half back or a centre who relies on a dominant pack and good field position. However, a prop's role is the same every week. Regardless of what anyone else is doing, Fielden has no excuse for going weakly into contact and coughing up possession. Equally, in Fielden's case, you can't even say that the rest of the pack are letting him down - Coley, Paleaaesina and Prescott/O'Carroll match up to most front rows in the league and Riddell is an experienced hooker who had no issues with distribution in the NRL. From a neutral perspective it's sad to see Fielden in this state - I think maybe the best thing that could happen to him at the moment would be an injury or just something to give him few weeks off. He's only missed 3 games since 2004.

The trouble is we have no option but to play him. You cant run with 3 props because the 3 in question are not good enough as a unit. The way i feel about Fielden is that he frustrates the hell out of me i dont know if hes genuinely lost whatever he once had or hes just not interested but the reality is the team is just about better with him in it than out. And that is saying something because at the moment he is playing awful.

He is,thats the problem. He is playing so poorly yet is still as good as the other options in the front row. The only player who has bettered Fielden is O'Carroll but hes injured. That shows the state of our front row. Im not saying Fielden is doing a great job by any means,hes awful.

And Feka and Coley.

We bloody well do have options, it's not North West Counties where everyone gets a game! We had Lee Mossop, who Noble smartly loaned to Barrow while we already have a prop injured. We have Ben Davies, who's probably wondering how on earth Stuart 'drop and roll' Fielden is getting a game ahead of him. Finally we have Gareth Hock, who hasn't got anything like the muscle Fielden has but would step up to play prop if needed and show him how to take a drive. Noble is making himself look like super league's thickest coach giving Fielden a game every week.

Feka yes but i dont class him as a prop in the true sense of the word and Coley has only played better than Fielden in the last couple of games and even then he did more sideways running than forwards.

£ for £ Coley is miles better than Fielden... Even not taking value for money into account he has been at least as good

Oh please get a reality check. Mossop and this Davies guy are not going to come in and knock the rest of SL around. We already have 2 young lads playing prop adding more would only weaken us. As for Hock well hes an option but we need him running wide as hes the only backrower who can break a tackle.

"Oh please get a reality check" neither is Fielden.

But that does not alter the fact that Fielden is still doing a job albeit a poor job. He is still doing as well as Coley which highlights how poor the Wigan front row is. I am not defending Fielden just pointing out that IMO we would be even weaker still without him.

Where did i say he was? Please stop jumping to conclusions,i am simply pointing out that since our front row is so bad to start with its no time to start bringing more young inexperienced props into it.

You've spent loads of time defending Fielden... Now is a perfect time to bring young props in, it will send the message to the first team that if you don't perform you get dropped and to the reserves that if they do perform they will get a chance in the first team. If this wouldn't give the first team players an incentive to perform i don't know what will. Its partly Noble having his favourites that get picked no matter what that we are in this situation... Hopefully a bit of pride in the club and passion that the young ones show would rub off on the rest of the team.

Younger props would get totally mullered, if you can't see that you've never played prop. Baring the odd freak of nature, an 18/19 year old prop would be really in the crap

Is it?

Ok, read front row rather than pack. Two youngsters and Coley - who, until Salford, was slated more than Fielden on here. And Feka, who is a short-spell luxury. As highly as I rate Prescott and O'Carroll, they are like most young props - slowly maturing and growing into their role. Prescott looked shattered today after no time.

So then, who are our core forwards, leading the team forward? Yes, we have plenty of defensive second-rowers - but Tomkins has been quiet this year after a great 2008, Hock has been brilliant then a liability, Bailey is constantly derided on here, Hansen is starting to get some stick, Lockers is great in defence but just starting to show attacking form.

But who is bullying the opposition front row? Fielden is trying to, badly, albeit with a shot mindset and lack of bulk, and we have Lockers putting in the occasional big hit. And Feka going forward, of course. The rest are often boys against men. We have neither the size or experience at present.


You seriously want more kids at prop? It's a well known fact that props don't reach their peak until later in their careers, which kind of points to them not being anywhere near as effective very early in their careers. Fielden may be struggling at times but ask any of the others to do his job and they'd be seriously screwed. Especially the youngsters.

I would always want local youngsters coming through, but unfortunately prop is probably the one position you must have age and experience in your squad. We need at least one big, hard-running and experienced prop over. Ideally two. Not more young props.