Ok so now matty can only penetrate weak defences, what happend on sunday then when hes grabbed a brace against a solid Leeds defence? And where was Murphy in attack??? And finally why has Matty ot NRL clubs sniffing around him??? Because he's a future star! They dont buy crap players from England so sureley they must see what ive seen of him??? I just think Wigan have made a big mistake here by not offering a larger contract maybe sooner then we might have been able to keep him!

Wigan would have never been able to compete with what he will be getting at GCT, plus his mind was made up a long long time ago as there has been at least 3 NRL clubs after him all season. I also know he would have been interested in a permenant move to Hull if they wanted him. They obviously didn't considering they sent him back.

Yeh i suppose, but to put an end to this post i suppose only time will tell but i suggest look out for the headlines in the next 2-3 years i rekon hel do well!

If you actually read what I said instead of rambling on and gratuitously overusing punctuation marks, I said, "It's all well and good being an elusive player but the bottom line is it's far easier to run rings around players at under 20's level than it is at Super League level."

In other words being an elusive runner in the under 20's doesn't automatically mean someone will be able to do that when they step up to a higher level. I never said Russell can only penetrate weak defences I said he'll find it quite easy against weak defences.

The problem is he still has those defensive issues and he did have competition in Murphy. I can't believe you're criticising Murphy's attack based on one game against Leeds where the pack was poor and the halfback's weren't much better either. It's the nature of being a fullback that your effectiveness can often be dictated by the players around you. It's happened to Tomkins several times this year and he's a bit better than Murphy or Russell.

Russell is more elusive in attack, he can score some fantastic tries and he's got a big chance of becoming a top player but it doesn't change the fact that Murphy earned his place at fullback by being consistently good and offering a better all round game. That's just the nature of having competition for places, even in the under 20's. Russell might one day become a much better fullback than Murphy could ever be but that doesn't mean he should play ahead of him regardless of what they show during games.

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Lets move on now weve bot got different opinions lets agree to disagree and hope both players become superstars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.therhinos.co.uk/news/20426.php Russell's second try was a try ony capable of being scored by a Special player

www.therhinos.co.uk/news/20426.php Russell's second try was a try ony capable of being scored by a Special player

Before we played Hull in the league they were saying he couldnt catch, he didnt drop one all game and was a stand out player for them that day.

It was only after I knew it was same lad from Wigan because Rogues had gone on about him alot

He's an excellent player and only eighteen (I think). He will improve but once he's tasted Australia he won't want to come back. Good luck to him.

Ive been told directly that this rumour whoever has started it is a load of garbage he's not signed any contract with Gold Coast! He may well go somewhere only he knows but this Gold Coast malarky has not happened yet!

Linked with Hull kr in our daily rag today.

So it was the Gold Coast of Humberside after all !

Maybe they misheard when he said he was off to the 'Cold Coast'.

Well he has definately gone by the looks of ithttps://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/gold-coast-titans-snare-english-fullback-matthew-russell-close-to-signing-albert-kelly/story-fn2mcuj6-1226487461007rl

A great opportunity for him and I certainly cant blame him.

So you're actually writing off a 19 yr old lad who clearly had enough potential that both Wigan and GCT are very interested in? Who's to say he won't in years to come develop into an outstanding FB or possibly a winger? Clearly GCT and Wigan see something in him which you don't. How can you say running straight is more suited to SL level than elusive running? What? Both players can be elusive and run straight when called for!
Just because he has quick feet doesn't mean he's another Shaun Ainscough.

IMO using any talent 18/19 is a loss, given time he could have proved to be an asset to the club.

Not writing him off at all. I was arguing that his potential didn't automatically mean he should always start at the fullback for the under 20's and didn't automatically make him the best choice as understudy to Sam Tomkins this year. In other words Murphy earned his place ahead of Russell in the pecking order and that having lots of potential doesn't necessarily mean someone is going to be a great player. I think he'll be a top player when he fixes up parts of his game and that could take 1 year, 2 years or something like 5 years. It's inevitable that arguing the merits of one player by comparison with another might come across as writing that player off but I've always said Russell has much more potential.
I also think his game will develop far more down under than it ever would in this country.