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.

I'm on about them having the odd game not playing every week. O'Carroll and Prescott were both given some game time at a young age and will benefit in the years to come because of it.. I know you cant just wait till players get to a certain age then expect the to play every week.

Buffalo my point about bringing you props in I have partly explained in the previous post but it was also intended as a general point about Noble not being willing to drop players who are underperforming. Whatever way you look at it Fielden is massively underperforming and the argument that he is the best we've got doesn't cut it with me. A team where players aren't fighting for positions won;t win very much and what incentive have the young uns got to improve if they've got no chance of any first team time? Noble dropping Smith and bringing Sam in is one of the few examples of him making a positive change that wasn't dictated to him by injuries. If one of the young lads got a place in the first team for even one match their attitude would not be 'I'm going to get mullered' but 'I'm going to go out there give 100% and show people what I'm capable of'. Fielden seems to be the one who thinks he's going to get mullered when he runs in!! I'll excuse the inevitable mistakes the youngsters in our team make but find it very hard to excuse Fielden on his ridiculous salary when he has shown no signs of improvement bar a couple of games at the end of last season.