If Sam's out, it has to be...

Pat to FB
Goulding to wing
Carmont back in at centre
Hansen in for Tuson (who keeps falling off tackles)

HH is still injured I believe

Quote: dirtbag83 "HH is still injured I believe'" www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... _1_3417262 “He’s worked very hard and done everything we’ve asked of him, and there’s a chance he could be right for Monday." Michael Maguire

Quote: dirtbag83 "HH is still injured I believe'" www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... _1_3417262 “He’s worked very hard and done everything we’ve asked of him, and there’s a chance he could be right for Monday." Michael Maguire

Attack: Roberts full back, Pat left wing.
Defence: Pat full back, Roberts left wing.

Best of both worlds?

Hopefully none of this will matter and the punch to the head will not have been too serious for Sam...

However, I really do think you're overstating Roberts' weaknesses under the high ball. I could say in response that it is rare that you need 3 players back on a regular basis for kicks, and that Pat and Charnley would take the majority of kicks - but I trust Charnley even less for high kicks than Roberts.

Roberts got caught out in out (returning) game against the best kicking game we have played against all year. He didn't struggle last year, or the year before. Roberts at full back with Pat on the wing is a far better attacking prospect than any alternative I can think of, and imo is no worse in defence than any others.

Carmont is expected back, so you'll have to choose between Goulding and Roberts for the wing spot. Personally I think Goulding doesn't deserved to get dropped - he played well on Sunday - his pass for Richards' try in particular, was superb.

I'd obviously prefer for Sam to play (and then the team picks itself), but I think it'd be interesting to see how we go without Sam in the side. Let's see who else steps up!

Amos isnt half the player he was last season.......ok......he was on the end of broughs kicks at the galpharm and had a sinker.

does every full back have a sinker against huddersfield?.......i doubt it.......which proves Amos isnt a full back.

clearly lacking confidence.......leave him out of the equation...we have better options imo

Amos for me.

Don't want Goulding on the wing.

Amos Roberts.........has made over 200 NRL apprearances at fullback.............. as well as playing some of the best fullback rugby I have ever seen at Wigan............ last season. This indicates that he might be capable of playing.................fullback.

Danny.......Brough's........kicks were some of..........the best I have seen. Any............fullback woul.......d.............have struggled with those kicks....plus there was no kick pressure.................................

Overall I thought he had a good................game. He ran the ball back well..........made over 200 metres............and as we put kick pressure on Danny Brough..............he dealt with everything else thrown at him.................

Sure he lacks confidence........but he is our best option at the moment...............as Matty Russell has never played anything other than U20's..........................and is not on dual reg........Pat Richards offers no attacking threat from fullback........and is more effective on the wing.

Pat Richards is wasted at fullback...........Amos Roberts is wasted on the wing...............IMO.

So what was I watching when he supported Goulding's run and got the ball and scored on Sunday? I thought he did quite well to move up into the line from FB, especially as he wasn't expecting to play there.

Whether he is more effective on the wing is a matter for discussion, but to say he offers no attacking threat from FB is quite clearly untrue. Plus he is our best player at catching the bomb. If Sam does miss out, I'd be surprised if MM went for anyone else at FB.

It's incorrect to say Richards offers no attacking threat from fullback, but I think to say he offers very little threat would be more accurate. What he demonstrated when supporting Goulding's run was simply good support play, something all players should be capable of. What lets Richards down at fullback is poor passing in the attacking line and an over reliance on simply driving the ball in rather than looking for the pass. It's hard to do a sweeping attacking move like the ones involving Tomkins when Richards is coming into the attacking line. That's where Roberts offers far more than Richards. Richards also doesn't really have much of a step or much agility, which I think is pretty useful for a fullback because often they are well marked and a player will charge out of the line at the fullback expecting them to get the ball. Tomkins gets caught out quite often by this but he can also step the challenge, whereas Richards isn't quite as agile and can be closed down too easily.

Why ?

Completely agree Cherry.Pie.

As for Goulding, whilst he hasn't done anything wrong at Bradford, in fact he had a very good match: Carmont is the better centre; Richards is the better winger. He would be my pick ahead of any other players for those positions, but the issue is we may have lost a full back. Beyond this position we just play our best.