perhaps if we sign 2 props for next season, we should try him in the 2nd row, i know it's usually the other way round, but owts worth a try.

I just thought I'd see how bad / good was on comparison to the other Wigan props.

v Coley
rlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_player.php?hs1


v Prescott

Now those stats suggest to me that he is still our best ALLROUND prop particularly defensively around the ruck.

What he needs to do is cut out the errors and penalties.

As I said earlier, Fielden's job is basically to do the defensive work when Feka is on. Where as Coley & Prescott, share the work load. A good ploy really.

But Fielden is getting no praise for it.

No I can't.

Unless it's those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

A big problem with Stuart Fielden may well be confidence and with the way some people slate the lad is it any wonder.

He does drop the ball in tackles but can anyone honestly name a player at Wigan who doesn't drop the ball. In many games our style is closer to 'two drives and a knock on' than 'five drives and a kick'. The same applies to penalties all of them do it. Hock was as famed for his brain explosions and stupid offloads as he was for breaking the line yet he does what he did to get a ban and people are decrying the loss to the game. My point is that players will make mistakes during games but this doesn't undo their good work.

Fielden is a very solid performer and as someone said our best all round prop. He may not bust the line like Feka but he doesn't have to go off after 10 minutes either. Anyone who has watched us in the last few years will know how important a hard working defensive player is to our chances. We have had a few players who have been defensively poor in recent years (no need to name them, we all know who) and it is players like Fielden picking up the slack and making the extra tackles that allows us to win the tight games. Not everyone can be the attacking dynamo fans cheer about. Every team needs its unsung heroes to do the hard graft and this is what the likes of Fielden do for us. Without him we could not afford the luxury of Feka.

As for people questioning his attitude what a load of rubbish. Chris Ashton had a cack attitude - he couldn't be bothered to do his job once he was off to union which is why we got shut. Fielden does a lot of hard work in defence as already said and despite it getting him no recognition from the fans he continues to do it as the team needs him to, although he could easily do next to nothing in defence but make 2 or 3 runs at the line in attack then go off for a rest and have his name sung by the fans who slag off any defensively strong player for not attacking more often. There are two stand out examples that speak volumes about his attitude and commitment for Wigan. 1) His reaction after scoring in the cup at Wakefield you could see the delight and determination in the guy (only Sam Tomkins reacts with the same sort of passion). 2) Last season after we lost 34-4 to Huddersfield and the team got booed off. Next game we battered Hull FC and all but one of the players sulked off to the changing room at the final whistle without acknowledging the fans. Stuart Fielden did a lap around the pitch applauding the fans for their support on his own.

We have had some players who deserved a lot of their criticism. Stuart Fielden definitely does not deserve the bile that is directed at him. We are supposed to be SUPPORTERS, some people should look up the meaning of that word.

And before anyone suggests it I am not the man who phoned GMR.

One thing you NEVER hear about Fielden is an unprofessional attitude. have you ever heard anything about him falling all over King Street?

He is the consummate professional.

Not that I'm suggesting he does it anywhere else but don't you think that might be because he lives in Yorkshire?

i think Fieldens situation could just be similar to that of mathers. We all know they can do it, they both give 100% every game.

A change of scenery and/or coach would be likely to rejuvinate the guy.

To be fair I've never heard that about Bryn Hargreaves either. It doesn't mean I want him fronting our pack on a classy halfbacks money.

Fielden to me looks like a man unhappy in his skin or his environment. I don't doubt Nobby has tried what he can to get the best out of him but I think ultimately the player has to want to be where they are or doing what they're doing. Fielden to me simply looks like he'd rather be somewhere else all the time.

Surely all those fans of other clubs based in Yorks would be on here sharpish saying they'd seen him drunk, staggering, taking coke etc if they had? These days there's very few, or no, hiding places.

You've obviously never been down the Calderdale Valley.

It was a tongue in cheek remark about King St.