To put it another way it then he’s still got plenty of years and seasons left in him which can only be good for Wigan.

It depends how he performs. He may have plenty of seasons left but he might be crap.

He is at the moment the best fullback we have at the club but is not one of the best in the league. Brent Webb, Clint Greenshields, Paul Wellens, Shaun Briscoe etc are better. He needs to improve to that level to warrant an extension at the end of this current deal.

Your fullback has to be one of the best players in your squad. One of the key positions in your side. I don't think Phelps is at the moment but I think he is getting there and is showing signs he may get there. He needs to improve his support play, track back quicker and improve his positioning. Positioning will improve with experience as Kris Radlinski mentioned in his book. He also mentioned in his book that he used to practice his running doing overtime and trying to get faster. Something which I think Phelps needs to do.

On current form, Phelps is one of the first names on the team sheet, he is in form, one of our most creative players and deserving of the "1" shirt next season.

I really don't know what fans want sometimes, they slated Mathers until the lad was afraid to be a water carrier, other players are booed and ridiculed based on their accent, apparent body language or person who replaced / are keeping out of the team.

Phelps is one such victim of this because it is percieved that he is keeping Shaun bloody Ainscough out of the team. He isnt. Phelps is the FULLBACK in this team on merit. Ainscough has to dislodge one of the WINGERS namely Richards or Roberts.

Yes, in terms of the quota laws for 2010, it potentially means we cant sign an overseas player that we all know we need, but I think we all know a halfback isnt coming so it doesnt really matter, Bailey & Carmont still need to be resigned and either could makeway for a prop. To slate this singing merely because we MIGHT be signing someone from overseas is stupid.

It needs to be accepted that a player who is showing passion in the shirt and wants to be here is worth more than a "name" player (using Fielden as an example). We bemoan players like Mathers for not being good enough and bemoan players like Riddell/Fielden for not looking like they care. We get someone who ticks both boxes in Phelps and we still complain. Honestly, what do we want?

Id like to say well done IL for resigning Phelps - now if you could add a top class prop to that everything would be much better.

The players you mentioned Webb, Greenshields, Briscoe and Wellens are better than him but he’s catching them up at an alarming rate imo and he’s probably on half the wages of Webb and Wellens but is he half as talented? I know it’s not a perfect way of looking at it in any way shape or form but you can’t argue that Phelps in at one allows us a hell of a lot more freedom with the SC without majorly impacting on our talent base at the same time.

Phelps is getting better week in week out which is one of the major reasons why I think this 1 year contract is perfect for both club and player. I’m under no doubt he’s got aspects of him game to work on but I’ve personally seen enough of both his defensive and attacking play to suggest he can nail down and hold the 1 spot for a good few years to come.

But again the major deciding factor as to why I think this is right for the club is that he’s smack bang in form at the moment and our loss will be another clubs major gain.

Smart move IMO, he's improving all the time and full back's a position we need stability in. Now let's get a prop signed!

If he has got a one year contract it will be with a view to the fact the non fed quota drops again in 2011 to five. If Cadoo is right and we can (and do) sign two overseas players for 2010 they won't be on one year deals themselves. Roberts and Riddell plus those two and Phelps would be our 5 none fed players for 2011 if Phelps deal was any longer than one year for 2010. Can't see why he is being retained now and his quota and fed spot not being used for a better player but not to do so again after next season would be doubly strange IMO.

Dave

Phelps is the best fullback at the club.

Roberts and Richards are the best wingers at the club.

We have no players within the club, nor are there any available British players that are as good as the above players.

That is why those quote/fed spots are being used.

It's as simple and straight forward as that.

You've also missed out.
Very good value for money.

As I've said on the Ainscough thread, if we released Phelps which overseas top class player do you think would come here for Phelps wages?

and not only would you be unlikely to find a better player for the money how would we get one as brave and committed as Phelps and one who's now got 18 months superleague experience at the back of him?

Maurice Lindsay would have binned Phelps off and offered Mininchello a fortune to replace him forgetting the fact that he's not played for 3 years and is a shadow of his former self.

Exactly right.

IL has based his decision on current form, potential ability, continuity and value for the team which is the best way to look at it imo.

It really is time some fans got another team to ‘support’ as they most defiantly aren’t doing anything like supporting this one.

Spot on

Ian Hardman, ex Saints and HKR, does everything Phelps does, tackles better, non quota, and probably half the money, playing at Fev at present.

That is one way of looking at it.

Or on the other hand you could say that we should never have extended Mathers contract for the second year as his first year form never warranted it and we should have not extended the spell of Cameron Phelps and used his quota spot to sign a top quality fullback like Brett Hodgson.