agree with fred gee week links definatley mathers and lee smith. And with dreadnaught mathers is soft ive never seen any one sit on his behind if hes gonna be tackled or gonna tackle any body .anyone whos played this game or any sport must know that once your legs have gone choose how hard you train you dont get them back.i know you dont like one of your favorites criticised but watching him last season and some of the fitness work they were doing this pre season theyve gone ditto lee smith. im sure someone will remind me if im wrong lets wait and see.

if Smith and Mathers are so weak then please name realistic players we could get to replace them (especially Mathers).

i can't really think of any.

I'd replace Mathers with Smith and Smith with Mellors or Cowling. HTH

We did have an up and coming fullback at the club but he's gone and we won't be able to replace other players in the future.

Can't say i have a big problem with Matherrs but what happened to competition for shirts.

Disagree with your comments on Mathers and even more so on Lee Smith.
Mathers did an excellent job for us last season and certainly did enough to be first choice FB and all Smith did wrong was to try too hard when he first arrived and lack some match fitness, which was hardly surprising with his lack of first team footy at Leeds.
FWIW I think Smith will be bang on this season and on his day, the guy is a quality player and an excellent signing for the club.

Agree with Wrencat.
Cannot understand the continued criticism of Mathers.
Being retired I have had the time recently to watch recordings of last season and to me Mathers is always dangerous on attack and as previously stated by Fred Gee gives us another option re. stand off play.
As regards L Smith he undoubtedly had class, lets hope he can recapture the form he demonstrated in the past.
Remember another great attacking full back , not mentioned much on the all time Trinity thread.
The great international Gary Cooper.
Yeah he made some mistakes at the back but boy was he exciting to watch.

let me try and explain to jacques my criticism of mathers. Like him im retired and remember gary cooper well and surely your not putting mathers alongside him. Mathers as no pace and these who liken him to a number 6 must know a stand off needs that. But his first job is to tackle, and if im the only one on here who sees he cant do that then id better be visiting specsavers . I also must be the only one who notices that when a try is scored against us our number 1 arrives on the scene later. Pocket 4s puts him in the top 10 fullbacks in sl but yet including his spell in aus every team got rid of him quickley . another gripe i have is with the club, why give a player in his 30s and with all his experience but makes the mistakes of a novice is given a2 year contract when as far as i know wasnt wanted by any other club.

Now I am not RM's biggest fan but you are way off the mark here i'm afraid. A speeedster he isn't but saying he has no pace is harsh. When you think of some of the fullbacks we've had over the last 20 years, guys like Spencer, Holland, Field, Blaymire & Halpenny he's positively rapid. His tackling isn't great i'd agree but last year he was generally sound under the high ball and positionally in the right place 99% of the time so his has defensive assets. He is a good talker & organiser at the back and links into the line well in attack. He only left Leeds because a once in a lifetime chance to move to Australia which only got curtailed due to a serious injury. Hasn't done badly on his return being first choice fullback for Wigan & Warrington has he? The only one that didn't work out was under Millward at Cas and that isn't the first time thats happened. As for his age he only turned 29 after the season ended, not exactly ancient.

Bare in mind where we have come from recently, two years ago we could have only dreamed of having a squad like this and that includes Mathers & Smith. On our budget he will do just fine for now.

I'd say the game has changed and a full backs role isn't to be a fantastic defender, its to collect the ball and return well giving us a better attacking position plus backing up all half breaks. If we NEED a full back who is a fantastic defender, I'd question why that is and look to change the people consistently letting people through the line

sorry if i have made him out to be older than he is , but i still hold the veiw that hes slow and im afraid that at 29 he wont get quicker .I agree hes a good talker telling people where they should be but my point was he was never there himself where he shouldve been in our defensive line. I agree he was signed by both wigan and warrington as afullback but i still maintain he was realitivity quickley released by both clubs and both sets of fans particulary those at wigan were more critical of his defencive frailties than i.Idont expect every one to agree with me im only giving my opinion of watching rugby league at all levels for more years than i care to remember and i certainly respect all other views and i suppose the mathers saga will run and run Before submitting this reply i noticed maple syrups post ,yea i agree the game as changed its changed in many ways since it started it his to catch and retun the ball and back up breaks thats just another part of mathers game your happy with and i think hes average but come on afullback that cant tackle i cant be watching rugby league please give us a break

I think you are right here, he is great in this "attacking fullback" role. The full back is the last line of defence, often there have been mistakes further up the field for the player to get to there. Its unfortunate he is in a position where everything he does is magnified. I think he does a good job for us!

Totally agree.

I know everyone's got their own opinions and all that but to suggest that Mathers is slow, as well as average in kick return and supporting the man with ball, well they must be watching a different game to me and I'm no Mathers fan. As for tackling, sure it's not his strength but I remember him making some key tackles for us last season, he just needs to improve his consistency.

I reckon Lee Smith this up coming season is going to surprise a few of these doubters and have a very good season for us, all he's ever needed is match fitness and game time and he'll produce the goods.