fielden

Is it true we have signed fielden from wigan???

bostock wrote:

Is it true we have signed fielden from wigan???

It would seem so,He could be a worthwhile signing if he is over his injury problems, He is obviously not the player he was a few years ago when he was at Bradford but most Wigan fans seem happy with what he did for them. If he is only half as good as he was he would not have disgraced our pack last year, at his best he was the best prop in the game anywhere and he knew how to hit the line, If he teaches some of our present players how to do that he will be worth his money.

All depends on how big a slice of the cap he is taking up. Fielden is not finished, he has plenty of quality minutes left in him. Neither delighted or upset by this signing. We didn't have enough props, we know have an experienced former world class prop who can still do a very good job.

Depends on 2 things for me...

1) Is he fit? The last thing we need is yet another LOD/Doof scenario. I don't care how good they are or were they are absolutely ZERO use sat in the stand every week.

2) How much money is he on? If he has just come for a retirement package & will only play a handful of games then once again we've been tugged.

I hate to pour cold water on this news but tbh I've seen it all before from Fartown, and more times than I care to remember.

I live in hope far more than expectation. I honestly hope I'm completely wrong, for all our sakes.

I know where you are coming from. He hasn't played much at all in recent times. I assume the club have done all the research and testing on him and think he can play enough games in the next two seasons to make his wage worthwhile.

It is of course a bit of a risk, but seems like a calculated one both for player and club. We seem to have six props lined up for next season (Eorl, Mason, Larne, Mulally, Kopczak and Fielden). I would suggest Eorl is our Talisman, Larne can be used for what he is excellent at shortish impact stints, Mace, Mulally & Kopczak seem to be the Donkeys, sorry Workhorses. I would like to see Fielden used sparingly but effectively, a 50/30 split with Eorl would allow us to have a talisman prop on the field all game, preventing the forward collapses we saw this year when Eorl came off. Shorter stints would also prolong Stuart's career, something he couldn't do at Bradford/Widnes/Wakey where big minutes would be expected.

It could all go wrong, he may never be effective again, but as others have said he will have been through various tests. I understand he turned down a far more lucrative offer from Widnes and a similar but more sentimental one from Bradford, that may all be "pub talk" but if true suggests his reasons for joining are positive.

All considered a risk but one worth taking imo, however it turns out.

wish they had taken a risk on hodgson!!!!!

you looking for logical decisions by some chance??

The thing is with Fielden, he is a true professional, he has been there done it, and done it , and done it again, He has had a long rest so to speak, but if he has stayed up to speed he will be as good or better than any one we have in the front row next year , Big Eorl is a grafter no question about it and would get in any super league side , Stuart Fielden when he was at Bradford was different class to anyone in the game and i have a feeling he will be well good enough for the giants, We have taken bigger risks than him, It will be good to watch someone who knows how to run at the line.

With a player close to the end of his career it's not necessarily what he does, its what he gets others to do. Fielden knows the game inside out, and even if he doesn't make a big impact on his own he can make a huge contribution by being a leader, getting the younger players to be more effective. I'm looking forward to seeing him a Fartown shirt.

Fielden passed a very hard physical with flying colours before he was signed so i'm told and is now over his injuries that kept him out of the Wigan side for most of the last 2 years.