If as expected Deacon is out on Friday, we need to shift Sam back to stand off and need a new fullback. It would make sense to bring in a new fullback rather than make even more positional changes such as Pat to FB, new winger etc.

Given he was the best player in the league before his injury it makes sense to bring Roberts back in at FB. However, he seems to have fallen out of favour since coming back. Given the number of games he's played in the first and U20 teams, match fitness shouldn't be the issue - so what is?

Apparently he still isn't looking as confident as he should in the 20's.

to be fair, he's only had a couple of months in a wigan shirt where's he's looked a top player, the rest of the time he's been very average indeed.

Not sure. He still seems to be having problems with his leg, and is afraid to really test it 100%. Whether that's because he's still feeling pain in it, or just lacking strength in it after such a long layoff I'm not sure.

He's running at maybe 80% at the moment, judging from recent games; whether an 80% Roberts is better than our other options is for the coaching & medical staff to decide, I guess.

Given that Deacs is out, we have to move Sam to #6, IMO, which means the question is who to play at fullback. What we really need to do is clone Pat.

Saw him play against Hudds U20s last week at Orrell. Doesn't look like the player he was before his injury. Seemed to be going through the motions playing at Full Back. Whether this is down to confidence, e.g. when running flat out (his knee was still lightly strapped btw and in broken play didn't look as quick), motivation, or getting back to match fitness, only Amos can tell us.

Have to say we brought him back too early from his injury and hhis confidence of running/stretching flat out, to me, is not at 100%.

Hope he can recapture a degree of his form pre-injury. Could make the difference with our play-off push.

Very true.

But in those few games he was blistering and without a doubt the form SL player.

With a knee injury it is all about confidence and that is bound to be a factor.

I would prefer to have him back when he is fully fit.

People are sweating a little because we lost on Sunday. A player re-shuffle is not required IMO. It was discipline that lost us the game, nothing else.

13 times

But then who fills the other 3 sub spots?

We need to replace Deacon.

For me, it has to be Sam in the halves and Amos in at FB.

Is Phelps fit?

Bringing in Phelps or Roberts at FB and moving Sam to stand off looks the obvious solution.

I'd say so, yeah, though Phelp's defence always worries me. He has been playing well (and kicking well, especially) in the reserves, though in the halves, not at fullback.