Amos was good at FB because with his electric pace & quality step he found it easy to break the game line, BUT, the style of RL we play with the FB as an extra pivot is one Sam does better.



All the good things Amos can do at FB Sam can also do them as well. Sam is more of a danger with ball in hand as well so for me it's no contest who should be our FB next season.



My main worry is at HB as I don't think Deacs will be fit for the majority of the season.

I do not think Roberts got the credit for his assists last year. Ok he was not throwing the eye catching passes that Phelps was early season but whilst they may not have been long cut out balls etc he still came up with a boat load of assists.



I agree Tomkins does act as the extra pivot but so did Roberts only in a slightly different way.

For all the good things Roberts did at the start of last season for me he just wasn't a link man in the same way Phelps was or Sam turned out to be.



I keep thinking back to the Wire away game where Amos scorred a classic try but he also messed a few try opps up with poor passes. One I'm sure landed in the stands instead of in Gouldings waiting arms for a walk in.



Like I said earlier everything Amos can do im more than confident Sam can do that and more.

Like I said Roberts may not have provided the "link" in the same way as Phelps or Sam but he still provided the link. I would expect we scored significant tries directly off his passes as "assist", but even more off the back of his line busts.



Sam potentially can go on to be anything he wants in the game but at the moment of the 2 if you are looking at a direct comparison for me Roberts has shown superior form to Tomkins in there respective tenure at fullback.

Its a no brainer for me..We start with Roberts at full back and sam at 6.



If he doesnt show the form we drop him and move sam to full back..But a team with a fully on form Roberts and Sam on the same pitch is a frightening thought.We need to give Roberts a chance.

I think Deacon also deserves a shot which is where things become complicated.

Perhaps - although at this stage Deacon has not been confirmed as a player for next year (but I don't think it would be a huge surprise if he was). But given Deacon's fitness and injury issues last season when he did miss a lot of games I don't think it will be much of a complication - it may even be a case of having Deacon as reserve/cover for the halves and maybe even no 9 (especially if McIllorum has injury problems like previous seasons). Nice problem to have though.

Slightly O/T, but this is a worry. Who will kick for touch / goals? It was evident in the GF that we had no plan B. I expect Deacon to kick goals if fit, but how many games will he play due to selection / fitness?. Do any of the new signings kick?

So no place for Hoffman or Finch then? (And Lima only to get a game because Feka has left?).



It's a new season and a new team and Madge will want to make the best use of his squad given the new arrivals. With Finch arriving that will influence how we line up at h/b and also f/b given Sam's ability to play either position.



Finch 7, Sam 6 and Roberts 1 sounds pretty OK to me.



If Sam plays 1 (as he might with Richards out) the alternative half back combos don't appeal much as it would be Finch and Deacon and it can't be Finch and TL can it given we expect TL to be playing 9?



Dave

Agreed.



Had a good end to the season for me.

Sam at full back every time for me.



Roberts needs to find his confidence and form and he can do that on the wing like he did this season gone. To be honest in the form he was in I did not think it really mattered where he was whether at full back or on the wing. He was simply brilliant.





Once we have Roberts back to his best on the wing and full of confidence that is when we should look at him playing full back until then it has to be Sam with Deacon and Finch in the halves.

Completely disagree. A half back combination of Finch and Sam is a mouthwatering prospect whereas the alternatives in the halves are not. Deacon also can't be relied on to play a full season at 6 or 7. He was brought in for cover and what an astute move that proved to be but there is no way IMO he can be considered a regular 1st choice starting half back which ought to mean Sam in the no 6 slot.



I also don't see why not playing Sam at f/b would mean last year was for nothing. We won the GF so it worked when it needed to but if we are a better side with him back in the half backs which I think we will be, then that is all there is too it IMO. Especially if Roberts can recapture his early season form. If he does then Finch 7, Sam 6 and Roberts 1 will scare the living daylights out of most sides. I can't see why seeing Sam play alongside Finch does not appeal.



Dave