Seems like I've been right all this and last season. Richards is best at fullback, is wasted on the wing, and is miles better than Mathers in that position.

Oh don't get me wrong, he did ok playing in that position but certainly wouldn't be a suitable first team replacement.

There are better reserve team stand offs.

Well done, thats 5 games.

I argued this 2 seasons ago...seemed to be in a minority then!

Same here actually. I edited my comment prior to Hogan's little remark.

Once again, well done.

I had the discussion with another fan prior to Saturdays game and said then that I thought he was already top 3 in the SL and with an extended run could be challenging for the best. Lo and behold he goes and has a blinder...I attribute this soley to myself of course! His positional play is 2nd to none, the safest pair of hands in S.L. and without question the best under the high ball. Started to chime into the line more effectively towards the back end of his first spell at full back (something he again showed in Saturday's game) and also began to break the line on occassion...perhaps the one real weak area of his game. As a last line of defence I would prefer no-one else. On the two occassions Bradford broke through I was always confident that Pat would deal with it and he did. Someone made the comment that we would have been 2 scores down on those plays with Mathers on the field and I can't disagree!

Pat's best position is still on the wing, however the dross we have had to deal with since Rad's has left in terms of a defensive full back has been awful. And having a FB like Pat who is a good last line of defence and solid is far better.

However there are still a few sides to Pat's play at FB that aren't as good as the top FB's in the league like taking the ball up after a kick and his support play. You can already see that his support play is improving with the more games he plays at FB. He is nowhere near the standard of other FB's such as Webb, Greenshields and Briscoe however he does do a solid yet unspectacular job.

If we had a fullback like Webb in the team then we wouldnt have an option to play Pat there, however under the circumstances he is the best option we have.

I said all last season that Pat should be first choice FB and I really expected Mathers to leave and Pat to get the number 1 jersey for this season. Then Lenagan went and pi55ed all over my dreams and kept Mathers on for another hair pulling season.

But then if that had been the case who would we have had on the wings?

Pryce may not have been fit enough. Roberts was meant to be signed for 2010 and Ainscough might not have had his chance.

At least this way we have good cover and the squad looks strong.