Why hasn't Great Britain produced a great full back?

[Southerner80 611]

2 hours ago, Saint 1 said:

Part of the reason we haven't produced any great fullbacks (in the last 30 years anyway) is because we play a lot of our good runners (with some passing ability) into the halves, and they often end up making mediocre halfbacks instead, largely because they are mainly runners with weak organisational qualities. See George Williams as an obvious example. 

Additionally, we place a much higher premium on wingers in this country for some reason, whereas in the NRL it is largely seen as a place to develop until you can play fullback, given 1) the player can earn more at fullback 2) the player can have a much greater impact on the game at fullback. As a result, we have loads of great wingers who are skillful, athletic and defensively solid, and we limit their involvements to finishing off tries and making early carries on exit sets. 

 

Agreed.....Williams would be better off at FB or Centre IMO.

 BJB for one could make a pretty good FB. Manfredi could in time be a star FB at the highest level.

Lastly for what its worth I would say J Davies merits the great tag, and Radlinski is not far off it either.

Edited Tuesday at 04:26 PM by Southerner80