No one can blame Smithy for moving to Wasps RU, he has been outstanding for the past 2 seasons at the Rhinos.

Previously Smithy was having a stuttering career at the club under Tony Smith, one week he was in the first team and the next week he was back in the reserve academy side.

He has clearly made not only a career move, that will earn him considerably more money over the length of his RU contract that he could ever have earned at the Rhinos if he had re-signed.

He has also got other things in life to think about, He's clearly at an age also when young men have to decide whether or not to make a go of their relationship, Verity being in London for the fore-seeable future in Hairspray, clearly made his decision all the more bearable.

Good luck to Smithy i say

Id say its a real problem he is going, from what ive heard we didnt exactly do our best to keep hold of him and I think he should be england and Leeds starting fullback

another season of an international leaving, hope we actually find a "replacement" this year

A quality utility back who has failed to make any one position in the threequarters his own. Finally settled down after some tumultuous seasons including negatives on and off field issues.

We'll desperately miss his utility value but his absence from the 1st 13 will barely be noticed.

Better wingers and full backs at the club already and the club are hopefully sourcing a better centre, if he's not here already.

A shame for league that he chose not to sign for another league club but good news for his bank manager.

I expect him to be back at a lesser club in a few years a lot richer but a poorer league player.

Thought Smith had his worst game of the season on Friday TBH but as you say Gareth it’s his ability to drop from centre to full back or to the wing midst game that we’ll miss most.

Good luck to the lad I say, IMO pro League player get paid fekk all in relationship to what they do and have nothing much in the way of career longevity. Make hay while the sun shines.

For the player and for England, the ideal would probably have been that he signed as a first choice full back for another club. Leeds would have got a fee then too I guess.

Would you care to state the reasons for your opening comment?
I disagree entirely although he did make one terrible error that I can recall dropping the ball on the 1st tackle.

Personally, I think that Smith is one of the few RL players who could, quite easily, make the grade at RU.

Unlike the likes of Chev Walker and Shontayne Hape, he's actually got the sort of skills that suit a rugby union centre. He's got good feet, pace, he's creative and he has a extremely good kicking game - all much more than the 'size and strength' value that previous converts have been bought on.

I'd compare him to somebody like Stephen Myler, who has made a very good career for himself at Northampton Saints with similar skills to Smith - although I think Smith is better than Myler at what he does.

Hape has been excellent for Bath RU by the way. Smith will be an interesting one at RU, can't see him being as good at it as he is at league, mind.

I hope that with Sean Edwards to coach him that Lee makes a very successful transition to RU & becomes a successful & integral aprt of England's back line in whaever position, God knows they need him.
As I've said on other threads he reminds me of Josh Lewsey I hope he enjoys a similar career.
Good luck to him. I'm sorry to see him go but it gives an opportunity for someone else to take his place.

RUs fortunes are one sport in this country i really could not give a t0$$ about .
while i say to Lee Smith good luck to you i stop at hoping england RUs fortune improves because of him, although if he is a success it will be interesting hearing what all the lord smuglies saying how hes develped into a first class rugger player

If that bit is correct then fair enough, but it will have a big impact if we don't sign a specialist centre to play alongside Keef.

This is the down side to the salary cap: it's been at the same level for some years now, meaning that league teams can't pay anywhere near what union teams can and that promising league players will continue to be enticed away from the game by the lure of big union money. Surely this can't be good for league in the long run.

spot on, was just going to mention Lewsey, similar in stature and versatility, I like Smithy, never plays the game by numbers, just what he sees in front of him and isn't afraid to try things.

Listen to the last Bulls podcast. Mind you, he's not going to come out saying that this move was the worst thing he's ever done.