You've got to remember that the coaching team watch the players closely every day in training, know all about their strengths and flaws, their personality and are able to make a far more informed decision than we are. We see the lads once a week for 80 minutes and every now and then here a rumour about their attitude.

I've got the upmost faith in Potter and McManus to make the right call and I suspect that will mean we have seen the last of Smith at KR. Eastmond is raw and has plenty of work to do but for pure x-factor and attacking ability Smith does not come close.

I thought Smith did well in his run of games last year and his long kicking game is superb but, for me, he likes ideas attacking the opposition line. He might have a future at hooker but in Moore & Roby we are already well off their and I'm sure Smith will have a long Super League career at scrum half. Just not with us.

with any luck we'll have a better luck tonight, with kyle and matty playing apposing 7's, although the packs they are playing behind do differ somewhat.

Yes he can,

Full Game at 7. Yes
Run of games at 7. Yes, both with us and Celtic.
Played a top team at 7. I'd say a play-off game aginst Leeds counts. Wouldn't you?
Control a game. Yes.
Injury Free. Debatable.


Part of me would be interested to see Celtic beat us tonight, with Matty on form, playing Kyle off the park. What would people's attitudes be then?

dont get your hopes up.

I hope Matty is playing and I hope he is on form. I'd like to get the chance to see what he can do these days. It's ages since March 2008 when I last saw him play!

I'd like to think people would take that on board. People don't [iwant[/i to see Smith to fail.

I wouldn't necesserily expect a complete u-turn on the basis of one game, however.