You also say 'Whats changed ?

Well the fact that 4 of our halfbacks who are all better than Matty are out injured. Wheeler, Lomax, Pryce and Eastmond are all twice the player Matty is.

I feel as if im slating the lad (im honestly no) i'm just being realistic here. People need to calm down.

It's faster than wilins so that thats an improvement.
His legs are faster as well and he can kick.

Matty looks a better player when he partners Daniel Holdsworth (Class), unfortunately for us Holdsworth has missed a lot of games with injury. I think the problem he's had at Salford is he's playing behind a beaten pack most weeks that don't make enough metres (Rarely capable of getting a roll on).
Fortunately we have already signed 8 better quality players for next year and I think Matty will improve in a better team. His best game for us was undoubtedly the match v Saints at the Willows where he looked like he had a real point to prove.

Saints clearly saw enough in him to not want to release him permanently... loan spell after loan spell. I don't quite think he's good enough to be a Saints player right now and think his correct level is at Salford. However... with the signings that are coming in at The Willows... he may find he had to be that 10-20% better to fit in next season. One thing is for sure... he won't take a backwards step and occasionally has a spark that could win the game... who knows.. he may play and find that sudden spark just when you need it.

Smith was played at hooker quite a bit at Crusaders, and I wondered whether this was a better position for him. His defence was strong enough, certainly, but when he played half back for us, we bemaoned his reluctance to take the ball to the line. Hooker saw him already in the mix.

I have discussed with Dux whether we would have been better retaining him as a hooker instead of Moore. Although I feel Moore's a more talented footballer on his day, I think he lacks Smiths temprement; coming up with some foul decisions in defence and more than the odd clanger in attack. Smith may be a little more middle of the road, but wins ground back as a percentage player.

That said, Moore was picked in the England squad and dream team while at Hudds (coached by an Australian former hooker, incedently). If he can recapture that sort of form, the above issue will go out the window.

Dear god you are having a joke arent you?!
I'd say Matty Smith is much better than Wheeler.

Not even close.

No chance.

Nope. Better only at staying fit.

You've spent too much time in the South Stand.

Matty Smith is an half decent player but he is not in the same class as Wheeler.
If Wheeler can stay injury free(a big if) this kid has all the class in the world,believe you me.

But that wasn't my point. My point was Saints didn't believe him good enough when it came to recruiting him permanently but now all of a sudden he's good enough when we are stuck and not just stuck but stuck at the most important time of the season when we need very good players to be available. Surely if he wasn't good enough he wouldn't be good enough no matter how desperate we were? (That's why I brought up Tyrer - my guess is that Tyer would never be recalled whether we had anyone left to play winger or not because that lad has simply never learned how to defend)

Course he's good enough if the 4 players ahead of him are injured.

If your only other option is to play a loose forward/2nd rower in the halves instead, surely a natural half back would be better.

There are many players in SL that are "good enough" to play in super league, but not good enough for Saints. That doesn't mean they couldn't do a better job than someone else in your side playing out of position.

Well, if rumours are true, the second rower will still be playing in the halves over a hooker who was once a halfback. However, whatever people say, clearly Saints think him good enough to fill the spot in a playoff match otherwise they wouldn't have recalled him at all.

=#BF4000*No need for comments like that - TS*

FWIW i like Matty as a person but IMO it's clear to see that his not good enough to be in our starting 17 with a fully fit squad. I'd have him as back up but that can't happen with the salary cap and the fact he wants to play everyweek.

I've never met Matty Smith myself. Alas, you are incapable of understanding what was written so I am not going to explain it any further.

Just been listening to McCrae on GMR. He said M.Potter phoned him about an hour before Salfords game on Sunday and asked him about Matty coming to Saints to help us out. McCrae said that he told Potter he would ask him at the end of the game. .......... and the rest is history.

I would imagine Matty jumped at the chance; at least, that is what it sounded like from the quote I saw in the media when the news broke. If he does play I hope he impresses. At the very least that will give his confidence a boost.

I hope he impresses for our sakes, I'm not overly concerned about him or his confidence after these, hopefully, 3 games, he's signed for Salford.

If Lomax was fully fit, he wouldn't be here.

That's a given.


Fair enough. I tend to be interested in how our young players are going even when they leave the club (although he wouldn't have signed for Salford had Saints shown an interest).


True.

If Pryce was fully fit, Lomax wouldn't be 'here' either.

Matty will be in to play.

Been speaking to him tonight and he's very much up for the challenge. Everyone at Salford is right behind him. A determined Matty Smith is a very good player. That's how he played against Saints at The Willows and look at the game he had then.

Nice fella who deserves respect.... and I seriously hope he does the job for you.

Good Luck Saints.

I take an interest and hope they do well, I'm not overly concerned about their confidence either way.




Lomax would be in or around the 17 if Pryce was fit, he just wouldn't be at 6.

One thing is for sure, given our injury situation Smith in the side is a far better option that him not being in the side.

Potter should be applauded for his quick thinking in seeing the opportunity. I'll not hold my breath, though.

Although I don't buy in to the "we should never have let him go" argument, as he was never going to be happy with a bit part, I hope he is able to leave having played a significant part in a championship winning season.

I'm sure Mcrae (and everyone at Salford, really) was delighted to hear that we wanted him back for the play-offs, it's great to have a player in such high-pressure situations.

Yes, he can then go back and tell them what its like.