www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... tlead.html

www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... tlead.html

Its never too early for a good spring clean.

So Matt King is still 'settling in'. Fingers crossed, might be okay by the time his contract finishes.

"I'm still getting to know the players. I'm still getting to know their traits and their culture and I'm giving them every chance.

That's the key. No knee-jerk reaction. Smith will sort out the wheat from the chaff and better days are around the corner - just don't expect too much too soon.

I like what he has to say, I can't help but agree with him really. I'm delighted we have him, and I think given time he'll tackle every difficult decision head on and will get this club into far better shape than it's ever been in, certainly in the SL era.

I agree, though I just worry 2 and a half years isn't enough time for him to do a thorough job.

The rest of this season (the half I presume?), is going to be spent trying to fix the massive mess we are in....next year will probably be a 'bedding in' year for Smith's own signings, so in reality he has 1 year (2011) to bring us some silverware.

:hmj8dsjy]


Makes a mockery of the state of origin intense, intimidating rivalry and athmosphere that we're led to believe is nasty, when you think that a couple of n00bs in a 3k crowd upset him. ""He was almost in tears with me walking across the field because he knew he had let himself down. He cracked under a barrage of abuse but I understand that people have breaking points.'"

I know where your coming from. I guess after this year, the nucleus of the squad that stays will be used to his methods etc. It may also be an environment that new players find easier to bed into than previously.

There's no saying he won't stay beyond 2011 neither, I guess if we were mighty close to trophies, buty they eluded him, he'd be tempted to stay on a little longer etc. Worry about that in two and a half years though.

You'd struggle to make out individual heckles in an Origin crowd, though. And, if you could, they'd probably be "Hey, Number Five. Yeah, you with the hair. You can't drink for Swear Filter."

Whereas, he probably heard something along the lines of "King, I hope your wife's nipples fall off when you're in bed tonight", with no other real noise to drown it out.

www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Smith.html

www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... Smith.html

I note it has now gone from being a 'drinking culture' to being a 'party culture'. Maybe the players are all tired from playing pass the parcel and eating too much cake.

Personally I think they should be a no booze contract during the season and should be breathalised before training each day (as I heard on of the Oz teams is doing). Its a waste if the first hour of training is just shifting last nights ale. Most blokes would kill to be paid to play sport at that level and get really brassed off when they see the players abusing their talent. Its our job to drink, its their job to play, they are professionals. They can relax when they have finished the season and justified their contract. RANT OVER