Isn't the issue that he was never given the framework to develop his skills and confidence without being ejected from the first team for any mistake and set to the RL wilderness. On his return, after waiting for an injury, a further mistake and he was gone again. A career wasted really.

This. We've suffered watching Russell fail to deal with any attacking kick and make blunder after blunder. as well as watch Hughes playing with feet for hands yet the pair of them undroppable in smiths eyes. Yet penny can make one mistake and he's never to be seen again.

He was treated poorly by Smith and all because Kev challenged him on something during a review so Smith dropped him.

Russell and Hughes were first names on the sheet come what may. I sometimes wonder what they would have had to have done to lose their place. Russel has a nightmare at Catalan at FB early in the season and he wasn't dropped, no, he was moved to a position where he didn't have to catch as much. Cleary form / not being able to catch wasn't enough for Tony to consider dropping them. They probably trained far too well in the week for that.

I can imagine if Penny had fumbled the ball at the PTB as often at Hughes he would have been shot at dawn.

There's an old saying...
Loose lips sinks ships.

Absolutely spot on.

Never understood it myself. People seem to think he's not this average player who can't defend and catch a ball.

we're talking about penny, not russell.

Neither of them are good enough.

There's a reason Penny went working for Yodel delivering parcels when we released him (and not just because he was skint).

Russell gets away with it without being sent to Rochdale.

I think we can all agree it's a damned shame that Penny never made it, as he had electric pace.

Pure speed between van and doorway?

Neither of them were or are good enough. But we all know Smith seemingly had his 'favorites' and his 'inconsistencies'.

He dropped Patton and Savelio on numerous occassions last season yet not Brown & Hughes.

Average players dont score the tries kevin scored. Another coach (that perhaps could've put personality clashes aside) wouldve brought him on to being a very good winger. Also penny is playing in the wrong era, offiahs lack of bloody exit sets and ability to jump wouldve seen him consigned to oblivion in this tedious era. You want average look at hughes....the epitome of average and that might be being kind.

Hughes was pretty much undroppable all season. There was no one else....while Savelio made a mockery of TS for dropping him.
Brown was always dropping himself.

That speaks volumes for our alleged strength in depth and youth doesn't it. Thank goodness 2017 is all over with it. I cant wait for the first autobiography that covers this period to find out what really went on.

We’ll never find out, unless Sean Long agrees to ghost write for somebody. Now THAT was an autobiography...

Strange comment about KP not catching. Didn't Smith have him swapping to Fullback and Russell to wing whenever a kick was likely.
My point about Penny however was "what might have been" had he been given a fair crack of the whip.