I'd be looking at Rhys Evans to step up to first grade next season.

Great post and absolutely spot on but I dont think the addition of a quality winger will make any difference to our title aspirations....

However when was the last time Chris Hicks Burned his opposite winger ..? or went 80 metres for a score....? top of my head i'm struggling for examples....

I would wager at Warrington under Smith its an absolute crime to take an opposition winger on the outside and be bundled into touch.
Riley doesnt have the pace to do this on most occasions but the one or two occasions you'd back a winger to go for it he cuts inside as ordinary wingers do.
and on watching the supposed fastest man at the club Rhys Williams his very first instinct was to cut inside even ten yards away from the touch line

the notion of us having an exciting winger that can score from anywhare is a pipe dream Smith wants a percentage game. he would rather have a winger that can make hard yards from his own goal line on tackle one then finish of with a two yard stroll in at the end of the set.....

that said its not a bad game plan...I just dont see the need in the current team set up to pay big bucks for a world class winger.
We can replace 'good' with 'okay' and it wont make any difference...see Ade Gardners trophy cabinet as an example...

rhys williams faster than kevin penny?

do you think Faafilli would still be here playing under Smith, knowing Smiths 'work for each other in defence' ethic...?

I think he would have gone before his mate Gleeson...

I think you have to understand that some great wingers wont get the service and wont score...like Dessie going 16 games without a try (and 4 all Season) playing outside Cullen and Joe Ropati, and some ordinary wingers will get tremendous service like faafilli playing outside Briers Logan Swann and Gleeson and will score Bucket loads.

its quite easy to distinguish between a great winger and a fat idle swine without looking at the try scoring charts...

Hicks doesn't have top end gas, so won't score 80 m tries. He makes up for it by being outstanding in other areas.

In tight space wingers are correct to cut inside, nothing more frustrating than watching a winger run towards touch when clearly he has no chance of beating his man. Riley's habit of doing this serves us well most of the time.

However in space a 'quick' winger should be trying to get on the outside of his man. On many occasions I have seen Riley in space, and with his alledged top end speed, he should be able to run flat out and the FB wouldn't get near him. He lacks confidence imho, and will cut inside too often. Not sure it is a Smith thing, as I witnessed the same under Cullen. Besides Luke Donald scored a great try in the Grand Final a few years back, with Smith in charge. He dummied Wellens and beat him on the outside. That was a fairly crucial try at the time, as it killed off Saints. I know Wellens is a carthorse, but it was what I call a proper wingers try, which very few in the game are capable of scoring. Penny is, which is why I would like us to persist and work on his faults.

I agree that a quality winger isn't a priority for a team e.g Gardener, but that is a shame. The improvement of Roberts for Wigan is one of the many reasons they are top at the moment. Quality teams need players, be it centre, stand off or wing, who can turn a game on its head by scoring or creating a try out of nothing. Maguire and Tomkins have managed that against us this season, Leeds and Wigan would have arguably lost those games otherwise. Maybe Warrington lack these 'x factor' players. We have quality, but in different aspects of the game

Good post. Most make the weak Fa'afilli argument without witnessing the Wire with absolute dog dirt/ 2nd rowers in the centres outside the wingers.

hayne would be nice

Pretty good that Bob, pat richards is way ahead though!!! Carries and meters for Richards is awesome!

Still think Penny should be given a chance.

An intelligent counter argument. Noone knows player salary, but it is safe to assume Riley is amongst the bottom of the 1st choice 17. Players on the lower wages who can perform to a level are as important as the big earners.

I question those stats though. depends on what a clean break is. For me, using my definition there is no way he's made 18 clean breaks.

Penny needs game time to somehow learn some discipline in defence. I'd worry about Riley in defence, but the likes of Wigan, Saints etc will expose Penny. Even though he's probably the best winger in Superleague with a bit of space. Against the best sides, space is at a premium. Shame, as I love watching him.

I really think Penny should be given another chance. Especially with his experience at quins.

Craig Hall would be a good signing, great utlility value as well.

Is he still at Barrow?