Smith's treatment of a few players over the years has been shocking.

Smith hung Patton out to dry and publicly stated that he had been dropped due to 'poor performances'. Interestingly, more senior players who, in my opinion, have been much worse than Dec [Kevin Brown being one of those] have been kept in the team every week.

20 points down and Brown kicked 10 yards up into touch on the 3rd tackle.....That is inexcusable.
Patton kicking out on the full trying to get deep is excusable and shouldn't have been highlighted as our downfall...yes it's an error but not there is a marked difference of useless and speculative between the two.

Brown needed a reminder in the reserves for that.

Pattons daughter is ill in hospital currently, I think that more than explains his absence.

It would if Smith had said Patton's unavailable due to 'family/personal reasons' but he didn't. He said due to 'poor performances'.

As Nick Ross would have said on Crimewatch, many years ago.


"Please, don't have nightmares. Do sleep well"

Shudders.

Has Smith recently re-iterated this, or are you just repeating what he said a few weeks ago when he was first dropped?

I heard by the water cooler... That Patton was told by the management that they were happy with what he was doing but he wasn't playing how they expected a Warrington half back to play. So they were putting him in the reserves in order to work on his game and prove himself to warrant a starting position."

or similar words to that effect.

Which to be honest wouldn't shock me. Lineham was banished for near enough a season and look at him now. It did him the world of good.

The Patton commentary is baffling isn't it? "We are happy, but, not happy so your demoted.

As far as Lineham is concerned, he's gone from getting to giving the elbow since his stint at Rochdale....good work

Correct Rico. Almost as if to say:

"We think you're a really good talented half... but we would rather you change your entire natural game to fit in with what we want so when you come back we look even worse than we do already."

It's baffling!! If we are going to accept people making errors it should be the younger players coming thru the Experianced players should be able to cover for their mistakes and they should be given the oppertunity to learn from them

For me personally the almost certainty of converting a try is worth more than the errors he may have made ?? Tho we've not really scored enough for him to kick lol but in a regular season his kicking would be invaluable!!

Eddie Hemmings Bingo, anyone?

I'm going for (in order)

Crisis
Underperforming
Talented players
hoodoo
This is Saints (should we be winning by four tries......stop laughing at the back, and Saints score)

dont forget robbeeeeeeeeeeeee

he actually climaxed after one of Percivals kicks.