FORUMS > Wigan Warriors > Smith |
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Player Coach | 2088 | |
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Dec 2009 | 15 years | |
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Oct 2024 | Nov 2023 | LINK |
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| I wouldn't say Smith is being asked to carry a team on his own. It's not like we've been hopeless this year. Until tonight our defence has been outstanding, we've had games where our pack has dominated the opposition and we've barely put any points on the board despite so much pressure. That's where the criticism of Smith is coming from. Tonight things were tough for him, but there have been plenty of games where we've been on the front foot and he's been putting passes to ground, putting in ineffective kicks and generally making poor last tackle plays. I know it's difficult when losing a halfback partner but he wasn't exactly thrilling anyone last season either. O'Loughlin was in line to play prop this year and yet has moved into the halves and shown creativity and passing far beyond anything Smith has shown in his time at the club.
Tonight we did have the ball near their line on a few occasions and they were continually let off the hook by poor kicks from Smith. It's not like the team is preventing our playmakers from making smart kicks because Powell and O'Loughlin has produced several. Even Bateman, Farrell and Joel Tomkins have surpassed Smith's current level of kicking in recent games.
At some point he's got to take control. It's not like he's under a huge amount of pressure. He's playing for one of the top sides, alongside a very good passer and one of the best players in the league, with three England internationals in the back row and a fullback who is starting to pick out some very good passes.It was arguably harder for him when he was at Salford but he actually impressed for them. At the moment he seems to be failing to cope with the responsibility. I really hope he can start to take control of games and improve his decision making.
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Rank | Posts | Team |
Club Coach | 29678 | |
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Nov 2004 | 20 years | |
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Oct 2024 | Oct 2024 | LINK |
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| I thought Smith played well tonight. He was far busier and involved himself far more. He easily outplayed Luke Gale who I thought had an absolute shocker (especially his kicking).
I heard some people bag Mossop after his first spell which was off the mark also because I thought he was our best forward early doors.
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Rank | Posts | Team |
International Board Member | 20443 | |
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Mar 2003 | 22 years | |
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[b:1wlcmlhe][color=#800000:1wlcmlhe]WIGAN RLFC - SL ERA
WORLD CLUB CHAMPIONS 2017 & 2024
SUPER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1998, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018 & 2023
CHALLENGE CUP FINAL WINNERS 2002, 2011, 2013, 2022 & 2024
LEAGUE LEADERS CHAMPIONS 2010, 2012, 2020, 2023 & 2024
ACADEMY GRAND FINAL WINNERS 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2024
WOMEN’S GRAND FINAL WINNERS 2018
BEST SUPPORTED CLUB OF THE YEAR 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2024
CLUB OF THE YEAR 2010 & 2012
[/color:1wlcmlhe][/b:1wlcmlhe]: |
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| Put some pretty good grubbers in tonight. Was decent in a tough game.
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International Star | 2795 | No Team Selected |
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Jun 2011 | 13 years | |
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| Can't agree on Smith. His passing accuracy is shocking with runners having to either reach behind or check their runs to take a pass. He put a couple of decent kicks in and even if he was slightly better this week, overall he's not good enough, consistently enough.
I thought Mossop went ok but I think Crosby deserves a mention. After 6 months out that was a cracking 1st game back. Bateman is just a freak! Love watching him play.
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Club Captain | 659 | No Team Selected |
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Apr 2015 | 9 years | |
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Aug 2024 | May 2021 | LINK |
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| A lot of the service to Smith tonight was shocking, hard to do much with the ball when you've got to reach below your ankles for it.
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Rank | Posts | Team |
International Star | 4748 | |
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Jan 2015 | 10 years | |
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| To be fair to Smith, according to the radio commentary he received a lot of pretty terrible passes, which doesn't help when you're trying to put your team on the front foot. And he did kick the goals!
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