I thought Smith deserved the mom award whilst at the game but didn't think he'd get it due to the normal comporate guest mentality of giving to the guy who scores the most trys but they suprised me.

He was excellent Sunday which is why i'm so suprised a few have questioned the award to him. I don't think were good enough to hold grudges against certain players for some early Wigan career poor form.

If they start to produce the goods they deserve the plaudits but they then must keep that level of preformence up.

Smith has a lot of class in his game - he needs to be given an extended run in the team and allowed to make mistakes without scapegoating.

If he can put 7 or 8 games together he'll be a force for you lot, but it's up to your pack to protect him.

Agreed it is also the reason Piggy is not as creative as some of us had hoped, as there are so few options for him to work from the PTB.

Iv been saying this for weeks now, give smoth some time, on sunday he was bossing the team around so much telling where he wanted to work from,i saw him miss one tackle but you can see he has been training on it,goin back to mcllorum doe anyone think we lack momentum and speed when he comes on the field

He's fooked then....................they can hardly protect themselves!!!

Needs a Carroll/Lockyer style minder.

O'Loughlin could do it, but then who else would make all the tackles he makes?

Hansen/Bailey i suppose.

Doubt Nobby coming up with a plan to protect him though as he's too busy perfecting our 5 drives and a kick play!!!

It's the future.

Hansen's defensive work is vastly overrated. You hear people talking about him as some sort of defensive machine but he makes far less tackles than SOL and PB and misses more.

He was the leading tackler in superleague last year so he must make a few

He doesn't really hurt people in the tackle though which i'd say Lockers and Bailey can do.

Alot less minutes which is probably the reason he's lagging behind.

We missed Lockers for a huge chunk of last season aswell as Hock for big parts.

Yeah he was, he won the Hitman award.

He has played less minutes this year IMO. Towards the back end of last year Lockers was injured and Bailey was mainly used in the centres, so Hansen got through a lot more work as it wasn't shared.

I havent a problem with is defence, its just his attack. If he carries on running the lines he does and with Smith playing, I'm sure it will improve Hansen's game. I can see Hansen becoming a Jones-Buchanan style of player.

Fair point.

I know SOL gets a lot of stick on here from certain quarters, but he's a giant in defence and one of the few who tries to make things happen going forward. I really rate him, better than Sinfield IMO.

Top Tackler in SL 2008, so how do you work that one out?

Doesnt wear a vee