It was very good rugby from Sam when he spotted McDonnell out of position, kicked through their defensive line, re-gathered and scored. Excellent was that!

It was his best game since the NZ Warriors warm up game before the Roosters WCC. At that time he really looked to be ready to start controlling games but he's been in and out ever since and a lack of minutes has plagued him.

Hope to see him kick on now because he could be a big weapon if he really starts to dictate that play the ball area and test defences with guile like that.

as a outsider I thought he was one of your best players

I think he is benefitting from MM being injured meaning he is getting the minutes to try and impose himself on the game. He's not had that previously and the game time has to make a difference. I don't think he can do that for the rest of the season without back up and will have to be rotated/rested from time to time.

Smith to 9, Williams 7, Tomkins 6 ?

Sure it's what a lot of fans would love to see, but I can't see it happening.

Smith will never get dropped/moved position.

Just thought it would be a decent line up if Powell were to get injured or Wane decides he needs a break.

I'd be inclined to keep Smith at 7 and Williams to rotate at 9. I don't think Williams is ready for the main organiser role yet.

Surely Tomkins would be the main organiser in that scenario?

A role he has never done.

Smith will be dropped or sold on when he is no longer any use to the coach. At the moment he has about one poor game (Widnes) in about eight or nine. He is consistently good enough to lead the team around as he did on Friday and yesterday (even though he was injured).

I wonder if those who reckon Ryan Hampshire is the second coming are perhaps revising their opinions given his rather insipid displays at Cas so far? Maybe Waney knows what he is doing after all?

One poor game, yes, but hand on heart, how many good ones? Watching Cas the other night, I wasn't so much concentrating on Hampshire as thinking how Gale looked twice the player Smith is. And I'm talking about 'good Smith', not 'bad Smith'.

I would tend to agree with this. Matty isn't a match winner, just a vital cog in the machine. It's teams that win trophies not collections of good individuals, and for whatever reason Waney thinks Matty is vital to Wigan. He obviously sees things that others do not. In these things I tend to respect his opinion, though I am well aware that is an unpopular view on here (though not with yourself).

For example Matty doesn't have the ability of Tommy, but I would argue that Matty is at least as effective because Tommy could never kick properly. I think Waney decided early on that a good kicker is more important than a couple of runners who can pass at half back. Tommy with Brett Finch for example was a pairing that never really worked for the simple reason that neither of them could kick to save their lives. Matty's passing isn't as poor as some on here make out either.

Gale has really improved at Cas, though he was very good at Bradford the year they went down. IIRC they beat us at Odsal and Gale was excellent.

For me, Matty Smith is a workhorse of dependability. He organises and runs a lot of the structure while rarely making a mistake. A team structure that hangs off a dependable pivot works well, a maverick not so well.