Listen, Smith is a decent player. I think from a saints POV he didn't really fit in with our style of play. Long probably helped him a lot at Salford too.

The system at Wigan does bring the best out of him. He's not a flashy, or an expansive player and does thrive in a structured team. He doesn't have to do anything 'special' (off the cuff..) as his job was to give Green time to deliver the money ball to Tomkins/Bowen etc. Green is/was the real star of the show - you will miss him greatly.

He's said in the Wigan Observer he's going nowhere. He loves the club and is grateful for the opportunity that was given to him.

He's perfect for our system. Since Maguire our halfbacks jobs have been to make room for the outside backs and especially the fullback with quick ball movement. He does that and brings a very solid kicking game.

I remember thinking on Friday just how much we were missing Green.
Albion is clutching at straws (but still drowning).

I make a point of ignoring anyone who starts an opinion with the word "Listen"... You immediately know that said opinion will be total claptrap.

If you're basing anything on that game, the jury's back in & the judge has a black cap on. It was a bad day at the office for everyone.
I'd actually agree that Smith has to be in the running for a coup on Lockers' captaincy (if the worst happens & SOL's body gives up any time soon).

==when you compare sinfield IMO will never be a half back is picked before time served backs we are in trouble on the international scene.matty is short of a class standoff to work with!!

He's a really good solid player and is certainly up there amongst the best in Super League in his position.

Whilst that is the case though, the competition for that honour is rather meek, and he doesn't compare so well when looking at halves from the NRL, but then no Super League players do.

I think this is a very fair and accurate post; I like Smithy and believe he has come on well and can improve even more give time. IMO he’s very much in the mould of a Radlinski, a real 100% of him is given every time, even when he’s not playing at his best in a game.

He'd go ok in the NRL in a good side because as much as it's bulled up to be full of teams chocked full of 17 super human monsters the truth is it's not! There are an awful lot of average and below players in the NRL although there are obviously a lot more world class players then in superleague.

If proof were needed that it's built up too much we don't need to look further then Mike Cooper. An average player at Wire who I never really noticed when we played them ripping it up and looking like a top class prop forward.

Err..that doesn't prove anything and gives no credit to the player for improving or coaching staff at his NRL club.

Also whenever [iwe[/i sign a player who is deemed as average as Cooper was in SL you can guarantee someone will post that once Wane and Bitcon get hold of him he will go well (and to be fair quite often this is how it pans out) so the fact Cooper has improved could be for exactly the same kind of reasons and has got nothing to do with Smith or his ability v NRL half backs.

That's exactly my point though. A player goes to the NRL from superleague and does well and it's due to great coaching whereas if the go and do poorly its because they're an inferior superleague player. It's the same as when they come over here from the NRL. If they go well it's because they're a super human NRL player coming down a level whereas if they fail it's because they're here for a holiday.

The truth IMO is there are a pretty large number of average NRL players and there are dozens of players over here that can go there and have very solid NRL careers. We need to stop being so negative about our lads abilities and so ready to blow smoke up the NRL's backside. Superleague may not be the NRL but it's a very good competition and many NRL players have been found out over here.

Matty Smith like 10-15 of his Wigan teammates would go well in the NRL.

I honestly believe that this Wigan squad could hold its own in the NRL

I think we would as well. It's hard to judge where we stand on the WCC alone but there were a lot of factors that counted against us that day (not least our own performance which was way off the standard we're capable of).

I'm confident we could challenge to make the play offs.

Agreed