just about spot on.although value for money this season not very much.

If Smith is in a winning team, with the line set comfortably, he will do well.

Ask him to perform when he or his team is under the kosh, and he is awful.

For that reason alone, he is not one of the best 7s in the league.

Damn cheeky kids.... throw your soiled undies at them....

Agreed.

He's been good when games have been going our way but does seem to struggle when things get tense.

I do think though we'll see a better player with the weather getting better and playing on dry, hard surfaces.

One things for sure that if we have as much ball in Salfords half on Friday as we did last week and Smiths playing we'll get more then 28 points.

Your not wrong however I think you harshy jumping on his back. Barrett often went "missing" in a Wigan shirt and people tend/choose to forget about that.

good shout

Which is why we need another half back when he leaves. TL doesn't have the ability to unlock defenses like Smith but we have signed him up again and if that means it's a TL & Sam half back partner ship for 2010 I think we will be back to struggling to score points and looking pretty clueless on attack.

Dave

We need a halfback for sure but he's got to be of the right quality and not just a cheap option.

If a player of the right calibre isn't available at halfback we have to get a huge pack for Tomkins and Leuluai to play on the back of because they'll need lots of space to play in.

Lenegan was quoted in the observer when we resigned TL as he has plans for him at 9 rather than in the halves.

Which suggests that Riddell isn't staying or that McIllorum is off out on loan. Good to know our chairman has yet more plans for players....

Smith has shown glimpses of quality for us, but we need him to do it in what is sure to be a tight game, that being the cup semi final.

Riddell spent his last season at Parramata rotating between 9 and the second row. Perhaps this is the plan? Not sure why need 3 players at 9. Unless TL is going to be at 7? OR perhaps it spells the end for Mac.

But we don't need another second row, Riddels capture smacks of bad recruitment to me, as does Roberts, there are gaps in our team, and last years recruitment didnt manage to plug them, hopefully the signings for 2010 will.

Lenagan seemed to release players last year before he's replaced them and then had to rush in and sign whoever they could just because they were available.

Originally Roberts was rumoured to be signing for 2010 but they brought that forward because they had the room and hadn't signed anybody else.

He needs to start getting things done quicker on all fronts including signings, sponsorship deals, new kits etc etc..................other teams seem to be able to have everything in place for the season after before their previous one finished so why not us!!!

Indeed Barrett did go missing but not in defence. It's almosty as if, when he loses it, he loses his bottle in defence to and is too scared to bend his back.

But Roberts as a signing didnt make much sense for 2010 either, unless the long term plan was for him to play fullback.

This is what concerns me, we always seem so slow off the mark and put ourselves behind the 8 ball.

Given comments made about the delays when our kits where finally released, we should be expecting news at any time about Mecca renewing or not which should see us have kits out in time - well depending if Kooga are still around next year given some rumours that were on the VT.