The odd thing is I also seem to remember Pat struggling with his goal kicking when he first took it on and other posters have made similar comments in past threads about goal kicking. However if you look at Bilko's site it shows that in his first season as main kicker Pat got 83.3% of his kicks and that his poorest success rates came in 2009 and 2010 when he was our established and very reliable kicker (he even had a better success rate when filling in during his debut season in 2006 than in those two years (78.5% success)). In the first 5 games of 2007 he missed only 4 from 18 kicks and then kicked 23 of 26 in the next 5 games. Yet most of us seem to remember him as having started off kicking poorly. Maybe he only missed the touchline ones but those were what we focused on (as we felt Farrell or Dobson would have got them).

It seems like there is certainly something to what Father Ted posted about us fans having been spoiled by a succession of great kickers and that meaning that the first person to start missing a few will take a high level of flak. If most of us thought Pat started poorly in 2007 then judging by the actual figures we have it seems been very spoiled with goal kickers. I'm not saying that Smith has started the year as a roaring success goal kicking wise as he hasn't but when compared to Pat (or the mind's view of Pat's goal kicking) the lad is on a hiding to nothing.

Odem is right when he says that Smith (or anyone else that tries their hand) should be given time to grow into the role and getting on his back certainly won't help him do that. We certainly have a couple of people in the coaching team that can help with developing and improving his technique. I'm sure he will get better and more confident as the season goes on.

Wane is sticking with Smith. Below taken from Wigantoday.net

Meanwhile, Wane has given mis-firing Matty Smith his support and ruled out changing his goal-kicker.

Smith took over the role from Pat Richards this year but his strike rate is less than 50 per cent.

However, the halfback did nail a sideline conversion under pressure at Castleford last Sunday and Wane says he is working hard on finding his groove.

“He continues to practice, he’s improving, and it’s only a matter of time,” said Wane. “I’ll stick to him, I’m confident he’ll come good.”

Wane ruled out the idea of bringing in a specialist goal-kicker, adding: “That’s not my way.

“I want absolute quality in every position and it wouldn’t sit right with me signing a goal-kicker. We have others who can kick - Josh Charnley, Ryan Hampshire - but I’m confident Matty’s work will pay off.”

i agree with Wanes comments; smith is suffering at the hands of the teams' performances and once the team gets into the swing of things there will be less pressure on smith and that will show in his kicking accuracy.

a side struggling puts added pressure on the conversion kicker to achieve the conversion to keep his team in the match, a side in good form provides the conversion kicker with breathing space to settle in and come good, which I believe (and more importantly hope!) he will do.

lets not forget we are 3 games in guys.

Wane is talking rubbish, Smith is only a 50-60 percent strike rate kicker where Pat was a 85-90 percent kicker

A lot of our tries are scored out wide (thos should continue due to the good form of Burgess and with Charnley ready to hit the straps). Tough days ahead for Smith.

Bowen has been known to pop a few over according to his records!

Quote: MR FRISK "Wane is talking rubbish, Smith is only a 50-60 percent strike rate kicker where Pat was a 85-90 percent kicker No he wasn't. www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats

Quote: MR FRISK "Wane is talking rubbish, Smith is only a 50-60 percent strike rate kicker where Pat was a 85-90 percent kicker No he wasn't. www.superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats

How about Owen Farrell as his dats as England fly half will be limited with the emergence of George Ford.

I can't tell if you're joking or not.

matty smith is more than capable, just needs to learn composure you could tell he was going to miss the kicks he did as it looked like he was over thinking it.

I can tell you it didn't do anything to improve my humour watching Pat hoof over kicks from every bloody conceivable angle at the week end (to add to two smartly taken tries and a 70 yard drop out)!!!

that drop out was something else its good to see that a 32 year old who spent majority in super league can still "cut it in the NRL". But yeah i would rather see him in a wigan shirt every weekend as well. super player who is a Wigan legend, good to see him spreading the joining jack over there as well.

Don't forget though that Frano himself felt his goal kicking was a way into the side because he would not get a game otherwise. He did of course become a very good No 6 in his own right but at first was stuck out on the wing while he learned the game.

So in a way Frano is a good example of including a player in the side just for his goal kicking who isn't that good a player to start with.

Goal kicking was important enough for Monie to do that despite reservations about signing him in the first place (he wanted Phil Blake instead) and it remains as important IMO.