Epic dummy spit of Olympic standard

Very few can be accussed of late to not be supporting the team mainly due to performances (we are a fickle bunch ). Southern is part of the team and if he were to run out he would be supported from the terrace (I'd like to hope).

Southern splits opinions on here. The conversations regarding him in the main have been reasonable. There are arguments for both sides of the fence. I see good parts to southerns game and not so good. I believe he has been victim of our early season lack of props situation. That said I also feel that southern needs to work on his fitness big time. Nobody can question the guys efforts even if he has fallen short (to date) of expectations.

Bottom line is with southern is it's up to him alone to answer his critics on the field.

Southern certainly hasn't won games with his defence alone, that is a falsehood.
It's a team game and I'm sure you'll find that if you look back on those games we won earlier in the season when he was playing you will find 2 or 3 men in a tackle not a 1 on 1 situation.
All I'm saying is Southern will seriously have to up his game to push out what we have at the moment, no-one is saying he's a bad egg, we just need to see a lot more from him so he's not deemed to be wasting a quota spot

Ok, I had a moment!
Looking back the statement is a bit strong, though I stand by the rest.
I was thinking about the Widnes game. Personally, without his 1-1 defense early on, they would have taken over the game....but that's my opinion.

It really does bug me how 'fickle' if we are being polite a lot on here are though.
There are far more lines written about who we dislike tahn who has played well.

If the forum big voices had been followed we would be without both Agar and Tim Smith and others too. Smith was booed at some games remember.

Southerns defence helped win the opening game at Widnes to be fair, since then when he's played its been solid enough. He needs to be playing in the backrow or not at all though and if there isn't room for him there and he is unsettled over here then maybe its best for both parties if theres an amicable parting of the ways and the end of the season.

Thats proffesional sport mate, no room for loosers only the strongest survive.

As for Tim Smith I don't agree with any player being booed no matter how bad, buts lets face it his early games were poor and I think fans at every other SL club would have given him stick for his performances. For all we know the flack he got for those poor games may have been the nudge he needed to up his game to an acceptable level, plus the lack of a contract

Agree with that especially the Smith thing, when you go back and look at our earlier televised games you can see evidence of this, where Smith seems to be constantly looking for runners and angles but his team mates didn't seem to be on his wave length and he ends up trying to make a pass that wasn't there or gets crushed.

Half the trouble with smith early doors was he had to look out for his half back partner besides playing his own game.Most things we did came through him then we had Sykes move to partner him and hey presto he could play his own game.With Southern lets face it he aint had enough time to make an impression on how good he is/could be/isnt and for me what we have seen so far he aint any better than whats in front of him in the squad.Hes had injurys before he came and he has spent that much time with injurys he could soon be called sick note.If he is still at Wakey next season then he certainly has to pull his socks up to get in the squad ahead of those that are doing a job now.

Totally agree with that.

I think of lot of people on here need a reality check regarding Southern, The bloke turned down NRL offers and a lot more money to come here. Its cost Steve and his family their savings to come over and he is not on 'massive money' as all his accountants on here seem to think. It doesnt sound like someone who is coming over for a last pay day to me, he has done it for the challenge.


He has been injured, played out of position, his wife has struggled to settle especially as her mother is Ill, had a newborn baby that was Ill & yet in the small stints he has played people expect him to be a world beater.

He is one of the hardest trainers down at Wakefield, ask any of the players.

Anyone who has watches the NRL will know how much of a tough SOB steve is, he is a quality player to boot.

Judge him next season and if he isnt delivering Steve will be the first to put his hand up, give the bloke a chance and im sure he will prove a lot of people wrong.!!!

I am sure next year we will see the best Steve Southern once he and his family have settled in more.

Regarding Smith its simple , our forwards are playing out of their skin at the moment laying the platform for him to work his magic.

you can be the best playmaker in the game but if your forwards arnt doing their job, your stuffed.

I think I read somewhere that Steve Southern was a reserve grade player and captain of the side if so do I take it the offers fro other NRL clubs was for reserve grade sides

I am not doubting what you are saying but if those facts are correct he needs some serious advice. To come over here and create a massive domestic problem and also pay financially for doing so was not a smart move. The guy should be securing himself a lucrative NRL contract and returning home to improve his domestic circumstances. If he did that then who could blame him.