Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

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Wigan_ITK
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Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by Wigan_ITK »

Being thrust into the team with a hell of a lot of responsibility and expectation as well as a chronic shoulder injury clearly wasn’t easy and he speaks very well about putting things right this season.

Really hoping he kicks as it’s clear there is some talent there.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... y-22677425

There are few players at the age of 21 who are trusted with a regular halfback spot in Super League, let alone at a club like Wigan Warriors.

But that was the position thrust on Harry Smith last year as he got to grips with the challenge of managing expectations while finding his feet at the beginning of his professional career.

By his own admission, it was a rollercoaster campaign. Smith played regularly and showed glimpses of what is to come while the Warriors had their challenges in a frustrating campaign.

Smith played a chunk of the season with a shoulder injury which further complicated matters, though post-season surgery has been a success and he's now returned to full training

With that, he's hopeful that he can work on his game and improve again for 2022.

"Last year had its ups and downs," Smith said.

"The positives were getting the experience through a lot of games and learning what it takes physically and mentally, but from my point of view, I need to be more consistent and I need to have more influence on the game. It was tough at times last year, but overall I'm happy while knowing I've things to work on.

"I had an operation on the shoulder, I dealt with it through all last year, then had the operation a few weeks into the off-season. I've rehabbed it in the off-season and I've been building it.

"It was tricky but I had to get on with it to hold my position and to try and get the job done for the team. It restricted my movement and you can have a dislocation sensation, so it restricts a certain range of movements.

"What I've been able to do has been limited but I'm in full training and speaking about what to improve, on last year. Especially for young lads it's important to put your right foot forward in the off-season and rip in to improve."

Smith is clear on what he wants to get better at, and admits the arrival of the new coaching setup has helped him develop a clear understanding of what he will be expected to do, with Lee Briers already playing a role in his latest development.

"It's about picking the time when to grab the game and influence it, hopefully I will be able to do that.

"There's so much you can improve on, but being better physically, especially in defence, and we spoke a lot as a halfback group about improving on our kicking and being effective with that, different options so we can affect the game.

"It's been really good actually, there's a lot more detail in what he (Briers) wants in us as halfbacks and as a team in attack and I'm sure it will continue. We're not going too expansive at the minute, we're getting into it and with the weather, it's not been ideal.

"But mainly, it's about everyone knowing their role to a tee and the role of the person next to them. Knowing our roles means we know what we have to do on almost every play."
HDS
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by HDS »

Harry Smith deserves a lot of credit to soldier on playing with an injury. It is good that they are looking at different ways of improving the attacking options. But the real improvement will come if the forwards can create the platform, and give Harry and others the go forward that was lacking last season.
fozzieskem
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by fozzieskem »

Trouble is you have to ask why Smith was kept on being picked,his form was terrible at times and that he was carrying an injury perhaps answers that question maybe who knows,Lam should have grasped tge nettle and rested him instead of relentlessly picking him,that course of action does the player nor the team much good and no doubt the question wi be asked who to replace him with I don't know but at times hecsimply offered nothing and I don't think it was fair on the lad
Last edited by fozzieskem on Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Firestarter
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by Firestarter »

I thought smith was struggling last season…… a couple of games he threw interception passes and seemed to ge in pain, which hes now more or less confirmed……. One thing i have been wondering is if his injury hampered his goal kicking? I know its his shoulder but you never know….. going off people on here , he was a very good kicker
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Wigan_ITK
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by Wigan_ITK »

going off people on here , he was a very good kicker
His goal kicking was exceptional in the academy and for England academy against the Aussies in late 2019.

I’ve also heard he kicked them for fun at junior level so that doesn’t just disappear over night.

Maybe the pressure of playing with an injury as well as being given the additional pressure of being the goal kicker when the team wasn’t scoring too many points just weighed too heavily on him.

Clean slate for all players with a new set up next season as far as I’m concerned and let’s hope Harry as well as others kick on and fulfil there undoubted potential.
Mickw
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by Mickw »

I'm hoping to see a better attacking structure, I've seen plenty of gym work and running up dunes but a better more expensive attack will be the only thing that wins the fans back,we barely had 6 thousand on back end of last season, as for Smith there's a good player in there somewhere but he lost his way last season so it's a big year for him hopefully Briers can give him some direction.
DaveO
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Re: Harry Smith on new Wigan Warriors attacking detail, post-season surgery and making a bigger impact

Post by DaveO »

The shoulder injury and being played with it repeatedly could have set him back a lot. Age 21 isn't that young to become a first team regular for a player tipped as a potential star player in a key position. Sam Tomkins played 27 games in his first full season aged 20 in 2009 playing stand-off. I'd not be surprised a big reason why Smith didn't emulate that sort of debut season was down to that injury. We just have to hope a season long struggle like that hasn't ruined a promising player and destroyed his confidence.
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