Reason to be cheerful - Matty Smith

[Warriors Forever]

I agree , Leuleui was not the sort of player i thought would last so long, but he changed my opinion but i cant actually remember when he became a legend?

[Kittwazzer]

I agree , Leuleui was not the sort of player i thought would last so long, but he changed my opinion but i cant actually remember when he became a legend?

The tackle on Maurie Tiramasu did it for me!

[Warriors Forever]

Haha oh forgot about that! That was a stunner!

Funniest bit was when he got up and looked round seeing who had done it

[Panchitta Marra]

Is Matty Smith really as good as Tommy Leuluai, lets be honest.

[southernpie]

As a hooker - no
As a hard hitting tackler - no
As a ball playing halfback with a good kicking game - he has the raw talent to be, we have definitely seen flashes of it at Wigan and at Salford and Stains. The question is will he be able to show more consistancy?

[DaveO]

As a hooker - no
As a hard hitting tackler - no
As a ball playing halfback with a good kicking game - he has the raw talent to be, we have definitely seen flashes of it at Wigan and at Salford and Stains. The question is will he be able to show more consistancy?

You missed out Tommy's running game. He has a lot of pace but is strong and unpredictable with it. If he has the ball and is attacking the line the defence doesn't know what he is going to do and if they back off and he gets a sniff of the line he has the strength to force himself over. I don't think Smith is anywhere near as good in these respects.

If Smith is considered a more traditional half back then we are going to have to stop playing the split halfs as we do now. Playing that way each half back has to be much more of an all round player willing to take the line on as much are they are likely to pass or kick. Tommy and Finch can do this.

If Smith can't then he will have to play 7 and Green 6 in a more conventional sense.

[southernpie]

You missed out Tommy's running game. He has a lot of pace but is strong and unpredictable with it. If he has the ball and is attacking the line the defence doesn't know what he is going to do and if they back off and he gets a sniff of the line he has the strength to force himself over. I don't think Smith is anywhere near as good in these respects.

These are the strengths I was referring to that make Tommy so effective as a hooker, even though he obviously uses them when playing half back.

If Smith is considered a more traditional half back then we are going to have to stop playing the split halfs as we do now. Playing that way each half back has to be much more of an all round player willing to take the line on as much are they are likely to pass or kick. Tommy and Finch can do this.

If Smith can't then he will have to play 7 and Green 6 in a more conventional sense.

Could be.
With Salford's new ground being literally 2 miles from my doorstep I have been to watch a few of their home games this year (when it didn't clash with Wigan) and for me Matty was (like Salford as a team) never consistent enough but he did successfully take on the line at times and he could grab a game by the scruff of the neck, when he did link with Holdsworth and Patten they could trouble just about anybody. What I'm trying to say is he has the raw talent, but until we see him have a run in our side and how he adapts to the Wigan systems and how he works in partnership with Blake Green we wont know.
For me the coaches job over this off season is to work out how these two gel together best and what is best for Wigan Warriors with regard to our systems. I have a feeling this could be a great partnership, but it will also depend on how we play as a team. I feel if they had been our halfbacks playing behind the confident pre-exiles forwards this season they could have been as good as Tommy and Brett, although we could end up with another Moran :conf:

[DaveO]

For me the coaches job over this off season is to work out how these two gel together best and what is best for Wigan Warriors with regard to our systems. I have a feeling this could be a great partnership, but it will also depend on how we play as a team. I feel if they had been our halfbacks playing behind the confident pre-exiles forwards this season they could have been as good as Tommy and Brett, although we could end up with another Moran :conf:

I think saying they could have been as good as Tommy and Brett is stretching it a bit as Tommy and Brett are world class and Smith and Green are not.

That said I think you are right the coach has to work out how to use the two new recruits. From what I have seen of Smith then that ought to be as I suggested with us reverting to a more traditional set up at half back.

However even of the coach gets it right with how to play these two that doesn't mean it automatically follows they will be as good as what we have lost in Tommy and Brett. For that to be so they have to have the same levels of raw talent and skills. I know very little about Green in that regard but I am not confident Smith has.

[Panchitta Marra]

I hope that I am wrong but I think we will see more negative posts than positive ones on this web site regarding Matt Smith.
I have seen little in his play to excite me or feel upbeat about how I think he will perform for us next season.

[Wes]

Finchy is a class act but he isn't world class Dave. He is a run of the mill 6 in the NRL.

Green and Smith are unproven but have age on their sides.