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Wigan_forever1985 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:06 am Hes as good a half back as ive seen in this league

I agree.

He's quality of that there is no doubt. He's barking instructions at team mates all the time and always trying something

Just hope his time at Wigan is used to give young Smith the chance to play alongside someone of his quality rather than waste a season with Tommy there and possibly lose them both for next season

I've always thought, despite his many critics, that Luke Gale was the best half in SL over the last few years. I think Hastings is at least his equal.

Enjoy him while we can. He’s a good man

I think we'll regularly rotate Smith in in place of Tommy. And I think that's the right move this season. Don't put the kid under too much pressure and don't raise his expectations of being a super star too soon. But I do hope he's a super star and that we keep Hastings for a few more years as well. They're going to be a great pairing, maybe even the regular starters by the end of the season.

Mike wrote:I think we'll regularly rotate Smith in in place of Tommy. And I think that's the right move this season. Don't put the kid under too much pressure and don't raise his expectations of being a super star too soon.

That might be fine if Tommy was still any good but if Sunday is his standard these days that is no longer the case. He needed taking off long before he was.

In any case Smith is 20 so I am not sure how old he’s got to be before he’s a regular starter. The best young players are often ready for regular first team football at that sort of age. I think if you are good enough you are old enough applies here. As a back there is also less chance of burn out than a young prop which in my opinion Lam is already over doing it with some of them.

Being a young age too Smith has an opportunity to be risky and have that element of play that comes with a confident youth. It could be beneficial like more 40/20s, chip over... but then again it could backfire spectacularly. Like Gellings play

Pleased that Hastings has done so well after that terrible tour in the summer when he wasn't good at all. Seems to have got a good rapport with those a round him, particularly Farrell. It should be even better when Olly gets back to left centre.

ancientnloyal wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:17 am Being a young age too Smith has an opportunity to be risky and have that element of play that comes with a confident youth. It could be beneficial like more 40/20s, chip over... but then again it could backfire spectacularly. Like Gellings play

I agree on this but Smith does seem to play with a level of maturity - the big test will be his first stinker game and how he reacts to that so far hes been very good - his first game where he gets off to a real bad start will tell us a lot more

Southern Softy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:37 am Pleased that Hastings has done so well after that terrible tour in the summer when he wasn't good at all. Seems to have got a good rapport with those a round him, particularly Farrell. It should be even better when Olly gets back to left centre.

Good call, Centre is a position we aren't naturally blessed with at the moment and Gildart's pace, movement and positioning will add even more to our attack.
Agree with DaveO about Leuluai (same, in my opinion as SOL, btw) but we seem much slower going forward these days with TL getting the ball moving away from the Halves, whereas Smith has been a revelation, with his all round game. Of course, he has to be brought through the senior squad responsibly, and even at 20, he doesn't physically look the finished part yet ? I don't think he should start every game and being spelled with TL, like at Huddersfield, for parts of this season could be the answer.