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Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sat May 28, 2022 11:51 pm
by Exiled Wiganer
I agree 1000%. There is our 7 for the next decade.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 1:07 am
by widdenoldboy
MoM for me, most influential player on the park from either side. Lets not forget, his place kicking was the ultimate difference between the teams.
Excellent link up with Smithies, long may that develop.
Big up for Marshy as well, he had a poor final in 2017 after being a very late replacement for Davies, made up for the lad.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 2:50 am
by Blackpool_Pie
Echo everything said previously but also his kicking from hand is better than anything we've seen for a long time. Today we didn't make the hard yards and struggled at times to get out of our own 30 let alone our own half, but Smiths boot on the back foot was remarkable.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 8:46 am
by EagleEyePie
I don't know why anyone would have written Smith off at the start of the season yet I saw a topic on doing just that. It's not like he was in the same boat as someone like Jake Shorrocks, who had been in and around the team for a few years and never really shown much ability in the first team. Smith had plenty of good games before the start of this year, the problem was he was inconsistent. Inconsistency is part and parcel of being a young player and it takes some a bit longer than others to find that level of performance.
I defended him last year because I thought criticism of him was unfair. In a team struggling for any sort of attacking cohesion he picked up a decent number of try assists. He wasn't really the problem and the performance of the team as a whole made it a difficult year for him.
Since Leuluai's injury Smith has probably been our best and most consistent player. That consistency and high level of performance is exactly what we've needed. He was arguably robbed of the Lance Todd Trophy because of the ridiculous situation where the votes are cast with 10 minutes of the game left. He was certainly Wigan's man of the match. It's not a one off since he was also man of the match in the semi final against Saints. Our two biggest games of the season and Smith performed. I'd say right now Smith is exactly where he needs to be.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 10:02 am
by josie andrews
EagleEyePie wrote: ↑Sun May 29, 2022 8:46 am
I don't know why anyone would have written Smith off at the start of the season yet I saw a topic on doing just that. It's not like he was in the same boat as someone like Jake Shorrocks, who had been in and around the team for a few years and never really shown much ability in the first team. Smith had plenty of good games before the start of this year, the problem was he was inconsistent. Inconsistency is part and parcel of being a young player and it takes some a bit longer than others to find that level of performance.
I defended him last year because I thought criticism of him was unfair. In a team struggling for any sort of attacking cohesion he picked up a decent number of try assists. He wasn't really the problem and the performance of the team as a whole made it a difficult year for him.
Since Leuluai's injury Smith has probably been our best and most consistent player. That consistency and high level of performance is exactly what we've needed. He was arguably robbed of the Lance Todd Trophy because of the ridiculous situation where the votes are cast with 10 minutes of the game left. He was certainly Wigan's man of the match. It's not a one off since he was also man of the match in the semi final against Saints. Our two biggest games of the season and Smith performed. I'd say right now Smith is exactly where he needs to be.
Exactly. Too much pressure on him last year with no proper pack to make the room for him. I thought he was MoM for me too
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 10:19 am
by blindsideprop
Exiled Wiganer wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 11:51 pm
I agree 1000%. There is our 7 for the next decade.
Thats a big statement,similar things were said about Hampshire and Williams and look what happened there.I am not taking away the fact that he was very good yesterday but anything can happen in sport.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 1:43 pm
by fozzieskem
blindsideprop wrote: ↑Sun May 29, 2022 10:19 am
Exiled Wiganer wrote: ↑Sat May 28, 2022 11:51 pm
I agree 1000%. There is our 7 for the next decade.
Thats a big statement,similar things were said about Hampshire and Williams and look what happened there.I am not taking away the fact that he was very good yesterday but anything can happen in sport.
I agree with you,but let’s be fair a few more performances like that and the NRL will come knocking no doubt.
Re: Harry Smith
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 7:34 pm
by morley pie eater
Just watched the match through again. Harry Smith was man of the match all day long. Scored a try, saved a try, and made a try. Plus his open field kicking, goal kicking and commitment, organisation, defence.
French would be our number 2, with Marshy and Field mentioned in dispatches. All our forwards showed commitment and tremendous work-rate. O'Neill didn't look out of place. Thought Olly Russell had a good game for them.
The only possible negatives were Smothies' discipline (though he had a great game otherwise), and not sure about Cust.
