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markill wrote: What was the difference that year, and what can we do to see more of that Smith?

Sadly, I think *that* Smith has gone for good. OK, he never was a Cooper Cronk or a Shaun Johnson, but as you say, he used to look a lot better player than he does now. Put it this way: the idea of him as an England player didn't seem ridiculous. Is that just down to the players around him, like not having Blake Green alongside him? I can't believe that's any more than a partial explanation at best.

Either way, I see no successful future for him at Wigan. We need to replace him. Whether with Sam, Shorrocks, or someone new, we need to replace him.

Could it be that Smith is overworked, when he was one of only one of a few of the senior players on the pitch due to high injury rate, he was having to do the job of many positions?

In League Weekly, KFC is waxing lyrical about how he would love to have Smith in his team!

Smith is a leader out there on the pitch.
So how many leaders have we and how many followers are there in the 17 each week?

Sam T is a leader but hardly ever there.
Lockers is a leader but often missing.
MM played just 3 games.
So who are the other leaders?
Faz and Joel have been out ages, Bateman is a leader and now he's back will make a difference.

Smith is the only "leader" who can be relied upon to play every week.
The responsibilty is too much for one person to carry all year. We'd have looked pretty useless without him and his
Smith isn't the greatest scrum half we've ever had but my goodness we'd have been a long way off 3rd without him.

Wiganer Ted wrote:Smith is a leader out there on the pitch.
So how many leaders have we and how many followers are there in the 17 each week?

Sam T is a leader but hardly ever there.
Lockers is a leader but often missing.
MM played just 3 games.
So who are the other leaders?
Faz and Joel have been out ages, Bateman is a leader and now he's back will make a difference.

Smith is the only "leader" who can be relied upon to play every week.
The responsibilty is too much for one person to carry all year. We'd have looked pretty useless without him and his
Smith isn't the greatest scrum half we've ever had but my goodness we'd have been a long way off 3rd without him.

Completely disagree with that for two reasons. The first is he doesn't show any leadership. He's a senior player but that doesn't make him a leader. When nothings working when has he ever got the team to try something different? Smith is a follower not a leader. We have looked leaderless in plenty of games this year when he has played.

Secondly his total lack of spark down his side of the pitch means he is part of the problem. I think his contribution to the wins we have got is pretty minimal and while we have no viable alternative that doesn't mean we are 3rd because he has played a large part in the wins we have got. He just hasn't.

markill wrote:Contrast all that to 2014 when Smith had 25 assists in Super League, more than any Wigan player has had in a season as long back as the stats on the Super League website go (2013).

What was the difference that year, and what can we do to see more of that Smith?

I don't know but his stats this season are worse than any other no 7 in the competition. On that evidence alone he should have been dropped from the side.

Kittwazzer wrote:In League Weekly, KFC is waxing lyrical about how he would love to have Smith in his team!

He can have him in a swop for Lomax.

Can someone explain to me how Smith has proved himself a leader?,is it because he talks a lot and shouts instructions telling people where to go?.If so judging by our attack he is not doing much of a job.Leaders prove themselves by setting standards which he has not done.

old hooker wrote:Can someone explain to me how Smith has proved himself a leader?,is it because he talks a lot and shouts instructions telling people where to go?.If so judging by our attack he is not doing much of a job.Leaders prove themselves by setting standards which he has not done.

Thing is you often see him at games shouting and waving (ala mathers) and players just seem to ignore him so if he is a leader he certainly doesnt have the backing of the players around him

Wigan_forever19​85​ wrote:

old hooker wrote:Can someone explain to me how Smith has proved himself a leader?,is it because he talks a lot and shouts instructions telling people where to go?.If so judging by our attack he is not doing much of a job.Leaders prove themselves by setting standards which he has not done.

Thing is you often see him at games shouting and waving (ala mathers) and players just seem to ignore him so if he is a leader he certainly doesnt have the backing of the players around him

From what I have seen Matty seems to be "a leader" so to speak straight after kicking a 40/20. Geeing the team up as if to say "look what I've done, come on you so and so's, get your fingers out your arses and follow my lead".
When he spoons a kick (1/2) he is silent.
Take a moment to compare Smith against every scrum half in S/L. What qualities, if any, does he come out near the top???