What's happened to Matty?

[southportcdm]

After a very good season last year and an international call up, I was expecting Matty Smith to have a great season this time around. However, his play seems stifled, he's running at the line less than ever and his positional kicking game isn't as good as you'd expect. With young half back partners you'd expect Matty to have to take more responsibility and remove some of the pressure from them but this doesn't seem to be happening. He seems to want to play to a structure and expect them to come up with the variation (as Blake Green did?). Is it lack of form or confidence or is he just following orders? I'm also getting bored of players and coaches from other teams saying "you always know what to expect from Wigan ...". If that's the case we have to do it really well to win games and, at present, we're not. It's still early days but it's not been a great start and we may all have to be patient for some time yet.

[Owd Codger]

After a very good season last year and an international call up, I was expecting Matty Smith to have a great season this time around. However, his play seems stifled, he's running at the line less than ever and his positional kicking game isn't as good as you'd expect. With young half back partners you'd expect Matty to have to take more responsibility and remove some of the pressure from them but this doesn't seem to be happening. He seems to want to play to a structure and expect them to come up with the variation (as Blake Green did?). Is it lack of form or confidence or is he just following orders? I'm also getting bored of players and coaches from other teams saying "you always know what to expect from Wigan ...". If that's the case we have to do it really well to win games and, at present, we're not. It's still early days but it's not been a great start and we may all have to be patient for some time yet.

**


Perhaps you have hit the nail on the head with the reference to Green?

In regard to your comment "You always know what to expect from Wigan" perhaps they mean a very hard game which is not the case at the present time.

**Fixed your Quote - Josie

[old hooker]

Nothing has happened to Smith other than the man who made him look a good player(Green) has gone.He has never been more than an average player and the clowns over Billinge Hill got rid.Him and Williams were totally outplayed today by Campese and Kelly, neither whom are considered top players in the NRL and have only just come together.Williams may become a very good player down the line but is not ready yet.Smith is not going to improve and if we persist with these two it could be a very long season.
I

[Owd Codger]

Nothing has happened to Smith other than the man who made him look a good player(Green) has gone.He has never been more than an average player and the clowns over Billinge Hill got rid.Him and Williams were totally outplayed today by Campese and Kelly, neither whom are considered top players in the NRL and have only just come together.Williams may become a very good player down the line but is not ready yet.Smith is not going to improve and if we persist with these two it could be a very long season.
I

Spot on, old Hooker and exactly what I have said about Williams and Powell not being experienced enough to fill the role of Stand Off and play maker when like Smith, they are also Scrum Halves.

Perhaps Campese would have been better option for us?

[menpond]

Green was considered by some the best back in Australia at 18. He did not quite fullfill that potential but he was /is a very fine player and perfect for WIGAN in our current state.Would Williams and Bateman make an immediate and successful halfback pair?Both can make a break,and decent power.

[nuetral7]

Nothing happened to smith, he is what he is overrated! Wane should drop him and give williams and Powell a run, they won several hard games last season when green and smith were out, wigan fans seem to have forgotten that.
Tomkins is a penalty machine and cost you so much field position and points, therefore as in today's game you lose. If he wasn't called Tomkins you would be calling for him to be dropped.
Discipline wins and cost you games it's simple. People on here are very quick to call out the youngsters, it's your so called experienced players that's are failing, have a step back and look you might see what's in front of you.

[cpwigan]

Never seen a halfback yet that plays well with no go forward

[x Wigan Warrior x]

smith bashing ... how predictable :doz:

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

Never seen a halfback yet that plays well with no go forward

Most true.

I have never been a Matty Smith fan but I don't think that we should blame one guy for our poor start to the season. Our forwards need to run straight and hard and give our halves some room to play in, if they do and they fail to deliver then lets start laying the blame at their door!

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

smith bashing ... how predictable :doz:

One thing I would say is that we played better and won without him. His tactical kicking is poor, his place kicking is poor and he fails to attack the line - in this day and age that is not good enough. IFL, Rads and Waney knew that we were going to have a problem this season yet none of them tried to solve the problem. I see Smith nothing more than a stop gap.