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What an absolutely immense player we have on our hands & still so young with potential to improve even more.

Tackling is second to none.

Gets through work in attack.

Mixing it up with some passes on to other forwards or out the back to a halfback's.

Think he deserves a lot more credit than he gets from some on here.

I personally didn’t think that he had a passing/running game but he’s developed this aspect of his game superbly which is great to see. The one weakness that he does have though and unfortunately this can’t be taught and that is speed.

nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 10:11 am What an absolutely immense player we have on our hands & still so young with potential to improve even more.

Tackling is second to none.

Gets through work in attack.

Mixing it up with some passes on to other forwards or out the back to a halfback's.

Think he deserves a lot more credit than he gets from some on here.

I agree although he was at fault for Leigh’s first try.

Hattster wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 10:45 am I personally didn’t think that he had a passing/running game but he’s developed this aspect of his game superbly which is great to see. The one weakness that he does have though and unfortunately this can’t be taught and that is speed.

Is speed a weakness for a forward?

I think it’s an added benefit.

He's been superb the last few years but recently, you're right, his link up play is starting to take him into another dimension. I'm not one for favourite players, but Smithies is something of a favourite of mine. I feel like he will be with us for a long time and has the potential to be remembered as a club great

Agreed. He’s no SOL or Faz but he’s showing glimpses of pure class.

We’re lucky to have him

nathan_rugby wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 10:49 am

Hattster wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 10:45 am I personally didn’t think that he had a passing/running game but he’s developed this aspect of his game superbly which is great to see. The one weakness that he does have though and unfortunately this can’t be taught and that is speed.

Is speed a weakness for a forward?

I think it’s an added benefit.

I don’t mean the speed of French/Field. He’s playing loose so needs some speed such as , Hanley, Goodway, A Farrell etc

Twice the player Morgan Knowles is.

Really impressed with Smithies, his tackling is second to none, and his petulance has almost disappeared.

He has in the last few games started to run at the line but instead on dying with the ball he is passing it, which is a big improvement to what was already a very good player. He looks almost like the second coming of Shaun O'Loughlin at the moment.

Keep it up, as was already stated we have got a good un here.

Hattster wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 10:45 am I personally didn’t think that he had a passing/running game but he’s developed this aspect of his game superbly which is great to see. The one weakness that he does have though and unfortunately this can’t be taught and that is speed.

Do you mean speed of thought, or running speed?

I remember a game earlier this season when he was the only one chasing back when someone was scoring against us. He didn't manage to catch up, but I was impressed by his speed, and the commentators mentioned it iirc.