Re: MATTY SMITH : Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:37 am  

Noel Cleal wrote:

Castleford want 1/2 million quid for Chase *snigger*

I think realistically if he was to go, he'd go for £200,000

Re: MATTY SMITH : Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:38 am  

Wigan are welcome to Smith. We still owe them one for Gus O'Donnell

Re: MATTY SMITH : Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:40 am  

St pete wrote:

I think realistically if he was to go, he'd go for £200,000

I think Cas would take their arm off if they offered that.

Re: MATTY SMITH : Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:54 am  

I just hope we don't sign smith, he's not good enough and not what we need. He has decent kicking game but he's not creative enough IMO.

As I've just posted on pies board, I think he'd fit in more at Wigan. They play a more drilled structured style of attack which will suite him as he's not very creative. At saints we would be to dependent on him creating something out of nothing as we have no structure and just hope and prey someone makes something happen.

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:09 pm  

DaveTwentyman wrote:

Matty Smith reminds me a lot of Lee Briers early on in his career. Unspectacular, average pace but clever, and good distrubution with hands and with the boot. Matty Smith played for the team, Eastmond played for himself.

I think we've lost our way a little with the kind of scrum halfs we're producing. If a player is small,lightning quick and excels at taking on the line we seem to want to play him as a scrum half. IMO a scrum half doesn't need these qualities, it's a football cliche but a scrum half let's the ball do the work by distrubuting it quickly. Making the right decision on the last tackle ie You don't half to score a try from every set of six, you gain field position and build pressure.

This is the best, most insightful post I've seen on the subject of Matty Smith, he was unlucky that Long and Eastmond were
infront of him, and wherever he's been since just haven't been good enough.

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:42 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

I recall well the time I was watching my nephew in an u10's game at Thatto Heath a couple of seasons ago, the same day as Warrington were playing a cup game at the Galpharm with a kick off at 2pm (I think), and he was still stood there necking a pint at 11:45. I was convinced he must have been injured or dropped, but sure enough I turned the telly on at 2pm and there he was out on the field... And this was after Smith had taken them over and supposedly sorted out their professionalism...

Why don't you finish the story...a drunk Briers helped Warrington beat Huddersfield 60-4 that day and went on to win their second consecutive Challenge Cup at Wembley. Not bad for a boozed up halfback who wastes his talent.

Or maybe Briers just looks good because he plays in a world class side?

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:45 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Or maybe Briers just looks good because he plays in a world class side?

I thought Briers played for Warrington?

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:51 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Or maybe Briers just looks good because he plays in a world class side?

Who cant play on a greasy surface, only play for 40 minutes and look like 13 players in fancy dress wearing Dennis The Menace outfits.

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:52 pm  

Murphys Magic wrote:

Good post burt I would disagree with you about the speed of the game. If anything its slower than eight to ten years ago especially the play the ball.

Unfortunately some aspects of the game will and are going backwards. We dont have the same spending power as the Aussie clubs because of their increased cap and the static cap in SL. We wont attract the better players from the NRL anymore and if anything some of our better players might decide to go over there rather than stay in SL. The only chance that any of top players will come over from Australia in the future is beacuse they have screwed up (e.g Greg Bird and Monaghan) and nobody wants them. The smaller numbers that will be signed will all be either NRL rejects, because they aren't as good or looking to boost thier pensions in an easier league.

As an earlier poster has written a few years ago Smith wouldn't even be considered a good signing by either Wigan or Saints but I guess that there's so few players available in certain positions at the moment.

The interesting point on this is that people used to say that if we stopped the Aussies coming over here there would be more quality British players coming through because there are all these great youngsters that could maybe challenge the Aussies but they don't get games because of all the Aussies here.

So now the Aussies aren't coming over why don't we find these guys instead of fighting over guys like Smith and Brough? Does anyone know where these great English youngsters that were blocked by the Aussies are?

Re: MATTY SMITH : Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:56 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

So now the Aussies aren't coming over why don't we find these guys instead of fighting over guys like Smith and Brough? Does anyone know where these great English youngsters that were blocked by the Aussies are?

Probably stuck in Halifax, like Gareth Widdop was, ignored by clubs' talent spotters who are too busy fighting over Superleague players and ageing Aussies.