Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:53 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

Or French.

What about the likes of

Joel Tomkins
Lee Mossop
Oliver Gildart
Josh Charnley
Dom Crosby
Liam Farrell
Darrell Goulding
Ryan Sutton

To name a few...

Who all went on loan/dual reg then later became first team players, it served their development very well.

I say this.. it's crazy to give a player who's had such little game time at top level a starting half position. How can anyone say he can lead a team week in week out on what we've currently seen of him is beyond me.

And Williams; he made 2 starts and 1 sub appearance in 2013 then 13 starts and and 10 sub appearances in 2014 when Green and Matty Smith were are starting halfbacks.
Hardly thrown into the deep end is it. Nothing like what you're suggesting for Harry Smith.

I agree with this, for what it's worth I think 2020 is the year Smith should go out on loan dual reg, he's ready for that.
Sadly we have seen young half-backs rushed in the past like Luke Robinson and Kev Brown, pressurised from the word 'go' (remember Stevo's Tissot watch moment?) were the next "Big thing" and would resolve all our issues. Thrown into the Wigan cauldron, didn't quite make it. Yet both good players later in their careers away from the club.

Then it was Joe Mellor, other players like Jack Murphy/Ryan Hampshire...etc also suffered.

Is Smith the "next big thing"? I'm not sure.
True class doesn't come around much these days, last truly great half-back Sam Tomkins (who was very quickly moved to full back by Maguire), before that? Sean Long? Seems like an eternity ago (still shudders at Lee Hansen coming the other way).

Let Smith 'step-up' to the next level on loan, see how he goes.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:13 am  

MattyB wrote:

I agree with this, for what it's worth I think 2020 is the year Smith should go out on loan dual reg, he's ready for that.
Sadly we have seen young half-backs rushed in the past like Luke Robinson and Kev Brown, pressurised from the word 'go' (remember Stevo's Tissot watch moment?) were the next "Big thing" and would resolve all our issues. Thrown into the Wigan cauldron, didn't quite make it. Yet both good players later in their careers away from the club.

Then it was Joe Mellor, other players like Jack Murphy/Ryan Hampshire...etc also suffered.

Is Smith the "next big thing"? I'm not sure.
True class doesn't come around much these days, last truly great half-back Sam Tomkins (who was very quickly moved to full back by Maguire), before that? Sean Long? Seems like an eternity ago (still shudders at Lee Hansen coming the other way).

Let Smith 'step-up' to the next level on loan, see how he goes.

100% WARRIOR's argument was all wrong. Using Williams was a bad example. Smith is 19 and only featured for a matter of minutes. Williams was 21 when he was given the 6 shirt after 2 years and around 25 appearances for the first team. Massive difference.

And yes your examples clearly support the obvious, so many young players were developed correctly and I believe suffered.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:48 am  

I don’t get the love in with Smith, from what I’ve seen of him he’s no better than Woods or Shorrocks.

Is he just another Nicky Stanton? An academy prospect that nobody has watched where every one on here wants him given a chance because he’s done well in the reserves?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:44 pm  

post wrote:

I don’t get the love in with Smith, from what I’ve seen of him he’s no better than Woods or Shorrocks.

Is he just another Nicky Stanton? An academy prospect that nobody has watched where every one on here wants him given a chance because he’s done well in the reserves?

He’s definitely better than Woods and Shorrocks, he’s the the best halfback we’ve produced since Williams and definitely has the potential to pass him

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:00 pm  

MattyB wrote:

I agree with this, for what it's worth I think 2020 is the year Smith should go out on loan dual reg, he's ready for that.
Sadly we have seen young half-backs rushed in the past like Luke Robinson and Kev Brown, pressurised from the word 'go' (remember Stevo's Tissot watch moment?) were the next "Big thing" and would resolve all our issues. Thrown into the Wigan cauldron, didn't quite make it. Yet both good players later in their careers away from the club.

Then it was Joe Mellor, other players like Jack Murphy/Ryan Hampshire...etc also suffered.

Is Smith the "next big thing"? I'm not sure.
True class doesn't come around much these days, last truly great half-back Sam Tomkins (who was very quickly moved to full back by Maguire), before that? Sean Long? Seems like an eternity ago (still shudders at Lee Hansen coming the other way).

Let Smith 'step-up' to the next level on loan, see how he goes.

I suspect that people are aware of our poor kicking game which includes Hastings and are looking around for someone to fill that role Smith, from what I have seen has a better kicking game than any of the first team squad.
Do I think Smith is ready? I haven't got a clue. I hope he is but I just done know. The only people who are best placed to say if he is ready are the coaching team. We will find out in due time what the plans are for Smith next season.
Personally I hope he gets a good few games next year with maybe the majorit from the bench to cover for TL and Powell.
On a personal note the quality of kicking from hand in the sport is frankly atrocious for a sport that considers territorial advantage a major part of the game. HB and FB should spend more time on the training field and less in the gym.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:49 pm  

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I’d like Smith to go in the halves, from what I’ve seen and heard he has the potential to be as good if not better than GW. He seems to me to have those organisational skills which GW didn’t have and a great kicking game - something which we are in dire need of!

However, I do know for a fact he won’t be starting HB come 2020. It’s going to be Tommy let’s be honest and Smith will likely either go out on dual reg or play 10-15 games from the bench mostly.

As long as Sammut doesn’t play in our team I’ll get over whatever opposing opinions on the team to mine are.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:01 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I’d like Smith to go in the halves, from what I’ve seen and heard he has the potential to be as good if not better than GW. He seems to me to have those organisational skills which GW didn’t have and a great kicking game - something which we are in dire need of!

However, I do know for a fact he won’t be starting HB come 2020. It’s going to be Tommy let’s be honest and Smith will likely either go out on dual reg or play 10-15 games from the bench mostly.

As long as Sammut doesn’t play in our team I’ll get over whatever opposing opinions on the team to mine are.

How many times have you seen Smith play against top class opposition?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:21 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

How many times have you seen Smith play against top class opposition?

None, which I'm beginning to suspect is the same number of times he saw Sammut play last season.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:42 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

None, which I'm beginning to suspect is the same number of times he saw Sammut play last season.

Yet we should make him our starting half.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:52 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

Yet we should make him our starting half.

Everything you've been complaining about the halves lacking last season he brought to the team on the few occasions he played.
I've already said he ain't Cooper Cronk but I'd sooner have him starting than a kid with promise but next to zero first team experience.
Unless the club is prepared to splash out for another half to play alongside Hastings he's by a country mile our best option.