Despite being a mixed bag i think it’s criminal we didn’t have Fages on the bench (especially considering Roby wasn’t 100%). Fages always gives us a bit of something different off the bench, energy, and a bit of zip around the middle of the pitch.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
Re: Matty Smith, he has had a great career with his supposedly limited skills.
Honours :
Super League Winner: 2013,2016
Challenge Cup Winner: 2013
League Leader’s Shield Winner: 2018
Lance Todd Trophy : 2013
Super League Dream Team: 2013,2014
He never let us down and it’s not his fault he had injuries and the coach who bought/was building on him got sacked.
Good luck to him and his family.
Can't stop the spirits when they need you.
This life is more than just a read through.
I don't thing we'd have done any better with Smith at 7 last Friday.
But I'm disappointed that JH seemed to abandon Smith altogether when he didn't want to play elsewhere.
Smith did a great job at 9 in terms of distribution. Roby's a great passer from acting half, but all the other we've had there always took at least one extra step before releasing the ball when passing. Smith was the only one who could match Roby with passing from Dummy half.
Indeed.
The disappointing thing about last week for me is the fact that Saints are a much better team than what Thursday brought up. I don't think we helped ourselves with the team selection looking back but we went away from what has brought so much success this season. We looked too one dimensional at times and if you look at the tries, they're really poor ones to concede as well. Poor decisions and you can't make them in semi finals unfortunately.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V
Agree Stiddy, I believe it was a hangover from the job Cats did on us. That day we did not defend well, Thursday they did not look like scoring in the first 50 mins, but did that freeze us ? We scuppered the Tommy and Thommo breaks in the first half, if one of them was converted the nerves may have settled.
Ifs and buts now but we were good enough this year for one of the big ones.
I agree. Against Cats, we tried to be too expansive too early (without earning the right to) and turned over a lot of ball. They, on the other hand, played a tight, physical game to great effect.
There seemed to be a decision, either by JH, the players or both, to keep it tight against Wire. We still coughed up 3 errors early on and that could have played on minds even more.
Whatever, to save 2 of your worst performances for the 2 most important games (as it turned out) is heart breaking.
Decision making was poor at vital times.
Makinson doesn't pass to a player in a better position
Numerous poor reads in defence
Selection errors, no fages or amor and picking youth in a semi final was an error
Everyone can learn from this, we will go again next year
Another thread derailed......
Matty Smith didn’t even play, so why has this become a semi-final neg-fest???
Can't stop the spirits when they need you.
This life is more than just a read through.
I agree. By picking the team he did, JH was reacting to how Warrington were going to play, rather than going with our best team (Theo on the bench) and letting them worry about handling us. Easy to judge after the event but maybe a poor decision by JH to go on the defensive instead of sticking to what had worked so well.
"Never write off the Saints!!"
He’s on the move again. Guess his career is just about done, shame it has pretty much fizzled https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/50670974
Always gave his best, it just wasn't what we needed when we signed him. Always comes across as decent bloke. Good luck to him
Truly awful player who along with Dawson and Owens summed up the Cunningham era. Four year big money contract, one of our last mistakes thankfully, forgotten along with Josh Perry. In line with his last statement Wigan are his team so no concern of ours.