i agree

Isn't the plan for Smith to play at Centre?

It was and at this point probably still is. Leeds need to form some sort of threat on the right and that doesn't come from Ablett and it's asking a lot of Watkins to perform at this level week in, week out.

Firstly, if we're going to discuss this you need to add more clarity as you've contradicted yourself right there.

I was specific. I said these last 6 games which dates back to last season. What did you mean by "at present"?

Generally speaking, he is a vastly inferior wing man to Scott Donald. Overall he is a vastly inferior full back to Webb.

He is a vastly inferior centre to Senior and is actually a lot less experienced and achieved a lot less in the centres than Watkins and Gibson, though the jury is still out. Smith as a centre remains a hypothetical.

So, despite his rich vein of form these last six games when all the pieces are back he will remain our 2nd best wing man.

Would I like to see us retain him? Yes, he's shown his versatility and shown he can play at a very high level and he's the right age. Should we break the bank to retain him? No, not when there are better players than him in all the positions across the back line?

Now, that was a rational, well thought and constructed post. Feel free to rebut with a difference of opinion.

But don't question my sanity. I am not the one who invents conversations with Phil Daly.

I agree and Mclennan needs to ditch this ploy because our defensive frailties aren't solved by the wingman. They're further in field. If we can't fix that might as well reap the rewards of Donald and Senior on the left flank.

Most of Manlys breaks were made in the middle of the field last night, and those that were made down our right side were due to having a man over out wide from fantastic running further infield.

I for one am glad Leeds won't be playing Manly every week. The skill level was way above ours.



Smith is now a fully fledged international which should automatically move him up the pecking order in Leeds' much vaunted pay structure, if they wish to retain him. Despite that it seems almost certain that there will be more money on offer elsewhere. I for one have always been in Smith's corner and would be disappointed if he moves on but that's between him and the club and what will be, will be.

Like I said, I dont want to get into arguments again about Smith.

However, he is not vastly inferior to Webb at fullback. Webb is a "proven" more consistent player, because Smith is much younger, that I agree. But Webb could have done nothing in those 6 games you mention that Smith has not done, and if anything Smith probably brought more to the table in a couple of those games.

Smith is certainly not inferior to Donald. That is a matter of opinion. But what Smith lacks in finishing speed he more than makes up for in the fact that unlike Donald he does not have a pea for a heart, and Smith is far better defensively, along with been far superior under a high ball. Thats where I struggle to see how he is second best, and that is not critisizing Donalds worth to the team, because he is a very good finisher.

As for Centre, you are probably right. There is no proof that Smith is a better overall centre than we have. He needs games there to prove that.

The only thing for certain is that Smith should be, and probably is, the first name on the team sheet when listing from 1 to 5, where ever that may be.

tvoc, as you were with the Scott Donald issue on the other thread, you're spot on again old lad.

lets not forget that webb has had a long and serious injury and he is still yet not fit.
there must be a slight doubt that he may not be the same player when he returns.

Donald has a pea for a heart? Did you post any such views last year before Donald was asked to switch positions for the benefit of the team? Smith brings more to the table than Webb? Did you post any of this before Webb's injury allowed Smith a game in the number 1 jersey at the GF? IIRC all posts on here before the GF were that we were doomed because of Webb's injury. Please feel free to direct me to a post where you corrected people and said Smith would bring more to the table than Webb?

Of course, its' opinions and we're all entitled to them.

However, mine are based on more than just the last 6 games. Webb's injured and Donald has been switched to a different position to try and benefit the team at the detriment of his own form.

Yet whino revisionism has Smith better than both these players despite that fact that just one season ago he couldn't maintain a regular place in the team.

I think Smith is a great player. A valuable member of the team. I hope we retain him...........but get real people.

Smith = Inverse Bailey

i thought senior was our MOM last night

I probably ripped off one of your posts from last week.





Re watch last year's Final Eliminator and see if you can find something that Webb does far better than anyone else in the currently fit and available squad? And that includes Lee Smith, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow.

Ali surely...

spot on mate

Sublime or what.

I'm not sure what you mean there. Are you praising or baggin him?

I'm pointing out to DISA (who claims Webb doesn't do anything that Smith doesn't do) something that Webb does far better than anyone else in the team when asked to.

Any better?

Seriously, and you have a go at others for knee jerk reactions.



What is clearly stated in that quote is that in a couple of those 6 games, Smith probably brought more to the table than Webb could have.

Now where does that quote fit in to what your frothing at the mouth post states?

Considering Smith has 4 Man of Matches (for Leeds) now in those 6 games you talk about, I would think what I stated is far nearer the truth than what you have stated, regardless of opinions.

In relation to the Donald situation, I dont feel a need to point to critisisms of him, because I was not critisizing him. I genually do feel he has a pea for heart, and does not show enough bottle at times, but that does not take away from what he is in the team for, which is finishing. If he did have more bottle, IMO he would score even more tries than he currently has, which would be a fantastic record.

See post above, Don't fall for frothing at the mouth knee jerk reactions of others. Read posts fully.

Much better. Can't rember the specifics of the game from him though, but in general as a player he has so many facets to his game that are over and above the role a fullback should have.

Great feet
Halfback skills
Gets into Dummy half
Solid under high ball
Pace
Strength

Webb links the play and therefore creates alot more than Smith. However I do feel that Smith is a bigger danger than Webb ball in hand. You could say that Webb's support play is superior to Smiths, however we've not made many clean breaks recently so I'll hold judgement on that one. There's no doubt that at present our strongest side has Webb at fullback, and Smith on the wing. I hope for our sake that he can make it as a centre, but I think it will be abit of a waste of his talents.

I'm not I'm pointing at a specific role Webb filled in the FE that Smith thus far has not been asked to do. That role was filled by Burrow at Old Trafford and last night in Burrow's absence rather less well by Jamie Jones-Buchanan.

That is something extra Webb would have brought over Smith, IMO of course.

I agree with you. You were right to point that out. The question is would the rest of his game in the 2 matches I said Smith probably brought more to the table, have matched up to what Smith achieved?