I've been listening to all the clap trap for the last four weeks about how good Smith has been.

Although has an awesome array of passes and a decent kicking game, if you take him out of his comfort zone he dies.

Ask him to do something off the cuff, put him under pressure and he bottles it and panics.

As soon as he does something really bad he shuts up and goes hiding. The team lose their shape be had the injury time gone on for another 40 mins, we still wouldn't have scored.

He's a poor mans Lee Briers and that's saying somet.

Totally agree. Apart from his first half pass to Lockers, he was appalling

How did that creative young match-winning Wigan halfback Sam Tomkins play..

He's a kid, not ready to play each week yet. FFS!

He didnt seem that much of a kid when he won us the cup tie against Wakey last week..FFS

As I said, he's not ready for every week.

If we don't pick our potential matchwinners, we will never win games like the one tonight. Last 20 minutes were made for someone like Sam tonight.

not the conditions tonight for sam.

Do people not realise the damage that can be done to him be playing so much at a young age. Read the article in the Daily Mirror re:Michael Owen. Like Faz, Rads, Paul Sculthorpe play too much at a young age and youll pay the price when the player fully develops but becomes injury prone.

Young players do need to play in the first team but also needs to be rested. Id rather see him play every game when hes ready. Rather than risk him and miss out on his potential of being a truly great player.

I dont think you can blame Tim Smith too much. Hes a passer and a dry weather player. You cannot throw fancy/long passes in torrential rain. Pretty simple that his form picked up when the weather dried up.

Well, as i said he has proved he is ready, that why we are in the cup quarters..

Totally due to Sam? You sure?!

It's not blaming him. It's pointing out why he's not good enough.

Also. Fair players are fine in Australia, not here.

don't talk sh#t if he is going to make it nhe needs to adapt to the conditions off the english weather !!

Yes, IN TIME. He's only 19!

Another point, why, when we are attacking the opponents line in conditions like tonight, do our 1st and 2nd receiver stand so far away from both the PTB and from each other? It was painful to watch us try and swing it from one side of the pitch to the other tonight.

No sh#t sherlock but to predict what conditions he can play in is boll#ks.

Half way through a game it starts raining BRING SAM OF ITS RAINING.

You ever played the game ??? start young learn young !

Calm down sonny! I think you've easily proved how much you know about the game. Thankfully, young Sam and Shaun are being brought on properly by the club, protecting them in the long term.

get a grip. yes hes a prospect, potentially world class but he is so young and only just making his name in the game. 19 is a young age for a half back. some forwards make it younger but the pressure and responsibilty is not the sameas for a half back. sam and ainscough will be used throughout this season and no doubt will be first choice season, this year is about building them up physically, mentally and putting the confidence in place to deal with a very expectant wigan crowd. its about gaining experience to make them into the players we all think they will become.

Yes, he was going okay tonight, had a kick charged down and then looked like he'd never picked up a rugby ball in his life before. His confidence is extremely fragile.

So there weren't the conditions for Sam who grew up playing winter rugby in Wigan but they were the conditions for Riddell who has only played in the sunshine of Oz and has done rag all in a Wigan shirt?

Id agree with that.



Overstating the case imo.

sonny ???? its pi$$ed down



throw him in these games and give him some experience off the sh#t times and the good times.

somebody talking sense !!

look outside the box fella. he is 19 years old, no experience of super league till recently, playing amatuer rugby in the winter is no comparison to winter conditions against a team that sits top of super league. riddell, has played in the hardest competition in the world and is pretty much a veteran, and if you think it doesn;t rain like that in oz, have a look at the early rounds of the nrl this season. tonight was going to be a slog. in ainscough and sam we are trying to develop two stars of the future. preparing them physically and mentally, creating the confidence to perform in front of probably the most expectant set of fans world wide. sam slipping and sliding, dropping the ball, getting hit time and time again by a big set is not something that will build him. we needed experience tonight, not a lad trying to make a name for himself, playing him would have done more damage than good imo. we have to look after our stars of the future and develop them at the right pace. im not a fan of noble, but right choice tonight