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Author Topic: Smith - not ready?  (Read 2610 times)

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Quinston Churchill

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #15 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 14:52* »
The players' player of the season is not ready for premiership rugby? Riiiggghhhht.

He was utter garbage the end of the season and was also last night. Slow, out of position and throwing bad passes

I wasn’t at the game last night so I can’t comment on that but I don’t think he was ‘utter garbage at the end of last season’. Unsurprisingly, he looked like an inexperienced 10 struggling to manage the game in a team that was playing appallingly.

As I see it, he’s a kid who has been thrown in at the deep end. Raw talent has allowed him to perform at a level that would be beyond most players of his age. Right now, he probably shouldn’t be a first choice 10 in the Premiership, but he’s good enough most of the time for me to forgive him for the times he’s not as good. He’ll keep improving as he builds his experience so I can take the odd ropey game.

JammyGit

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #16 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 15:37* »
He had a couple of lousy performances, but yeah.

Gone

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #17 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 20:00* »
Utter garbage and not ready for premiership rugby. Riiiggghhhttt.

At the end of last season he was tired, burned out and making bad decisions and kicking poorly - so yes, garbage is too strong but he doesn’t look like Jehovah right now.

He was hyped too early by Jones and played too early by Kingston - and yesterday he was playing the same way.

I hope it was just a bit of rust - but we need someone with experience and/or control when we’re up against it and he didn’t show that yesterday.

Lang - however - did.

Everyone’s a Quinner

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #18 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 20:35* »
One thing however is for certain. He’s definitely one for the future. Was billed this from the start and although he did a lot for us positive-wise last season, should still be seen as one for the future

Quinten Poulsen

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #19 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 21:02* »
He was our best player last year; I don't see why he isn't a player for now.

Everyone’s a Quinner

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #20 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 21:22* »
He was our best player last year; I don't see why he isn't a player for now.

I agree

Monte

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #21 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 21:53* »
I agree as well

Gone

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #22 on: Saturday 25-Aug-2018, 22:40* »
He’s certainly the future and a raw talent - the last few games I’ve seen him in have suggested he’s trying too hard and needs more time. My worry is there is no more time coz the Cat is absent and Swiel seems to have lost all his early promise.

deadlyfrom5yardsout

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #23 on: Sunday 26-Aug-2018, 09:04* »
I thought he was just trying too hard. Danny picked him out with a couple of great long passes and he did ok in moving the ball on. I felt he was doing a lot more tackling than before.

And the missus says his bum has got bigger.

Admin

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #24 on: Sunday 26-Aug-2018, 09:34* »
He certainly tackles anything that comes his way. He never gets trampled. Just hangs on like a terrier until the cavalry arrive.

RodneyRegis

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #25 on: Sunday 26-Aug-2018, 15:31* »
I think people have to remember how difficult it is to look good at 10 behind a terrible pack on the back foot. MS is not the problem!

DazzaS

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #26 on: Sunday 26-Aug-2018, 18:27* »
It's his difficult second season. He is going to get criticised and be under scrutiny whatever he does after all the good he did last season which is grossly unfair so let's just leave him alone.
« Last Edit: Sunday 26-Aug-2018, 18:33* by DazzaS »

Gone

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #27 on: Monday 27-Aug-2018, 17:42* »
It's his difficult second season. He is going to get criticised and be under scrutiny whatever he does after all the good he did last season which is grossly unfair so let's just leave him alone.

Oh come on - this sort of thing drives me crazy. Like we can’t criticise Brown coz of his “heart”.

I’m not being unfair. He was poor at the end of last season and was poor on Sat - I simply asked if others thought we’d made a mistake by promoting him when we did.

Not being critical of players could very easily be why we ended up in the terrible state we were in last year. Someone needed to put a boot up their bums and drop “names” who weren’t performing but it never happened.

Please don’t tell me we can’t be critical of a professional sportsperson being paid to play a sport.
« Last Edit: Monday 27-Aug-2018, 17:45* by Blucherquin »

honkytonk

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #28 on: Monday 27-Aug-2018, 18:18* »
I dont think we made a mistake promoting him, at the time there were not that many other options.  It worked out well, Smith got game time under his belt and Quins have a another very good option at 10.  Had it not been for Cats injury I am sure he would not have played as much.   I would like to see his game time managed, no point running him into the ground, esp now Lang has emerged as another very good option. Swiel as 4th choice gives us a strong set of 10s. 
From Smiths point of view it was a big rise for him in a short time, Eng training call ups etc.  Originally last season the plan was for him to play DR with Esher!!!  Still only a young bloke and the pressure may have/be having an effect on his game. 

As it stands if I were picking the team for Saturday I would be starting Lang at 10 with Cat on the bench if fit, if not, the Smith.

Quinston Churchill

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Re: Smith - not ready?
« Reply #29 on: Monday 27-Aug-2018, 18:38* »
I think we need to stick with him. It is clear he has talent and even if his form did tail off at the end of last season, that’s no different to the rest of the squad. As others have also said, playing effectively behind a beaten pack takes experience and nous that no 18/19 year old is likely to have.

We promoted him too quickly due to a combination of bad planning and misfortune. We had ample time to find a replacement for Evans, let our second and third choices (Botica and Jackson) go and then signed Catrakilis who was unfortunate to pick up a serious injury very quickly. We threw him in at the deep-end and for the most part, he swam very nicely.

I don’t think we should be relying on him (I would prefer to alternate him with a fit Catrakilis), but I find this talk of Lang starting ahead of him very strange. Lang is promising enough but he hasn’t once hit the level of performance Smith has at his best. He’s bound to be inconsistent at this stage in his career, but let’s nurture him rather than drop him for a couple of sub-par performances.

 

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