: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:01 pm  

Lets try to stay clear of the Wakey Wigan stuff and discuss Smithy and Union please.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:24 pm  

BIGAL1 wrote:

Lets try to stay clear of the Wakey Wigan stuff and discuss Smithy and Union please.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:31 pm  

I simply think that in a code struggling for British talent, we cannot sit back and not be bothered by a very good player who is essentially still a prospect crossing codes.

While it is getting better, there are still far too few young quality Brits coming through, you only need to look at the results in the reserve league to see that the competition is so poor due to a total lack of quality at some clubs.

If he were to leave Leeds another League club should be in a position to sign him ideally though he would be at Leeds till they deemed they did not need him, i am certain Leeds will want to retain him but due to the structure and restrictions of the cap in its current form they are unable to when they could probably comfortably afford to keep him without risking financial melt down were the cap restructured to reward there ability to have a good turn over and produce talented international players.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:35 pm  

Losing Smith to rugby union bothers me!

I agree with John that we have precious few young players who have already demonstrated their ability to be a gamebreaker at the highest level. In my opinion Smith has already done this and is only going to get better.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:35 pm  

agree back on topic.

IMHO i dont really think we will miss smith as he never reached the heights of a has been as he was more a never was . Im also sure that quite a few RU fans are scratching their heads saying LEE who?.
I would be more worried if yet again another big star under 30 decided to move.

I don't watch RU at any level as i despise the game so i can not really comment on farrell and other RU converts apart from to say i have not heard anything of them.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:44 pm  

mutley cat wrote:

agree back on topic.

IMHO i dont really think we will miss smith as he never reached the heights of a has been as he was more a never was . Im also sure that quite a few RU fans are scratching their heads saying LEE who?.
I would be more worried if yet again another big star under 30 decided to move.

I don't watch RU at any level as i despise the game so i can not really comment on farrell and other RU converts apart from to say i have not heard anything of them.

He is still a young prospect he is 22. As i said earlier he was regarded along with Inglis as one of the top prospects in World Rugby League a few years ago. To be fair he stagnated for a couple of years but last year really kicked on.

His performance in the Grand Final was nothing short of World Class had Webb produced that performance we would still be talking about it now, we as a code in my opinion cannot allow players with such potential to and proven ability to perform leave our code.

The talent pool is so small, we cannot allow it to get even smaller and remove one of its biggest fish.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:47 pm  

mutley cat wrote:

agree back on topic.

IMHO i dont really think we will miss smith as he never reached the heights of a has been as he was more a never was . Im also sure that quite a few RU fans are scratching their heads saying LEE who?.
I would be more worried if yet again another big star under 30 decided to move.

I don't watch RU at any level as i despise the game so i can not really comment on farrell and other RU converts apart from to say i have not heard anything of them.

Myler tipped for an England call up sooner rather than later.

Ashton broke the League scoring record in his first season in the game. Was being banded about as a potential British Lion player earlier in the season form dropped off by all accounts now and he is in and out of the Northampton side at the moment.

Faz England international, Sarricens captain.

Owen Farrell & George Ford Englands stand out performers in the 18's age group 6 Nations last year (a team captained by a lad from Wakefield, an inside centre and massive League fan). Owen Farrell, and i may be wrong but think i am correct is the youngest player to ever play first team rugby union in the Guiness Premiership.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:00 pm  

jonh wrote:

He is still a young prospect he is 22. As i said earlier he was regarded along with Inglis as one of the top prospects in World Rugby League a few years ago. To be fair he stagnated for a couple of years but last year really kicked on.

His performance in the Grand Final was nothing short of World Class had Webb produced that performance we would still be talking about it now, we as a code in my opinion cannot allow players with such potential to and proven ability to perform leave our code.

The talent pool is so small, we cannot allow it to get even smaller and remove one of its biggest fish.

i agree about the GF performance and that part about the infallible brent web but i think its a little over hype IMHO

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:05 pm  

mutley cat wrote:

i agree about the GF performance and that part about the infallible brent web but i think its a little over hype IMHO

Would you not like to see how he develops in the next 3 years. He is not the finished article but he is still one of the few flair players and top prospects in the game, allowing him to leave and our inability to prevent it from happening, is very bad for the game as a whole.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:12 pm  

jonh wrote:

Would you not like to see how he develops in the next 3 years. He is not the finished article but he is still one of the few flair players and top prospects in the game, allowing him to leave and our inability to prevent it from happening, is very bad for the game as a whole.

nothing more than a world beating GB side would i like to see but i believe that's comes from the heart and if smith was ambitious in league then he would of stayed , you will have to excuse me but i m trying to think of a top SL who turned union down a couple of years ago but for the life in me i can not remember