Re: GOAL KICKER : Sun Sep 17, 2023 10:02 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I'm just glad that this chatter about Harry Smith's kicking game is one with a very short shelf life - i.e 3 weeks max.

Smith, AKA the "general" (IYKYK), has probably been my player of the year. Regardless of his goal kicking.

Next season, I truly believe, that we've signed a Botica level kicker. He'll step into the kicking shoes and we'll just get to appreciate Smith for the top level, best tactical 7 in the league that he undoubtedly is.

He’s mine too, this whole thing of taking French or Field out and we’re no good, Harry Smith should be in that conversation as he’s just as, if not, more important.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Sun Sep 17, 2023 10:12 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Agree with that about Smith. His game is really coming on and it’s a shame the kicking debate takes focus away from his general performances.

Agree totally with this. His in game kicking is the best in the league. It's a shame he's had an off season with the boot as he's been outstanding in every other aspect that you'd want from him. The best 7 in the comp for my money.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Mon Sep 18, 2023 9:37 am  

Phuzzy wrote:

Agree totally with this. His in game kicking is the best in the league. It's a shame he's had an off season with the boot as he's been outstanding in every other aspect that you'd want from him. The best 7 in the comp for my money.

One thing that is apparent with Smith, is that when his forwards and the team in general are on, his job is so much easier and he's absolutely outstanding at controlling the game for us. Funnily enough, I'm sat working (giving myself 5 mins..ha) and a podcast with Kevin Sinfield is on in the background and Smith has an ideal example there of a guy to look to in terms of how important his role is over this next few weeks. Like Sinfield, Harry Smith will never win something like a man of steel award and during a long season, he'll have periods where things get a bit rough, because when the side isn't playing well, his qualities won't massively stand out but when the big games come and everyone is switched on and playing at full intensity, that is the time when you will realise just how important he is.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Mon Sep 18, 2023 2:31 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I'm just glad that this chatter about Harry Smith's kicking game is one with a very short shelf life - i.e 3 weeks max.

Smith, AKA the "general" (IYKYK), has probably been my player of the year, regardless of his goal kicking.

Next season, I truly believe, that we've signed a Botica level kicker. He'll step into the kicking shoes and we'll just get to appreciate Smith for the top level, best tactical 7 in the league that he undoubtedly is.

Keighrans goal kicking stats aren’t amazing though, he’s kicking at a lower conversion rate than Smith did last season, I don’t think it’s a dead cert that he even takes the kicking duties.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:08 pm  

CobraCraig wrote:

Keighrans goal kicking stats aren’t amazing though, he’s kicking at a lower conversion rate than Smith did last season, I don’t think it’s a dead cert that he even takes the kicking duties.

Might not have been talking about Keighran though.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:28 pm  

MattyB wrote:

Might not have been talking about Keighran though.

Didn’t think of that.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Tue Sep 19, 2023 3:19 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

One thing that is apparent with Smith, is that when his forwards and the team in general are on, his job is so much easier and he's absolutely outstanding at controlling the game for us. Funnily enough, I'm sat working (giving myself 5 mins..ha) and a podcast with Kevin Sinfield is on in the background and Smith has an ideal example there of a guy to look to in terms of how important his role is over this next few weeks. Like Sinfield, Harry Smith will never win something like a man of steel award and during a long season, he'll have periods where things get a bit rough, because when the side isn't playing well, his qualities won't massively stand out but when the big games come and everyone is switched on and playing at full intensity, that is the time when you will realise just how important he is.

I think that is right, but I would also say that he hasn't exactly set the world alight in those big games previously (maybe that's unfair and obviously he's a young player and improving).

Really interested to see him in the play-offs - England could do with him kicking on to be a really top player.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Tue Sep 19, 2023 4:02 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

I think that is right, but I would also say that he hasn't exactly set the world alight in those big games previously (maybe that's unfair and obviously he's a young player and improving).

Really interested to see him in the play-offs - England could do with him kicking on to be a really top player.

He was robbed blind of the Lance Todd last year

Re: GOAL KICKER : Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:26 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

He was robbed blind of the Lance Todd last year

Still can’t believe that, why they picked it on the 72nd minute I don’t know especially when the score was so close, even still he was MOTM by a country mile. Can’t think of a big game where he’s let us down really. Semi final last year v Leeds but the whole team was poor.

Re: GOAL KICKER : Tue Sep 19, 2023 6:10 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

I think that is right, but I would also say that he hasn't exactly set the world alight in those big games previously (maybe that's unfair and obviously he's a young player and improving).

Really interested to see him in the play-offs - England could do with him kicking on to be a really top player.

I'd disagree with that. It's perhaps in the lesser games where he could be more dominant but hasn't always been but I think that is usually more to do with how the team has played as a whole. When he's been asked to step up he has for the most part including in the mid season international.