MadDogg wrote:
Interesting player - always gave 100% but perhaps a jack of all trades and a master of none. Hope he nails down a position at Salford.
Ellis should play 13 for me next year but we also have Thompson, Havard, Isa and maybe Chan to slot in there.
None will be able to match what Smithies brought to us though.
I'd disagree with the jack of all trades tag in the sense that he's far better at 13 than any other position, but has the attributes that make him capable of covering various different roles, although none of them to the level he plays at loose forward.
Unfortunately there was a Smithies shaped obstacle in his way throughout his time in the first team. When Smithies had a dip in form in 2021 Shorrocks was Young Player of the Year but then had a bit of second season syndrome the following year, which is when Smithies took his performances to the next level and made loose forward his own.
When Shorrocks played 13 this year he played well but we got nothing out of Smithies at second row (and our right edge looked shaky defensively) and at that time our front row was struggling without Havard and Ellis. It meant the only sensible option was Shorrocks to second row where he doesn't really have the size to make an impact. He's much better running at bigger, less mobile players down the middle than out wide at players who are still bigger than him but also mobile.
It's too easy to shift Shorrocks to other positions and that has cost him a bit in terms of development in his preferred role. I hope he gets a chance at Salford to play 13 regularly and fulfil his potential but my only concern for him is that they tend to have a very small squad and that means a higher likelihood of pulling players out of position to cover absences.
