Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 2:10 pm  

If Wigan were looking at someone from Wakefield, it should be Eseh IMO

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 2:39 pm  

Smithies has signed with an Australian based agency.

Never seems a good sign.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 2:46 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Smithies has signed with an Australian based agency.

Never seems a good sign.

I don't blame him if he can go and play in better conditions and be paid handsomely then we can't really compete. Potentially a very good player but at the moment he's not one to throw the kitchen sink at the stay IMO

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 3:05 pm  

I just don't see Smithies as NRL level.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 3:20 pm  

moto748 wrote:

I just don't see Smithies as NRL level.

He's a Poundland Partington.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 4:45 pm  

Hes a lot more advanced than the likes of Rushton and maybe even Ryan Sutton who gave it a go. I think he would do ok over there. They love a workhorse.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 4:54 pm  

SaleSlim wrote:

He's a Poundland Partington.

I thought he was a Poundland Knowles he really should make his mind up.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 5:00 pm  

Well that sucks - was hoping he might have been a one club man given the passion he shows on the pitch. He'd make it I'm sure.

As irritating as it is, I think if we can get 6-7 years of 1st team service out of our academy players before an NRL move (with the possibility of them returning in the future in the right circumstances) then it's not a bad result. It's just the reality of where the British game is in comparison to down under.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue May 30, 2023 5:25 pm  

They do have a couple of clients that are Superleague based like Hardaker and Benjamin Garcia but both of those did do short NRL stints, so not holding out much hope longer term.

He would go just fine in the NRL. Some seem to have this idea that every side is packed with 17 super humans but in reality there are some really average players and Smithies isn’t that.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed May 31, 2023 3:25 pm  

Not a rumour in any way but having watched Superleague Show again, I wish we could tempt Edwin Ipape from Leigh. He’s absolutely killing it and exactly the kind of 9 we need to take us onto the next level. Won’t happen but what a cracking player he is!