Cruncher wrote:
I've no reason to believe that you weren't told this, but what has George actually done that would induce a top Aussie side to offer him mind-blowing money?
I can understand Wire wanting him ... because they'd just lost their star halfback and didn't have too many other options. But Souths?
Don't get me wrong. I'm sure he'll go to Aus at some point, but I'd be amazed if he went down there as anything more than 'a promising Brit who might be useful if he gets the right coaching'.
Cruncher I think you may have hit the nail on the head with your comment that he " might be useful if he gets the right coaching".
I have been thinking this for weeks, ever since George got into the team he has to my mind been playing with one hand behind his back and by that I mean never to stray farther than 30 yards from the left wing.
I have mentioned before my dislike of this system of left side or right side halfback, which meant with Smith offering nothing in the creativity department or threat close to the line that George did, Wigan seemed to be playing at times with one arm behind their backs.
In saying this I am not blaming Smith, he knew his limitations and played to the best of his ability every week. Smith would have been better years ago under the old unlimited tackle rule were you had a steady half back guiding his forwards round the pitch and knowing when to release his more adventurous standoff who could get the outside backs going. ( who on here remembers Rees Thomas, signed from Swinton for £500 pounds as a stop gap scrumhalf but took Wigan to 2 Wembley finals)
I can see other posters lining up ready to say after the comments I have made telling me to get away from past and to realise that the game has moved on.
During the recent four Nations I made a big effort to focus on Johnathon Thurston Australia and to a lesser extent Shaun Johnson New Zealand.
First Johnson even though he is predominantly a right side player he popped up on the left side with his little kicks over the line.
Thurston is known as a left sided halfback but in the final he popped up a lot on the right and I think his little kicks led to at least I try, maybe 2.
Therefore my main point is by giving George just the bit more rope you may start to see a far more rounded player.
This is why I think Souths may get more out of George than Wigan do by allowing him a bit more room to make decisions for himself but in a controlled environment .
I am not saying George is a Johnson much less a Thurston but we will never know until someone lets him slowly off the leash he seems to be constricted by at Wigan.