As a point of order. Full backs generally make less tackles in a game than centres. If he can take the ball up well and beat the first man, then good on him. I don't get to watch SL. So you tell me if Smith can do that.

He does, and he did a fair job on Senior in the GF, but NZ have both the size and pace that is lacking in SL.

I honestly don't see NZ as THAT brilliant.

They have the structures that NRL coaching gives you but on a player to player comparison I don't think there's much in it and we have better depth.

How can you start off with that, then talk about changing pretty much the entire team apart from 4 players?!

Compare Benji Marshall to Danny McGuire

While I appreciate that Smith was poor, name one player who wouldn't be made to look like a liability against Inglis in that first half.

Paul Sykes

Lance Hohaha??

Thomas Leuleui??

Nathan Fien??

Eastwood??

Lima, Harrison and so on all very ordinary players and we have better in their positions. Thats without talking about their players who have about 5 rep caps between them.

A bit like the Saints v Bulls GF





At least Leeds can develop their own half backs unlike Saints who seem to rely on on other clubs doing the spade work - Widnes and Bradford if I am not mistaken

You aren't serious - let's compare a few players



Blair v Sinfield

Matai v Smith/Bridge/Eastmond

Marshall v Tomkins

Luke v Roby

Sau v Shenton

Eastwood v Westwood



Do you want to keep going



If the Kiwis come with any kind of power game as they did against the Aussies we could be feeling the pain!!

Im assuming you're a leeds fan, you'd happily trade Sinfield for Blair tomorrow? ... ... ... ... thought so.

Issac Luke won't start for NZ Leuleui does, if any Wigan fan wouldnt trade him for Roby I'd question what they've been putting in their cereal.



Marshall's playing 6, therefore he'd be up against McGuire, fair enough but no suprises there, Tomkins or Nathan Fien? Come on...

Sau's a strong bloke but Shenton will be better, Matai I'll give you and Eastwood will become a much better player than Westwood.



Lets compare a few more..

Burgess or Lima

Ellis or Harrison

Peacock or Pritchard

need we go on..



My point was there wasn't much in it and we have better depth, considering we have players like Senior, Pryce, Gleeson, Burrow, Brough that are better than their current rivals for the England Jersey I reckon that's true too. People are bigging NZ up to much better than they are when in reality they've caught Oz on a couple of off days and out enthused them

No point putting Smith at fb when in a couple of weeks time we'll never be able to select him again. I can only imagine he's a stop gap because our pool of available backs is so threadbare.



He shouldn't even be in the squad now he's pledged his allegiance to union. What next - Tony Smith trying to pass off a south sea islander as english?!