I'm not sure why anyone prefers Watkins and Hall to Smith. If smith is vastly inferior then they are vastly vastly vastly inferior.

Oh and if ginger ade gardner is "so great" lets see him operate as well as Smith did from right wing last season. Where some have been critical of Smiths performances on the right wing they're been less critical of others.

I don't think you can defend Smith by showing how ignorant you are about other players talents. You just prove that your opinion is cobblers.

I prefer Watkins over Smith at centre simply because Smith hasn't shown he can play there, yet.

I prefer Smith to Hall.

When everyone is fit, Smith will be back occupying his best position on the right wing.

Do you have a man crush on Lee Smith? Do you send Donald hate mail every time he scores a try that you felt should have gone to Smith? Did you kick Brent Webb in the back last October?

Smith will only be our 1st choice fullback when Webb leaves. Hopefully that won't be for long, but here's hoping Smith will stick around for that day.

Money talks

Correct.If a player is automatically selected when returning from injury, firstly the returning player could become complacent and secondly the inform player would think why the heck should I bother and who could blame him.Also Webb did not beat the first defender when returning kicks as well as in previous seasons and Smith is proving more effective at this so far.Tackling wise there is also little between them.

If that is true wouldn't every decent pro RL player be playing Union right now?

Well the wcc has come and gone so where's the smith to union announcement?????????

Nope. Only certain positions are close enough in terms of skills

But if this money really talks where's the evidence of the player drain in those positions?

And continues to do so.

[url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/disciplinary_item.php?id=771How strange that someone with his previous in this regard is only warned[/url

Maybe they only want the 'best'. Which is why they took Wallker, Ashton, A knackered Vainikolo, A knackered up Farrell, Karl Pryce and a knackered Hape

Phew Smith's not injury prone yet, so we should be OK.

I noticed that Smith seems to have returned the kicks better from FB but I think a large part would be teams look at Webbs tendencies and focus on him a little more. His work rate remains impressive at FB and he always looks a threat. He's certainly made sure we've not been lacking at 1 in Webbs absence so I don't think we'll be rushing him back before he's ready. Once he is ready you have to play Webb at 1 though

How long after the WWC Final is the news he's leaving to Union going to be announced?

Whats a WWC fnal?

Im still waiting on this iminent statement about lee smith leaving!

It will be announced that he will leave us in June.
Or maybe not.

Will he see the season out (as per his contract ala Chev Walker) or will the club be compensated and Smith released in readiness for the RU season (ala Iestyn Harris) ?

If he goes.

What he meant was a deadline has been placed as end of June for agreement on a new contract. Otherwise it then goes the other way.

At least I think that is what he meant, if he has heard the same thing that I posted a couple of weeks back.

So your saying that Smith has until the end of June to accept what Leeds are offering? And if he doesn't it's time for goodbye?

Not what I heard. Other way round. Smith was frustrated that no new contract had been offered despite GH proclaiming it would happen through the media after the GF.

It is Smith that has put a deadline of end of June for one to be agreed.

You can see both parties argument to be fair. Smiths GF performance got him int he GB side. I doubt GH had budgeted for that, bearing in mind the wages structure which includes large increase for GB internationals. On the other hand Smith is out of contract end of this season and as pushed himself into been an integral part of the side, so of course would be expectant of a new deal.

technically the england side. But I would imagine that a new contract will be in the offing.

OK. Just clarifying what the situation you heard was. So much for Smith to Wasps after the WCC anyway so that's good.

Is it really a big increase at Leeds for full international honours at Leeds? At St Helens wasn't it around 5K which is hardly worth a mention in the grand scheme of things.

I think Saints actually had a bonus system giving something for caps. Not sure but think that is it.

At Leeds they actually pay a higher salary to the Internationals. Commonly been spoken about before. So once an Internationl the contract is re-negotiated.

On a different note though, considering we gave Peacock a new contract the other month, without really any need to , I am presuming that it was a reduction to make extra space, bearing in mind he got the luxury of an additional year.