I reckon with BJB, Hall and Hardaker all playing very well Smith is now only our 4th best option on the wing, and 3rd best at fullback. With Watkins having an explosive return, looking very sharp, and Ablett solid at left centre, it leaves me wondering where Smithy's future lies in our team? Should Watkins go to left centre next season, he could slot back in at RC, but tbh he's not been exactly brilliant there so far this year, and is well off the pace in terms of the best centres in SL-Carmont, Yeaman etc.

Personally I'd like to see BMD try for the rest of the season with Watkins & Smith at 4 & 3, and BJB & Hall on the wings, leaving Hardaker as cover. If things don't work out we can look at signing a replacement (my strong preference is for Kirk Yeaman) in the winter.

i would play smith at left centre if go back to the last game he play there it was when we play hull kr he got a try and set 2 up for hall
now go back to when he play right centre it was at Catalan do i have say any more

It's clear to see that is confidence is shot at the moment. What he needs is a run in the team, playing in one position and not being treated as a utility. For me he should be on the right wing with Watkins inside him. Hall on the left wing with BJB inside him.

Aswell as Ablett as been playing in the centres, we need him in the back row, because Clarkson just doesn't cut the mustard.

bjb is never a centres and smith dose not have the speed for a wing

So he can play better when the team as a whole plays better? True.

Why not?

Our best starting threequarters are without a doubt Hardaker, BJB, Watkins and Hall ... precise make up not sure ( it seems Hardaker can also play centre well in the reserves at least ).

I honestly thought Webb would not be retained allowing Smith to establish himself at FB ( his best position )... not to be.

Looks like he will have to be content with being the new Tansey, also able to fill in at dummy half.
Whether he will remain content with that role is yet to be seen. Not always the best thing to show yourself as a jack of all trades.

To me Smith just looks unfit. Overweight even. Not bulked up like Hall, just plain fat. I didn't think of him as the quickest player, but I never considered him to be slow. Now I do.

I think it's a general problem with the team too. Look at Web, and Danny McGuire. I realise they have had major injuries, but I'd also say they've both taken a strong liking to grub/drunk that doesn't help their performance, if you know what I mean?

Of course, this is just my opinion.

His move south was the worst thing he could have done. I understand why he did it but from an athletic point of view it has screwed his body up. Even as a professional the weight is hard to shake.

He still has the skills and class to be a top back but two things need to happen:
1) He does as the nutritional staff tell him from now
2) The coaching staff coach the player in a position rather than a jack of all trades FB, Centre, Wing

Might sound totally daft and I may have had too much sun today but let me throw this one out there. Could he be played as an effective hooker? He can handle the ball fairly well and does have a bit of pace.

It's an interesting idea, but I think quite a lot of successful hookers are also tackling machines too. Diskin and Buderus certainly are. I'm not sure it'd be that easy for an outside back to accept that as part of their game. It's a tough business putting in twenty odd tackles a game. I'm pretty sure he's been doing well to put in 1/4 of that.

Smithy needs to be picked week in week out in 1 position to get him back to his best imo.
Webby only has a 1 yr extension and whilst Watkins AND Bjb have been prone to injuries so i wouldn't be quick to offload Smithy.
Not his greatest season granted but others could fall into that category and i think he's good enough to turn it around and come-back to his best.

Good point. Watching hookers such as Lee Jackson, Terry Newton, Robbie Mears, Matt Diskin and Danny Buderus you forget how much work they do during a game making tackles. It's more a presumption than a given.

IMO he is too slow, too small, very limited skill set, need I go on

0.83 metres per carry would be an extremely poor return for a hooker.

I would like to see smith at hkr next season

Smith has a happy knack of scoring tries in very important games, something that cannot be coached. He's has a poor season for a number of reasons, but to talk of binning him is just crazy. He needs to get his head straight and his body in shape and there is no reason why he can't come back to being a very important player for Leeds again in the future.

I prefer players with a professional attitude both on and off the pitch.

Shouldn't have re-signed him.

Get rid.

Quote ="tad rhino"I would like to see smith at hkr next season'" Thats been a rumour for quite some time this season mate. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=472965

Quote ="tad rhino"I would like to see smith at hkr next season'" Thats been a rumour for quite some time this season mate. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=472965

Or Wakey. He doesn't do travelling right well.....

Without Smith Leeds could have been seriously embarrassed at Wembley last season. In retrospect probably not the greatest example....

that was last year. He has gone backwards at a rate of knots. He is behind a lot of players for a spot imo. Free up some cap space and get shut

The better example would have been the try he created out of nothing for himself to win the game against Wigan earlier in the competition.

Good player, made some mistakes, but it's far too early to write him off.

I like the idea of him at hooker.

He played in that 2008 grand final, got MOM and looked on of the best backs in the competition.

Then he went to union, came back fat and he doesn't seem to have recoevered even with a full pre season.

He just looks overweight and slower.

Not as bad as solomona at warrington though, christ that guys a sorry joke fro an athlete. right fat sod

Obviously he is not in the best of conditions at the moment, but a Lee Smith with confidence is still a very good player.