Can't believe you couldn't get Tim firing over there, he's come back here in great form! He was a bit rusty vs London but since then he's been top drawer, including a motm performance today.

Salford have basically paid Wakey 100k to take Tim Smith, taught him how to defend and then given him back for nothing!

No doubt Dr Koukash will read what you have just said , note it and bring into calculations when he saves your club again.

Gloating is not the thing to do on opposition forums.

He's on loan isn't he? If so, you haven't got him back for nothing. At the end of this season, he becomes a Salford player again. Then you'll need to pay if you still want him.

Glad to hear. A mystery why he couldn't reproduce what he did at Wakefield for us this season, perhaps it's a pressure and expectation thing.

Happy for him though, he's a good guy.

Ah, apologies, wasnt meant to come out as a gloat. I was just concerned after all I'd seen on here that he'd become a bit of a lemon.

Obviosuly your loss is our gain, but both times he's been at Wakey, he has been a force and it's strange that he didnt do the business with you.

Tim Smith was great in his first spell and looking good now. Ellis at Cas looks a lot better player now. Half back partnership for England didn't work. The problem is Rangi Chase, he is a great rugby player but not a team player and demands all the quality ball. Any team he plays for close him down and you have eliminated their threat. Look at the improvement in Cas how they are playing as a team now.

Nah. Can't agree with that. Firstly, Rangi's performances when he played alongside Danny Orr won him the Man Of Steel, so it's not a matter of no-one being able to play alongside him, just a matter of finding the right player. Secondly, he got injured 20 minutes into his first game for Salford and missed the next - what? - 6 games was it? If what you're saying is true, Tim Smith would have shone in those games. He didn't.

It Happens
Luke Dorn to Salford in 2007
Danny Orr to Wigan
Steve Blakeley to Wire
Brilliant at former clubs misfired then returned & played well for there former clubs again.


Some players just work better at one club , put him in another set up and they struggle , such was the case with Smith.
Firstly he was settled at Wakey and was basically sold to keep a cash flow , so the motivation wasn't there .
Secondly most of the key pivot players - Skyes - Kirmond Lauititi'are still there who know how Smith Plays , It was bound to happen .

It was inevitable. No hard feelings towards the guy and good luck to him in the future.

Do you think it's a case of big fish in little pond then when they become a little fish in a big pond they struggle to cope with the pressure? Mental condition of a player can make a huge difference!

Did he just say we're a big pond?

I must have missed that bit.

Well yeah, why wouldn't you be? A lot of pressure on players and a lot of money being spent. To me that's a bigger pond than the pond in Wakey...

I think Wigan, Saints and Leeds are the big ponds. We're more of a little puddle.

You can get medication for that

No offence but your not what I'd call a big pond. Yes the cash has been flashed but so far you have yet to get a team that's any better than the one Smith was in at Wakefield - in fact nowhere near as good as the 2012 Wakey team in which Smith made his name.

I'd agree with you if you were Leeds or Saints but as yet you are not and the level of expectation and pressure simply isn't there. Smith would easily cope with that so it isn't IMHO the reason. Not having as dig but I think you're pushing it with that comment.

Much more pressure on Smith's shoulders at Salford than at Wakefield. Probably explains his performances.

He's not a Salford fan. Looking at his posts, I'd say he supports Huddersfield. And you'll see the Salford responses are disagreeing with that point.

But other than that, you crack on.

100% spot on

As smith on loan can he play against us?

It's got nothing to do with pressure of expectation. Big city distractions is likely to be be closer to the mark.

Must say I have to agree with Chetnik to a certain degree, whilst were not massive yet thats what the Doctor is here to achieve, so yes Tim Smith entered the big pond in the same way any player KL WH MCB et al will be entering the same pond. Lets be honest anything Salford is headlines now whether you like it or not.

I can't think of any club chairman directors and players talked about like we are now, and yes I include Wigan Leeds Saints Wire etc.

Wiggy and the Tinker can't wait to open that awful show by talking about us usually sniping about how much we have spent, in fact the KL fee according to the peg seller by all accounts is astronomical. (incidentally Phil Clarke said if your that concerned ask the RFL (Blake Solly) the question).

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to big us up or anything I mean the truth at the moment is we are the second worse team in super league (I'm not including London as they arn't a super league club) but see the table we are second bottom the table doesn't lie.

However joining Salford now is entering the goldfish bowl where everything and everyone is under scrutiny.

Kind of a nice place really thanks to MK Salford is now a big pond.

No way will we be considered a big pond until we've had 3-5 decent seasons competing at the top, then cementing ourselves there... but yes, coming to Salford is entering the goldfish bowl.
Let's not get carried away

Who's getting carried away I've just described us as the second worse team in super league (rightly or wrongly), however I believe Salford is now a big pond, who else has just signed the Kiwi International fullback or any NRL International player for that matter ?

Apologies SRAO, the carried away bit was not directed at you, I was merely highlighting the goldfish bowl that you had in your post as IMHO that is all we are at present.
Fair enough we've just signed Locke, however, we are a few years of sustained success away from being a big pond...or are we to believe that Cas are the finished article??????