Surely you are looking through your "rose tinted specs" there Martin

If anyone has been around the game all his life,and haven't we all, then it must be obvious that half back is a partnership of players with complementary skill sets.
It just did not work with Stef earlier in the season.
It does work now.
Guess why.
Yep,the whole team is playing better,starting with the half backs !

Well lets agree to disagree then. I just don't see how you can have a half back who can only pass one way

Phil Clarke mentions this a fair bit on Sky commentaries: plenty of very good players at 6, 7, 9 & 13 can only pass 'one way'.

The good thing about Smith is the way he has gelled with Holdsworth, he also is young enough to improve (assuming we have the coaching set up for him to do so, which i`m not sure about) He looks to me like a propper 7 (I know what does that mean, but some look Scrum Half and he does to me) whereas Stef is a 6 and never a 7, Stefs problem is he has Holdsworth in front of him which aint gonna change for 3 yrs. Sadly i`m not sure where i see Stef fit in the starting 13 going forward. Happy for someone to suggest something but ???

Thats pretty much the situation

I think it would be a real tragedy if Ratchford was to leave. I, along with most salford fans, have thought he's the best lad to come through our academy for a very long time. But i have to say, as things stand, I can't see him being first choice anywhere other than on the wing. Patten at 1, Holdsworth 6 and Smith 7. What does that leave him?

It seems to me that Smith was brought in as a back up for the Ratchford/Holdsworth partnership and possibly interchanging with Alker. But even though he has individual faults he and Holdsworth seem to work really well together. Better than Stef is with either of them. Maybe it's just the injuries or maybe he has been the unlucky fall guy for the poor team form at the start of the season and there's always the chance he will come back into the reckoning if he gets the chance. He's certainly good enough to and I hope he gets the chance

At the moment though, whilst i think Ratchford is a better individual player than Smith, the team seems to play better with Smith than Ratchford

The problem Stef has is the fact, as has been pointed out by Shaun, that he can cover anywhere along the back line, which the likes of Smith can't, thus rather than tie him down to one position he gets used as cover for any first choice three quarter. Basically for me, his versatility is his strength and weakness through no fault of his own for being a multi-talented player.

I think Stef is a very special player and one we can ill afford to let go, give him time playing / training alongside quality players like Holdsworth and Patten and watch him bloom when he does get his chance at Stand off or Full back.

KOTS puts it very well.
We don't want to lose him and ,indeed, tried to give him a dedicated position at the start of the season but it didn't work out.
I hope he does come through eventually but it may be injuries that give him the opportunity that he needs to take

I personally have Ratchford at half mainly for his passing, tacking, KICKING (Bombs are always a worries for the opposition fullback and would do a better job at kick offs than smith) mainly everything.

Smith's bomb for the first try against Leeds was OK ??

What about his kick offs, straight to McGuire every time.

Amongst all this speculation no one has mentioned James Jiminez.

Not at all vague could mean a player or the man from BT.

To some on here, Ratchford sh*ts gold nuggets. He can do no wrong.....

At the start of the season, he was given a chance and he didn't take it. It doesn't make him a bad player, it just didn't work. Our halfback partnership now looks good and as Bonita Red says, its all about a partnership not about individuals.

Leave it as is at the moment and once it stops working, then change it.

I definitely don't want him to leave, but as he's not a scrum half he needs to play at 6 - but I wouldn't sacrifice our current stand off to keep him. He'll have to wait his turn and just keep sh*tting those nuggets.

Simples...

When Stef was given his place at start of season, the game plan we were playing too didnt let Stef use his natural ability we had seen from him the season before, which incidentally got him picked to the England training squad.
In the latter part of the season, when we appear to be playing more open type rugby which is more suited to Stef's game rather than the 5 drives & kick we played in the early season, he would possibly show the promise of last season playing the game plan we are now.
Stef needs to be able to do things of the cuff & he appeared stiffled with how he was told to play. Now, with his injury we possibly wont see Steff play again this season, so he needs to recouperate, have a good off season & come back & get a place in the squad next season, wether it be as interchange hooker, as others have said, maybe a good position for him, not in Malcs tackling league, but his defence is pretty solid.

ASPINWALL TO SALFORD

I agree with some of the posts, how can we half a half back who can't pass? Don't think Stef and Holdsworth were given enough time together, Reg was still finding his feet and I think the whole team was getting used to new combinations. I think steff at 2nd receiver instead of smith would be a better option and increase creativity plus he is better defenceivly.

When Ratchford leaves and he will if he is continually pi$$ed about by McRae as he is now, then you will realise what a talent he really is as he will excell at any club.
Yes I am biased but if you think Matty Smith is our future number SH and compliments DH then you are sadly mistaken.
He got MOM against Leeds but God knows how, passes to ground, appalling kicking game and no creation.
Ratchford is a much better alternative, but I fully expect him to be stuck out on the wing next year.

his dad did the picking

CHRIS NERO IS ON HIS WAY !

ADD [i( Out of Contract Player Here )[/i IS ON HIS WAY

If everyone mentioned on his way IS on his way we'll have a Squad of 45 cum 2011, and be competing NFL under the Monikor Bradford City Bankstown Giants

From Nero to Zero once he puts a Salford shirt on and makes one error, the righteous ones in the Shed would be right on his back.

Will he be accused of fiddling while Salford burns ?