I looked at the official website and it says Harry Smith only kicked 1 from 4 But Hampshire kicked 4 from 6 can Wigan have Hampshire just to kick goals as it might prove vital in the winning the GF this year

Hampshire missed an absolute sitter tonight. Favvered a soggy loaf heading away from the target.

Bet Harry was fuming, scored all our tries out wide when he was on and scored them all under or near the sticks when he went off.

I know we criticise Harry’s success rate but I’d love to know the stats on how many of his conversions are from within 5m of the touch line compared to others.

How many are from the side-line for every other kicker? Do you really think we score that many more tries in the corner than other sides? I see no reason to think that would be the case. Furthermore, as so many of the tries lately have been coming on Miski's side, rather than Marshall's, that should be easier for a left-footed kicker.

We have such an attacking backline and a lack of tryscorers around the middle section of the field, that it does feel like he’ll be kicking from wide positions more often than plenty of other kickers. If you add the early season French try’s from the wing, him, Marshall and Miski have over 50 try’s between them and Wardle and King have around 25. They obviously won’t all be scored outside but a fair chunk of them will be.

In saying all that, we can’t kid ourselves that Smith is kicking well. It has become a talking point during the tv coverage and that only adds pressure. He looks to have lost confidence with it and we can only hope it doesn’t hurt us in the next few weeks. You never know how the pressure of these big fixtures could work though. It might totally focus his mind and work for him.

Harry smith kicked 90 goals last year and missed 20, with one game remaining he’s kicked 86 goals and missed 51, he’s missed 30 more goals than Jake Clifford who’s missed the second most in the league. I can’t see an assistant coach leaving being such a big reason to drop off so much as people say but I do agree about pressure being on him more often than not this year, and the criticism he’s received at times is very unfair because the rest of his game is very good and maybe with Keighran taking the boot off him for next year could see him excel even more in that aspect.

I'm just glad that this chatter about Harry Smith's kicking game is one with a very short shelf life - i.e 3 weeks max.

Smith, AKA the "general" (IYKYK), has probably been my player of the year, regardless of his goal kicking.

Next season, I truly believe, that we've signed a Botica level kicker. He'll step into the kicking shoes and we'll just get to appreciate Smith for the top level, best tactical 7 in the league that he undoubtedly is.

Botica could kick about 90 out of 100 kicks

Agree with that about Smith. His game is really coming on and it’s a shame the kicking debate takes focus away from his general performances.

He’s mine too, this whole thing of taking French or Field out and we’re no good, Harry Smith should be in that conversation as he’s just as, if not, more important.

Agree totally with this. His in game kicking is the best in the league. It's a shame he's had an off season with the boot as he's been outstanding in every other aspect that you'd want from him. The best 7 in the comp for my money.

One thing that is apparent with Smith, is that when his forwards and the team in general are on, his job is so much easier and he's absolutely outstanding at controlling the game for us. Funnily enough, I'm sat working (giving myself 5 mins..ha) and a podcast with Kevin Sinfield is on in the background and Smith has an ideal example there of a guy to look to in terms of how important his role is over this next few weeks. Like Sinfield, Harry Smith will never win something like a man of steel award and during a long season, he'll have periods where things get a bit rough, because when the side isn't playing well, his qualities won't massively stand out but when the big games come and everyone is switched on and playing at full intensity, that is the time when you will realise just how important he is.

Keighrans goal kicking stats aren’t amazing though, he’s kicking at a lower conversion rate than Smith did last season, I don’t think it’s a dead cert that he even takes the kicking duties.

Might not have been talking about Keighran though.

Didn’t think of that.

I think that is right, but I would also say that he hasn't exactly set the world alight in those big games previously (maybe that's unfair and obviously he's a young player and improving).

Really interested to see him in the play-offs - England could do with him kicking on to be a really top player.

He was robbed blind of the Lance Todd last year

Still can’t believe that, why they picked it on the 72nd minute I don’t know especially when the score was so close, even still he was MOTM by a country mile. Can’t think of a big game where he’s let us down really. Semi final last year v Leeds but the whole team was poor.

I'd disagree with that. It's perhaps in the lesser games where he could be more dominant but hasn't always been but I think that is usually more to do with how the team has played as a whole. When he's been asked to step up he has for the most part including in the mid season international.

I hope Keighran takes the goal kicking duties. Harry is a good player but he has the added pressure of none goalkicking duties as well as the responsibility of getting us around the field all of the time. If we take the goal kicking pressure off him he could blossom even more.

CCSF when he kicked down the fullbacks throat on the 3rd tackle and they went and kicked a DG?

Wigan we’re goosed with a man down and making no yards, it was a throw of the dice to get a 40/20 and in drop goal range, it did backfire and maybe we should have chased the mistake in defence but I don’t think we would have been that much worse off if we had taken 2 more carries.

Hopefully Keighran can take over and take the pressure off Smith a bit.

There is a good player in there, we have all seen it.

I think the movement back to traditional 6 and 7 with French at 6 has helped; with the added benefit of consistent halfback partner in French and forwards performing well.

If he wants go become a great player, he needs to be doing it week in week out and regardless of the above. Hopefully with experience and confidence he knows how to adapt his game and have an impact regardless.

One thing though, I must be in the absolute minority that really doesn't rate his in play kicking what so ever. Closer to the line he is a lot better but his distance kicking isn't the best in all honesty. The saving grace, and it may be intentional, is despite the amount caught on the full he gets a long duration of the ball in the air so it gives our defence the chance to push up.

Goalkicking aside, I'm not sure there's a better kicker in SL right now than Harry Smith. Last night was absolutely outstanding - a great mix of length, height and placement on his kicks.