Matt Shaw has gone with Smithies

Perhaps my most controversial selection as I know many will go with Morgan Knowles. I'm a huge fan of Knowles but it's impossible to ignore what Smithies has done this year. He has been, simply, superb. If you compare the stats of the two, Smithies has outperformed Knowles in almost every department. He has made more carries and more tackles despite playing three games fewer than his Saints counterpart. Despite making more tackles, he has missed less and given away fewer penalties. His tackle completion rate is 97.8% which is just outrageous. Knowles has more attacking qualities but Smithies has earned his place this season.

Summed up pretty nicely.

It should be between Smithies and Yates anyway IMO. I’m a huge Knowles fan but he’s been off his best this season.

https://www.superleague.co.uk/article/3 ... m-unveiled

https://www.superleague.co.uk/article/3 ... m-unveiled

They’ve done pretty well. Paasi over one of the props IMO.

Leutele over SKD

Smithies over Knowles

Also feel like Welsby has been shoe horned in, how many games has he played in the halves ?

Paasi over Walmsley for me, of what I've seen of him he's been Saints best forward this season, causes mayhem when he's on, maybe he's missed out because he's been used from the bench ?

I’m glad they’ve picked Welsby over Lomax. A bit like Knowles, I felt Lomax would be one of those automatic picks regardless of performance against their peers. No way Knowles should be in but as I said the other day, Lockers pinched a place a couple of seasons as well on reputation. I’m surprised SKD is in ahead of Leutele or Hurrell but if he swapped clubs with either he’s every bit as good I guess. Walmsley is a weird one. Not been at his best but even so, his best is that good, he’s still outperformed most other props.

Agree

Not bad but, as ever with these things, it's all a matter of opinion. Like most people, I rate Walmsley massively but Passi has simply been better this season. Glad Roby is in. His level of consistently, like Farrel, is on another level. Knowles just in on hype I'm afraid. He's not even been Saints best back rower this season and despite a good start to the season hasn't even been that good over the latter half. Smithies or Yates all day long. Not sure SKD has been better that Leutele either but I perhaps haven't seen enough of of him to make that call.

Everyone else is pretty much as I would have picked. Although I can see the argument that Welsby has been shoehorned in, he deserves to be in there somewhere and there's no way he's getting the fullback spot over Field this season.

Happy for Faz. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Hopefully that's starting to change as he gets towards the back end of his career. Special mention to Marshall too who couldn't have been far off himself but has, perhaps, been overshadowed by the exploits of French on the opposite wing.

Not saying their spots aren't deserved but onlookers down under must be in hysterics at the likes of Sio, Lafai, Kenny-Dowall and Mcqueen being in there.

SKD was class in the NRL and McQueen was very good, thats like saying we should laugh when Bateman was in the running for the Dally M

Not really. Bateman was in his prime during his NRL run. McQueen and SKD are 35/34.

he should be in his prime now

He is look at his stats.

if he was half the player he was in the NRL he'd be man of steel, hes not even the best second row at Wigan

Bloody rubbish Bateman

Of course he's not rubbish; he's a very good player, but Pieman still has half a point.