Leading goal kicker, who'd have thought after the first couple of rounds

So far my Player of the Year is between Matty and Scott Taylor.
Early in the season he was goal kicking at 50%, now he's at 72% so he must be kicking at around 80% currently. The Hull game was 8 from 10.
He is at the heart of everything we do.
His field kicking is a great asset too.

he is also the leader on the field. he organises, he takes the instructions from the bench.
no need to look any further for a Lockers replacement

yeah but he's still not good enough for saints fans to rate him or even want him back...

Quality player

what has impressed this season is the way he has added extra skills to his game.
he now has a complete kicking game - place kick, attacking kicks, defensive clears, 40-20s and drop goals. on a par with Brough now in the kicking department!

Disagree with this.

Has a great long/clearance kicking game, also a good short kicking game.

Problem lies when its the last tackle is on the opponents 40m/35 m line. He doesn't have a spiral or torpedo bomb in his locker all he has is the basic up and under.

Brough ALWAYS challenges the full back or winger from that range.

Matty is a very good team player. He generally won't catch people's eye as he rarely comes up with the brilliance that is remembered. What he does is organise the team, move them round the field and do the basics very well and consistently well. He fits into the way we play perfectly.

Does he take on the line enough?

Thats the most common criticism I hear about him.

That and going missing in some big games. He's a good scrum half overall though who is constantly improving.

Going missing in big games? I would say the exact opposite about him.

In relation to him taking the line on I think it is part of our game plan/his development. It used to be one of his strengths but he at times seemed to fail to lead the team around. Our structures call for more if an organiser rather than a half that takes the line on.

think back to everyone slating his kicking at the start of the year, shocking really.

Matty is one of our top 3 most important players in my opinion, perhaps even the most at present.

he definitely deserves international recognition.

I think the praise is slightly over the top myself. He's a slightly above average scrum half IMO who fits well into the Wigan team and systems. He is improving constantly to be fair.

He has a good kicking game the majority of the time but at times in big games he seems to find the fullback/wingers on the full regularly. He could do with adding to his running game as in tight games he doesn't have that game breaking quality that Blake Green has for instance. Although he has had the odd good performance in big games he has gone missing on Ocassions.

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to bag him I think he is the top 3/4 scrumhalfs in the league but if he is England's answer at halfback we're seriously struggling IMO.

Undertakes the "Deacon" role perfectly as the main organiser. Is due a well earned rest as he must have played more than anyone else this season for us?

I think he's gone missing during a couple of big games too - e.g. the Challenge Cup V Cas. For me, the jury's still out.

He was mom against Hull FC at Wembley, in the play off game at Huddersfield, and played well at OT. Not a bad set of evidence in his defence.

Listen, Smith is a decent player. I think from a saints POV he didn't really fit in with our style of play. Long probably helped him a lot at Salford too.

The system at Wigan does bring the best out of him. He's not a flashy, or an expansive player and does thrive in a structured team. He doesn't have to do anything 'special' (off the cuff..) as his job was to give Green time to deliver the money ball to Tomkins/Bowen etc. Green is/was the real star of the show - you will miss him greatly.

He's said in the Wigan Observer he's going nowhere. He loves the club and is grateful for the opportunity that was given to him.

He's perfect for our system. Since Maguire our halfbacks jobs have been to make room for the outside backs and especially the fullback with quick ball movement. He does that and brings a very solid kicking game.

I remember thinking on Friday just how much we were missing Green.
Albion is clutching at straws (but still drowning).

I make a point of ignoring anyone who starts an opinion with the word "Listen"... You immediately know that said opinion will be total claptrap.

If you're basing anything on that game, the jury's back in & the judge has a black cap on. It was a bad day at the office for everyone.
I'd actually agree that Smith has to be in the running for a coup on Lockers' captaincy (if the worst happens & SOL's body gives up any time soon).

==when you compare sinfield IMO will never be a half back is picked before time served backs we are in trouble on the international scene.matty is short of a class standoff to work with!!

He's a really good solid player and is certainly up there amongst the best in Super League in his position.

Whilst that is the case though, the competition for that honour is rather meek, and he doesn't compare so well when looking at halves from the NRL, but then no Super League players do.

I think this is a very fair and accurate post; I like Smithy and believe he has come on well and can improve even more give time. IMO he’s very much in the mould of a Radlinski, a real 100% of him is given every time, even when he’s not playing at his best in a game.