I dont go with the 'drop in form' that people claim he had? The game where he was boo'd at Belle Vue, he had not done much wrong. It came off the back of him kicking the ball out on the full. Thats it! From the very first whistle at Widnes he has organised us (or tried his damndest) from first receiver and controlled pretty much everything we have done. If you are having that much input into a game the law of averages say you are going to make a couple of mistakes.
I think it took time for some of the other players to know what he was doing, but i dont think he has changed his game much from the start of the season.

Cant think of many better passers of a ball that i have seen in the RW&B

It wasn't so much a boo he got, more of a cheer that he was getting subbed. I said at the time it was counterproductive, however since then he has gone on to have a fine finish to the season. Was it a kick up the back side or was it just a case of answering his critics in the best possible way?

I agree completely
I think it is the rest of the team that have managed to play nearer his standard rather than him playing better.



I think that is overestimating the power of the mindless minority. I can't see why anyone would want to disrespect one of our players, whether playing well or not but I'm pretty sure a professional of the standard of Tim Smith will not suddenly want to play better because some people in the crowd jeered him as he was subbed,

What problems are these then?

Well documented and probably not worth raking over on here again.

He was ok up until Magic, but the back end of the season has really seen him show what he is truly capable of. For me, before then, he was trying to do everything himself, and had nobody to support him. Early season the forwards weren't going forward, Isaac John just didn't offer him enough help, and we spent the majority of time fighting just to get off our own line. Every kick he put in just to clear the line seemed to hit something (either the stand or another player) and made him look a lot more ordinary than he is. It's bloody difficult to be creative when you're camped in your own 20!!

It's no coincidence that the forwards going forward and the arrival of Paul Sykes have signaled the upsurge in Tim Smith's season.

Sykes has come in, taken the pressure of Smith, taken some of the kicking, offers him someone to play with rather than play for, and we're a different outfit for him.

Where would we be now without the points Paul Sykes has put over with the boot? And Lee Smith, who now has 5 tries. Together they have made one hell of a difference. I don't think we've made 2 better mid season signings in all the time I've been watching Wakefield.

I can tell you that our coach agrees with you - he said exactly that at "Celebrate Wakefield" last night.

His stats are pretty good this year, and I think with the rest of the team picking up he'll be even better next time.

2nd in the Try Assists stats with 34. 1 behind Michael Dobson
5th in attacking kicks stats with 141
Of the half backs around him only Dobson has made less errors. and Holdsworth is the only one to make more tackles!
and in terms of missed tackles he has made 33, which is less than any of the half backs within a few hundred tackles (so those that haven't played as much have made less) When you do it as a percentage only Holdsworth has a better missed to made tackle ratio and its only just.
He's 8th in the number of carries, so his involvement is undoubtably high.

So I'd say he has had an outstanding year.


and adding to that he has made more tackles than any other back in the team, and 8th on Wakefield's list.

For me Smith has been fine all season just took his team mates a while. In this new world where any criticism however reasonable is jumped on by fishcake and co dare I make one - of course I dare. He needs to develop his running game a little (not much he's not that kind of player) - he can Ido it I've seen it. If he doesn't he will become easier to coach against next season which is kinda what happened to him in Oz.

tim also gets a bit more time from the play the ball

Hull KR have scored 18 tries more than Wakey as well so you would expect Dobsons figures to be better, just shows how much of an influence Smith has had on our play.

I am Richard Agar and I claim my five pounds (of Haribos.)

I thought his running game developed as the season went on tbh but like you say he could try it a little more to mix things up. The biggest improvement for me was his kicking game, was very hit and miss in the first half of the season but came on leaps and bounds in the second half.

You said this earlier on in the season and basically called him a one trick pony. 34 Try assists in a regular season and you are still criticising!

Really!!!!??????

Indeed.

If he really was a one trick inside ball pony then teams would have sussed him out...yet they haven't.
Seems to me Fred Gee you have made the case for Smith perfectly

And I think you were on the previous thread mid season about the inside ball Fred. It was explained then but I’ll do it again for your benefit.

Tim Smith does like the inside ball. It is a tactic designed to stop the opposition sliding across to cover our wide play. If you are a clever passer of the ball and as in Smith’s case also good at selecting the right pass then this is a great tactic.

When Smith hits the winger or centre with a long pass, he hasn’t decided to do that just because he has seen someone out of position. He planned it 6 tackles earlier and was dragging them in with the inside ball.
You can see him clearly shouting people in to position for every play.

Also, we clearly have an inside-inside ball move that is very effective down the middle. Huddersfield has done it on us in the past. He runs at big defenders and passes inside to usually Mathers, who then immediately passes inside to Cockayne. Smith drew the first defender, Mathers drew the second, leaving the gap. Don’t do it right and you get clobbered but I’ve seen it work at least 6 times this year.

So I’m happy with Smith’s inside ball.
I think you need to watch the game more closely Fred.

He's got a field of ponies

My god...I see sense!

This - great explanation.