Physically sick because he was worried Atkins was going to get him more like

Nonsense. His form dips were often to blame for his coaches lacking confidence in him. His failure to grasp the full back role in 2006 being gone example and Tansey finishing that season as a much safer option.

Always? When being ousted from the 17 by jordan tansey and Ryan Hall?

Eh? If he's not in the team his form dips? How does that work?

You see, this is why I love the whino fekkwittism. A player plays well in a few and we have revisionist history. Same thing if a player plays badly.

Personally, I prefer realism. Smith is in a rich vein of form over a short, very short period of time covering this season and last. Prior to that he;s been in and out of the team for varying reasons and shown indifferent form in a few positions.

No doubting the lad had potential and that is why the club has stuck with him. Its' beginning to pay off for player and club. I hope he therefore sticks with it and doesn't have his head turned.

However, you claiming he's always been a class above simply isn't true and if he leaves, we'll get Webb fit and continue to groom BJB, or whoever is next in the production line.

So thats now 3 in a row - Man of the match awards in competitive games

Grand Final, Celtic & Wakey.

Smith is a confidence player, and when you show faith in him he repays you. I don't think he's one of these players that needs a kick up the backside by dropping him, because it just knocks his confidence. There have been times from '06-early '08 where Smith has been dropped whether he's had a good game or not.
He hit a woeful patch at Fullback in 2006, the CC semi at Odsal being one of the worst, but what young player hasn't had a dip in form upon breaking into the side.
Apart from that patch his performances have been on a consistent high standard for us, including scoring some very important tries.
It's not feckwittism (sp?) because I've always rated him and knew that given an extended run in the side, he'd be an excellent player.
A similar situation to you with Jamie Jones G1?

I'll be frank and admit no. I didn't rate JJB at all until 2004. Smith really transformed him.

Criticising a player is the same as doubting him.

No its' not.

You have it spot on. Gareth is talking out of his botty on this subject.

Smith's dip in form came when he was a bit part to the coaches. When he was in and out of the side, and confidence not shown in him. Whenever the lad has had a string of games together he has looked a class act.

Take beginning of last season, as Gareth has brought that example up. Smith looked far superior to Ryan Hall in every facet, but the coach decided he wanted to rotate the players to test them. What happend is Smith's play started to suffer. Then you get the rhinos feckw1ttery fans coming on saying he is not up to it. Once Mclennan was forced into bringing Smith back into the fold due to lack of players and Smith got a string of games together, he finished the season better than his team mates.

This season he has been handed a starting spot with no pressure on him and he is reacting like a lot of people know he can play.

This is not temporary or a fluke. The lad has been doing it since he made his debut. The only time his form dips his when he is made a scapegoat or not backed. You would have to be seriously naive and blinkered not to see that.

As my booty knows more about rugby than you what difference does it make?