The NRL would be like our championship if it wasn't for those islanders

Smithies with the most metres and tackles out of the forwards on either side, 60 minutes in to the game against Parra. Impressive effort against 17 blokes produced in a lab.

Criminally underrated player.

I don't even think he got the full props he deserved from Wigan or the fans. I know they rated him, but when you hear Rads say we couldn't have got Thompson if Smithies stayed, or see Wane not picking him for England - the obviously don't think he's that good.

Matty Johns on his podcast with Cooper Cronk raised a point on how players who struggle with form or the Nrl.. come over to super league to rediscover their own game and form.. before heading back to the Nrl.. he mentioned the likes of Sezer and Schneider.. on another point he mooted the idea that Nrl should buy super league, and we go back to winter rugby, so the Nrl players can come over and play super league whilst young enough.. and the Nrl can take our top talent in each others closed seasons..

I do agree he was massively underrated in this country. I can’t blame Rads too much for that comment though. I think Smithies wanted out and while we could’ve held him, it’s not every day you get the chance to sign an English replacement like Thompson. You leave it 12 months and you might need to go with an overseas player and use another quota spot or go for an English player who isn’t as good.

In terms of Wane, I think he’s held back on picking too many Wigan players at times to avoid criticism, I really do. The acid test will be if we get any games this season because nobody can tell me Wardle, O’Neill and Thompson aren’t in Englands best side or at least best squad currently. There’s a fair chance come the end of the season that Wigan should have 5 or 6 players in, plus guys like KPP, Smithies, Bateman, Williams etc and then Wane takes a battering, however right the calls will be.

Maybe it was the way I interpreted I, but I took it as Rads seeing Thompson as an upgrade. No disrespect to Thompson, he's been better than I thought he would be, but he's not as good as Smithies.

Wane, for me, has always made some baffling selection decisions. He did it when he was the coach here and he's doing it with England now. As many current/ex Wigan lads he has picked, there are plenty he hasn't too. The treatment of Faz, Knowles over Smithies. Not bringing Marshall in last year etc.

That's deffo not how he meant it
Off camera he talked about fighting his agent for months and months before he left

The comment was more in a "When one door closes another one opens" type, and that with Salary cap you can't have both (of course you can if you lose another top player but you know what I mean).

100% they did not want to lose Smithies
As for people not rating him, like anything else in life there will always be people questioning players, questioning the club, criticising someone or other who havent got 1% of the knowledge or skills of the people they're criticising, but there's no-one at the club who didn't rate Smithies as highly as they could.

Smithies and Thompson habe similarities but offer different qualities in certain areas

I’d have Morgan back in a heartbeat.

I had him as next captain, watching him leading the warmup he just looked a natural leader, he led the defensive efforts and his ball playing was improving. The other impressive improvement was in his discipline, he controlled his aggression and his performance didn’t suffer.

Matty Johns, and the rest of the NRL, can f**k off