Guess Who's Back? Back Again For The Ospreys

[TRF_Cymro]

​

Back-row forward Tom Smith has done a U-turn to remain with the Ospreys rather than move to London Irish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18679247​

 

[SelimNiai]

Ok, that's not who my brain thought of first.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Rob you absolute tease. That's not Gav at all!

 

[TRF_heineken]

Not the real slim shady

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Rob you absolute tease. That's not Gav at all!

Hehehehe

 

[Me 1]

What do they have to do to get rid of him?

 

[psychic duck]

Why an earth have we re-signed Smith?

I was delighted that the Ospreys had managed to offload both Smith and Griffiths to London Irish.

Bringing back Smith just holds back James King. People keep saying that James King is a promising young player who has a big future, but he never gets more than a 10 minute cameo as the coaches prefer Smith, now King will never get in the team for another season as the coaches love Smith and think he is undroppable.

 

[Draggs]

Why an earth have we re-signed Smith?

I was delighted that the Ospreys had managed to offload both Smith and Griffiths to London Irish.

Bringing back Smith just holds back James King. People keep saying that James King is a promising young player who has a big future, but he never gets more than a 10 minute cameo as the coaches prefer Smith, now King will never get in the team for another season as the coaches love Smith and think he is undroppable.

I think/hope that was more when the mentalists were in charge.

 

[dullonien]

Useless bloody player. I still can't get over the fact that Holley, Humph and Johnson made him captain for a cruntch HC game, and he pretty much single handedly looses us the game. He's one of those players that I don't get what the coaches see in him (along with Gavin Evans and those two useless hookers at the blues).

 

[Draggs]

Useless bloody player. I still can't get over the fact that Holley, Humph and Johnson made him captain for a cruntch HC game, and he pretty much single handedly looses us the game. He's one of those players that I don't get what the coaches see in him (along with Gavin Evans and those two useless hookers at the blues).

I feel a 'highly-rated by some, but mostly useless, overblown XV' thread coming.
Tyrrell is gone from what I have heard, Dull.

 

[Draggs]

I'd have Hartley as captain.

It would certainly be the most controversial XV thread thus far. I could see many jimmies getting rustled.

 

[big ginger 8]

It would certainly be the most controversial XV thread thus far. I could see many jimmies getting rustled.

Don't worry I won't do it but if anyone else wants to...

unless Healy is the loosehead.

 

[Draggs]

Don't worry I won't do it but if anyone else wants to...

unless Healy is the loosehead.

...

Aaaanyway...
I am looking at this (Smith) from the Ospreys perspective. Yeah he is poor, but Ryan Jones is likely to miss about half of the season, JT is JT, Bearman is getting up there, and Stowers is poor. James King would be their sole blindside during international tournaments. I can see Sam Lewis playing more this season, with Tipuric likely to have a greater involvement with Wales. I hope Dan Baker will get a shot as well.

 

[smartcooky]

Ok, that's not who my brain thought of first.

I had that thought too, but the rumour mill among the people I know keeps insisting that the person we both thought of could be going to London Welsh how that they have won their appeal and have been promoted to the Premiership!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Henson > London Welsh rumours was on the cards as soon as he was sacked by the Blues and Lyn Jones defended him in the press.

 

[psychic duck]

Useless bloody player. I still can't get over the fact that Holley, Humph and Johnson made him captain for a cruntch HC game, and he pretty much single handedly looses us the game. He's one of those players that I don't get what the coaches see in him (along with Gavin Evans and those two useless hookers at the blues).

100% agree with you dullonien.

The worst bit of that match, was that we accommodated him in the side by fitting two back rowers (Ryan Jones and Jonathan Thomas) into the second row, and left Ian Evans on the bench, and to no surprise without a proper lock on the pitch the lineout didn't function well. Crazy selection from the management. And to add that Smith missed a straightforward tackle and got sin binned in the match.

Tyrrell is gone from what I have heard, Dull.

Where have you heard that? Couldn't find anything on it on Google search.

If true then the Blues have finally done something right.

Aaaanyway...
I am looking at this (Smith) from the Ospreys perspective. Yeah he is poor, but Ryan Jones is likely to miss about half of the season, JT is JT, Bearman is getting up there, and Stowers is poor. James King would be their sole blindside during international tournaments. I can see Sam Lewis playing more this season, with Tipuric likely to have a greater involvement with Wales. I hope Dan Baker will get a shot as well.

I see your point but .....

Ryan Jones should be at 6 for all the most important matches like Heineken Cup and a few RaboPro12 matches. James King (if he is as good as some say, I haven't been able to judge as he only ever gets 10 minutes from the bench normally) should be 6 for the RaboPro12 team during the 6 Nations and Autumn Internationals.

So he shouldn't play in either side, and I would rather a youngster (like Baker perhaps) who would benefit more to be on the bench than Smith, who is 26 nearly 27 and has had plenty of chances.

Seriously we don't need Smith, or there are other better options.

(I would love it the coaches really thought of something original and signed the Kazakhstani beastly back rower Anton Rudoy, trust me he is like a replica Gorgodze in size and running ability and scores hat trick for fun in the Russian league)

The worst thing is though is that the coaches are in love with Smith, they see him as undroppable and he plays every single match despite doing little or nothing when on the pitch and he will mean King won't get much game time. He was named the Coaches' player of the year last season (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbyn...fans-player-of-the-year-award-91466-30845214/) which just proves that he is the coaches pet and that is almost certainly why they bothered to keep him.

 

[smartcooky]

Henson > London Welsh rumours was on the cards as soon as he was sacked by the Blues and Lyn Jones defended him in the press.

The rumours strengthen....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...elsh-could-throw-Gavin-Henson-a-lifeline.html

 

[Draggs]

http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-sport/Old-Rockers-give-to-junior-side/7621599/

Tyrrell now plays for the Cardiff Blues in Europe and has signed to the Melbourne Rebels for next season.

http://twf.com.au/showthread.php?t=30573

Can't find anything concrete, unfortunately.

 

[dullonien]

...

Aaaanyway...
I am looking at this (Smith) from the Ospreys perspective. Yeah he is poor, but Ryan Jones is likely to miss about half of the season, JT is JT, Bearman is getting up there, and Stowers is poor. James King would be their sole blindside during international tournaments. I can see Sam Lewis playing more this season, with Tipuric likely to have a greater involvement with Wales. I hope Dan Baker will get a shot as well.

JT and Stowers are better player than Tom Smith though! If Smith is kept as 5th choice blindside or something similar, only to be played when necessary, then I could understand him staying, and he'd be a pretty decent squad player. But if he's being selected ahead of the likes of Ryan Jones, JT, King etc. at 6 then he's just a complete hindrance. It's not his fault, but the coaches, and unfortunately the signs towards the end of last season were that Tandy seemed to quite like him aswell, because he was still involved with the matchday squads, despite the fact he was meant to be leaving.

http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-sport/Old-Rockers-give-to-junior-side/7621599/


http://twf.com.au/showthread.php?t=30573

Can't find anything concrete, unfortunately.

Hopefully. He was bloody terrible. Breeze was worse mind. No idea why Rhys Williams wasn't given more gametime in front of those two goons, he has genuine potential.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Good to see back row forward Tom Smith staying with the @<a href="https://twitter.com/ospreys">ospreys</a>. Excellent pro and a really valuable squad member.</p>&mdash; Simon Thomas (@simonrug) <a href="https://twitter.com/simonrug/status/220102259801989120" data-datetime="2012-07-03T10:30:42+00:00">July 3, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

One of the Fail's journalists.