Just wondering what your views are on Richie Mathers leaving at the end of the season and been replaced with Brett Hodgson....I thought Mathers was brilliant today and must have run Briers close for the Lance Todd.

Smith seems to be getting the best out of Mathers , do you think you've made a mistake letting him go?


By the way congratulations today on a brilliant win.....1 to 17 were awesome

yes always said so

As far as we are aware. We offered a year contract extension too richie as a understudy and too learn off bret next year...

Richie turned it down, thus off too cas next season.

Gutted he is leaving..was very good today. But in TS we trust

He's been great all season. Keep.

He had a cracker today and had a great game last week as well. I will make a judgement on his departure after Hodgsons first year for us.

Mathers will be 27 next month, Hodgson 33 when the season starts next year..... Do you think they got Hodgson on the back of an exceptional season last year because this season hes done nothing to be worthy of replacing Mathers....You dont need him for his goal kicking as Westwood is proving to be well capable of doing this job.

Just seems strange but as you say .... Tony Smith must know what hes doing

To be honnest. i think this is tony smiths 1 mistake. Richie will get better and is still only 28 i think. brett is 32/33??? next season...

Lets not go down the road of saying Smith is wrong again

Chris Hicks is that age as well and is still one of the best athletes in SL, the age is less important than how fit they are. Mathers is good but Hodgson is a better player and he does offer goalkicking which Westwood is at best a back up, it's not ideal to have your workhorse forward burdened with kicking duties as well.

The downside with Mathers is the same as with Myler, he's a potential target for the opposition, today he didn't make any mistakes but he has in other games and it has cost us. In getting Hodgson in we eliminate a player opponents can target.

Not saying Mathers is a bad player, he's got a lot of good points, which is why he got offered a contract as a starting fullback in a decent SL team, but if you want to be in one of the top teams you can't have minus points, which is why Penny's not getting a new contract, why Mathers is being replaced by Hodgson and why Myler didn't play in the cup final...

you have wasted LOTS of money with signing Hodgson
he is past it ....overpaid.......nold and vitally takes up a QUOTA spot

After watching the game again it seems pretty wrong now to say Mathers is a target when you see the three try savers he put in today!