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Message: [QUOTE="OXY-351, post: 2940519, member: 2107"] Ok, maybe the term "everyone" was over the top, but I still think he would have copped backlash for it no matter when he announced it. And while it's only been publicly announced now, it sounds like Walters had pre-warning this was likely to be the case, either through direct conversations or picking up a few hints along the way. Both Walters and Meninga said they could see a change in Smith in recent rep camps and matches. Surely Walters was already making plans that Smith might not be there. It doesn't sound like Smith just rang him on Tuesday and said, "Hey Kevvie, how good is McCullough playing these days?". I think the Thurston and Cronk situation is slightly different. Hadn't they already made their mind up before last years series? It sounds like Smith was unsure. He wanted to give himself as much time as possible, but ultimately knew he wasn't up for it now. I'd prefer him to have done that and possibly played in another series, than just pull the pin when he wasn't sure. Sure it's not great timing, but what's the alternative? He plays again this series, has a stinker and lets the team down? Personally I feel that even Smith playing slightly below his best is still better than any other option QLD has got at the moment, but I can see why he'd call it a day if he thought he couldn't put in 100% for the team. At the end of the day, I'm wondering if it really matters when he'd announced it. He could have announced it last year or he could have announced it this week. The problem is still the same. QLD need to find another hooker. Would there be any more candidates for the position, depending on when he announced it? Would any of them be in better form? It was always going to be an issue replacing Smith, whether you gave a year or 3 weeks to do it. [/QUOTE]

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