KENTON Smith is a luxury that Swindon Wildcats and Aaron Nell are thankful to have when it comes to matchdays.

I think it is good to have someone on the side and I am sure if you ask Aaron he would prefer to have someone there because they can have an overview of the game that is difficult on the ice.

For example, when Ryan Aldridge was coaching often he was giving more coaching points when he was on the bench than when he was on the ice and we maybe improved slightly when he was able to focus on coaching.

Once the puck drops the coach's role is trying to react or change tactically that he feels will help the side, whether it is encouragement if a player makes a good play or if it is something they think might help an individual’s performance.

Kenton is quite good at that, with the defence especially, if there is something that you could do differently and giving you advice during a game.

Often it comes down to decision making. Players make physical errors but, unless it has been caused by a poor decision, a coach would not normally comment on that because it is a quick game and those things will happen.

Often you will see the tactics board come out on the bench. Forwards will have habits of how they would like to attack, whether that is formation or a play they look to play, and the board is a good way to illustrate that.

If Kenton feels a partnership isn’t doing something right - for example as a D-man comes back we always talk about giving support to your other D-man and the D-man will come underneath and be an option for a pass – he will use the board to show us where we need to be looking to be.

With the pace of the game, tactics are probably more similar to football than say rugby, where there is time to set up certain plays off a ruck.

We will have set positions on a break out that we will try and do if there is time, for example if a player comes behind the goal then we will take up our positions.

Kenton will be a massive help for the remainder of the season and any success will be part in thanks to him.