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Thoughts on 2017/2018

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
Kicking game will make or break us. You can practice it for hours but at the end of the day you either have it in your D&A or you dont
Geez this has been a gargantuan problem along with our defense in the backs for an eternity.

If u get these 2 things right a quality kicking game with brick wall defence u play finals footy regularly.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
That's the million dollar question "how's he under the high ball?" I guess having Ivan & Hodgo coaching him can't hurt. I also agree about Brooks, since the other three tosses left, everyone needed a new whipping boy and Brooksie is it. He'll find his feet this year.
Brooks is not so much a whipping boy as being totally inept.This impostor has massively under-delivered for 4 yrs.He is extremely inept at managing a team around the park with pathetic kicking & passing games along with being one of the worst 1 on 1 defenders in the NRL.Additionally he rarely uses his one strength which is his running game.

Brooks should count his lucky stars that IC was so generous as to give him a 2 yr contract at overs.IC is hanging his hat on this gump being able to competently take ownership of the team.I so hope IC is vindicated & this fellow Balmain junior can turn his career around but geez it will take 1 heck of a miracle coz game managing isn’t in Brooks’s DNA !

Consequently short of a major miracle I expect us to b shopping him around at seasons end !!
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
Said this a million times and I'll say it again. Brooks excels when he plays with an experienced 5/8 and a strong forward pack. Most halfbacks play well when they have these two things, but Brooks goes to another level which is why he was so ridiculously over-hyped.

Look at 2014, he had Anasta as his halves partner which took enormous pressure off him and we had the strongest forward pack we have had in years (Taupau was on the bench...).

Since then, Brooks has had neither of these things. No go forward to work off, no experienced halves partner. Moses and Brooks were the worst combination and I think this is one of the reasons Moses wanted out.

I'm reserving judgement of Brooks until mid-season. I have faith he can finally shut the critics up and be a solid first grade half back.
 

sensesmaybenumbed

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,828
Said this a million times and I'll say it again. Brooks excels when he plays with an experienced 5/8 and a strong forward pack. Most halfbacks play well when they have these two things, but Brooks goes to another level which is why he was so ridiculously over-hyped.

Look at 2014, he had Anasta as his halves partner which took enormous pressure off him and we had the strongest forward pack we have had in years (Taupau was on the bench...).

Since then, Brooks has had neither of these things. No go forward to work off, no experienced halves partner. Moses and Brooks were the worst combination and I think this is one of the reasons Moses wanted out.

I'm reserving judgement of Brooks until mid-season. I have faith he can finally shut the critics up and be a solid first grade half back.
Holy shit, if Anasta is the best halves partner Brooks has had and he shone with him then that says terrible things about Moses....

Even Johns and Thurston would get dragged down with Anasta at 6.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
Said this a million times and I'll say it again. Brooks excels when he plays with an experienced 5/8 and a strong forward pack. Most halfbacks play well when they have these two things, but Brooks goes to another level which is why he was so ridiculously over-hyped.

Look at 2014, he had Anasta as his halves partner which took enormous pressure off him and we had the strongest forward pack we have had in years (Taupau was on the bench...).

Since then, Brooks has had neither of these things. No go forward to work off, no experienced halves partner. Moses and Brooks were the worst combination and I think this is one of the reasons Moses wanted out.

I'm reserving judgement of Brooks until mid-season. I have faith he can finally shut the critics up and be a solid first grade half back.
I’m optimistic & a realist so as much as I wish I had ur faith re Brooks excelling I’m not expecting it.Ive watched him closely since his debut & he glaringly lacks the crucial traits required to b the steering wheel of an NRL side.His lack of both vision & presence of mind to take the appropriate option & make the right play/decision during the game is appalling.

Coz I’m eager for him to succeed as his form will have massive repercussions towards our season I so hope he transforms into a competent game manager.We will know within 3-4 months & if the status quo remains thankfully we have the prodigal son back to steer the ship until the prodigious son of IC arrives at Concord.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,496
Holy shit, if Anasta is the best halves partner Brooks has had and he shone with him then that says terrible things about Moses....

Even Johns and Thurston would get dragged down with Anasta at 6.

thurston won a comp with anasta ;)

i get Jims point and agree. it was moreso that braith was happy to play second fiddle and could chip in here and there (or not at all). brooks doesnt strike me as an outgoing confident kid, whereas moses was an arrogant loud mouth which isnt necessarily a bad trait for a half. luke allowed mitch to dominate him whereas now Josh will let him get the ball when he wants.
 

sensesmaybenumbed

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,828
thurston won a comp with anasta ;)

i get Jims point and agree. it was moreso that braith was happy to play second fiddle and could chip in here and there (or not at all). brooks doesnt strike me as an outgoing confident kid, whereas moses was an arrogant loud mouth which isnt necessarily a bad trait for a half. luke allowed mitch to dominate him whereas now Josh will let him get the ball when he wants.
Touché.
 

Shredder

Juniors
Messages
1,525
There is a part of me that wants Brooks to fail, as that opens the door for Ivan Jr.
If Brooks has a break-out year I suspect Ivan has too much integrity to dump him for his son..........
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
Holy shit, if Anasta is the best halves partner Brooks has had and he shone with him then that says terrible things about Moses....

Even Johns and Thurston would get dragged down with Anasta at 6.

I wasn't implying Anasta was a decent 5/8 whilst at Tigers, I'm merely implying that Brooks was unbelievable when paired with Anasta due to the confidence that came with having an experienced halves partner to take off some of the pressure.

Moses and Brooks combination was the opposite, two young halves trying to find their feet in first grade...was a mess. Moses is playing much better with Norman as his halves partner and I think Brooks will too once he is playing alongside Reynolds
 

Tigerm

First Grade
Messages
8,902
There is a part of me that wants Brooks to fail, as that opens the door for Ivan Jr.
If Brooks has a break-out year I suspect Ivan has too much integrity to dump him for his son..........
I think I will wait to see how Ivan Jr goes around this year, before offering him a seat on the bus. One year wonders and so on....
 

sensesmaybenumbed

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,828
I wasn't implying Anasta was a decent 5/8 whilst at Tigers, I'm merely implying that Brooks was unbelievable when paired with Anasta due to the confidence that came with having an experienced halves partner to take off some of the pressure.

Moses and Brooks combination was the opposite, two young halves trying to find their feet in first grade...was a mess. Moses is playing much better with Norman as his halves partner and I think Brooks will too once he is playing alongside Reynolds
It's his 5th year in first grade with 83 games under his belt. Form and consistency need to come this season or it never will.
 

BrotherJim05

Bench
Messages
3,399
It's his 5th year in first grade with 83 games under his belt. Form and consistency need to come this season or it never will.

Agree. It's make or break for Brooks. He literally has been given everything he needs to perform. He has a strong forward pack, an experienced halves partner, enough games under his belt, keys to steer the ship and players in reserve grade pushing for a spot.

I have faith he will rise to the challenge
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
I wonder if Brooks is the type of player to steer a team around. I see him more as an instinctual player who has problems taking the right options at times.

Everyone mentioning is Anasta is kidding themselves as well. How many games did he play with Anasta. It wasn't many and Anasta was so bad anyone would look good next to him.
 

Clifferd

Coach
Messages
10,805
Packer, Matulino, Taylor, Sue expected not to play tonight due to injury

Kinda worrying 3 certain starting players have niggling injuries this close to the season
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
2,952
Packer, Matulino, Taylor, Sue expected not to play tonight due to injury

Kinda worrying 3 certain starting players have niggling injuries this close to the season
We can cope with injuries to forwards a heck of a lot better than the backs.

Massive question marks around our backs regarding all aspects of their specific job descriptions.Defence has been abysmal for yrs ! Brooks’s kicking game is a gargantuan liability !Will our wingers & fullback b safe enough under the high ball to not handicap us & we certainly lack an X factor in attack !

Re the above deficiencies I expect IC to improve our defence markedly so as we stop leaking so many tries especially through the outside backs.However I don’t have much confidence re our appalling kicking game & our wingers ability to defuse kicks particularly in the air ! These r innate attributes that are extremely difficult to learn especially when u r a total dunce like Brooks !
 

super_coach

First Grade
Messages
5,061
Packer, Matulino, Taylor, Sue expected not to play tonight due to injury

Kinda worrying 3 certain starting players have niggling injuries this close to the season

Would not read to much into it, next week will be the real indication when Cleary will roll out close to his round one starting line up. I think this week is more about getting the whole group together away from home.

I would like to get a injury update from the club so we have a real idea who is in the mix for round 1
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,496
Packer, Matulino, Taylor, Sue expected not to play tonight due to injury

Kinda worrying 3 certain starting players have niggling injuries this close to the season

I don’t mind that. 3 are certainties and the other is a probable. Good to see the other guys state their case.
 

Clifferd

Coach
Messages
10,805
Yeah I suppose, just having Matulino and Packer out made me realise how thin our front row stocks look afterwards

Twal and Grant would be next in line and they wouldn’t intimidate a reserve grade side

Need a big year from Twal, which I think he’s easily capable of
 

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