Old timer you mention the Sims bothers...you could take or leave Korbin but Tariq is a real enigma for mine...some days he looks like the enforcer we need and other days he looks completely disinterested.
I remember the day in 2018 when we played the titans at Toowoomba i think,Tariq made Konrad Hurrell look like his own personal tackling bag.He was like a human heat seeking missile.I bet Konrad is still having nightmares about him.
If Hook can find the key to him that would be great for us but unfortunately at the moment their is way too much difference between his best and his worst,that is when he actually manages to string some games together and he's not injured.You would have to say overall he has been very disappointing for someone who shows at times how devastating he can be.
Agree, always thought that when Tariq first signed with us he was highly motivated to play ‘State of Origin’ football. He’d always had the talent, but for different reasons it had never had eventuated. We were the beneficiary of this motivation as Saints were ‘his last chance‘ ; he achieved it along with DeBelin and Fritzell and our pack was considered one of the best on paper.
Since then, DeBelin’s hip was stuffed (when he should have been rested) then had his personal situation; Graham was realistically ‘past his best’ when we got him, Fritzell game plateaued at best and Tariq has been marred by injury or suspension; these factors could be due to age, poor game plans or coaching, yet, the tough pack myth was maintained....False in my opinion.
I feel with Graham, T Simms and even Fritzell that ‘on paper‘ we ‘looked’ firebrand, but it’s different when comparing to say the ‘77 pack with Young, Stone, Reddy, Starkey, & Jansen. The whole pack were young firebrands up for it and highly motivated
every week!
Tariq has to be on the park doing his stuff
consistently for us to start getting that tag back. Just question if the motivation is there for him to do so?