14 halfbacks in 8 years- PJ and Tim Smith to battle it out

[fish eel]

well its easy to see whose version most people are buying and on those stats BS would be a rich man........

doesant mean its the right version though!

 

[mightypanther]

don't worry!!

we've been 10 times more scathing than that!

:lol: ...I wasn't trying to be nasty.

Do you think the reason for so many changes has been because all those players
really weren't up to the job.......or do you think it's been too much chopping
and changing by BS looking for instant success ?

Or do you think it's something else altogether ?
.

 

[True EEL]

and mightypanther......i didn't see the article but i did a quick count an i gte 14-16 since 1996 and i may have missed a couple that played there for a game or two???

1996 onwards.....pretty much in order

Gary Freeman
Chris Lawler
John Simon
Aaron Raper* (BS switched him and Simon before one game :roll: )
Jason Bell* (am sure he slotted in there at some point in his second stint???)
David Penna
Ben Kusto
Dennis Moran
PJ Marsh
Jason Taylor
Andrew McFadden
Brad Drew
Paul Green
Michael Witt
Adam Dykes
Chris Thorman

all under the reign of BS.......... :roll:

and if we break it up by years, it would be something like this.....

1996
Gary Freeman
Chris Lawler

1997
John Simon
Aaron Raper
Jason Bell

1998
David Penna
Ben Kusto
Jason Bell

1999
David Penna
Ben Kusto
Dennis Moran

2000
David Penna
Dennis Moran
PJ Marsh

2001
Jason Taylor
PJ Marsh
Brad Drew

2002
Andrew McFadden
Brad Drew
Ben Kusto

2003
Paul Green
Michael Witt

2004
Adam Dykes
Michael Witt
Chris Thorman

pretty stable set-up there ;-)

 

[Stagger eel]

don't worry!!

we've been 10 times more scathing than that!

:lol: ...I wasn't trying to be nasty.

Do you think the reason for so many changes has been because all those players
really weren't up to the job.......or do you think it's been too much chopping
and changing by BS looking for instant success ?
.

I think it's a combination of bad luck and bad management, a number of those halfbacks were either past their prime, makeshift halfs or too green to be playing firstgrade.

We're banking on atleast 1 of 3 ttop young halfbacks at our club to stand up next year.

we live in hope ;-)

 

[True EEL]

just seems to be the same pattern though.....remember we started to bank on both Steve and Micahel Witt and now they are both out of the club within two years of each other.......

not so long ago BS was singing their praises and having big specials on the Sunday Footy Show done about them and about how good they are....or were??

just seems to be a distinct pattern, particularly with halfback and it might be the instant success thing????

 

[fish eel]

I think its a bit harsh on smithy to say he was banking on the witt boys.

Steve never got a crack under smith and was allowed to leave/chose to leave to go to newcastle, where he hasnt set the world on fire, but has probably held his own.

Mick witt on the other hand remember only got a crack in 03 cos we were desparately shortmanned with injuries

 

[mightypanther]

WOW.....I don't know how you keep track... :lol:

It looks like David Penna got the best run of the lot, at least he stayed around
for 3 seasons........it looks like he got more of a look in than any of the other
poor guys got.

 

[True EEL]

fish eel

its not a metter of being harsh on BS - he did boom up both Witt boys big time, including signing Micahel for 4 years and within 2 years both are out of the club???

its fact and IMHO its more evidence that BS plays favourites and also loses confidence in the ability of many players too quickly - he is fickle

 

[Stagger eel]

just seems to be the same pattern though.....remember we started to bank on both Steve and Micahel Witt and now they are both out of the club within two years of each other.......

not so long ago BS was singing their praises and having big specials on the Sunday Footy Show done about them and about how good they are....or were??

just seems to be a distinct pattern, particularly with halfback and it might be the instant success thing????

you right,

It's been absolutley pathetic I would of thought we could of played 3 to 4 established halfbacks in that time, it's probably the most disapointing aspect about Smiths time there outside not winning a premiership.

 

[mightypanther]

BS plays favourites and also loses confidence in the ability of many players too quickly - he is fickle

That's kind of what I had been thinking too.

He never seems to give any of them much time to settle in and get any sort of
rhythm happening with their team mates before he's dumped them again and
trying new combinations.

I think that was what made John Lang succeed at Penrith. He has a lot of
patience. He never swaps and changes combinations unless it's absolutely
necessary.

It took Gower and Campbell quite a while before they started really gelling
together, but he persisted and look at them now.
.

 

[True EEL]

mighty panther

i'm glad your impressed lol ;-)

i'm just a true supporter who follows Parra very closely, but still objectively and i am pretty confident of the timeline i provided there, but could be a little bit out???

and Penna did have a pretty good run, but he was actually more of a fullback or centre, particularly when he was younger - but then started playing some 5/8

therefore he was more of a stop-gap halfback and BS evetually turned him into a reasonably successful halfback (see i can wrap BS) and although i listed him for 3 years there - he in jured his neck twice - at the end of 1999 and then at the start of 2000, when he then eventually retired and didn't play much of 2000....

 

[True EEL]

BS plays favourites and also loses confidence in the ability of many players too quickly - he is fickle

That's kind of what I had been thinking too.

He never seems to give any of them much time to settle in and get any sort of
rhythm happening with their team mates before he's dumped them again and
trying new combinations.

he sure does and it wories me that the same thing will happen again in 2005, particularly with the apparent glut of options we now have in the halves (even with Witt leaving).........?????

 

[fish eel]

Penna couldnt organise a chook raffle, but was probably our most consistent number 7 under smith

 

[mightypanther]

i'm glad your impressed lol

Oh most definitely... :lol:
.

 

[Stagger eel]

mighty panther

i'm glad your impressed lol ;-)

i'm just a true supporter who follows Parra very closely, but still objectively and i am pretty confident of the timeline i provided there, but could be a little bit out???

and Penna did have a pretty good run, but he was actually more of a fullback or centre, particularly when he was younger - but then started playing some 5/8

therefore he was more of a stop-gap halfback and BS evetually turned him into a reasonably successful halfback (see i can wrap BS) and although i listed him for 3 years there - he in jured his neck twice - at the end of 1999 and then at the start of 2000, when he then eventually retired and didn't play much of 2000....

mate,

never seen Penna play fullback in my life, not even in lowergrdes he was mainly a centre/five-eight.

The sad part about Penna's injury is he was playing the best football of his career prior to his injury and could of done with him in 01 or 02.

no disrespect to JT, but he could of been one of the best half backs in the comp behind that 01 side and just maybe we could of went that one step further.

 

[True EEL]

eelevation,

the halfback dillemma has been the overriding factor in stopping us from succeeding under BS - and moreover - since Sterlo retired - so much so that it is in a way a terrible testament to the dominance of Peter Sterling at Parra?????

however, once again defending BS, he has had many of them suffer injuries: such as Penna, Dykes, Green or be nearing retirement, such as: Freeman and Taylor

and the most consitent success we have had lately or under BS was when we had stable halves - in 2001 with Buettner and Taylor - which highlights the need for a stable halves pairing, even though we did stumble at the final hurdle in 2001????

mightypanther will back me up on that - look at the difference in Penrith with a stable halves pairing in Campbell and Gower and the difference it makes to the side if Gower in particular is injured????

 

[Stagger eel]

Penna couldnt organise a chook raffle, but was probably our most consistent number 7 under smith

disagree!

I rated Dave very highly prior to his injury.

 

[True EEL]

Penna couldnt organise a chook raffle, but was probably our most consistent number 7 under smith

Penna actually did quite wll IMO and even developed quite an adequate kicking game and provided an effective linkman role between Jim Dymock and Jason Smith, which is what BS wanted......

 

[The Colonel]

If you go back to 1986 and I'm sure you'll find at least 30 that have been tried and thrown away. Its not just a Brian Smith thing. No one person has been able to hold the 7 jersey since Sterling. These are just off the top of my head and I know there are more.

Steve Jolly, Martin Seal, Garen Casey, Stu Galbraith, Jason Bell, Keith Blackett, Denis Moran, Troy Pezet, Andrew Fitzhenry, Tulsen Tollett, Garen Casey, Johnny Brewer, Craig Freer, Gary Freeman, Chris Lawler, Daniel Brown, Mark Barnes, John Simon, Jason Bell, David Penna, Ben Kusto, PJ Marsh, Jason Taylor, Andrew McFadden, Brad Drew, Paul Green, Michael Witt, Adam Dykes, Chris Thorman

 

[True EEL]

eelevation,

i could be wrong about Penna and fullback - but i am sure he did play there on occasions and particularly in the lower grades???? he may even have scored his 4 or 5 tries in the lower grades playing fullback?????

but of course he played at centre and 5/8 much more than he did at fullback, no doubt about that at all......