it’s interesting to me, how people tend to arrive at their decisions for this. Like,
@sup42 has appeared to use his ratings as a 3- rookie stood up 2- rookie stood up 1- has been quiet and got more involved. Of course, that’s completely legitimate.
I know that sometimes I will feel the temptation to look past the guys who put in every week because it becomes so ordinary. Barnett would be someone I might overlook this year because his work rate is phenomenal, but kind of cliche.
Yeah I do try to apply a leveler in my picks based off the handicap that is being a noob..
It is kinda like comparing a yellow belt in a Karate comp to a Black belt in the same competition, knowing the relative difference in experience I look for indicators that lesser guys are competing above themselves.
Add to that knowing that the side we rolled out were very vulnerable in terms of the experience factor, knowing greenhorns can lose you a game through no lack of effort, rather a lack of experience, I rate their games differently to the usual candidates.
For example, for mine a good game from a noob is more about overcoming the deficits, things like missed tackles due to lack of NRL experience, things like clocking off because they have never had to run against all men vs teens and early twenty year olds. Things like knowing a noob can lose you an NRL game if they lose confidence.
Ergo I rate Labans efforts in the NRL, where many complain he has not done anything, my rating score of Laban starts with the question can he handle it? can he play an NRL game without doing anything wrong? this is very much shaped by my assessment and experience of the Warriors development failures of the decades, time and again they blood kids (often times out of position like putting Locke, Fisiahi and CNK on the wing) to then drop those guys back to Reggies when they
dont do anything i.e. like Laban they have games where they are invisible and fans go meh.
Here is the thing about Laban, when SJ et al are looking for forwards to put into holes they never pass the ball to Laban who has hit plenty of holes at speed, they use them as decoys, so the kids rarely get the first bite of the Cherry when it comes to opportunities in games to stand out. That is not a criticism of SJ et al, it is perfectly legitimate to stick with giving nice ball to people like AFB and Marata until a noob does their year or more of apprenticeship.
But all that aside I genuinely believe that MGT and Ali deserved points for introducing passing Center play back to the Warriors and for being on point as defensive centers. I have to say those two are the future, they are Stars, MGT even made a desperate dive to take someone down on the break by their ankles.
Dallin saw that and raced to ankle chop the next runner down. Dallin seemed to thrive with a center like MGT which is why you saw MGT go to Dallins wing so Dallin could play Center, then MGT passed it back inside to Dallin, that is classic Center Wing Switch which is old as Rugby league and something the Warriors have not been able to play for years and years and years (I have a whole other rant about why that is, just look at the complete failure of the Warriors to respect Center, they have had no stars since Toopi, sorry but Hurrell could not tackle for shit compared to MGT and Ali, a Center is THEE tackler in your backline). We have primarily not had exciting Centers and weak wing three quarter attack because Centers are meant to be gun passers of the ball. The kids showed that against the Tigers. They showed us all what is missing at this club.
So yeah I thought they had epic games between Ali and MGT even though Barnett and AFB are more important players, the thing is those fowards are expected to do that every week , they have high involvement roles, they get nice and regular service from the hooker and the halves and they are trained to be seen lots on center stage.
