rednwhites
Juniors
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This very time last year we were angry after that other very famous loss to the Bulldogs. Here we are again angry and bitter because of the coach and performance of his team.
At least then, however, we were hopeful that we had secured one of the game's best number 7's albeit for the cost of an arm and a leg. I have to laugh now given Hunt has barely done a thing since Origin and he is having a case of the duldrums because he got benched. We had just secured some grit and experience upfront with Graham and most were confident this would go some way to fill the void left by Packer.
Skip to today. We've lost Ah Mau and have got another Sims. There's some speculation about losing Nene but apart from that we have been very inactive in the market place when it is plain for all to see that our backline isn't cutting it in first grade. When things are not going as hoped, it can be easy to be negative about everything and I have been, but this is just one of those things I find scary, and very inexcusable. I can only hope the lack of activity is because their is a succession plan for the next coach picking his squad but that is wishful thinking.
Relying on some young untested players is not going to cut it in my book and this has been a year when:
- Aitken has gone backwards and has become a liability, the biggest disappointment of the year in my book
- Pereira has done his best to plug a hole, he may yet go to next level but he is his peak year chronologically
- Lafai has been consistent but is like Beale when he was here, very forgettable and average, never really delivering in attack
- Dufty has used his speed well and agility well at times, but has gotten worse as the year progressed, and time will tell if he is actually first grade material or a glorified Quinlan
- MacDonald has the size and finishing skills I want to see in our backline, has annoyed some with complacency, may not even be around next year (I get the feeling he's gone)
When our forwards aren't dominating these wing thee-quarters are the worst group in the entire comp. We will miss Jason's experience at the back which isn't going to make things easier.
Hunt and Widdop have fallen off the face of the earth but success is around the corner with these two, especially with a new coach. You've got Lomax and Herbert which most of us know little about thanks to Mary. As good as they may be, like JP, we can't just assume they will be the next big thing. Mann is worth holding on to and has shown his versatility is an asset to our team.
All in all we are down two class outside backs (that other teams appear to have) and the fact we haven't done anything to secure one is just another reason to look upon the future with more misery. No word on us signing Tupou or Barba...Ferguson is off to Parra. What are we actually doing?
I realise this is a very surface layer look at recruitment but some things are not very complicated. We don't have the team that will do much going forward. Here's hoping a new coach comes in and changes all this.
At least then, however, we were hopeful that we had secured one of the game's best number 7's albeit for the cost of an arm and a leg. I have to laugh now given Hunt has barely done a thing since Origin and he is having a case of the duldrums because he got benched. We had just secured some grit and experience upfront with Graham and most were confident this would go some way to fill the void left by Packer.
Skip to today. We've lost Ah Mau and have got another Sims. There's some speculation about losing Nene but apart from that we have been very inactive in the market place when it is plain for all to see that our backline isn't cutting it in first grade. When things are not going as hoped, it can be easy to be negative about everything and I have been, but this is just one of those things I find scary, and very inexcusable. I can only hope the lack of activity is because their is a succession plan for the next coach picking his squad but that is wishful thinking.
Relying on some young untested players is not going to cut it in my book and this has been a year when:
- Aitken has gone backwards and has become a liability, the biggest disappointment of the year in my book
- Pereira has done his best to plug a hole, he may yet go to next level but he is his peak year chronologically
- Lafai has been consistent but is like Beale when he was here, very forgettable and average, never really delivering in attack
- Dufty has used his speed well and agility well at times, but has gotten worse as the year progressed, and time will tell if he is actually first grade material or a glorified Quinlan
- MacDonald has the size and finishing skills I want to see in our backline, has annoyed some with complacency, may not even be around next year (I get the feeling he's gone)
When our forwards aren't dominating these wing thee-quarters are the worst group in the entire comp. We will miss Jason's experience at the back which isn't going to make things easier.
Hunt and Widdop have fallen off the face of the earth but success is around the corner with these two, especially with a new coach. You've got Lomax and Herbert which most of us know little about thanks to Mary. As good as they may be, like JP, we can't just assume they will be the next big thing. Mann is worth holding on to and has shown his versatility is an asset to our team.
All in all we are down two class outside backs (that other teams appear to have) and the fact we haven't done anything to secure one is just another reason to look upon the future with more misery. No word on us signing Tupou or Barba...Ferguson is off to Parra. What are we actually doing?
I realise this is a very surface layer look at recruitment but some things are not very complicated. We don't have the team that will do much going forward. Here's hoping a new coach comes in and changes all this.
