Ok. I will admit that my previous post was drastic.
But it does seem like I am a source of frustration for some people.
A number of my posts have been met with harsh critcism - which is fine.
But on many of those occassions, a few people have "played the man, not the ball" so to speak.
Why do I let it get to me - it's just a silly little forum.
I don't know. I really don't.
I'd like to think I don't have an abrasive personality.
But even in reality, people constantly need to arue my views and prove me wrong. Often it doesn't bother me, particularly when the topic at hand is a subjective one.
But a lot of the time I find that I am having to explain myself for something that is factual - simply because I apparrently give out an abrasive or unfriendly vibe.
All I meant by my first post was - player for player - whether parra pete really believed that for every quality player we've released, whether he truly believed that Brian brought, or had available at the cluba at the time, players of equal ability.
I know salary cap constraints played a large part in certain big name players leaving. Most, if not all, NRL clubs go through that at some stage.
But I for one don't feel as though we signed players of equal ability to those we released.
I mean yes - Stringer, Morrison, Tahu, Robinson, Marsh and Riddell are brilliant.
And Morrison, Riddell and Marsh are probably standouts - they were of equal or better ability to their counterparts.
But it is openly debatable as to whether Stringer is as good as an in-form Jason Cayless (which i for one don't think so, as much as I respect Stringer), Morrison is as good as Ryan was back in 2001 (I'd say he is, yes) and whether Tahu is as good a centre as Vaealiki, Lyon and Tonga (yes, no and yes, I believe).
I think we all get a little too excited when things go our way - saying things like, "Sign Brian up for life," and, "His eye for talent is second to none."
He is a very, very good coach - I'm just trying to keep things in perspective.
For whatever the reason - available players, salary cap, etc - I for one don't think that for every good player released he signed a player of equal quality.
I mean this is a good example - Dykes.
Who did we sign when Dykes left? Marcus Perenara? And John Morris was already at the club.
Now, I hear Marcus P is pretty handy. And I respect John Morris and love watching him play.
But if we're fair dinkum, an in-form Adam Dykes is just a brilliant and classy player.
I myself place him above Morris in the 5/8 department, as unpopular as that may be, and feel like we didn't sign anyone of equal ability to cover for him.
I wasn't trying to attack parra pete or anyone's post - merely I was trying to put things in perspective and ask what I thought was an important question.
....doesn't have to be a replacement in the same position
