Well this season is already a write off, and until changes are made the start of next season will likely be the same. Every game wasted with the same proven failures, is one less game to work on a team that could be competitive next season.
Which is what pisses me off the most. The current team is just nowhere near good enough to compete at first grade level. Our Under 20's and reserve grade side have a number of players who could come in and do atleast as well as some of the current players, with the added bonus of being young and having room for improvement.
George Jennings and Tony Satini could do atleast aswell as Brad Tighe... and the best part is that each week we could expect slight improvement and with some first grade experience this season, aswell as a complete off-season could go onto be first grade stars in 2014.
Blake Austin is pretty much better in every area possible over Luke Walsh. Halfback might not be his best position or where his future lies, but he ticks more boxes as a halfback then Walshy does. He runs at the line, he puts players in gaps, he forces the defence to second guess what he might do, he is a strong defender and is just as capable with his kicking and passing as Walsh. His running game and strength are the best part of his game, but he has shown he has a huge variety of skills at Windsor and needs more then a single game of first grade to prove it at NRL level. Especially if Walsh gets 5+ seasons and is allowed to get worse without losing his spot.
Travis Robinson was good in his NRL appearances last year, and is quicker and more dangerous with the ball in hand then David Simmons. He's another player that has the potential to improve, while Simmons is just getting older and slightly worse with each season.
Dean Whare was never a quality fullback, and finally got moved to centre and had his best game for us by far. Unfrotunately the useless centre was moved back to fullback and again found out defensively, always caught out of position and offering nothing. Meanwhile we have a legitimate fullback with some ball playing skills playing for the Wolves. Matt Moylan couldn't possibly be worse then Whare or Naiqama, but again would benefit from first grade experience and be better for the run in 2014.
After the latest Wolves game, I don't even think Ciraldo would be good enough to get a spot in the side if it was actually picked on form and quality. Deadset he is that bad. I think Cherrington is already looking like he could play first grade after a couple of years of injuries. Looks very dangerous for the Wolves.
Then there's Newton, not quiet as bad as Ciraldo but is another player who is just getting on in age and only getting worse. Not sure how these guys get a spot on our bench when we have plenty of young talent to bring in and easily do the same job, with room for improvement. Assuming they aren't immediately better to begin with.
My team...
1. Matt Moylan
2. Josh Mansour
3. Dean Whare
4. George Jennings / Tony Satini
5. Travis Robinson
6. Tom Humble
7. Blake Austin
8. Tim Grant
9. James Segayaro
10. Sam McKendry
11. Lewis Brown
12. Sika Manu
13. Nigel Plum
14. Adam Docker
15. Mose Masoe
16. Matt Robinson
17. Anthony Cherrington
Lewis Brown can cover Segs at hooker if he needs a break to keep him fresh toward the end of games.
James Roberts will walk into the team and replace one of Moylan, Robinson or Jennings/Satini based on which of those positions is the weakest. He was a proven fullback/winger before getting here, and in the trials killed it at centre. So he just fixes which every position is the weakest.
If they're all firing and the halves aren't, then move Moylan to the halves in place of whoever isn't good enough, and have James Roberts at fullback.
But we need to let players have atleast a month together before making decisions like that. A single game isn't enough. Likewise I don't think they deserve an entire season and to be kept regardless. But give them a month and send them back to reserve grade if they aren't playing good enough, and tell them where they need to improve.
Those players have the potential to improve and give us a good team next season. The likes of Wes Naiqama, Brad Tighe, David Simmons, Luke Walsh, Cameron Ciraldo, Clint Newton and so on have played more then enough first grade to know what they're going to offer the team, and honestly not one of them is likely to get any better then what we have already seen. Odds on they will only get worse. So why waste this season on them? I'm not under the illusion that mass changes will result in immediate results. But they need to happen so that even if the immediate results aren't happening, there's a chance that future results will come. The teams being picked at the moment are achieving nothing other then breaking fans hearts.
