Thierry Henry said:
I think that you think that our players are better than they are.
Every team in the NRL has players as talented as ours. For some reason, whenever a brown guy comes into first grade everyone assumes he is amazingly talented, then criticizes him for being lazy and inconsistent when it turns out that he isn't.
Looking at the rosters of all of the NRL clubs I would place us in about the middle, if not slightly lower, for pure talent. Maybe when some of you accept that all Polynesians are not necessarily born rugby league champions, we will all become a bit more reasonable in our criticism of them.
If Clinton Toopi has the potential to be the best centre in the NRL then I'll chew off both my arms (unluckily for you all, it's not gonna happen.) Since when did average size, average speed, terrible ball-handling skills, no vision, no passing ability, dreadful defence, and an ability to sidestep on the spot, translate into world class talent?
As for Meli, have you ever even seen him smile? His demeanour has been the same for every game since 1999 so I don't know how you can tell that he doesn't care (especially when there is nothing wrong with his form right now.)
Toopi was good, very good at the end of 2003. Since then its been mostly nonsense, with some good displays from nowhere over the past couple of months intimited with brain snaps.
The point is, all those players, Meli, Toopi, Faumuina etc have scaled to some height in their career, then severely plateaued well below that, or dropped heavily. Even Lauitiiti - I mean WTF happened there, great player one second, hopeless hack the next. Even Jerry Seu Seu, in the top 7-8 front rowers at NRL level one second, getting smacked backwards after dancing on a five cent coin for three seconds every hit up the next.
What is it? They can only suit one particular game plan, and when that runs out they're like headless chooks? IE Lauitiiti could only ever range wide and not adapt to using his footwork up the middle of the ruck? Or are they just plain inconsistent players? Or are they just straight out average hacks who know how to come on good just prior to contract negotiations?
It seems the Australians, for whatever reason, when they become a gun, they stay a gun, not until their contract is signed up.
Not all Polynesians are champions. Some are just straight out hopeless. Monty Betham and Karl Te Mata spring to mind real quick.
I'm not meaning to generalise whatsoever, some are obviously incredibly good most of the time - Wiki, Asotasi spring to mind. But it seems we have to look elsewhere to find someone with an on field brain, the ounce of decency to stay consistent, whereas say for Brisbane who have a similar back yard to ours just pluck a duck all day long from the Queensland Cup and constantly come up trumps.
Is Bartercard THAT weak? Is the answer perhaps pushing for a Warriors team to be in the NSWRL Premier League, or even the Queensland Cup?
