:lol: it's been a fun year. Warning, opinion follows.
For the record, I like the way our attack looks when we've got Dureau and Mullen on the field. I like it because the ball is moved around with a bit of purpose as opposed to the accursed one-out nonsense we were stuck with for much of last year.
It's a shame that Dureau isn't the type to back himself in flashy individual efforts, because everyone loves a quick-stepping chip and chaser. Easier to justify the selection of such a player too, because it's undeniably sexy - but problem is there's plenty of nippy halves that soon enough lose the impact of their speed or step and get shown up for having little other substance.
Again, I'm very happy to see the Knights exploring the field in attack, and that sentiment is increasingly echoed by several commentators. This week's game was billed as a clash of two of the most entertaining sides in the competition. People seem to like how we play, so we've got to be doing something right. In my *opinion* we lacked that attractive structure when we were stuck with Bailey and Mullen in the halves. Now maybe that combination would be smoother now that Kidley is being used as he is, but I won't suggest something I can't know.
I don't think Dureau is capable of going nuts on his own like Thurston used to. But it looks like something works when he's on the field, and the players in particular seem to respond to it. Unfortunately though his worth is now judged on a game to game basis, so everything he does will fuel the bias on either side, and no player can stand up to that. Most players would be out on their arse midway through their first season, in fact.
My point is, laboured as it may be, I find it easier to like Dureau because I'd missed seeing our team move around like a team more than I'd missed a first receiver preoccupied with being a hero. And in my opinion, Dureau appears to be influencing the former.
Now, if it isn't Dureau at half, I still want to see that kind of player in the position. Dureau needs to add a lot to his performances, for instance I'd like to see some better options at the line and sometimes some unpredictability of his own, but for mine it's better than a patch job like Kidley at halfback. I still want our team to move in this direction because I feel the balance is the best thing for such a young and relatively new and inexperienced group. At the very least, I don't want to throw him to the dogs just yet.
The other thing that can't be ignored is, Hitler didn't rate Dureau.
