That is simply not true. I think Nathan Brown for example has the best eye for talent in the NRL. I very much hope he flames at Newcastle and comes home as an assistant coach. Trouble as a head coach was his sticking with a guy who had zero playmaking ability (Barrett) while the best two centres in the competition and some good wingers were starved of of the ball.
That brings me to the point. You don't like my opinion of Widdop? I think he is a good or very good player but as a main playmaker, as Barrett was supposed to be, he is poor or very poor.
Or is it Jack Bird? So he won rookie of the year. I saw him play a few games and was utterly crap in them. Seems to me he isn't fast enough to be a centre, not big enough to be a forward and not skillful enough to be playmaker. At least not without a dominant playmaker on both sides of the ruck in the team with him. He would however make an excellent interchange utility.
Or is Kurt Mann? I hope I'm wrong but from what I've seen he won't be able to force Matautai or Aitken out of the centres, isn't fast enough to be a winger and there is no way he is going to move Dugan from fullback:x.
I disagree with your opinions on some players, but thats what this forum is for!
Your assessment of Widdop probably isnt too far off, but I dont think anyone has taught him how to be a main playmaker! He is clearly a very smart player, but for some reason (and I lay it at the feet of our attacking coach) that only comes out every other game. Give him options, runners with good timing and good angles, and a bit of space, and I think he could go next level. More interesting in that regard is the assessment of Benji - he is exactly the same style as Widdop, only more unpredictable (which can be good or bad, depending on the game). We score plenty of tries off him, but we give up olenty of chances off him too. Like Widdop, his best years were spent outside a dominant halfback (Prince, Lui). Neither is oarticularly suited as a 'dominant playmaker'.
Bird - you can hardly base him off a few games, the kid is still elligible for NYC so his consistency in first grade was bound to be a bit off. He dominated under 20s as a 17 year old. I dont think he was rookie of the year (should have been Munster or Takeaho) but he is one of the to young talents in the game, to claim otherwise based on a few games is nuts.
As for Mann - I agree that as a centre I dont think he is above Mata'utia or Aitken (yet), nor as a fullback is he above Dugan (yet) but for an admittedy understrength youngster playing out of position in his first year in first grade, he has done well. He forms oart of our best back 5 - how those 5 are made up is anyone's guess, but IMO is easy to shuffle throughout the game, they are all fairly versatile (bar maybe Aitken). Was a gun in younger grades (and QLD Cup) and will hit his prime here. Hes an investment who will pay dividends.
