I respect your opinion, but my opinion is that that statement is just silly. We definitely don't have a s**t team, we have a team that played s**t. I believe that's on the back of a non-performing (potentially s**t) pair of halves. We looked great when our quality, non-s**t pack of forwards got a roll on and starting pulling off some offloads (coupled with our young, enthusiatic, non-s**t hooker rotation). Problem was, that our very capable, non-s**t centres didn't get the delivery and room to move from said halves - if they had, they have the ability to stand up their opposites and create room for our world-class, international, non-s**t wingers.
As mentioned, we need halves that at least make an effort to pull all that together, rather than just going through the motions.
Benny V (and Gibboz 71), I can see what you're saying. You make a persuasive case, but I just don't quite believe it. I don't go as far as saying that we're s**t lightly. But I look the whole squad up and down and I can't help thinking we are a bit s**t.
I think Creagh, Weyman, Cooper, Fien and Soward have all played the best football they're going to play for us. I think Stanley, Vidot and Harrison are journeymen/reserve graders. I think the jury is well and truly out on Beale, King, Drinkwater, De Belin, Stockwell and Frizzell, but if 2 out of the 6 of them go on to be elite players we're already beating the law of averages. And I think Hunt, Prior and Rein are good first graders without being a notch above that. That may seem harsh on Rein, whose work rate and commitment we all praise, but he's small and he's got no kicking game. Love his attitude and his heart, question whether he's a comp winning hooker. Then you've got Merrin, Nightingale and Stanley who are our best three players. And I reckon any team whose wingers are two of the top three on their roster is in trouble.
According to Nigel Vagana at the NRL, only 10% of Toyota Cup players ever go on to play first grade regularly, let alone become top level players. So if one of Runciman, Green, Stockwell, Cummins, Crook and Quinlan become first graders we've already over achieved.
So where does that leave us for 2014? There's Style, I suppose. But neither he or his brother have managed to play anything like consistent full seasons, let alone establish themselves at an elite level.
I think that we're in the market for five first grade quality players. Two centres, two halves and a front rower. That's just to be better than we are now.
Dudes, it kills me. But I think we're pretty s**t.
