Dragonslayer
First Grade
- Messages
- 7,693
We've seen it time and time again, this over-reliance on the "old guard" each and every week, season after season since Bennett left.
Playing broken, exhausted and mentally fatigued players or players who are seriously out of form just to get a win and hope they will pull the team through based solely on their experience. Don't get me wrong, they're putting in, giving their utmost, but only to the limit of their already stretched bodies and kudos to them.
This week was a prime example.
Players backing up after Origin, where celebrations were broadcast on all media. Even Hunt would have celebrated QLD's victory.
Our coach has gone on record as stating "I can't talk them out of playing". Words evade me as to this statement.
Take a look at the Roosters today. A 19 yr old rookie halfback, a rookie bench player and a player who's played 1 game. At the time of writing this they have all scored try's (yeah they're playing the Titans, but faith shown in them by the coach).
Our reluctance to not only blood players but also give them significant game time, has a duel effect. 1. They look to go elsewhere for their opportunities, refer Bird and Cook or 2. Give them 5 or 10 mins and say their ready, when we all know they're not.. Our future stars will not get a look in. Players like Lomax, Herbert, Masters and Co will soon depart our colours for opportunity, and a chance to show off their skills, while we, continue to roll out our tried and tested, because they've been there done that.
How would Mann have felt today? spent the last 3 weeks as the starting winger scored tries, defended well, only to be dumped back to the bench due to the "old guard" effect. No wonder his confidence was down.
1-17 is Xeroxed each week, and we've been lucky with injuries.
The question for me is why? Is there no faith in our reserves or is it just something we cant see and they are really shit (if so why are they still with us and even some with extended contracts re: Kerr).
Some fresh legs today may have been the difference in winning and losing today. Herbert should have debuted at least on the bench with Mann starting.
Our coach doesn't like to coach, that's obvious. But this continual reliance on the "old guard" will eventually (if not already) bring us undone, as it has in the past.
Old guard = old ways = old habits = old results.
Time for the old guard to stand aside and realise the bigger picture.
Playing broken, exhausted and mentally fatigued players or players who are seriously out of form just to get a win and hope they will pull the team through based solely on their experience. Don't get me wrong, they're putting in, giving their utmost, but only to the limit of their already stretched bodies and kudos to them.
This week was a prime example.
Players backing up after Origin, where celebrations were broadcast on all media. Even Hunt would have celebrated QLD's victory.
Our coach has gone on record as stating "I can't talk them out of playing". Words evade me as to this statement.
Take a look at the Roosters today. A 19 yr old rookie halfback, a rookie bench player and a player who's played 1 game. At the time of writing this they have all scored try's (yeah they're playing the Titans, but faith shown in them by the coach).
Our reluctance to not only blood players but also give them significant game time, has a duel effect. 1. They look to go elsewhere for their opportunities, refer Bird and Cook or 2. Give them 5 or 10 mins and say their ready, when we all know they're not.. Our future stars will not get a look in. Players like Lomax, Herbert, Masters and Co will soon depart our colours for opportunity, and a chance to show off their skills, while we, continue to roll out our tried and tested, because they've been there done that.
How would Mann have felt today? spent the last 3 weeks as the starting winger scored tries, defended well, only to be dumped back to the bench due to the "old guard" effect. No wonder his confidence was down.
1-17 is Xeroxed each week, and we've been lucky with injuries.
The question for me is why? Is there no faith in our reserves or is it just something we cant see and they are really shit (if so why are they still with us and even some with extended contracts re: Kerr).
Some fresh legs today may have been the difference in winning and losing today. Herbert should have debuted at least on the bench with Mann starting.
Our coach doesn't like to coach, that's obvious. But this continual reliance on the "old guard" will eventually (if not already) bring us undone, as it has in the past.
Old guard = old ways = old habits = old results.
Time for the old guard to stand aside and realise the bigger picture.
