Was thinking the other day, there isnt hast been enough competition for spots this year. We've got like one spot up for grabs, everyone is far to comfortable. There are like 18 guys who are certainties to get picked every week they are available.
Dyl
Biz
Tago
Yeo
Nath
Kenny
Leota
Lindsay
Henry
Sorro
Marto
Paps
Garner
Then we have the lack of competition for back up spots. Laurie, Brad and huth dont even have to play well to maintain their place in the pecking order, they are certainties to play when there is an out in their postions.
For a team that has been in the bottom for almost half a season. thats not good. Sure you stay loyal and keep picking winners while the going is good, but took half a year to actually drop a starter in Alamoti despite us losing.
How many of these certainties are playing well? I would argue not one of them is playing to their potential this season, not even yeo.
It is difficult argue with this. I thought in SOO our players looked like players that are part of the greatest team of the modern era. It seemed to fire them up. Other than that they have looked strangely flat and quiet all season.
As for competition for places, we seem to be in a gap year. Through our five year run, every year we have produced another couple of good players of first grade quality. This was at its peak when we won the GF in every grade. That seemed to put the competition on high alert to the riches in the Panthers development system and we were raided big time. Even fringe players that we had improved like Capewell and Hoskins were lost to us, decisions based on salary cap issues, but how good would it be to have Hoskins right now?
I think this can be coupled with a few poor retention decisions where we thought players coming through are better than they are. Turuva was a good quality winger, better than Alamoti has shown so far (my opinion) or at least as good. We jumped the gun letting him go because the McLeans aren’t ready yet. We let Hoskins go and there is nobody in the lower grades looking like his equal. Geyer is not good enough based on what he has shown so far and Hasset is still raw.
I say this with the benefit of hindsight, judging who is going to make it is an art form all by itself. I heard Gus discuss this on a podcast and he admitted he wasn’t good at seeing how a youngster could develop into a first grader. He cited Jim Jones as being an example of somebody who is really good at it. We need him to spot a few more right now.
This year, only Patea looks like he will make it. I understand from the knowledgeable people on this forum that are a number of really good prospects in Flegg and the system may start producing players again maybe next year. Hopefully, teams start raiding Canterbury juniors now they have primed their system like the Panthers and leave us alone.
