Mason said Hasler’s habit of over-thinking footy is what stopped him returning to Belmore to once again turn out for the club he made his debut with and played nearly 150 games for. The big bopper finished the 2015 season with Manly and met Hasler to discuss a possible return to the kennel, where he last played in 2007, but was put off by the coach’s obsession with stats.
“I met Des in Darling Harbour (in Sydney) and we had a coffee and started talking about football and life in general. Then he just, bang, put out this big book with stats on everything. On everything. From f***ing day dot,” Mason said on his Skipi TV show
Unfiltered.
“In his eyes, I don’t know if they are twisted or football has just got to him but Aiden Tolman was the best prop in the game. But to me, no disrespect to Aiden, (but) I was 35 and I’d still dust him up.
“In my eyes I’m like, ‘No, Sam Burgess (was the best), or George Burgess at that time’ — they were killing it. I said, ‘Do you ever go by the eye test Des and look at what he brings and what sort of emotion and physical presence, and how much drive he has on the field and how much he can get people going with him, and the leadership skills, instead of finding your front on the play the ball, tackling 45 times?’
“There’s a reason why you tackle 45 times if you’re a front-rower — because you’re a spot player. I don’t get run at 50 times a game because I’d hope to think that I can actually tackle all right.”
Mason said the bizarre meeting was the tipping point that convinced him to head to France and play for the Catalan Dragons in 2016.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/w...e/news-story/53908ff45913dbd799a3c57c5aef5806
Wrong as nearly always Pou.
Actually you sound a bit like old Dessie boy. All the stats and sample sizes in the world, but real feel for the game, common sense and insight, right up the wazoo.
