The dogs have been very unlucky with injuries and being a team that is in a building faze injuries become even more significant and derailing.
Add to that that they don't have a quality Halfback and there was only one direction they could go in no matter who the coach is.
It isn't all doom and gloom as most are suggesting. All they need is a better run with injuries and to add a couple more quality forwards to their squad and they will be way better as a team. But just like the Broncos even with all the talent they posses, until they can sign a real quality play maker, their performances will always yoyo.
Halves are the key to consistent and sustained success and forwards give them the space and time to do their thing.
Look at the Sharks, Hynes gave them instant success. Their forwards are ok but not great, so they can't go to the next level. If they were to ever get a genuine star front rower or two, then they will instantly become a genuine title contender. Till then they will be known as a team that can beat the weaker teams or the occasional heavy weight team here and there but that's about it.
Halves and front rowers are the key to every team that wins consistently and is a genuine title contender.
Roosters have a similar problem. Luke Keary is a fragile and unconfident player now. He barely ever engages the line the way he used to and their forwards bar Collins are way down in quality and or form of previous years. Add to that that Teddy is showing mega signs that he is cooked as the force that he used to be and it is pretty obvious that they need some miracle recruiting in the halves position just to start with.
I love it and hope that all the teams that are struggling without quality haves continue to do so forever and that some of the heavy weight teams join them real soon as long as it isn't us. We had that curse for the better part of 30 years, I think we have done our time in purgatory. Now it is time for others to go through the same sh*t struggle we did. At least I am hoping it is.
P.S. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Gus does some major fancy wheeling and dealing and or even throws the kitchen sink at Hunt to join the Dogs during the off season. He knows that that is the only way that he can pull a rabbit out of the hat in the short term to turn their fortunes around. Then it would also be much easier for him to recruit a bopper or two as well. If he can't the Dogs will have to do it the slow way and it may take 3 to 10 years. Sounds to long? No not at all. Imagine the Panthers without Cleary ever being there. Would the Panthers have been winning GF's? I doubt it.
Don't look at the way they play without him when he is injured. They have a great squad and systems in place that they can all follow, knowing that it is for a short time and he will be back. But imagine if he were never there in the first place. Who would the players have jumped on the back of, Luai? Not likely. So then a lot of these players would be much easier to poach too to a club that has got Cleary as an example. Players like Koroisau may never have gone to the Panthers but to wherever Cleary was playing instead.
All I am saying would we have kept or even been able to recruit RCG if we didn't have a quality roster and a quality half? Players like playing with quality halves and if you don't have them it takes overs to get them to or keep them in your club.
Like I said, we are in a very unique and enviable position for the Parramatta club right now that in we have two outstanding halves. Most clubs struggle to have just one. Lets hope we can deliver that elusive trophy while we have them. It would be very disappointing and deflating if we were to fail again this time round.
With a bit of luck and collective focused determination, surely we can get one at least with the squad we have right now?
