Engine said:
I knew someone would come up with the "weak opposition" argument. If that is the case, why have we not seen a better individual performance against the roosters this season? Teams like Melbourne and Manly have played them, yet no player in those teams performed better than Sonny.
For any number of reasons. (a) There wasn't any need for brilliant individualist performances when merely adequate performances were seen to guarantee victory, (b) aforementioned star players weren't sufficiently motivated, or (c) SBW really is just that good.
It's ridiculous to label
any player the 'most talented in the world' on the basis of a single performance, irrespective of how good it was, precisely because any number of conditions are necessary to create such a performance.
Engine said:
Im a little tired of the SBW bashing. He is the most talented player in Rugby League.
I'm tired of a lot of things, but that isn't going to make them go away. No player has ever been so talented that his pre-eminence has been recognised by all - best get used to people dumping on Sonny Bill, because it'll be happening for a long time to come.