Star EELS Backline - what could have been????

[True EEL]

i know i know, we shouldn't cry over spilt milk.......

but honestly, could you imagine if things had been different and we had kept certain players, that our 3-quaterline (IMHO) could have looked like this at some point????

1. McKinnon
2. Vaealiki
3. Lyon
4. Tonga
5. Grothe

and that is ofcourse without Tahu being here next season, but if we still had all these guys, we would never have signed Tahu, nor needed too??

i know some will say what is Dave on the wing for and he's not a winger, but IMHO i think he would have made a great winger - wouldn't have ahd to do much defence, which was often his weak spot, would have been forced to get and get more involved, was pretty good under the high ball and was strong as an ox - him and Guru on the wings unstoppable???

and the rest pick themselves.....gee what could have been and then still Burt, Peterson, Graham, Prince etc etc still in the background as back-up players.......man it makes me i'll to think about it????

 

[Utey]

Vaealiki is a good defender IMO. That is what could have been and unfortanately will never happen. But it sounds good doesnt it.

 

[True EEL]

Dave was pretty good in general in defence, just he didn't read it well sometimes and not that it was his fault......

but who could forget Jamie just dazzling his centre-partner (Dave) who was playing for the Kiwi's at fullback in the Anzac Test a couple of seasons ago......he just brushed him on the way to the tryline, but i don't think anyone would have got Jamie one on one in that instance....except for maybe Wade ;-)

and yes, i repeat, what could have been :x :|

 

[The Colonel]

Dave was pretty good in general in defence, just he didn't read it well sometimes and not that it was his fault......

but who could forget Jamie just dazzling his centre-partner (Dave) who was playing for the Kiwi's at fullback in the Anzac Test a couple of seasons ago......he just brushed him on the way to the tryline, but i don't think anyone would have got Jamie one on one in that instance....except for maybe Wade ;-)

and yes, i repeat, what could have been :x :|

Who could forget the fact that Vaealiki was carrying an injury to his leg and went off straight after and was severely let down by Vagana in the centres...... ;-)

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

Dave was pretty good in general in defence, just he didn't read it well sometimes and not that it was his fault......

but who could forget Jamie just dazzling his centre-partner (Dave) who was playing for the Kiwi's at fullback in the Anzac Test a couple of seasons ago......he just brushed him on the way to the tryline, but i don't think anyone would have got Jamie one on one in that instance....except for maybe Wade ;-)

and yes, i repeat, what could have been :x :|

Who could forget the fact that Vaealiki was carrying an injury to his leg and went off straight after and was severely let down by Vagana in the centres...... ;-)

Yeah I remember that...he really did struggle with that injury. I think the Kiwis had major injury probs that night and Fresh had to stay on for a lot longer than he should have.

 

[BD5733]

If we still had that backline I'd have doubted that players like Peterson, Burt, Graham, Prince, etc, would have stuck around so the depth that 'could have been' would have never occured.

But hopefully at the end of next season we can all agree on "Imagine if we didn't release Lyon and Vaealiki, we wouldn't have been able to sign Tahu and Morrison. Then who would have scored all those tries and made all those runs in the grand final for us?"

 

[True EEL]

yes Freshy was playing hurt and i wasn't bagging him, was just something i thought of and it was more of a celebration of JL's talent than DV's poor defence

and you're right BD, i hope we are talking about being able to buy Tahu and Morrison and Riddell and Marsh and our winning grand final......still it would have been a great three-quarter line, at this point, all i can see as concrete is....

1. McKinnon
2.
3. Tahu
4.
5. Grothe

although Peterson and Burt should ahve the inside running, i would love to see Josh Davis and some others come through ala Sonny-Bill Williams this year???

and Burt, Graham and Peterson and others probably would ahve stayed on, because many of them would not have been on big money and/or may not have received much interest elsewhere???

 

[Utey]

I think Burt will start at centre but Brian knows that this could be his last season at the helm. He needs to stop playin favourites and utilise the talent which i think he will do by playin Davis.

 

[True EEL]

hope you're right UTE

 

[True EEL]

and anyway, lets just hope we are talking about the wonderful backline we "have" at the end of the year, with Tahu, Grothe and others all firing!!!!!

 

[Jake the snake]

Don't forget guys that Sonny Bill did play a year of Pl before he got into 1st grade. Lets wait till we see How this Davis/Perenera guys go before we make them out to be legends just like Thorman :roll: .

 

[Utey]

Thorman. Anyone who thought this guy was good :roll: .

 

[True EEL]

Thorman had his moments......but couldn't adjust to the pace of the game and the defence workload and some structural play IMHO

 

[Agent Mulder]

Thorman. Anyone who thought this guy was good :roll: .

Yeah Right mate you were wrapping him everyweek till he got into 1sts.

 

[Utey]

Show me the proof? He had the poorest defence Ive ever seen