Stephen Kearney and Parra

[parra pete]

In your opinion pete, who are these players ?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Pete just doesn't care.

 

[barney gumble]

We had the worst recruitment drive I've ever seen from this club, then there was too long persistence with a halves combo that all could see wasn't working, then there was that period with all those close results in which we often blew good leads. Wooden spoon or near enough is a massive failure which ever way you look at it. Pressure will be on all at the club next year.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Pressure will be on all at the club next year.

Unlike every other year.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Well there was nonpressure this year. Because it was all somebody elses fault.

Next year is a whole new ballgame.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Well there was nonpressure this year. Because it was all somebody elses fault.

Or was it everybody's fault?

This season I've seen the following people blamed:

The board (whoever they are)
Osborne
Kearney
Hayne
Burt
Morgan
Reddy
Walker
Hicks
Mortimer
Robson
McGuire
Poore
Shackleton
Keating
Hindmarsh
Smith
Lasalo
Rogers

Apologies if I've left anybody out.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

I think you might have left a few off

Anderson
Hagan
Smith
Fitzgerald
Schubert
Carriage
Melbourne Storm

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Also Rod Reddy and Peter Sharp.

Anderson wasn't here long enough to have any impact. He belongs in the same category as Jason Taylor.

 

[BigErn]

Chris Hicks
Chris Walker
Paul Whaturia
Carl Webb
Etu Euisele
Jordan Atkins
Jeff Robson
Daniel Mortimer
Billy Rogers.

All wouldn't make it at another club. All played for our team this year.

LASALO!!!! FFS, can people stop leaving him off their lists!

 

[hineyrulz]

LASALO!!!! FFS, can people stop leaving him off their lists!

Did he run over your dog or something???? He's a young guy in his first season playing in a struggling team. He's been ok nothing worthy of the abuse he cops on here.

 

[BigErn]

Would not cut it in any other NRL team. Wouldn't even make the bench.
Yet he's starting over some of our most decent backrowers in Horo, Smith and Maitua.
I can't fathom his selection. It bugs me that he is STILL in our team after 24 weeks of miserable failure.

 

[SDM]

You guys forgot Mark Warren and that lebo that says "oh my god"

 

[BigErn]

...and don't forget that thread where somebody was hacking in to Loko.

 

[84 Baby]

...and don't forget that thread where somebody was hacking in to Loko.

Or the one where somebody was hacking into Lasalo

 

[BigErn]

Or the one where somebody was hacking into Lasalo

Hey... I never created that thread, which goes to show that I'm not alone on this one. A lot of people see the light on this park footballer. A lot of people have recognised that he has done NOTHING to justify his spot in the team. A lot feel that we would be better off without him in the team.

 

[Gronk]

Hey... I never created that thread, which goes to show that I'm not alone on this one. A lot of people see the light on this park footballer. A lot of people have recognised that he has done NOTHING to justify his spot in the team. A lot feel that we would be better off without him in the team.

Trouble is that there is nobody missing out on a game because of Lasalo's selection.

 

[84 Baby]

Trouble is that there is nobody missing out on a game because of Lasalo's selection.

Except all the superstars we would have picked up if we hadn't re-signed Lasalo! The guy is holding us over a barrel!

 

[BigErn]

Trouble is that there is nobody missing out on a game because of Lasalo's selection.

In theory, you may be right. Technically, no-one is missing out on a 'game'. But the truth is, the potential of Ben Smith and/or Justin Horo is severely diminished because they are playing in the centres. The argument here is: Are Ben Smith and Horo moved to the centres because they are better equipped to handle that position, or is Lasalo seen as the better of the three to take the backrower spot? Either way, somebody somewhere is missing out on the spot in the team. Whether that be O'Hanlon, Brien, Shackleton, Maitua or even Allgood.

This is evidenced by the fact that when both our centre spots were filled at the start of the season (Loko, Morgan, Walker and Reddy [who ridiculously had to 'prove' his worth and fitness in Wenty-but thats a different gripe for another time]) the great Lasalo was starting in the number 12 jersey.

He kept either Horo or Smith out of the starting team which IMO destroyed both their confidence and it took them a long time to get back.
And for what? What was he doing that was so special that he kept retaining his spot week after week. It's frustrating that a player like this can hold a spot in a team when he is not performing, yet others like smith and horo can get chopped and changed at will.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Lasalo would not be playing first grade if we had an extra 2 fit outside backs.

If we had even one extra outside back fit, Lasalo would be in O'Hanlon's spot on the bench.

The reason Smith and Horo are playing in the centres is because they can at least somewhat handle centre at NRL level.

Horo defends at left half (Hayne defends at left centre) and attacks at left centre. This is because he has the speed and footwork to attack as a centre whereas Lasalo does not.

Smith plays right centre, because he plays on the right as a forward, and used to play right centre until 2009. So he has experience there, if not the footwork+speed to be effective. As average as Smith is, Lasalo would be a lot worse, especially in defence.

I expect Lasalo to mostly play for Wenty next year (though he could also become a quality NRL edge forward in the future) with Maitua and Smith starting and Horo on the bench.

If Kearney wants to carry an extra edge forward then it will almost certainly be Lasalo or O'Hanlon, though it looks like he prefers 3 props on the bench.

Still, with so few first graders available at the moment it's all conjecture about how Kearney prefers to use his bench. We won't really see that until he has a full squad of first graders to choose from.

 

[Eels Dude]

Lasalo would not be playing first grade if we had an extra 2 fit outside backs.

If we had even one extra outside back fit, Lasalo would be in O'Hanlon's spot on the bench.

The reason Smith and Horo are playing in the centres is because they can at least somewhat handle centre at NRL level.

Lasalo was starting in the backrow ahead of either Smith or Horo all year prior to either of them moving to the centres.