The wasted talent team of the last 5 years

[Big Pete]

Jake Webster should get a look in. Was a bit unlucky to be the odd man out in the Storm's superstar backline but then he went up to the Titans and basically faded into obscurity.

Ashton Sims should be twice the player he is. Can make metres, can land big hits and even work the ball but he just doesn't seem to have the ticker that makes great players.

Roy Asotasi looked like he could have become the next big thing back in 2005-2007. Then Souths got to him and he's become complacent ever since.

Ben Ross is in a similar boat. Was hitting all the right notes in 2003-2005 and looked like becoming an Origin main-stay until he went to Cronulla and did his knee. Had an impressive season all things considered in 2011 but just didn't become the player he should have been.

Brett Kearney was absolutely tearing teams to shreds for Cronulla but just didn't have any luck with injuries.

Cronulla hat-trick: Brett Seymour. One of the most talented players I've seen who could land the ball on a dime but just had issues staying in the game and I don't think he was used properly. Dude was a five eigth but coaches always seemed to want to play him at halfback.

 

[Big Pete]

I didn't think he was all that great in the first place but he had speed , lots of speed

Basically this.

Was more an athlete than anything else. His positional play was pretty awful and he just got lost in an era where size became an issue.

Utai is another example but of course he was a much better player than Bott.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

Jamaal Lolesi - Rep centre at the dogs to played out of position at the tigers and just wrecked him.

Ryan O'Hara - rep prop at the raiders and then fell off the map at the tigers

 

[Allstar Knights]

Joe Tomane had a lot of potential a few years ago at the Storm IMO. He had a few good games at the Titans, but unfortunately he was defending terribly and once he was dropped, that was the end of him.

 

[Silent Knight]

Cory Paterson

 

[LeedsStorm]

Again, is that Premiership winning Weller Hauraki?

 

[Big Pete]

Joe Tomane had a lot of potential a few years ago at the Storm IMO. He had a few good games at the Titans, but unfortunately he was defending terribly and once he was dropped, that was the end of him.

Titans completely butchered his career.

Made a really good start to 2010, was exposed by the Cowboys and instead of fixing Tomane's issues he was just booted to QCup never to be the same player.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

What about the pommy imports for the titans first season. Mathers and a half they brought in that i can't find the name of

 

[Big Pete]

Clint Newton - Looked like somebody who could partner/replace Simpson but walked out on the Knights and ended up in the ESL.

Ryan Hoffman - Dane Carlaw mk 2. Looked really good around 2006-07 until Hunt smashed him a few times in Origin. Been soft ever since.

Tony Puletua - Should have ended up a much better player than what he did. Was way too hot and cold.

Jerome Roptai - They stuck him in the halves too long and when they found a home for him at centre he began to have injury troubles. A pretty handy player on his day.

Trent Waterhouse - Could have been the next big backrower. Settled for mediocrity.

Luke MacDougall - Was a bright spark in an otherwise crappy Souths outfit. Had terrible luck with injuries and just never got himself right for the Knights. Went to the Storm but was a shell of the player he once was.

Ashley Harrison - Another Souths player who really stepped it up playing for them but hasn't gone on with it.

Greg Eastwood - Potential match winning forward who's rookie season reminded me so much of Matt Gillett's. Never got himself fit and has seemingly settled for average performances.

 

[no name]

Again, is that Premiership winning Weller Hauraki?

Just because a player wins a comp doesn't mean they reach their full potential.

 

[skeepe]

It's more than 5 years ago but Mark McLinden was a terrible waste of talent.

Shifted all over the park by a clueless coach who couldn't see 5/8th was his best position (to the point where Jason Croker and even Terry Martin were favoured over him), he left for the ESL at far too young an age.

He always had all the skills to be a superstar of the game, such a shame we didn't see them regularly enough.

 

[Parra]

Leon Bott, does he get a mention in these sides?

Last time he was sighted (and cited) was for this. Go forward to 0:55. Cost a bloke his spleen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja_lYAcGQTw

 

[aqua_duck]

Antonio Kaufusi - aus and qld rep to complete rubbish (a broken patella probably didn't help)

The thing that annoyed me with Fuus is his lack of self drive. He's a bloke who's happy to just go through the motions and be average when given his physical gifts he could've been another Petero. At the knights he was happy to make 60m a game at best as a starting prop, he even earnt the nickname of AK47m a game. However as soon as Wayne Bennett gave him the tap on the shoulder he started killing it, was actually playing like a legitimate 1st grade starting prop.

 

[eozsmiles]

1. Milton Thaiday
2. Eric Grothe
3. Krisnan Inu
4. Iosia Soliola
5. Daniel Vidot
6. Todd Carney
7. Tim Smith
8. Antonio Kaufusi
9. Kevin Kingston
10. Willie Mason
11. Anthony Tupou
12. Frank Pritchard
13. Feleti Mateo

14. Jarrod Mullen
15. Dave Taylor
16. Daine Laurie
17. Carl Webb

That team is truly a coaches nightmare. Looks pretty hard to handle on the p!ss too.

 

[joshie]

Anthony Tupou should NOT be on that list. Absolutely killing it and then he went to the sharks and now I have no idea where he is. He was one of my favourite players to watch then something went wrong, he is the biggest waste IMHO.

 

[devoid]

Would have to mention Epalahame Lauaki -- if he had a little more discipline (and perhaps better handling) he could've been anything. Still loved watching him play.

 

[Jakemcc]

Shannon Walker anyone?

 

[firechild]

That team is truly a coaches nightmare. Looks pretty hard to handle on the p!ss too.

I'd put Jason Taylor in charge of that lot. He works well with a team on the grog.

 

[qldseaeagle96]

Iafeta Paela'sina? Absolute wrecking ball. Ran like a man possesed and then went missing. Whatever happened to him?

 

[Iafeta]

Given what Mateo's done at the Warriors (been absolutely outstanding), I think he's delivering on the potential??

From the Warriors, Sione Faumuina, Epalahame Lauaki, Tevita Latu (though disease was the first thing to slow him down), Louis Anderson (scored with his first touch in first grade football, scored against Australia on test debut, could play hooker and backrow, great workrate but gave away a tonne of penalties).... they're all well ahead of the likes of Mateo IMO.