I mean dead set, your team wins ONE game by the skin of their teeth against an out of form team and suddenly your back line becomes World Class? As someone else elequently put it, get your hand off it.
dead set... no one is saying our backline is world class, but our BACKROW is in the top half of the comp. Simmo is an origin player, Newto may well be one day and is improving with every game, and Abes and Reynoldson cover lock very very well - Abes was on track to play origin before breaking his leg.... Reynoldson may be on joke money but he isn't awful...
Our backrow (and Craig Smith) has been our one shining light and have dominated alot of big name players for stretches.
Its injuries and our terrible outside backs that let us down. Tries against us are scored out wide almost without fail- Carmont lets in 2-3 minimum per game, and it is no coincidence that teams with decent outside backs give us a touch up, whilst the Panthers (with centres nearly as crap as ours) was an even contest.
as for the ESL thing, have you ever seen a game? Their top 3-4 teams are as good as ours, and I would kill to have the likes of Peacock, Fielden, Sculthorpe, McGuire or Senior in my team.
as you put it so 'eloquently'.... get your hand off it.