The problem with DCE and the fans and media is a simple one.
His contract.....the size of it.
Because he's not only Manly's highest paid player, but one of the biggest earners in the NRL, everyone expects 5 Star performances every single week. And when he doesn't produce that no matter how much he busts his gut to get it done, he cops it from all comers.
I agree .I've seen others like Thurston, Cronk and Lockyer have very average to poor club games. I've also seen them do that in rep footy at times (remember, Qld wasn't always dominant like their baker's dozen golden run years). And as you said, they had the luxury of playing in teams that included the likes of Slater, Smith, 1nglis, Scott, Boyd, Webcke, Tate, Hodges etc etc who were at their peak. DCE as Qld captain and halfback this year had nowhere near the same quality of team mates to help him, yet they basically got to within 5 minutes of pulling off an upset series win mostly on the back of DCE's play.
How many here remember how dominant Wally Lewis was in rep footy in the 80s? Yet when he finally got to the big time in club football when Brisbane joined the NSWRL in 1988, he wasn't as dominant week in, week out. Sure his age and injuries had a bit to do with that, but being honest his form for both Brisbane and the Gold Coast was never what you would call great. It was a prime example that club football is very different to rep footy and that even the best players won't always get the job done. In rep footy there is [usually] top line quality all across the park....in club land that quality is reduced by about half for most sides, and Manly is no different even when we have our strongest 17 available which right now we don't, not even close.