Well guys/gals our great white hope appears for the first time in Maroon & White this weekend.
Ashley was rated as the number 1 player in his age group 3 or 4 years ago and was considered "No 1 draft pick" when he went and played NRL with the Cowboys as a 17 year old. Other players who have left schoolboy footy with this reputation include Sterlo, Fittler, Brandy, SBW, Benji. This is by no means is a guarantee of success and I am sure there are many of a similiar ilk who have not made such lofty heights as the beforementioned (Mark Maclindden, Breet Gale and Ian Barkley are some examples of rare talents lost). However I am sure you get my drift.
He had such a big wrap that Wayne Bennett and his underhanded Bronco cohorts when to great measures to lure him from the Cowboys to the Broncos. Unfortunately injuries and some issues with adjusting to the big time slowed his expected progress.
Due to the expert talents of Crusher Cleal and Dennis Moore (Ashley's junior Kangeroo Coach) he arrived at Manly in 2005. Now fully recovered from a shoulder reconstruction I look forward to seeing him run around on Sunday.
My friends, even though I have never seen him play, I consider he may well be the answer to our percieved lack of talent in our backline. He has a pedigree and reputation that is 2nd to none (great judges like Bennett/Cleal have seen this) and comparing him to Paul Stephenson, Steve Matai and Karl Johnson is like comparing Phar Lap to Raddish.
So lets keep our fingers crossed that Ashley comes through this game successfully and it is the start of a long, great, distinguished career at the Sea Eagles. It may take time for him to find his feet but Ashley could be OUR MAN - Good Luck Ashley Alberts - AE is on your side.
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Ashley was rated as the number 1 player in his age group 3 or 4 years ago and was considered "No 1 draft pick" when he went and played NRL with the Cowboys as a 17 year old. Other players who have left schoolboy footy with this reputation include Sterlo, Fittler, Brandy, SBW, Benji. This is by no means is a guarantee of success and I am sure there are many of a similiar ilk who have not made such lofty heights as the beforementioned (Mark Maclindden, Breet Gale and Ian Barkley are some examples of rare talents lost). However I am sure you get my drift.
He had such a big wrap that Wayne Bennett and his underhanded Bronco cohorts when to great measures to lure him from the Cowboys to the Broncos. Unfortunately injuries and some issues with adjusting to the big time slowed his expected progress.
Due to the expert talents of Crusher Cleal and Dennis Moore (Ashley's junior Kangeroo Coach) he arrived at Manly in 2005. Now fully recovered from a shoulder reconstruction I look forward to seeing him run around on Sunday.
My friends, even though I have never seen him play, I consider he may well be the answer to our percieved lack of talent in our backline. He has a pedigree and reputation that is 2nd to none (great judges like Bennett/Cleal have seen this) and comparing him to Paul Stephenson, Steve Matai and Karl Johnson is like comparing Phar Lap to Raddish.
So lets keep our fingers crossed that Ashley comes through this game successfully and it is the start of a long, great, distinguished career at the Sea Eagles. It may take time for him to find his feet but Ashley could be OUR MAN - Good Luck Ashley Alberts - AE is on your side.
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