Is this the reason we drop off at the 60th minute mark

[Matabele]

Lowe's 20 years older than the combined age of our halves combination.

 

[WAMF]

Lowe's 20 years older than the combined age of our halves combination.

That wouldn't be relevant if we had a sponsor

 

[Ryan]

Remember guys - injuries really cruelled us these past 2 years. Especially considering they were to key players, at unfortunate times.

 

[Darren]

Ryan, do you put that down to getting older or just unfortunate. This is where I'm heading. The majority of players that win games are the younger group who have several years of experience. Darius Boyd, Soward, Burgess, Morris, Sandow, Taylor, Inglis, Slater, Jennings, McKendry, Carney, Pearce etc. I know you can throw up others but without doubt our age grouping is horribly top ended on older players and the young ones are 18-20 and won't have the experience to be dominant.

I reckon we will get these unfortunate "injuries" most of the year because all our older guys have been in this league for 8-10 years and their bodies surely cannot handle the hard grind that the NRL has become. I'm not saying they cannot play but interesting to note at end of last season King, Choc, Rodney, Lyon etc were struggling every week just to play.  

I'm sorry that people don't agree with my ideas but when you think 2010 and needing a leader who could step up, choc, glenn, lyon all injured trying to stay on paddock, not winning matches.

Will this email come back to haunt me, let's look at August and see how we are travelling. Will we be in the 8 but limping home like 2010, play 1st semi with half of the team struggling to get on paddock. It this happens then time to change some personnel because surely we wouldn't go down this track 3 years in a row!

 

[Ralphie]

We weren't the only team to suffer fades last season. For a big part of the year so did Canberra and others.

At the time there was a great deal of debate in the media that the NRL was desperate for close games. It was inferred that when one team raced to a big lead the referee would give all 50/50 calls to the losing team, thus changing the momentum of the game. As we all know, once momentum changes it's very difficult to stop.

The games where we faded were mostly games where we held big leads ala Wests & Parramatta games. Many of the close games we competed all game and were beaten.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Welcome CCE...and Cowboys as well, big lead at half time and "almost" run down by dull time...2 more mins and they would have had another loss and not made the 8.

 

[clontaago]

Foran was out injured during the year, as was Hoppa, and a few of the other "youngsters". Injuries happen, old and young.

 

[The Gronk]

Benji Marshall was popping his shoulder out every other week until he got older and bulked up a bit. 

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Its 80% mind and 20% body when it comes to going the distance.

Yes. Surely not just coincidence that last year we had somewhat of a leadership vacuum, including very inexperienced playmakers?  ???

I was happy it had been the right time for Ox to move on, but he had been the skipper for some years, while trying to lead was very new territory for Killer & King last year. The hole in sheer experience that Ox left in the halves has also been underestimated by some.

I'm sure I have explained this all before, can't understand why no one gets such a simple concept  ;D

 

[lsz]

All i will say Darren the big challenge Sir Alex has is replacing the golden generation / his reliance on Scholes, Giggs etc

 

[Stevo]

What is the point of this thread? Since when has it been proven that the older you get the more unfit you become? What is this fascination with the age of our team? I don't get it. Is it boredom or just a general lack of brains that urges people to pose such idiotic questions?

 

[Fro]

a little from A and a little from B fonz.

and when idiots get bored the results are fascinating

 

[Garts]

Geez Darren, you are a dog with a bone. Part of me thinks to go on and on about this perceived issue you are just being a **** stirrer but I doubt it.

As for the age of players. If we had a large % over 30 I might agree with you but we don't. Injuries happen to players of all ages, unless you are a injury prone type player they can happen to all players of all ages. Putting a few more 23 year olds in the side is not going to necessarily make us a better side. Someone who is 28 or 29 is just as fit as a 23 year old.

 

[Masked Eagle]

Fadeouts were a combinations of things.  Sure fitness might have played a part but its not soley down to that.  Other factors for me were:

Refs:  When one side is being dominant refs get tougher on them and it helps change momentum.  A couple of penalties can completely change momentum.

Young halves:  Admittingly could be the same problem this year, but when your team is under the pump, that's when your halves need to step up and control the game with smart plays, ie smart kicking etc.

Mentally:  The brain is a funny thing, I think we started to second guess ourselves when it looked like we had a game in the bag and got jelly legs when we didn't need to.  On the flip side the opposition always thought they were a chance so wouldn't let up even when we had a big lead. 

Whilst we might have a slightly older side than most, age wasn't a factor in our 2010 fadeouts.

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All i will say Darren the big challenge Sir Alex has is replacing the golden generation / his reliance on Scholes, Giggs etc

I'm no Man Utd supporter, but Sir Alex knowns what he is doing.  Whilst Giggs and Scholes still do produce they are hardley key players for them.  He has been replenishing his team fairly well the last 20 odd years.

 

[MadMarcus]

I diagree with Darren.  The problem isn't that half our players are too old and the other half are too young.  The problem is that half our players are too big and the other half are too small.  ;D