Jake, DCE , outside backs

[Cliffymagic]

I'm hoping next year the shoe will be number 6 and doing most of the last tackle kicks inside the 20. If walkers playing, he can also be an option. It's the main part of dce's game I hate the most.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We can't ignore the significance that injuries and suspensions have had on our squad over the last few seasons. Combine that with a lack of depth due to some pretty poor depth signings particularly a couple of curious extensions. The injuries and suspensions exposed our lack of depth and whilst I am continually frustrated by some of Des's selections he often does not have too many options, although he did take far too long to use Schuster. I have said previously DCE is a top tier half back and one of the best in the comp but he is not master class. Because he is being paid top dollar we expect master class. Master class is a limited club that requires not only great physical skill but vision, patience and being one play ahead mentally. some previous members include Sterling, Johns, Thurston and Cronk. Master class is making the right calls at the right time and the best recent example I can use is DCE throwing it out wide in our 22 a few minutes before half time when we leading 20 -6 against the Tigers. What followed changed the game. There is no way Cronk would have thrown that pass he would have ensured we finished a tight set with a deep kick. But our current position on the table is not his fault because he busts his gut with and without the ball week in and week out. DCE needs a good hooker at the ruck and a player like Schuster partnering him and to stop trying to take the ball all of the time. If DCE had a hooker of the the caliber of Cameron Smith directing traffic he would have a picnic ( I don't like Smith either but credit where credit is due). IMO singling out players for criticism because of their high salary is just nonsensical because the player is not to blame for the size of his salary it is the club and we know that story verbatim.

 

[Bearfax]

My concern is the length. Job security makes people complacent. While he tries he really struggles with small things like kick positioning. Its bread and butter no 7 stuff wether your on top dollar or minimum wage

On top of that he has no inclination to run into the line to promote others. Accross field . No wuckers, but social distancing in attack is his forte. He just doesnt like being tackled , but backs up like terry lamb

If he was on a shorter contract i suggest these attribute would be enhanced. When origin selecetion is up, he ups his game . Maybe if he played for a contract we would see a player more committed to the role and improvement in the 1% plays

He is no different to a top prop that sits out wide, passes before he gets contacted no matter how many tackles and decoys he runs

I have stated numerous times he should take a pay cut. His original contract didnt suit him so he was prepared to sit it out , so its in him when it suits him. We manned up and shifted players on to accomadate contract disparity and it appears we will continue to do that through his whole career. we should never forget his views on contracts that can be broken

He is a good player but has plenty of limitations and its the salary cap allocation as opposed to what he earns that makes him a poor investment
His cap allocation is a hinderence to manly, plain and simple
Im not that concerned we couldnt replace 90% of what he brings a lot cheaper
The other 10% well, we are running 75th anyway and fainu and tom will have a far greater bearing on games if they ever return

Ita rare commodity to understand your own worth. Many people step down from high paying jobs due to pressure or a realisation they are a different cog in the machine. Its called personal growth

My guess and ive banged on about it for a few years that there is resentment amongst the forwards about how they bust there gut to watch him squander posession being an air head

When teams win, its less obvious but the blame game is in every work place and if you were a front rower , what would be you conclusion about his ROI

J. I'd have DCE ahead of any of those players I identified on $1 million yearly, other than maybe Cleary. I guess I see it differently in that, other than Turbo, Walker (when at centre) and Green when we had him, he's had a backline that has tried hard been seems unable to have an impact on oppositions. During the ten matches after Walker and Turbo were injured the three quarters and full back contributed 8 tries from the 29 scored. The main try scorer was Taufua with 4 followed by Funa who didnt play all those games with 3. Parker and Suli one each, none from the full back and only two from Garrick in the past 12 games. Cherry Evans has scored 4, Cust 3.
Only in the last two games have the outside backs started to equal the forwards with 6 tries from 12 in the last two games, thanks to fresh faces and mainly to Harper, Funa and now Garrick given he's getting more ball.

DCE therefore has to find some other way to get players across the line and if you look carefully, most tries have his involvement. His short kicking game is a little off, his long high kicking game is brilliant. He runs across the field, as many half backs do trying to open gaps. Running straight as Croker does, gets no where unless you can achieve second phase like Taupau does and Foran did. DCE is trying to do it all himself, and except during the year we had Green, he's had no one to offer consistent alternative options. This is why I've for so long pushed for Schuster, because it was blatantly obvious he had those skills and no one else did to support DCE.

I dont think DCE is being complacent at all. He's in everything on the field and obviously the fittest player on the park, but he cant do it all. Just as I indicated in an earlier blog, even Cliffy struggled and was criticised when he didn't have the personnel around him. If Schuster becomes what I suspect he'll become, everyone will be applauding DCE, because he'll have, like with Green, someone to take the pressure off him as the only playmaker in the team. And by the way DCE has only 3 more years on his contract. The Trbojevics have 6

 

[jbb/james]

J. I'd have DCE ahead of any of those players I identified on $1 million yearly, other than maybe Cleary. I guess I see it differently in that, other than Turbo, Walker (when at centre) and Green when we had him, he's had a backline that has tried hard been seems unable to have an impact on oppositions. During the ten matches after Walker and Turbo were injured the three quarters and full back contributed 8 tries from the 29 scored. The main try scorer was Taufua with 4 followed by Funa who didnt play all those games with 3. Parker and Suli one each, none from the full back and only two from Garrick in the past 12 games. Cherry Evans has scored 4, Cust 3.
Only in the last two games have the outside backs started to equal the forwards with 6 tries from 12 in the last two games, thanks to fresh faces and mainly to Harper, Funa and now Garrick given he's getting more ball.

DCE therefore has to find some other way to get players across the line and if you look carefully, most tries have his involvement. His short kicking game is a little off, his long high kicking game is brilliant. He runs across the field, as many half backs do trying to open gaps. Running straight as Croker does, gets no where unless you can achieve second phase like Taupau does and Foran did. DCE is trying to do it all himself, and except during the year we had Green, he's had no one to offer consistent alternative options. This is why I've for so long pushed for Schuster, because it was blatantly obvious he had those skills and no one else did to support DCE.

I dont think DCE is being complacent at all. He's in everything on the field and obviously the fittest player on the park, but he cant do it all. Just as I indicated in an earlier blog, even Cliffy struggled and was criticised when he didn't have the personnel around him. If Schuster becomes what I suspect he'll become, everyone will be applauding DCE, because he'll have, like with Green, someone to take the pressure off him as the only playmaker in the team. And by the way DCE has only 3 more years on his contract. The Trbojevics have 6

Fair enough

And wouldnt life be boreing as bat **** if we all saw the same stuff and believed the same things

Nice read though BF.