Ryan
Journey Man
Brett Stewart:- Really bad luck with his injury. Despite that last effort against The Storm, we are a much better team with him in it. That being said, if what I have heard is true, Brett's biggest concern at the moment is his knees. If his knee goes again it might very well be the end of his career because he will be down to bone on bone after the graft.
Also he is now having trouble with his other knee as well. There is some sort of congenital problem with his knees. I hope a rest, and incident free season may refresh him.
Michael Robertson:- I feel for the guy. He tried his guts out at fullback, but this season has shown that he really isn't one of those. That being said, he is a fantastic winger with X factor, and I hope people remember that. Look at his try production on the wing compared to fullback for confirmation of this. What I can say about Robertson, is he wonderfully durable, reliable and consistent.
Steve Matai:- All in all, I think this was a small step back for Steve Matai this year. His defensive deficiencies re-surfaced, and his damaging runs out wide, and from dummy 1/2 didn't have the sting of the previous two years. I personally believe a reason for this, is his want to always put on the big hit, or to lift the forwards when they were flat (which was quite often). Also of note were his injuries attained in EVERY game played. If this is really that much of a concern, take a year off. Steve doesn't want to become less and less relevant. He has been dropped from the International side already.
Jamie Lyon:- Was the cornerstone of turning our season around early on. He is all class. I would have liked him to play in one spot, and stay there. That spot was 5/8. Why Des changed a building, performing 1/2's pairing from the previous year that had chemistry, is beyond me. And for Chris Bailey no less - (please see below). The more Jamie has the ball in his hands, the less pressure on Ox. Lyon's kicking game improved exponentially at 5/8. BUT, Lyon excelled at centre (when fit). His injuries are of a concern.
David Williams:- He has certainly lost his spark this year. He doesn't look like he is enjoying himself anymore. I blame the 2008 Origin Period for that. He is consistently being caught out defensively, his ability to get across the line has gone backward, and his line breaking ability this year has been non-existent - then his injuries are starting to re-surface again. I would like the Wolfman to pull his head in a bit, and focus. He needs not to get ahead of himself (already has a bit), and just play footy again - and enjoy it for Pete's sake.
Chris Bailey:- Wow. To me, this bloke has been very much a disappointing buy. No X factor. Plays the ball slow. Gives away penalties. He RARELY produced some spark, but not nearly as much as I'm sure management hoped he would. This would be the reason Des moved him from this position. Unfortunately, Chris brought that early 2008 Newcastle Knights form with him, and unfortunately, some of it rubbed off on the other players. There was always an issue about him being able to make the Knights first 17. I can now see why.
Matt Orford:- Lots of people take shots at Matt Orford. This year, he has played next to Chris Bailey, Keiran Foran & Jamie Lyon at 5/8. How could ANYONE build chemistry and consistency in this environment? And all that with an under-performing forward pack. All that aside, Ox has been substantially down in form from previous years. I realise there are excuses (playing injured all year), but we have alternatives, and to me, that just relates to him being selfish, and thinking of himself before the team. What I do know, is that the end of this season will not be pleasant for him when he enters into negotiations for any up-coming contract. His kicking game left a LOT to be desired, he argued with his players on the field - basically - he didn't lead by example - and that is the most disappointing thing for me. With Cherry-Evans, Hodgkinson and Foran all able top play at a similar level, maybe it's time for Ox to explore his options in the U.K?
Jason King:- Wow, what a season ! The best I have experienced at any rate. If there IS a player that lead by example this year, it is Jason King. Powerful runs. Smashing in tackles. In my boat, the best prop of ours this year (closely followed by Gorgeous George). It was SUCH a shame when he injured his ribs, but I'm betting, looking at his character, he'll want to be back next year, bigger and badder than ever.
Matt Ballin:- Like Robertson, Matty is just a plain consistent player. He puts in, every game he plays. Much like Williams this year though, Ballin seems to have lost his spark. 2008 saw Matty do things that made him stand out as a player. This year, his play became somewhat predictable, and a little slow in its execution. He is not getting the penalties he used to for us. I'm hoping this is somewhat of a second year syndrome for the guy, because our reliance on his ability next year is going to be so much more without Heath Le'Strange around. He has also lost that little bit of aggression he had in 2008, so I'm hoping his passion returns in 2010.
Josh Perry:- Charles Dickens suggested it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Josh Perry emulated that. In and out of rep sides. The weight came back on, but disappeared again. He'd have a great game. He'd have a very good game. He'd get injured. He'd get over that injury. Without trying to repeat myself, I think the Grand Final, and World Club Challenge victories nulled his (and a lot of other team-mates) attitude towards the hard work that has to go into trying to win a premiership.
Anthony Watmough:- Bottle what this guy has, throw out the calves blood, and inject that into our players. What I loved about Choc, is that he wasn't satisfied with a Grand Final win, A World Club Challenge win - he wanted to go to the next level. His issues around giving away penalties, and dropping the ball have gone out of his game (somewhat at any rate). He won the best backrower of the year, and rightly so. I hope he can maintain that momentum, going into next year - and I hope he rubs off on a lot of the guys who were not as good as they CAN be. Choc has also seemed to have mature as a player, and a person. He should, and could be a real leader in this club. He, himself suggested he wanted to be the next Steve The Beaver Menzies - and why not? He's getting there.
Shane Rodney:- When the man is fit and firing - what a great player. He is a great in tight defender, and can break a defensive line in attack. He is big and mobile. The problem for this bloke - is that he is made of glass. Injured every other game if you know what I mean. If he played injury free for a full season, I would expect him to play representative football again one day. But for Pete's sake - go out, buy 10 litres of milk, and drink the stuff. Get some calcium in them bones of yours.
Glenn Stewart:- With a lot of "off field" drama I'm sure surrounding itself with Glenn (not self inflicted) , I'm sure a lot of people would have had excuses not to play well. But no, Glenn was great again this year. Like others, not up to 2008 form by any measure, but still great. I personally believe we had too many cooks in the kitchen with the Bailey, Foran, Lyon, Orford types, so expectation (probably from Des) was that Glenn's ball playing dropped off a little. Much like his brother, I'm hoping with a fresh new season ahead, no drama's surrounding him, he may be able to focus on the prize ahead.
Heath Le'Strange:- Disappointing. Not his form or ability. That he has signed elsewhere. He adds spark and diversity off the bench when Ballin can't produce it. Our teams game speed picks up. For some reason, he appeared to get much less game time this year, probably as a result of signing elsewhere. Unlike a lot of others, I personally think Heath maintained his form from 2008. He throws a great dummy, doesn't back off in defense - he seemed to show passion and pride for wearing our jersey. What I will say, is that his ability will be sorely missed next year.Â
Brent Kite:- Poor old Brent. He seems to have caught the Mark O'Meley syndrome. He turns his back on the defensive line so he doesn't have to take the impact. He fumbles the ball. He plays the ball slow. Like Brett, I know Brent has excuses (and rightly so). I personally believe there is much more in him, and he has a lot more to offer our team - but some serious changes in his attitude needs to be addressed here. You can't go from being the Clive Churchill medal winner one year, to barely making the bench for Manly the next. Brent has the ability, not the spark at the moment. A huge improvement required. He's gone from our blue chip prop, to probably the least important of all 4.
George Rose:- WELL, we showed loyalty to him, he is repaying that loyalty to us. What a prop. Surely rep footy isn't out of the question in 2010? Winning the props pentathlon. George hits the line, and hits it hard. What I have noticed, is he has lost that Jason Ryles type of play of having to offload every time a defender touches him. He hits in defense really well. His mobility isn't THAT bad for a bloke his size. What I did notice, was that a few errors crept into his game at seasons end, but I personally think that was because he was trying too hard, so I'm totally ok with that.
Glenn Hall:- Well, like Heath Le'Strange, Hally will be missed in our team. He is a mobile, damaging forward, that always busted - well - his balls to win games for us. Much like Choc, Hally's effort and heart needs to be injected into some of our players in the backline. You always know what you got with Glenn, and that was always quality.
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OTHER PLAYERS OF INTEREST
Keiran Foran:- Three words Desmond - "sign him up". I don't care if it is in place of Matt Orford, with Lyon at 5/8, or at 5/8, with Ox at 1/2 back. The kid has it all. Great ball playing ability. Great try scoring ability. Great defense (he sure as heck wouldn't be a spot defender). I personally think Keiran is a player you could build a re-building type team around. He was one shining light on a terrible season (for whatever reason I considered it horrible). He dominated in the NYC, and I have games recorded where the commentators suggested that he was too good to play in that grade. We have lost one great player in Hargraves - DON'T be too idol in signing this kid. I know Scott Penn and co. were having a feed etc @ Brookie with Keiran's father against The Titans - keep that going guys - PLEASE.
Ben Farrar:- Why is it every time I think of Ben, I laugh. I laugh because of what we had to give away for him. What a steal ! So much so, that I would almost say resting Matai for 12 months may be a good thing. That if Wolfman signed elsewhere, it would be TOO much of a loss. The man personally won us 2 games at the end there (Melbourne, and Souths). His hole running is fantastic, his expectation on himself is huge. His diversity id great. With Brett Stewart potentially breaking down, Ben Farrar's stock in our team goes up considerably. GREAT RECRUITMENT GUYS !
2010 Gains vs. Losses:- From the outside looking in, it looks terrible. Matt Cross (with broken leg), Joe Gulovou, turning 34 or something and a forward, who is coming here kicking and screaming. We lose Jared Weara-Hargraves, Heath Le'Strange, Glenn Hall & Adam Cuthbertson. I have a lot of hope from our junior sides (Keiran Foran as an example). I hope Des gives some of the kids a go. I still think Tony Williams will have a lot to offer. I really hope all the team come out with a different attitude. I hope they are focused and incident free. I hope our ridiculous board room dramas are quaffed, and I hope we don't feed the Telegraph with headlines again.
Our roster has certainly gone backwards. That being said, it is still one of the best around. If shedding Ox means we get to retain Lyon, Foran, and Choc - then so be it...Foran wouldn't let us down (and I know that sounds harsh).
With an attitude adjustment, a little accountability in place, and the right players given a go, we will be back in the top 4 in 2010. I'd LOVE to see a minor premiership come our way - something we haven't had in a long time.
Cheers Guys.Â
Also he is now having trouble with his other knee as well. There is some sort of congenital problem with his knees. I hope a rest, and incident free season may refresh him.
Michael Robertson:- I feel for the guy. He tried his guts out at fullback, but this season has shown that he really isn't one of those. That being said, he is a fantastic winger with X factor, and I hope people remember that. Look at his try production on the wing compared to fullback for confirmation of this. What I can say about Robertson, is he wonderfully durable, reliable and consistent.
Steve Matai:- All in all, I think this was a small step back for Steve Matai this year. His defensive deficiencies re-surfaced, and his damaging runs out wide, and from dummy 1/2 didn't have the sting of the previous two years. I personally believe a reason for this, is his want to always put on the big hit, or to lift the forwards when they were flat (which was quite often). Also of note were his injuries attained in EVERY game played. If this is really that much of a concern, take a year off. Steve doesn't want to become less and less relevant. He has been dropped from the International side already.
Jamie Lyon:- Was the cornerstone of turning our season around early on. He is all class. I would have liked him to play in one spot, and stay there. That spot was 5/8. Why Des changed a building, performing 1/2's pairing from the previous year that had chemistry, is beyond me. And for Chris Bailey no less - (please see below). The more Jamie has the ball in his hands, the less pressure on Ox. Lyon's kicking game improved exponentially at 5/8. BUT, Lyon excelled at centre (when fit). His injuries are of a concern.
David Williams:- He has certainly lost his spark this year. He doesn't look like he is enjoying himself anymore. I blame the 2008 Origin Period for that. He is consistently being caught out defensively, his ability to get across the line has gone backward, and his line breaking ability this year has been non-existent - then his injuries are starting to re-surface again. I would like the Wolfman to pull his head in a bit, and focus. He needs not to get ahead of himself (already has a bit), and just play footy again - and enjoy it for Pete's sake.
Chris Bailey:- Wow. To me, this bloke has been very much a disappointing buy. No X factor. Plays the ball slow. Gives away penalties. He RARELY produced some spark, but not nearly as much as I'm sure management hoped he would. This would be the reason Des moved him from this position. Unfortunately, Chris brought that early 2008 Newcastle Knights form with him, and unfortunately, some of it rubbed off on the other players. There was always an issue about him being able to make the Knights first 17. I can now see why.
Matt Orford:- Lots of people take shots at Matt Orford. This year, he has played next to Chris Bailey, Keiran Foran & Jamie Lyon at 5/8. How could ANYONE build chemistry and consistency in this environment? And all that with an under-performing forward pack. All that aside, Ox has been substantially down in form from previous years. I realise there are excuses (playing injured all year), but we have alternatives, and to me, that just relates to him being selfish, and thinking of himself before the team. What I do know, is that the end of this season will not be pleasant for him when he enters into negotiations for any up-coming contract. His kicking game left a LOT to be desired, he argued with his players on the field - basically - he didn't lead by example - and that is the most disappointing thing for me. With Cherry-Evans, Hodgkinson and Foran all able top play at a similar level, maybe it's time for Ox to explore his options in the U.K?
Jason King:- Wow, what a season ! The best I have experienced at any rate. If there IS a player that lead by example this year, it is Jason King. Powerful runs. Smashing in tackles. In my boat, the best prop of ours this year (closely followed by Gorgeous George). It was SUCH a shame when he injured his ribs, but I'm betting, looking at his character, he'll want to be back next year, bigger and badder than ever.
Matt Ballin:- Like Robertson, Matty is just a plain consistent player. He puts in, every game he plays. Much like Williams this year though, Ballin seems to have lost his spark. 2008 saw Matty do things that made him stand out as a player. This year, his play became somewhat predictable, and a little slow in its execution. He is not getting the penalties he used to for us. I'm hoping this is somewhat of a second year syndrome for the guy, because our reliance on his ability next year is going to be so much more without Heath Le'Strange around. He has also lost that little bit of aggression he had in 2008, so I'm hoping his passion returns in 2010.
Josh Perry:- Charles Dickens suggested it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Josh Perry emulated that. In and out of rep sides. The weight came back on, but disappeared again. He'd have a great game. He'd have a very good game. He'd get injured. He'd get over that injury. Without trying to repeat myself, I think the Grand Final, and World Club Challenge victories nulled his (and a lot of other team-mates) attitude towards the hard work that has to go into trying to win a premiership.
Anthony Watmough:- Bottle what this guy has, throw out the calves blood, and inject that into our players. What I loved about Choc, is that he wasn't satisfied with a Grand Final win, A World Club Challenge win - he wanted to go to the next level. His issues around giving away penalties, and dropping the ball have gone out of his game (somewhat at any rate). He won the best backrower of the year, and rightly so. I hope he can maintain that momentum, going into next year - and I hope he rubs off on a lot of the guys who were not as good as they CAN be. Choc has also seemed to have mature as a player, and a person. He should, and could be a real leader in this club. He, himself suggested he wanted to be the next Steve The Beaver Menzies - and why not? He's getting there.
Shane Rodney:- When the man is fit and firing - what a great player. He is a great in tight defender, and can break a defensive line in attack. He is big and mobile. The problem for this bloke - is that he is made of glass. Injured every other game if you know what I mean. If he played injury free for a full season, I would expect him to play representative football again one day. But for Pete's sake - go out, buy 10 litres of milk, and drink the stuff. Get some calcium in them bones of yours.
Glenn Stewart:- With a lot of "off field" drama I'm sure surrounding itself with Glenn (not self inflicted) , I'm sure a lot of people would have had excuses not to play well. But no, Glenn was great again this year. Like others, not up to 2008 form by any measure, but still great. I personally believe we had too many cooks in the kitchen with the Bailey, Foran, Lyon, Orford types, so expectation (probably from Des) was that Glenn's ball playing dropped off a little. Much like his brother, I'm hoping with a fresh new season ahead, no drama's surrounding him, he may be able to focus on the prize ahead.
Heath Le'Strange:- Disappointing. Not his form or ability. That he has signed elsewhere. He adds spark and diversity off the bench when Ballin can't produce it. Our teams game speed picks up. For some reason, he appeared to get much less game time this year, probably as a result of signing elsewhere. Unlike a lot of others, I personally think Heath maintained his form from 2008. He throws a great dummy, doesn't back off in defense - he seemed to show passion and pride for wearing our jersey. What I will say, is that his ability will be sorely missed next year.Â
Brent Kite:- Poor old Brent. He seems to have caught the Mark O'Meley syndrome. He turns his back on the defensive line so he doesn't have to take the impact. He fumbles the ball. He plays the ball slow. Like Brett, I know Brent has excuses (and rightly so). I personally believe there is much more in him, and he has a lot more to offer our team - but some serious changes in his attitude needs to be addressed here. You can't go from being the Clive Churchill medal winner one year, to barely making the bench for Manly the next. Brent has the ability, not the spark at the moment. A huge improvement required. He's gone from our blue chip prop, to probably the least important of all 4.
George Rose:- WELL, we showed loyalty to him, he is repaying that loyalty to us. What a prop. Surely rep footy isn't out of the question in 2010? Winning the props pentathlon. George hits the line, and hits it hard. What I have noticed, is he has lost that Jason Ryles type of play of having to offload every time a defender touches him. He hits in defense really well. His mobility isn't THAT bad for a bloke his size. What I did notice, was that a few errors crept into his game at seasons end, but I personally think that was because he was trying too hard, so I'm totally ok with that.
Glenn Hall:- Well, like Heath Le'Strange, Hally will be missed in our team. He is a mobile, damaging forward, that always busted - well - his balls to win games for us. Much like Choc, Hally's effort and heart needs to be injected into some of our players in the backline. You always know what you got with Glenn, and that was always quality.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER PLAYERS OF INTEREST
Keiran Foran:- Three words Desmond - "sign him up". I don't care if it is in place of Matt Orford, with Lyon at 5/8, or at 5/8, with Ox at 1/2 back. The kid has it all. Great ball playing ability. Great try scoring ability. Great defense (he sure as heck wouldn't be a spot defender). I personally think Keiran is a player you could build a re-building type team around. He was one shining light on a terrible season (for whatever reason I considered it horrible). He dominated in the NYC, and I have games recorded where the commentators suggested that he was too good to play in that grade. We have lost one great player in Hargraves - DON'T be too idol in signing this kid. I know Scott Penn and co. were having a feed etc @ Brookie with Keiran's father against The Titans - keep that going guys - PLEASE.
Ben Farrar:- Why is it every time I think of Ben, I laugh. I laugh because of what we had to give away for him. What a steal ! So much so, that I would almost say resting Matai for 12 months may be a good thing. That if Wolfman signed elsewhere, it would be TOO much of a loss. The man personally won us 2 games at the end there (Melbourne, and Souths). His hole running is fantastic, his expectation on himself is huge. His diversity id great. With Brett Stewart potentially breaking down, Ben Farrar's stock in our team goes up considerably. GREAT RECRUITMENT GUYS !
2010 Gains vs. Losses:- From the outside looking in, it looks terrible. Matt Cross (with broken leg), Joe Gulovou, turning 34 or something and a forward, who is coming here kicking and screaming. We lose Jared Weara-Hargraves, Heath Le'Strange, Glenn Hall & Adam Cuthbertson. I have a lot of hope from our junior sides (Keiran Foran as an example). I hope Des gives some of the kids a go. I still think Tony Williams will have a lot to offer. I really hope all the team come out with a different attitude. I hope they are focused and incident free. I hope our ridiculous board room dramas are quaffed, and I hope we don't feed the Telegraph with headlines again.
Our roster has certainly gone backwards. That being said, it is still one of the best around. If shedding Ox means we get to retain Lyon, Foran, and Choc - then so be it...Foran wouldn't let us down (and I know that sounds harsh).
With an attitude adjustment, a little accountability in place, and the right players given a go, we will be back in the top 4 in 2010. I'd LOVE to see a minor premiership come our way - something we haven't had in a long time.
Cheers Guys.Â
