What I meant was.....if Hoppa gets a run this year....and Des is the same character he was....he will probably ease him into top grade slowly. Like he did with JB.
Those winning sides Des had success with years ago were freaky. They played a lot of footy together on their way up. They were not only talented...but they had brains.This side we have now is not in the same ball park as the players we had last time he was here. That's why I find it hard to get on board with the majority here...thinking Des = instant success. I'm sure there'll be a honeymoon period and we'll hit the ground running...but as the year grinds on, I think we'll slide down the ladder. (I DON'T WANT THAT....but I think it'll happen)
Too early to compare the side they are developing today with the side of 2004-5 for example. We have three champion players in the Trbojevics and DCE. We have potentially two of the best front rowers in the game in Blake and Taupau. We have a test quality centre in Walker, if we can get the best out of him. We have five young kids who are potentially rep players coming through in Fainu, Suli, Albert Hopa, Schuster and Ben T. Sironen could yet mature into one of the best second rowers. There are a couple of young forwards coming into the team who could be anything. Elgey may be the lynchpin we have been looking for since Foran left, but maybe in 2 years, if we can hold him, Schuster or Metcalfe may hold that role if he fails. Who knows what Anderson and Funa may develop into.
Of course much will depend on injuries, and finding a way to hold on to the best players, while adding quality a little at a time. But those teams back in 2004-5, looked no better than this side and remember they added quality a bit at a time over the years with Lyon, Matai, Kennedy, Kite, Robertson, Williams etc being added between 2005 and 2008. The basis of the team is there. In a year or two this is potentially a champion side. We would never have guessed the same of the team Des had in his first year in 2004. Manly finished 13th but had a bunch of unknowns including John Hopoate, Jason KIng, Anthony Watmough, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, added to a side including Menzies, Donald, Hicks, Walker, Monaghan and Williamson. I actually see similarities to the 2004-5 sides to this one in 2019. 11th to 8th in 2019, semis 2020, who knows in 2021.