Star Quality

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Mataiforever

Bencher
I’m definitely one of them but getting a bit tired of our sooks on here. Especially the ones who smash our star players.

The fact is that our star players are some of the best in the competition. We have:

- 2nd best fullback in the comp: Turbo. Probably top 3-5 player in the game.

- Top 3 Half in the comp: DCE, behind Munster and Keary. Cleary is form half but only been good this year basically IMO

- Best prop in the comp: AFB. Taupau not too far away either, would be top 10.

- 2nd best Lock in the comp: Jake. Despite form of late is still the 2nd best behind JT.


Fainu and Suli were near or there abouts top 5 in there position end of last year. They have promise, so does Guaca, Hoppa, Schuster, Metcalf, Trbo, Fainu, and now Koula. We just dont look like playing these guys (exception of latter 3, theyre too young)

The one thing that I have comforting is that when we are on, we can beat any team. You can’t really say this about many teams, the Eels even. When you look at the top 5 players from each club, we would rank around the top 4. Chooks & Storm ahead of us... then thats probably it. Panthers are great but theyre a balanced team who rely a lot on Cleary and they don’t necessairly have the star quality outside of him & maybe Kikau such as the Cam Smiths, Luke Kearys and Tom Turbos (maybe even Jack Wightons).

Our reason for losses is three fold: injuries, conservative team selection (say NO to youth - Des motto at the moment) and poor list management of cheap players. The difference in our team and others is that the top teams 250-400k players are all quality: Brent Naden is probably on 300. Olam is probably on 350-400. Morris Bros are on 300. Rapana would be on similar ball park.

This is a Barrett inherited team. I’m getting fed up with Des’s selection policy but lets hope the deadwood is cleared out over the next year or two and Crusher signs some talent. We aren’t far away from winning a comp just need some minor adjustments in signings and selections, oh and luck.
 
Ever heard that saying a champion team will always beat a team of champions.

we don’t play like a team and the consistency of our star players has been found wanting this year.

they are all great players - agreed. But until we play as a team with better players as the supporting cast with more depth and more inspired coaching and structure we will continue to tread water and display this mediocrity we are currently embracing
 
I’m definitely one of them but getting a bit tired of our sooks on here. Especially the ones who smash our star players.

The fact is that our star players are some of the best in the competition. We have:

- 2nd best fullback in the comp: Turbo. Probably top 3-5 player in the game.

- Top 3 Half in the comp: DCE, behind Munster and Keary. Cleary is form half but only been good this year basically IMO

- Best prop in the comp: AFB. Taupau not too far away either, would be top 10.

- 2nd best Lock in the comp: Jake. Despite form of late is still the 2nd best behind JT.


Fainu and Suli were near or there abouts top 5 in there position end of last year. They have promise, so does Guaca, Hoppa, Schuster, Metcalf, Trbo, Fainu, and now Koula. We just dont look like playing these guys (exception of latter 3, theyre too young)

The one thing that I have comforting is that when we are on, we can beat any team. You can’t really say this about many teams, the Eels even. When you look at the top 5 players from each club, we would rank around the top 4. Chooks & Storm ahead of us... then thats probably it. Panthers are great but theyre a balanced team who rely a lot on Cleary and they don’t necessairly have the star quality outside of him & maybe Kikau such as the Cam Smiths, Luke Kearys and Tom Turbos (maybe even Jack Wightons).

Our reason for losses is three fold: injuries, conservative team selection (say NO to youth - Des motto at the moment) and poor list management of cheap players. The difference in our team and others is that the top teams 250-400k players are all quality: Brent Naden is probably on 300. Olam is probably on 350-400. Morris Bros are on 300. Rapana would be on similar ball park.

This is a Barrett inherited team. I’m getting fed up with Des’s selection policy but lets hope the deadwood is cleared out over the next year or two and Crusher signs some talent. We aren’t far away from winning a comp just need some minor adjustments in signings and selections, oh and luck.

Complains about sooks.... And then you go and sook about Des' selection policy. Peak Silvertails.
 
I agree with you. If we have all players on the field at one time.

But we are like a jigsaw puzzle and keep dropping pieces on the floor.
 
So it's only Ok to smash guys like Horhay, Elliot and Croker then and sook about them being no good ?? They all try their hardest. Doesn't matter if you are on $1.2mil a year or a $150K, you don't get a free pass if you are playing below par.

On paper, at full strength we should be top 4. But comps aren't won on paper, and full strength rarely happens for most teams. You have to adapt and rely on some of those lesser players. Good coaching, on field leadership and team culture helps with that. You see time and time again, any team can get beat on the day if they aren't switched on.
 
I think the reason we are struggling is two-fold:
1. Turbo is 80% of our attack. Without him we are insipid
2. We don't have a good enough kicking game nor the backline to capitalise on the few decent kicks that we do
 
So it's only Ok to smash guys like Horhay, Elliot and Croker then and sook about them being no good ?? They all try their hardest. Doesn't matter if you are on $1.2mil a year or a $150K, you don't get a free pass if you are playing below par.

On paper, at full strength we should be top 4. But comps aren't won on paper, and full strength rarely happens for most teams. You have to adapt and rely on some of those lesser players. Good coaching, on field leadership and team culture helps with that. You see time and time again, any team can get beat on the day if they aren't switched on.
The point is we could have better “lesser players”. The point I was making was that our cheap players are absolute garbage and still getting picked. Too teams “cheap players” are actually quality, even the fill ins, like Storm: Momirovski, Lee, Hynes, Seve.

These players aren’t Titans discards like Elliott. One even is a junior from Manly.
 
This is Silvertails , did you expect it to be all rosey???
Not at all, just trying to say that the club isnt on the brink of collapse which seems the sentiment lately. Keeping optimistic as I do believe on our day we can beat anyone.

The point is we just need to be patient. Did people actually think we were going to make the top 4 with Elliott and Taufua in our backline?

In the long term having our weaknesses exposed is probably a good thing - at least they won’t be around for long and we can start improving again.
 
I think the reason we are struggling is two-fold:
1. Turbo is 80% of our attack. Without him we are insipid
2. We don't have a good enough kicking game nor the backline to capitalise on the few decent kicks that we do

The fact that some players are comfortable with turbo being 80% of the attack .
 
I’m definitely one of them but getting a bit tired of our sooks on here. Especially the ones who smash our star players.

The fact is that our star players are some of the best in the competition. We have:

- 2nd best fullback in the comp: Turbo. Probably top 3-5 player in the game.

- Top 3 Half in the comp: DCE, behind Munster and Keary. Cleary is form half but only been good this year basically IMO

- Best prop in the comp: AFB. Taupau not too far away either, would be top 10.

- 2nd best Lock in the comp: Jake. Despite form of late is still the 2nd best behind JT.


Fainu and Suli were near or there abouts top 5 in there position end of last year. They have promise, so does Guaca, Hoppa, Schuster, Metcalf, Trbo, Fainu, and now Koula. We just dont look like playing these guys (exception of latter 3, theyre too young)

The one thing that I have comforting is that when we are on, we can beat any team. You can’t really say this about many teams, the Eels even. When you look at the top 5 players from each club, we would rank around the top 4. Chooks & Storm ahead of us... then thats probably it. Panthers are great but theyre a balanced team who rely a lot on Cleary and they don’t necessairly have the star quality outside of him & maybe Kikau such as the Cam Smiths, Luke Kearys and Tom Turbos (maybe even Jack Wightons).

Our reason for losses is three fold: injuries, conservative team selection (say NO to youth - Des motto at the moment) and poor list management of cheap players. The difference in our team and others is that the top teams 250-400k players are all quality: Brent Naden is probably on 300. Olam is probably on 350-400. Morris Bros are on 300. Rapana would be on similar ball park.

This is a Barrett inherited team. I’m getting fed up with Des’s selection policy but lets hope the deadwood is cleared out over the next year or two and Crusher signs some talent. We aren’t far away from winning a comp just need some minor adjustments in signings and selections, oh and luck.
Cleary only good this year... what the heck! Kids always been a gun.
 
Jakes 1 of my personal favourites, but is structured to an almost robotic state, making him still both inspirational and reliable....but unfortunately players with a more dynamic, unpredictable attributes like Cam Murray, Radley types may have jumped Jake in what they bring in the modern game....some will crucify this call, but its only opinion based...
Also think Cleary is the pick in halves and has been for a while and his forwards who were underwhelming in recent seasons, have stepped up to lay the platform to do his thing and on par with Munster....Keary is surrounded by Superstars and I think DCE in that side would be at least on par, though Keary has a better kicking game, likely due to having more time from his side playing at a quicker tempo.
DCE is up there and though has a solid platform of big boppers going foreard, lacks dynamic options running off him without Tom, with Suli on the odd occasion running a good lane and Sirro when in the mood....
 
So it's only Ok to smash guys like Horhay, Elliot and Croker then and sook about them being no good ?? They all try their hardest. Doesn't matter if you are on $1.2mil a year or a $150K, you don't get a free pass if you are playing below par.

On paper, at full strength we should be top 4. But comps aren't won on paper, and full strength rarely happens for most teams. You have to adapt and rely on some of those lesser players. Good coaching, on field leadership and team culture helps with that. You see time and time again, any team can get beat on the day if they aren't switched on.
Agree with everything mate except the top 4 at full strength. Under the new rules Dessies preferred three quarter line of Tafua Suli Parker and Garrick is the worst three quarter line in the comp bar none.
 
.. And there is another mystery .... in 2018 .... it was mandatory in every post game post after a loss to lament the lack of a game plan .... it was game plan this and game plan that ... I became convinced that game plans were some magical cure all .... a golden chalice of rugby league ..

If only we had a coach with a game plan the intelligentsia bemoaned ....

I miss reading about game plans ...
 
The point is we could have better “lesser players”. The point I was making was that our cheap players are absolute garbage and still getting picked. Too teams “cheap players” are actually quality, even the fill ins, like Storm: Momirovski, Lee, Hynes, Seve.

These players aren’t Titans discards like Elliott. One even is a junior from Manly.
I don't disagree with the general gist of your OP; smashing players is a fan's right but I always appreciate the more constructive posts that don't level the blame on a poor team performance on one individual. It's a team sport after all.

Re your comment that we could have better lesser players, we have a number of players that would be on between $100-200k. There is a reason why they are paid $100-200k expecting them to play like $300k+ players is unreasonable. Put them in reserve grade and people would be talking about them 'carving up' and demanding selection in first grade. Lloyd Perrett is a case in point.

So, I get as frustrated as anyone on here when I see Elliott out of position, but he is probably playing to the ability his salary would imply.

As for top teams "cheap players" being quality and the Storm guys you mention, these guys look like quality because they fulfil a role in a quality team where everyone knows their role. Put them in a team that struggles and they will likely look "cheap".

And FYI, Brenko Lee is a Titans discard.
 
Jakes 1 of my personal favourites, but is structured to an almost robotic state, making him still both inspirational and reliable....but unfortunately players with a more dynamic, unpredictable attributes like Cam Murray, Radley types may have jumped Jake in what they bring in the modern game....some will crucify this call, but its only opinion based...
Also think Cleary is the pick in halves and has been for a while and his forwards who were underwhelming in recent seasons, have stepped up to lay the platform to do his thing and on par with Munster....Keary is surrounded by Superstars and I think DCE in that side would be at least on par, though Keary has a better kicking game, likely due to having more time from his side playing at a quicker tempo.
DCE is up there and though has a solid platform of big boppers going foreard, lacks dynamic options running off him without Tom, with Suli on the odd occasion running a good lane and Sirro when in the mood....
No crucifixion Maxta. Radley and particularly Murray are light years ahead of Jake right now which is mostly down to the way he is used.Id say there are one or two other thirteens ahead of him at the moment .Finucane for sure.
 
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I don't disagree with the general gist of your OP; smashing players is a fan's right but I always appreciate the more constructive posts that don't level the blame on a poor team performance on one individual. It's a team sport after all.

Re your comment that we could have better lesser players, we have a number of players that would be on between $100-200k. There is a reason why they are paid $100-200k expecting them to play like $300k+ players is unreasonable. Put them in reserve grade and people would be talking about them 'carving up' and demanding selection in first grade. Lloyd Perrett is a case in point.

So, I get as frustrated as anyone on here when I see Elliott out of position, but he is probably playing to the ability his salary would imply.

As for top teams "cheap players" being quality and the Storm guys you mention, these guys look like quality because they fulfil a role in a quality team where everyone knows their role. Put them in a team that struggles and they will likely look "cheap".

And FYI, Brenko Lee is a Titans discard.
Lee is actually a Burleigh Bears discard. Titans didn’t want a bar of him most of the time he was up here.
 
No crucifixion Maxta. Radley and particularly Murray are light years ahead of Jake right now which is mostly down to the way he is used.Id say there are one or two other thirteens ahead of him at the moment .Finucane for sure.
He may well be lucky to be chosen for SOO in 2021, but may still do so out of loyalty.
 

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