I have a boring statics/dynamics assignment to do for uni (mech eng) so I might as well procrastinate and write a response 5x longer than anyone asked for.
* Summed up for those with better things to do on a Saturday than read, Schu is more capable of achieving great things than most because of reasons you cited, but he shouldn't forget 2022
Intuition is what made the golden era of manly and is definitely the core of any top team. It's the reason Tommy Trbo and Greg Inglis look at a tryline and neglect any obstacles in their way. They get there, no matter the means.
Schuster's style should be protected, but I sense he is also a threat to himself. I don't want to see Schuster so rigid in how he percieves himself as a player that his 'intuition' becomes forced and every play becomes a no-look pass or a forced play. I think Benji went through a big phase of this in the mid-point of his career. He got past it when he re-evaluated his team-role and allowed himself to evolve under Bennett's instructions at Brisbane. Im superstitious.
Im not old enough to have seen Cliffy play but his highlights show he was an incredibly natural, intuitive and fun to watch player (probably why he mesmirised the defence so often).
Schuster mirrors these same qualities, 100%. Any sane person will protect that, and he's had an opportunity to thrive the last few years with Foz/Dce taking pressure off him. I think towards the end of 2021 and throughout 2022, he started to become his own enemy in some ways; playing expansive 5 times out of 5, when it should have been ~3 (or whatever amount is intuitively correct in these circumstances).
I can't speak of Cliffy with any real knowledge, but im sure he developed a critical, evaluative element to his game, too.
Schuster can and will go on to do great things. Not every pass has to be a no looker. You know what they say about having too much of a good thing. As with Snake, prime-Foz+dce, Jamie Lyon and Cliffy, timing, discipline and flexibility
coupled with intuition and skill is what made them great. I know the coaching staff have been trying to hold him accountable to his fitness and he's had a chance to demonstrate his flexibility in different positions (second-row and impact-utility).
What's disappointing is that this season he has failed to apply and prove himself in fitness and flexibility, as well as letting the club down against the Roosters. All we want is to see is him grow as a player and person. I know he will, but it has to be said that he's got to show he can commit to learning along the way. The article above stating he is already training and has decided to not play the World Cup is a great start and shows he cares about something deep down.
It shows he knows that 2022 is not acceptable and that it will be a defining year in his development as a player, person and teammate (as I poorly communicated in the referenced post).
Combos are key, so go juniors
🙂
No ones stopping Schu from being Schu.
