Crusher Cleal and I go way back to North West NSW days and the Warialda Wombats and the Moree Boars, and when they were building the Eagles after the disastrous 2002-3 period he said this to me.
" Mate we need a forward leader, a half leader and a backs leader, and around them we can build a team for a shot at a GF in 5 years"
This was in 2004, at the Group 5 Grand Final between the Jamie Lyon lead Wee Waa Panthers and the Scott Fulton led Moree Boars.
He told me then the first step was Kite, and that we had to wait a few years until Jamie's ESL sojourn was over to have our backs leader.
History shows that we later bought Orford and we had our " big 3".
I think we are in an almost similar situation in 2016 as we were then, 12 years ago.
Killer and Jamie are at the end of their careers, and in essence we need to " start again".
Whilst we still have the likes of those mentioned above ( and Matt Ballin) , we need to look for future talent, then buy the new '" big 3" and so begin the build for the next Golden era.
By then the Rorters and Vermin's eras will be over, one thing we have proven is nothing lasts forever.
" Mate we need a forward leader, a half leader and a backs leader, and around them we can build a team for a shot at a GF in 5 years"
This was in 2004, at the Group 5 Grand Final between the Jamie Lyon lead Wee Waa Panthers and the Scott Fulton led Moree Boars.
He told me then the first step was Kite, and that we had to wait a few years until Jamie's ESL sojourn was over to have our backs leader.
History shows that we later bought Orford and we had our " big 3".
I think we are in an almost similar situation in 2016 as we were then, 12 years ago.
Killer and Jamie are at the end of their careers, and in essence we need to " start again".
Whilst we still have the likes of those mentioned above ( and Matt Ballin) , we need to look for future talent, then buy the new '" big 3" and so begin the build for the next Golden era.
By then the Rorters and Vermin's eras will be over, one thing we have proven is nothing lasts forever.