In response to a crack at Luke Williamson and goat photos in another thread ... I thought for a moment, and decided the topic deserved it's own discussion ... and because it upsets XV-1 whenever I start a thread ...
Bob, that seems to be the go to comment from people that think a club can afford to have superstars and Australian rep players in every position ... and put grief upon players who fall short of those lofty ambitions ..
Realistically, a team can only afford one real mega-star, perhaps two super-stars, a couple of stars and maybe 6/7 really good players .. that however still leaves about 5 players in your 17 that are either emerging talent or shelf fillers ...
And here is the rub ... it is these shelf fillers that can and often make the difference ... to be successful every team needs these blokes to play ABOVE their pay grades ... and Manly have had some good ones ... but they are also the same players that unfairly and undeservedly get shiite put on them for not being as good as some people think they should be ...
For example .. Luke Williamson played 260 1st grade games .. 173 for Manly (and Nth Eagles) , scored 36 tries, 243 goals, and 3 FG's ,,, played lock, Centre, 5/8, 2nd row and hooker ... played in our 2007 grand final, and was ruled out of the 2008 Grand final with injury .. and that's a career many superstars would be proud of ... yet .. the crap persists ..
Today it is Crocker and Parker ... but it will be these very blokes playing above their pay grades that will contribute as much to our success as Tommy .. because we need players on their wages, to be able to pay someone like Tom's his wages
Who else has been underestimated by the sausage roll eaters ...
Bob, that seems to be the go to comment from people that think a club can afford to have superstars and Australian rep players in every position ... and put grief upon players who fall short of those lofty ambitions ..
Realistically, a team can only afford one real mega-star, perhaps two super-stars, a couple of stars and maybe 6/7 really good players .. that however still leaves about 5 players in your 17 that are either emerging talent or shelf fillers ...
And here is the rub ... it is these shelf fillers that can and often make the difference ... to be successful every team needs these blokes to play ABOVE their pay grades ... and Manly have had some good ones ... but they are also the same players that unfairly and undeservedly get shiite put on them for not being as good as some people think they should be ...
For example .. Luke Williamson played 260 1st grade games .. 173 for Manly (and Nth Eagles) , scored 36 tries, 243 goals, and 3 FG's ,,, played lock, Centre, 5/8, 2nd row and hooker ... played in our 2007 grand final, and was ruled out of the 2008 Grand final with injury .. and that's a career many superstars would be proud of ... yet .. the crap persists ..
Today it is Crocker and Parker ... but it will be these very blokes playing above their pay grades that will contribute as much to our success as Tommy .. because we need players on their wages, to be able to pay someone like Tom's his wages
Who else has been underestimated by the sausage roll eaters ...
