In all reality though, injuries were the start of our downfall.
Starting the season without
Tohu Harris,
Loosing
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak early on,
Shaun Johnson missing a few games
Then
Curran,
Arthars (after showing good form),
Chanel Harris-Tavita after busting a nut…literally
Ben Murdoch-Masila (in a tackle that wasn’t really punished)
Egan,
Addin Fonua-Blake,
Suspensions also -
We had Walsh and Lodge suspended round 1.
Montoya suspended 4 games.
Jazz out a few games.
Then we lose Lodge outright due to management dramas.
There’s probably others I’ve missed…and some of the names mentioned aren’t worth much of a damn…but the point is we’ve had a lot of roster disruptions which has disallowed combinations to really form for a sustained period of time.
Which has naturally tested our depth, which we also know isn’t worth too much of a damn.
Rookie centres -
Berry, touted to be a big deal turning out to be very average. Same as
Vailea - difference is you can see the X factor with him that I can’t see in
Berry. As
Vailea gains more experience in the game, you actually believe he can be a gun.
And there’s the Problem - these blokes learning their trade in the NRL, in an environment where we need to be winning games. A topic that has been exhausted already.
But then you look at guys like
Katoa - looked like a prodigy in
2020 but hasn’t improved since. Still makes basic errors - abeit trying hard every game. (Yes I know he didn’t play today).
Same as the Murchies of the world - just haven’t shown the ability to iron out the errors in their game.
Ben Murdoch-Masila failing to make much of an impact (as others said - brought in to wreck havoc on the edges, instead plonked in the middle).
Pompey - another who should have the tools to be a class player but lacks that top layer to be so. Especially since we let go of
Herbert and
Hiku.
Same as
Afoa…means well, runs with intent but doesn’t bend the line like an
Addin Fonua-Blake…even though you feel he should.
We’ve gone to the market and Brought in guys like Asi, Lussick, now Lui…even Arthars as a loan player. All have looked good at times but fact remains - they were fringe players at other clubs and couldn’t cut it, slim chance they’d be our saviours either.
I mean, Lui was playing QLD cup…(I know he’s signed for the Dolphins in 2023 but still).
Then there are the Coaching issues too - playing players out of position just coz…ie
Ben Murdoch-Masila mentioned before, persisting with Aitken in the back row…failing to make real changes or go against a premeditated ideal. Getting the team to play postive footy…then pulling back on it after the first rounds as we made too many errors…now I don’t know wtf the game plan is.
Where’s the leadership in this team? Just doesn’t feel like the players are on the same page. Reports of
Shaun Johnson going against coaches game plan…are the players revolting against the coach because they don’t agree with the game plan? But would the players know any better?
Addin Fonua-Blake wasn’t the best choice for fill in Captain either.
It all trickles down from the top. This negative press about inept management…for a team already down on confidence, having its depth tested and being exposed…a player released mid season for no reason but still getting paid for it…another just allowed to walk away after barely giving a damn anyway (played starting FB for a team who poured on 44pts last night too).
Jazz called it how it is in his post game. Just not good enough, too many basic errors from key players that just shouldn’t be making them. Looked very frustrated. Called out his halves.
More jerseys than trophies.
There’s a multitude of reasons for how bad we’ve been playing. But it had compounded so much that it feels like a sin to support this team.
We’re in a bad bad way right now. We’ve made it harder than it should’ve been on ourselves…our poor form on field has it legitimate reasons…but it’s made worse by the bad press on our management, making us look like fucken fools.
Aussie media are loving it too. But they have the facts, and they’ll run with it.
NZ media will take as an opportunity to talk down on our league too.
Just a rough time to be a fan - but tbh when is it not?
Still. We should be better than this by now. Just feels like there’s always something bringing us back here. Positives never last too long. We regress to the mean.
And sucking is our mean.
