Lets look at our position in the 3 grades. Struggling to make the 8 in first grade. Last in the NYC. On the cusp of missing the VB cup finals.
Very few players in form. One superstar and one aging superstar. No halves or hookers in form in any of our sides.
Major player drain of experienced players for next year. Hindy Tahu and Fui one year older and slower.
2010 could be the first year year a young player has not emerged from our junior ranks. Horo is the exception to emerging but is not a young player. Our hope for 2011 is player recruitment and our history is terrible in attracting name players to our club and having them perform. Bob Lidner through to Justin Poore.
DA will not survive 2011 and I fear Ricky Stuart will be at the helm in 2012 as we enter the rebuilding wilderness
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We played as a team, with confidence, and everyone knew their role.
This year, we have a stronger squad with the introduction of Tahu, Poore and (hopefully) Shackleton. We are not playing as a team with confidence, and we have too much confusion between our 'play-makers' as to their role.
Whilst I'm not happy with the way we're playing - and if we don't improve we won't make the 8 - I'm confident that if DA can solve the problem of having 'too many Chiefs and not enough Indians' and we get that cohesion back, we'll kick into gear. If KK is such a ball hog as some suggest, DA must instruct him to stay out of first receiver on the later tackles and leave it for Hayne (unless in our own half and he boots a clearing kick). Likewise with Mortimer. Against Newcastle the other night, Hayne simply wasn't getting enough ball to create on the latter tackles and like it or not, he's really the only one who's able to create something out of nothing in our team.
There are squads with far less talent than ours doing better at the moment (like Souths, Tigers and Penrith). There's a solution here and I'm confident DA can find it!
Mortimer - definately 2nd year syndrome - being isolated in defence and doing little with the ball.
Keating - Not doing enough from the 6 and kicking game average at best.
INU - massive slide on even last year but not a scratch on 2007 -2008 form.
The regular names thrown up such MITCHELL, ROBINSON, Tamari etc havent come on as quick as we needed.
POSITIVE :
HORO - love him - mongrel and will get better with the experience.
BURT - career best form
MANNAH - the best go forward player we have even with MOI MOI in side
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I dont know whether we have the money to chase the MELB big 4 or even the next few quality players. Despite freeing up CAYLESS, MATEO, INU , GROTHE........ we need CRONK and a FORWARD with mongrel.
Next 4 weeks wil tell whether we deserve to be there in the finals.
I would add last year our unsung driver to the finals was Fui who was a destructive weapon for so many weeks in a row which created the space for the much more widely recognised Hayne. We had IMO the best forward and back in the game.
I have seen Parra far worse off than we are in 2010 and guess what - they keep coming back.
I think the major frustration this year is the - we're in the 8 - we're out of the 8 - with a team that nobody can even imagine what they will do next.
Some weeks we could wipe the floor with any team in the world then we get flogged by teams struggling to get higher on the ladder than the Storm.
To be honest other than a 5 year golden period we are the biggest under achiever in the leagues history
Our backs are among the best in the comp, just lacking quality ball and therefore time to do anything with it
Our halves have been on song together in only 1 or 2 games all year, and that is what is killing us.
I honestly believe we have the right cattle, but for some reason we are not gelling as a complete football team. KK and Morts dont communicate properly with the dummy half, leading to rushed plays and missed opportunities.
One experienced, skilled half is all we are short of in my opinion, and i have no doubts we are going hell for leather to get Cronk into the blue and gold next year.
Realy missing experience in the halves. Need some one to take charge and these young guys no matter what the combination dont produce the right plays enough for us to win consistently.
I actually trialled for Parra against those guys and got absolutely smashed
You would remember during Thornett & Co times when Parra were almost unbeatable for what was then "Club Champions" but never looked like getting a GF.
And you would remember the DROUGHT after these guys retired until some snotty little blonde half back with a mullet came on the scene very late 70's or early 80's to start the Golden Era with some of the all time greats.
But I agree with you - for some strange reason Parra have a long history of playing well below their talent level.
Frustrating - isn't it.