It is a long time since I watched a first game Parra junior player and I said Shit, he can play. In recent years we only ever have capable replacements and not exceptional ones with pace.
After any game, if you compare each of our players with their opposite number, our outside backs would rarely be rated above the opposition and that says it all in our overall results.
I watch a lot of the matches each week and I am continually amazed at the ability of some previously unknown outside backs from other clubs. The acceleration,step,swerve and resilience shown by these young players in making line breaks and creating something is in stark contrast to what we have in our present squad and in my view is a major factor in our inability to compete, week in and week out. We have the engine room to compete but the delicate little things out wide are just not up to competing. If Blake is a centre and Simmonson is a winger then I am a bad judge.Why not swap them and try something new? It cannot be a worse outcome. If Sivo wanted to leave I would not stop him and Penisini needs to show more in my view. We are just so desperate for backs with pace who can compete and they are out there quite cheaply as other teams have proven this year. We do not need hard to move on ,long contracted highly paid 28 year olds with limited ability.
So the next questions are:
Who are our talent scouts and how much effort is put into finding new talent?? Do they ever look at Rugby games at all?? There may just be an attitude that if "they want to play for Parra then let them come here to apply"..That is the old days where kids lined up to play in the blue and gold but is not the case today.
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Larry Muagututia looked good in under 19's Origin, but doesn't even start in Flegg.
If he is to make NRL anytime soon he should be starting.
We have David Hollis on a top 30 deal until 2023 and he starts for Flegg cannot even crack NSW Cup bench, top 30 NRL player needs to be in NSW Cup minimum.
In terms of your last paragraph, some here have mentioned in the past that we as a club have this sort of "Superclub" mentality. What i mean by that is like our negotiations last year sort of had this "They will stay as why wouldn't they want to play for Parramatta" like we are Penrith or Melbourne where if you come calling players drop everything and go there. We are not that, nor do we have to be but do not go with that approach.