Hi Guys I dont want to sound like a doomsdayer but do you guys feel that we may have a 2018 season seeing we rely heavily on a big winger to start our sets on the front foot and really suffered when Semi left. Could this again happen seeing our winger stocks presently and without Fergos brutal runs although a little hit and miss of his time with us.
anyway just my thoughts?
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Fergo's starts to sets were ok at times.
Haze was not too bad.
Sivo's were terrible prior to his injury. Minimal yards, regularly dominated, slow play the ball.
We haven't had big wingers starting sets well for years. Brian To'o showed you don't need to be tall to do that job well.
Fergos starts were ok? It's pretty well acknowledged he was one of if not the best in that area. when he first came to Parra Andrew Johns rated him the best player in the comp after 10 rounds pretty much due to the strength of his carries. And Sivo is way better than average in that area too. It was a big reason we turned things around in 2019 and a definite area of concern this year.
100%
Both Fergo and Sivo were very good at bringing the ball back and we will miss that this year with our smaller wingers.
Fergo's form declined. He still had his moments though and some of his first carry's were still excellent last year. Sivo was rubbish in that area of the game in 2021. He made no impact and Dunster regularly outshone him on kick returns.
Sivo looked like a 50 year old man carrying it back prior to his injury. He'd half arsed run it back and then surrender and go down playing for a penalty. Was quite embarrassing as a fan to watch tbh.
There were games where Sivo wasn't that great with his carries back last year but overall he's been good with good average metres made. Some games he was excellent and made half line busts to get our set going or got a penalty. Teams do see him as a threat, whether you blokes wanna see it or not he's one of the hardest players in the comp to tackle so teams tended to get 2 and 3 tacklers on him. When they couldn't do that he was effective.
In 2018 we didn't have the forward pack we do now and I'm convinced the return of hayne had a negative impact on the playing group.
I was doing some work with the eels at that time and got to know some players and officials he was a issue and butted heads with some players who didn't give him the worship and respect he believed he deserved very few were sad to see him go
I don't see this as an issue only if the coaching staff give our backs and ball players licence to use the ball more often when getting out of own territory at times - BA has a simple formula if the players play what they see instead constantly getting bashed then it won't be a problem.
Wingers IMO are a huge part of the game. They have so much of a role to play in the sets that we must have two decent carries or we kick from behind and lose inch by inch the field position. I am hoping we recruit a Corey OATES or similar. You need a big body to get the set moving with momentum. The running style of the winger is important too. Upright runners are just fodder for the defence. Interesting week or two for the club. Go outside or piuck and stick with what we have at the club or push Waqa to wing and bring in reliable Opacic into centre.
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