The signing of Jeff Robson, to my mind, is as much about squad development, as it is, our first grade side. I think you can take a lot from the quotes, that Brad Arthur made in relation to the Robson signing.
"Jeff is a very experienced playmaker who will add depth to our side this season,” Head Coach Brad Arthur said.
“He’ll also be a great asset to work alongside the young and developing centres and second rowers in our reserve grade side.”
If you've been following Wentworthville's progress you would know that after winning their first four matches in convincing fashion, the Magpies haven't won a game since and that has coincided with the injury to Luke Kelly.
Now, there may not be a more maligned player on the Eels roster than Luke Kelly but what I think people misunderstand is that every player on a roster has a purpose, and not every player's purpose in a squad is to win you NRL games. In fact, given the restrictions of your salary cap, not much more than half a dozen players would have the job description "win us games". For others, they contribute to a collective that wins game. For some in your Eels 17 that could be a role, that simply enables others. A forward for example that consistently wins quick play the balls, may not have stats that are particularly impressive or does things that impress the average fan, but for his coach that quick play the ball is the start of three or four rucks that hopefully ends up in points somewhere down the line. And when your flying winger scores that try out wide, everyone has forgotten the play three rucks back where that unheralded player got a quick play the ball.
That same analogy extends to your reserve squad. As we all know, NRL sides commonly have to use 30 plus players in any one season. And in the end it can be the quality of your reserve stock that gets you through to a finals berth. And for your coach, he may not want anything from his backup players, other than to come into a side and not make mistakes, to not miss tackles. And so when that players gets blasted for "contributing nothing" there's every chance he's done his job.
Which brings me to your reserve grade half. If you have even the most limited of football knowledge you know that no team can be successful without a quality half. If your kicking game is crap, if the pass from first receiver to his runners isn't crisp and where it should be, if he's not directing his players around so everyone knows where they need to be, you will lose football games.
At reserves level, that is critical. If you don't have that half that is doing his job, then it also makes it very difficult for the rest of your squad to develop. Losing ten straight games or whatever it is now for Wenty can't be doing the confidence of our emerging playing group any good at all. And that's why I reckon Brad Arthur would have jumped at the opportunity to bring Jeff Robson into the club. In the same way. that part of the rationale for signing Luke Kelly wasn't just for the role he would play in the NRL team, but what he would do for the reserve team.
Again: "He’ll also be a great asset to work alongside the young and developing centres and second rowers in our reserve grade side.”
Robbo doesn't have to come into our NRL team and lay on try assists to be a successful signing. He could play the rest of the year in Wenty and if he helps turn that team around, and in doing so contributes to the development of our younger players, he'll have served the collective well. If he does get NRL opportunities and he steers the side around the park well when he's needed, all the better.
But what we should know from watching this side all year, is, it is about the collective. And as supporters, it's worth thinking in terms of the collective when we opt to pass judgement on any member of our roster.
Replies
I think Norman and Kenny have been going OK. Why change it?
The best outcome for this team would be for Robson to be playing at a level that is good enough to warrant selection in first grade, he doesn't have to set up tries he just has to get the team around the park and take some pressure off Norman. If Robson is playing good enough for first grade than it adds to our team overall, we are much stronger with Taka in the centres and Edwards off the bench.
And the day before the federal election we now have the "collective" being trotted out.
Sorry Phil but I could not resist the temptation of having a dig at this term.
That said the current dilemma is in the FG side - or are you advocating not concerning ourselves with the FG side given the impending points deduction ahead of us?
Well said - without a solid foundation the house will not stand.
Don't you dare be dissing on that word, Col. It's the word that underpins my entire philosophy to life!
The deal had to be done before today, how could we have waited for someone else?, it's for the remainder of this season, it adds an experienced halfback to our side if he is in good enough form, if not at worst it adds an halfback to our wenty side which is missing both it's halves.
I'd add further to that. It makes preparation for the NRL team a harder job as they are running inferior plays at them during opposed sessions.
BTW, check out the Wenty team and try to recognise the players. It bears no resemblance to the team from round 1
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next