and wasn't considered the best centre in the game until he linked up with Bennett.
He was by many, SMH among them - http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/02/1096527993880.html
"Coming back from a knee reconstruction and a very public relationship break-up, Hodges, formerly the game's best centre, has had a season to forget and Roosters coach Ricky Stuart was set to confine him to a season in premier league before his teammates stepped in."
i didnt mention it was him cause i didnt even look who wrote it - all i did was found an article and linked to it.
yes hodges was great in 2006 - but he was even BETTER in 2002. he carved teams up week in week out, and didnt miss ~10 games in the year either.
anyway, this is about bennett not hodges - how long are we giving bennett to get a premiership before maybe, just maybe, some of you will admit that hes not a "supercoach"? better yet, how many more top quality and/or representative players is he going to be allowed to throw the chequebook at before it even matters since he's just buying a premiership?
when he went to the Dragons it took him 2 years to win that premiership without buying a heap of representative players he mainly bought players like Weyman and turned them into rep players (I think Boyd became a rep player at the Dragons not Broncos).
i didnt mention it was him cause i didnt even look who wrote it - all i did was found an article and linked to it.
yes hodges was great in 2006 - but he was even BETTER in 2002. he carved teams up week in week out, and didnt miss ~10 games in the year either.
anyway, this is about bennett not hodges - how long are we giving bennett to get a premiership before maybe, just maybe, some of you will admit that hes not a "supercoach"? better yet, how many more top quality and/or representative players is he going to be allowed to throw the chequebook at before it even matters since he's just buying a premiership?
You do realize that you just pointed out that every single player in their 1-13 has already played rep footy, don't you? That's helping MY argument lol.Lol, I wouldn't listen to AP's claims about rep players and so on.
He's already brought out the excuses in case Bennett wins a premiership with the Knights, claiming that their squad is chock-full of representative superstars. In reality, I think any neutral would agree that the Knights have a solid squad, which is probably just good enough to make the top eight.
In fact, let's look at the team they named against Melbourne:
1. Darius Boyd - yep, rep quality, I'll give you that.
2. James McManus - lol, has played one game for NSW, does not constitute rep quality. Solid winger at best.
3. Junior Sa'u - last game for New Zealand was in 2010. Extremely inconsistent player with questionable attitude.
4. Timana Tahu - hasn't been the same player since he came back from rugby union. Had the whole 'Joey racism' incident to deal with in 2010, and went missing for a while after. Only played seven games last season. Definitely not rep quality anymore.
5. Akuila Uate - definitely rep quality.
6. Kurt Gidley - yeah, rep quality player, but hardly a superstar.
7. Jarrod Mullen - last played for NSW in 2007, has lost his way a bit. Needs a good coach to get the best out of him.
8. Kade Snowden - rep quality
9. Danny Buderus - 34 years old. Last played for NSW in 2008. Brilliant decision by Bennett to bring him back. Genius of a coach.
10. Richie Fa'aoso - two games for Tonga, in no way 'rep quality'.
11. Chris Houston - played for Country last season after a year out of the game.
12. Zeb Taia - has played one match for New Zealand and is coming back from a terrible injury last season.
13. Neville Costigan - played for Queensland a few times, not exactly a stand out in the NRL. Good, solid player.
14. Alex McKinnon - hasn't even played 10 matches in first grade.
15. Adam Cuthbertson - the dude who no one wants, except WB.
16. Joel Edwards - local lad who's only in his third year of first grade.
17. Zane Tetevano - second season of first grade, played for the Cook Islands a few times.
Not a stand out squad by any means.