Every single one of them would start at 90% of other clubs. Coates is starting at Storm. Fifita starts at Titans until they choose to use his impact off the bench. Carrigan is a great leader and no matter what club he is at would be regarded as a future captain. Kotoni Staggs is the most destructive centre in the comp by the size of Tom Hanks Forehead. Not a single centre in the comp I would take over Staggs (maybe Olam). Tom Flegler whilst probably didn’t deserve to play Origin the reality is he did and would be a valued member at any team. You wouldn’t see the Storm or Roosters think twice about signing him. As for saying Fifita shouldn’t have played Origin is just ludicrous. The man is so destructive and it just so happens he was out of form when he last played Origin this year. Finally, Payne Haas I don’t even need to speak another word.
Whilst some of them are overvalued monetarily every single one of them would be vital to any team in there own way. Only player on that list you would have any case for is Flegler and still to this day the man has shown he has great impact and ability however has no discipline. It’s not even like you can stand there and fault his effort, he has so many features to his game that are the makings of a great player we just choose to judge him as a result of his discipline which has very little to do with overall player development during that period.
Just look at there age and compare them to all the players in that age bracket and there in the conversation for the best of the best. As for in the entire nrl you have Payne Haas who is by a country mile the best forward and Kotoni is the most destructive outside back and in my opinion the best centre. They got developed fucken well, just sadly we lost 2 of them to over paying scum bags.
I think we all view that development group as a failure due to the fact that recruitment and retention failed to provide consistent, experienced and valuable members to construct a squad. Apart from the construction of our squad being a total failure through that period and retention of other young players being poor to have developed some of the best players in the comp during that period and come out of it with 4 of 6 of them (and keeping the best one possibly 2) is pretty impressive.
I completely get where your coming from but your viewing that development group of players as far more incompetent than it actually is when really I don’t think any team apart from the Panthers rival us in youth development over those years and we came last and third last and they had a Premiership and Minor Premiership next to there names. We have a great squad and we are probably another good spine player (whether that be Cobbo, Mam or Mozer in a few years) away from really shaking up the comp with the squad we have. Seibold and co may have been unwise with some of there decisions but at least now we are in a good position. After our numerous years of failings up the top of the ladder it was almost time for a shake up of our squad and sadly it got stuffed up through poor choices and we suffered for 2 years but in the long run it might be worth it. You never know.
