Sproj
Immortal
Senior Staff
- Sep 6, 2013
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I’m a huge fan of Holbrook, it must be nice to have a good coach.
Next year will be the real test. He and the club will have an expectation to improve and actually win more games than they lose.I’m a huge fan of Holbrook, it must be nice to have a good coach.
I tend to agree with most of your post but I'm a little more gentle in my player assessment. You see I don't think Taylor's the bust others seem to believe. I make a much greater allowance for Taylor's task and his age/experience. I don't blame him for taking the cash offered at the time and forgive him for not truly understanding the baggage that comes with such a weighty contract.The thing in Holbrooks favour is that things couldn't get any worse when he came in and expectations on the Titans are so low with little media coverage to add pressure. Their fan base is poor in numbers and are probably the most insignificant club out of the 16 to neutral fans/followers of the game.
Casual observers of the game could come in and see that Cartwright/S Boyd/Peachey/Peats/Wallace/James/Taylor/Latu were well overpaid compared to what they offer on the field so punting/trading/releasing any of them was all upside and low hanging fruit for Holbrook to get some runs on the board.
The pickup of Corey Thompson was handy but hardly the signing to challenge top 4 let alone top 8 and even the signing of Ese'Ese was reported as being better than it really was as he has struggled at Newcastle where others have flourished and i doubt they tried hard to keep him or he hit the radar of many other clubs.
Sure the signing of Fifita and Tino are steps in the right direction but i think the true measure of Holbrook will come when he has to make tougher choices than releasing the duds listed above and has to start making roster choices based on experience vs. youth to get the mix right.
If he can turn this soulless club into a genuine premiership force over the next 5 years cementing themselves into the top 8 consistently i will tip my hat to him.
Point taken, but i just find it hard to justify Taylor living up to his reported salary of ~$1M per season when talking true value for money.I tend to agree with most of your post but I'm a little more gentle in my player assessment. You see I don't think Taylor's the bust others seem to believe. I make a much greater allowance for Taylor's task and his age/experience. I don't blame him for taking the cash offered at the time and forgive him for not truly understanding the baggage that comes with such a weighty contract.
Blokes his age simply can not know what it's really going to be like. The old saying about old heads and young shoulders is applicable here. I honestly believe if he had the choice again, knowing what he now knows he would have either reconsidered or with the new knowledge taken on the challenge but forewarned and thus handled it so so much better.
The fact that he's on the field now and seeming to enjoy the challenge more combined with the support of the new coach definitely is a plus for the future. I think his mental health breakdown and apparent ( ongoing?) recovery will build resilience he didn't have previously. In other words, the issue he had to have to build a better model.
Don't misunderstand me, I totally agree on the vfm angle, he's not quite Bird-like vfm but from a strictly financial view, yes it hasn't materialized. If Taylor continues on what appears to be an upward trajectory then I believe he will achieve higher rep honours. Yes, origin unless a greater prospect looms in the meantime and makes halfback his own. I don't know what state Taylor's mental health is, I can only go by on field body language but the fact he's out there and has Holbrook mentoring him all seems positive to my eyes. I am an optimist by nature!Point taken, but i just find it hard to justify Taylor living up to his reported salary of ~$1M per season when talking true value for money.
Maybe he will start to improve and live up to the expectation of that price tag but then Holbrook is in a no lose situation. He either sees Taylor get better in which case people can praise his coaching for improving him. Taylor stays the same level and Holbrook puts his hands up and says "i never signed him", or Holbrook replaces him for someone cheaper who probably doesn't go any worse and Holbrook can claim he is getting better value for money.
I might have an unfair bias regarding DCE but I actually tend to think he is very overrated and the fact that no-one is challenging for his QLD jersey really irks me (captain too! wtf). Don't think there are many others with me but I am still holding out hope Taylor can force his way into that maroons jumper. I think maybe the main thing holding him back at this point is he doesn't do well with the tough stuff. If he can become an absolute competitor he would take it easily in my opinion.Don't misunderstand me, I totally agree on the vfm angle, he's not quite Bird-like vfm but from a strictly financial view, yes it hasn't materialized. If Taylor continues on what appears to be an upward trajectory then I believe he will achieve higher rep honours. Yes, origin unless a greater prospect looms in the meantime and makes halfback his own. I don't know what state Taylor's mental health is, I can only go by on field body language but the fact he's out there and has Holbrook mentoring him all seems positive to my eyes. I am an optimist by nature!
I expect Taylor will become a force. He will play origin and take ownership. He will become first picked. Our leader on field. The Broncos couldn't know at the time but there's a bit of Alfie and Locky in him. He may even be our best ever halback. He has all the skills and there's nothing he can't do as far as halfbacks go. The Titans are lucky they've got him and I wish we still had him. He will make Milford look second class.I might have an unfair bias regarding DCE but I actually tend to think he is very overrated and the fact that no-one is challenging for his QLD jersey really irks me (captain too! wtf). Don't think there are many others with me but I am still holding out hope Taylor can force his way into that maroons jumper. I think maybe the main thing holding him back at this point is he doesn't do well with the tough stuff. If he can become an absolute competitor he would take it easily in my opinion.
You hit the nail on the head....I might have an unfair bias regarding DCE but I actually tend to think he is very overrated and the fact that no-one is challenging for his QLD jersey really irks me (captain too! wtf). Don't think there are many others with me but I am still holding out hope Taylor can force his way into that maroons jumper. I think maybe the main thing holding him back at this point is he doesn't do well with the tough stuff. If he can become an absolute competitor he would take it easily in my opinion.
I might have an unfair bias regarding DCE but I actually tend to think he is very overrated and the fact that no-one is challenging for his QLD jersey really irks me (captain too! wtf). Don't think there are many others with me but I am still holding out hope Taylor can force his way into that maroons jumper. I think maybe the main thing holding him back at this point is he doesn't do well with the tough stuff. If he can become an absolute competitor he would take it easily in my opinion.
A lot older and more experienced but the difference is not as great as you claim.DCE hasn't been great for QLD, but come on, he's still way, waaay better than Taylor.
You hit the nail on the head....
You have a bias against DCE. Taylor shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.
One of Kevvies biggest selection errors was not picking him 2 years ago until it was too late
Could I interest you in sharing your thoughts as to why at least at club level DCE is good enough to be referred to as "shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence" as Taylor. In a side that is worse offensively Ash beats him in try assists, forced dropouts and 40/20s. DCE's main upside has been his tries as he has a strong support playing game (Tries plus try assists still doesn't reach Ash) and has a couple more line breaks and line break assists. It is barely as far of a gap as you say and personally I would prefer Ash's involvements. Defensively is probably where the issue lies and he has definitely been improving that this year with a fair bit of it being due to Ash having poorer defensive second rowers outside him this year due to injury. I'm not saying he is better as yet but god you can't say DCE is tiers above either.
You won't find it in stats. DCE makes those around him better. Defensively, Taylor is not up to it at SoO level and barely adequate at NRL level.
DCE knows how to pick apart a defence, play through a defence, target someone in a defensive line and has a better running game. Taylor relies heavily on kicks and going around a defence.
Are you saying if you had a choice to swap them you would stick with Ash?
You won't find it in stats. DCE makes those around him better. Defensively, Taylor is not up to it at SoO level and barely adequate at NRL level.
DCE knows how to pick apart a defence, play through a defence, target someone in a defensive line and has a better running game. Taylor relies heavily on kicks and going around a defence.
Are you saying if you had a choice to swap them you would stick with Ash?