Re: [Rumour] - Broncos to sign Darius Boyd
I don't understand the argument "boyd will cost us juniors" when we've lost two backline players and added two.
Surely if we were so concerned about the future, we simply wouldn't sign players because "the juniors".
You can have all the faith in the world that the juniors will step up and be the match winners we all want them to be, but at some stage common sense has to come into play. The juniors haven't proven anything, and there's no guarantee they ever will. Let them prove themselves, and in the interim, we'll use tried and tested, proven players in our squad.
I've already explained countless times why I think Boyd could cost us juniors, so I'm not going to do so again. However, I will touch on the last point.
One of my main concerns is that Bennett takes the point you used in bold too far these days. We all know this is a man who debuted Khunt as a 17 year old, but I look at his record at the Knights and I think he went too far with the tried and tested. He spent three seasons at the Knights and I can't really see many players that WB has develop into first grade players.
Rochow is one, and Korbin Sims started under WB too. I'm aware Mamo and the Mata'utai brothers debuted last year too, but they all only got a go because of injuries and other illnesses and it was pretty late on in the piece that they got a go.
For me, that's not a very impressive list over a period of 3 years. However, let's look at the players WB signed during his tenure at the Knights:
Craig Gower - He was 35 when he was signed by WB. He only played 6 games.
Danny Buderus - He was 34 when he was signed by WB and played 37 games.
Jeremy Smith - He was 33 when he was signed by WB and played 37 games.
Clint Newton - He was 33 when he was signed by WB. Luckily he only played 2 games.
David Fa'alogo - He was 33 when he was signed by WB and played 40 games.
Timana Tahu - He was 32 when WB started at the Knights and played 29 games.
Willie Mason - He was 32 when he was signed by WB and played 60 games.
Anthony Quinn - He was 30 when he was signed by WB and played just 4 games.
In contrast, here are the juniors I could find that WB has played:
Robbie Rochow - Only played 2 games before joining the Knights. Played 59 games.
Korbin Sims - 32 games.
Will Smith - 7 games.
Jake Mamo - 7 games.
Sione Mata'utia - 7 games.
Chanel Mata'utia - 7 games.
Joseph Tapine - 7 games.
Chris Adams - 3 games.
Josh Mantellato - 2 games.
I can excuse some of those veteran signings (Mason) but to me that is a recent track record of a man who believes too much in tried and tested. Now I understand there are some WB faithful out there who believe that he can do no wrong, so you folk feel free to jump in and defend him. But I personally wonder what might happen in the future.
Hopefully it's just an anomaly and WB succeeds regardless of how many rookies he plays or veterans he signs, and Gavet and Boyd are actually very capable players who don't have their seniors card. And we didn't sign Mason. So maybe WB has changed his tune, but for all your beliefs that I don't care about tried and tested, I still have concerns that WB cares too much about it.