Alexander on Blair

AmericanHistoryX

AmericanHistoryX

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Boyd, Blair and Sandow fail to fire
Print- Font+ FontRSSGreg Alexander NRL.com Thu, Apr 05, 2012 - 8:30 AM
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Chris Sandow hasn't lived up to expectation at the Eels so far in 2012 according to NRL.com expert Greg Alexander. Copyright: NRL Photos

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I know we are only five rounds into the season and some players are still feeling their way with their new clubs, but I thought we’d take a look at some of the off-season buys - who has been good and who’s been struggling.

There werent't that many players who changed clubs for big money but the high profile signings are where we’ll start. I would think the three under the most pressure at the moment would be - Darius Boyd (Newcastle), Adam Blair (Wests Tigers) and Chris Sandow (Parramatta).

These three players cost a combined total of $1.6 million for this season. It is all about value for money spent and at the moment there is a shortfall. The money being mentioned for Adam Blair was, in my opinion, always well above what he should have earned.

I think Blair is worth about $300,000 a season - not the $550,000 figure that was being bandied around.

Don't get me wrong - Blair is a fine player. He was strong at Melbourne and has represented New Zealand with distinction. But he does look a long way short of providing $500k-plus of value and I don’t know if he will. I am sure Wests Tigers hoped for a lot more, given the club cut Andrew Fifita and Bryce Gibbs to accommodate Blair.
 
I know it's been well documented that we paid massive money for him but geez that's enormous when you think about it. The only 2 forwards who should command that type of coin are Gallen or Camron Smith.
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I thought the Wests Tigers were a lot smarter than than falling into a trap and buying a Melbourne Storm player outside of the big 3\. Then again, with Stephen Shumphreys at the helm, nothing should surprise any of us. The quicker he steps down or gets sacked, the better.

A lot of Storm players become superstars because the big 3 and Bellamy make them look like superstars. Before they get there, they are either good players or average at best but turn into something more due to the aforementioned reasons.

We paid wwaayy toooooo much for Blair. Without the big 3 and Bellany influence, hes back to his usual self.
 
So now it's $550K a season. Next week it will be $600K. Do these blokes just make up figures as they go along?

Blair has been poor but I will wait more than five games to declare him a complete waste of money.

He has performed really well for NZ away from Bellamy so he is not all of a sudden completely useless.

As for Humphreys, aside from his poor handling of the Moltzen situation, IMO he's done a very good job. Corporate dollars coming in is up. Crowds are up. Sponsorship is up. etc. etc. etc.
 
I've never been able to get my head around why everyone has taken it as gospel from the get-go that he is in fact on 500K. Especially considering that figure was first mentioned in the tele, the newspaper that everyone supposedly never believes a word from and is often referred to the 'telecrap' or 'terrorgraph'

yet no one has ever questioned this figure? 😕
 
@GNR4LIFE said:
I've never been able to get my head around why everyone has taken it as gospel from the get-go that he is in fact on 500K. Especially considering that figure was first mentioned in the tele, the newspaper that everyone supposedly never believes a word from thats written and is often referred to the 'telecrap' or 'terrorgraph'

yet no one has ever questioned this figure? 😕
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People will support and believe whatever suits their agenda.

Look, I have no doubt we overpaid for Blair. From what I understand Parra also put in a big offer, we beat it. If you want to attract quality players you often have to overpay. People complained for years that we mostly sign washed up duds or has been's. Here is a player who is only 25, who has has played in multiple grand finals, is the vice captain of his country and is known for being able to slow the play the ball down (which is something we have always struggled with).

Yes, he is struggling and he hasn't shown his worth so far, so people are entitled to criticise. But regardless of what he is being paid, the fact remains he is a quality player. IMO he's always performed well for NZ, and that is away from Bellamy and the Storm. Did he suddenly just turn to shit overnight? How?

He is under heavy scrutiny because of his price tag and so far has not lived up to expectations, which is fair enough. I'm not willing to write him off so early.
 
Who knows what we paid for him? As for his form it has been down a bit but i thought he improved last week & i wouldnt dismiss him yet.
 
Brandy is another one of those has been experts who shoots from the lip without thinking.

**Facts.**
Blair came from a team that is highly structured both in defence and attack. He had his role spelled out for him, and integrated into the Bellyache culture of " My way or the Highway ". Most drown from the spit before the highway is seen.
He is unsure of his place in the team for two reasons.
1\. The forwards are not going forward
2\. Our 1st and 2nd receivers are giving him an armchair ride, and useing him as a dummy runner, and he is not taking the ball up from a good position ( see 1).
3\. His defence is OK, but again, runs the risk of being penalised because he tackles using Storm Tactics, and it stands out like dogs nuts when the rest of the team don't do it, so he is under scrutiny in every tackle.
4\. He is definately not use to our ad lib, loose attacking structure we are currently using. In the past, it seemed like the boys were playing a game of touch, until they were points down, then SNAP, into gear and 2 or 3 tries in 5 minutes. There is structure in having no structure at all, relying on a few players individual brilliance, but it won't win you many grand finals, but is highly entertaining.

Basically, new players in positions around Benji will make Benji look like a goose until they learn to read his body language and signals. Blair, running off Benji and Robbie, will prove to be one of the most damaging forwards in the game by the end of the year. He is value for money, we just haven't seen it yet, but you will. :wink:
 
@hybrid_tiger said:
@GNR4LIFE said:
I've never been able to get my head around why everyone has taken it as gospel from the get-go that he is in fact on 500K. Especially considering that figure was first mentioned in the tele, the newspaper that everyone supposedly never believes a word from thats written and is often referred to the 'telecrap' or 'terrorgraph'

yet no one has ever questioned this figure?

People will support and believe whatever suits their agenda.

Look, I have no doubt we overpaid for Blair. From what I understand Parra also put in a big offer, we beat it. If you want to attract quality players you often have to overpay. People complained for years that we mostly sign washed up duds or has been's. Here is a player who is only 25, who has has played in multiple grand finals, is the vice captain of his country and is known for being able to slow the play the ball down (which is something we have always struggled with).

Yes, he is struggling and he hasn't shown his worth so far, so people are entitled to criticise. But regardless of what he is being paid, the fact remains he is a quality player. IMO he's always performed well for NZ, and that is away from Bellamy and the Storm. Did he suddenly just turn to s*** overnight? How?

He is under heavy scrutiny because of his price tag and so far has not lived up to expectations, which is fair enough. I'm not willing to write him off so early.
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Good call mate his best is yet to come
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it isn't going to get much better.

showed exactly this form previously.
if people had of bothered to look at his form over a season he puts in 5 good games a year.

was a poor recruitment decision.
we needed an engine and bought the a/c instead.
 
With all the cash forecast to be coming in through the new tv rights, I think the tigers might have been looking at Blair with a reasonable offer of $500k. A lot of people are saying he's only worth $300k tops. Well $500k is the new $300k. And if he does eventually come good it would end up being a bargain 4 year deal. Fingers crossed.
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@bonstonker said:
it isn't going to get much better.

showed exactly this form previously.
if people had of bothered to look at his form over a season he puts in 5 good games a year.

was a poor recruitment decision.
we needed an engine and bought the a/c instead.
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I think he could really kill our club. Average player getting paid as a superstar. I hope I'm wrong.

As for the excuses. Would Gallen or Slater or Inglis or any top player look as poor on the field as what Blair has so far for us. Last week was an improvement but it wasn't anywhere near where we need him to be.
 
See the issue is if someone is the best on the market in their position they are going to ask for more because they will have more interest He had at least 4 different clubs chasing him at varying times which also knocked the price up

Name a bigger name second rower that came off contract last season the only one equal would be Nate Myles and he is really more a prop than a second rower now and had some issues with behaviour so I don't think we would have gone down that track
 
It started out at $400,000 in the original reports.

Fact is the journalists don't really have a clue what the precise deals are between clubs and players.
 
@helmesy said:
It started out at $400,000 in the original reports.

Fact is the journalists don't really have a clue what the precise deals are between clubs and players.
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Well if you'd asked me what i thought we would of spent it would of been 350-400k
 
Saw Blair today in Burwood and spoke to him, seems like a good bloke and is confident the boys can get the job done tomorrow night!
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agree with ya innsane , but i think blair will come good another 3 to 4 weeks , we are different to melb and his roll may have changed , bell has been our best buy , he is having a go
 
@andrew 474 said:
agree with ya innsane , but i think blair will come good another 3 to 4 weeks , we are different to melb and his roll may have changed , bell has been our best buy , he is having a go
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I'm with you Andrew, Bell has suprised me with his play - much better than his previous club form.
Have been watching Blair closely and he seems lost - unsure of when to take the ball and if he's in someone else's spot in the defensive line.
If the team around him had been playing well wouldn't have noticed it as much I suppose.
We are , obviously like chalk and cheese with Melbourne.
You could see promising things from him last week - he'll end up a star with us eventually.
 
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