No stupidity is ignoring the words of an alaysyt like Cronk.
I don't think anyone is ignoring or disagreeing with what Cronk said, it's just that he doesn't allow for the fact that we don't have a particularly talented or experienced squad and he makes it sound that if we go to the right side that it is a given that we score.
Sure it's a very basic principle and would make sense to the casual observer and would work for most teams, but we have to allow for the fact that we are Wests Tigers.
The unfortunate reality is that we do not have a great squad to start with and is even further behind the 8 ball through injuries having our better performing players side lined at the moment. I have no doubt that if Douieihi was there on the right side at 5/8 or centre that he demands the ball and we score. Game over.
Another unfortunate reality is that Brooks and Hastings have only had one NRL game together before Hastings cops a 3 week suspension interrupting the valuable game time they needed to get some sort of a combination and real in game understanding happening.
I'm one of the guys that has supported Brooks and predicted that he would have a big year this year and I based that on the back of Hastings being the scheming organizer that we need leaving Brooks to run the ball and use his speed which is something we don't have a terrible lot of.
Who knows, with a rise in confidence, maybe Brooks could resurrect a bit of a kicking game. To be perfectly honest his kicking game is way too predictable but on the positive side, some of his cross field kicks aren't all that bad and whether it is just good luck or good management that at times they result in a try, the fact of the matter is that they still count on the scoreboard.
Having said that, they would probably come off a lot more often if we had a better kick chase and faster more skilled and dedicated players.
I can also recall a time when Luke's grubbers resulted in repeat sets on a regular basis and didn't constantly find the oppositions legs, it just has to be a timing and or confidence thing at the moment just like his very poor touch finders.
I felt that with the inclusion of someone like Hastings that a lot of pressure would be lifted off Luke and I blame the club for putting pressure on him by constantly putting it out in the media that it is Luke's team and putting even more pressure and responsibility on him by trotting him out as captain.
While I'm having a rant I'll touch on something that constantly annoys me and that is the argument about whether he has a 6 or a 7 on his back.
For God's sake what difference does the number on his back make? The way I see it is that as long as at least one (both would of course be better) of the halves has the ability to take control and steer the team around the paddock then that is the minimum required to have some chance of success.
I feel that it is the clubs fault for failing to provide this basic ingredient for success and my hope was that this year Hastings might be what was required to move us in the right direction.
