Brooks' worst performance

[bonstonker]

kicking game sucks,he is an expert at letting pressure off the opposition early in games with kicks going dead and then fading out as the game goes on.
defense is still that of a rookie
in attack his decisions are all premeditated,doesn't matter if he is covered or his outside is covered he will still go through with the play .

needs to show 4 weeks of good play,not 1 game in 4 weeks.

 

[Doc_Tiger]

Maybe we need to ring the Dogs and see if they want to swap Reynolds for Brooks. At least you know Reynolds is going to give a 100% and will do anything to win a game. We need 17 players who want to win and hate loosing.

I'd take Reynolds in a heart beat. The guy - although polarising, is a terrier and has won his team plenty of games. He has attitude and aggression. I can't think of single area in which Brooks game has improved since day one in first grade. I'll go as far as to say even Rankin has had more standout games than Brooks and there's not many there. Letting go of Austin was probably the single biggest error that our contractual decision makers have made in my opinion. He wanted the 6, he scored tries and he didn't hide in defence. I noticed Townshend was compared to Brooks a page or two back. Townshend is Alf in comparison. He's a grand final winning half for starters. Every single game he has a dig. And when things weren't going so well for him, he was hooked by his coach - Go figure. He's another I'd grab if the opportunity was there.

 

[newtiger]

should be in NSW CUP next week, was useless today. but in saying that gee we looked unfit, we ran out of puff 15 min before 1/2 time.

I was at the game and they were flogged in the warm up, they were burnt out before the game started.

 

[Twodogs]

he should be dropped and makde an example of. for too long he has been coasting and allowed to get away with this crap.

And when he complains, JT can reply "Who do you think you are? Robbie Farah?"

 

[otho]

…Letting go of Austin was probably the single biggest error that our contractual decision makers have made in my opinion. He wanted the 6, he scored tries and he didn't hide in defence...

So much this. It was the most bewildering decision (in terms of impact going forward) that I have seen in decades. Arguably the worst call made by the club, ever. The thing about Austin is, that he may not have been Mister Flashy, but he was exactly what this club needed in that position then and for at least a few years after, to help get things back on track. As well as the attributes you mentioned, he always persisted, never gave up, took the game by the scruff of the neck, regardless of whether the others had clocked off and usually lifted the team in the process. He was the sort of player that can't be measured by just stats… and his stats weren't shabby.

 

[barra]

…Letting go of Austin was probably the single biggest error that our contractual decision makers have made in my opinion. He wanted the 6, he scored tries and he didn't hide in defence...

So much this. It was the most bewildering decision (in terms of impact going forward) that I have seen in decades. Arguably the worst call made by the club, ever. The thing about Austin is, that he may not have been Mister Flashy, but he was exactly what this club needed in that position then and for at least a few years after, to help get things back on track. As well as the attributes you mentioned, he always persisted, never gave up, took the game by the scruff of the neck, regardless of whether the others had clocked off and usually lifted the team in the process. He was the sort of player that can't be measured by just stats… and his stats weren't shabby.

100% Otho!
When we were dismal he could always hold his head up high because of his obvious effort! And that included when he played for us against Canberra - only maybe one or two even tried that day.

 

[barra]

should be in NSW CUP next week, was useless today. but in saying that gee we looked unfit, we ran out of puff 15 min before 1/2 time.

I was at the game and they were flogged in the warm up, they were burnt out before the game started.

I've seen that happen to us too Bathursttiger - at least that's what it looked like. But I am pretty sure that at this athletic level a solid warm up would not be enough to cook the players. I think it's more likely a nerve thing - which can absolutely sap your strength too, and by the time you recover it's too late.

That being said, the type of warm-up you have is important too and can easily be customised for the day. Sometimes it just looks like they do the same thing and work on familiarity to get the players in the groove - and if that's the case it didn't work!