How do our current halves rate?

B

Bird is the Word

Well-known member
Hello All,

Just thinking there has been alot of talk this season about Brooks, Moses and their value to the team, including comparisons between Moses / Benji, as well as criticism for Brooksy. I was just wondering how forum members rate both halves in comparison to the halves that have played for both Wests Tigers as well as the Magpies and Tigers previously…

Notable halves that played for us since the 80s that i can think of are Benji, Prince, McNeil, Gale, Henjak, Georgalis, Field, Lui, Davis, Taylor, McGrady, Freeman, Dynevor, Hanley... A few less notable ones are Bayssari, Patten, Morris, Jeffries, Florimo and Glen Air...

Interested to know how everyone rates our current halves compared to our halves from the past?

Watching Moses and Brooksy's development these past few years and where they are potentially going to get to, with the exception of 2005 - 2006, i think it is our best halves combination since i can remember (Which is about 1987), and have the potential to be our best ever...

Cheers,
Mashies
 
There are some names in there! For me it's hard to say, the game has changed so much through those years. The team they played in also had a great deal to do with their success or lack of.

But for me the stand out for us is Benji, like joey he changed the way the game is played, the same can be said of Thurston and smith.

These boys are good with teddy in there and woods with the right pack they can do anything so at the risk of getting splinters I'm going to sit on the fence and say time will tell, but I'm glad they are with us.
 
How long have we been hearing about the Moses and Brooks potential. Getting paid big superstar money yet can't tackle.
Unfortunately for them and us tackling is 50% of the game. At least Moses has a go but for 3 years now Brooks has been tackling low close to the line and look I let in another try.
 
Moses is worth keeping. Brooks commands to much but can't handle pressure and goes missing big time in games. I'm not sure if he will ever lose that out of his game.
I'd punt him and get a cheaper goal kicking half. Trent Hodgkinson would be great for little money.
 
@matchball said:
Moses is worth keeping. Brooks commands to much but can't handle pressure and goes missing big time in games. I'm not sure if he will ever lose that out of his game.
I'd punt him and get a cheaper goal kicking half. Trent Hodgkinson would be great for little money.
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Brooks came up big in the high leverage moments last Sunday - the 40/20, which led to a try, and the tackle at the other end on Fusitua which held our lead.
Also, Hodkinson is reportedly on around $700k, nothing little about that money.
 
@ricksen said:
@matchball said:
Moses is worth keeping. Brooks commands to much but can't handle pressure and goes missing big time in games. I'm not sure if he will ever lose that out of his game.
I'd punt him and get a cheaper goal kicking half. Trent Hodgkinson would be great for little money.

Brooks came up big in the high leverage moments last Sunday - the 40/20, which led to a try, and the tackle at the other end on Fusitua which held our lead.
Also, Hodkinson is reportedly on around $700k, nothing little about that money.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

A 40/20 is great and all but it's void when you let tries in with bad defence.
He was terrible last weekend apart from the stuff at the end you mention.
I didn't realise TH was on so much money. I'd keep littlejohn if that's the case. At least he can tackle and play a subdued role for Moses.
 
@Tiger Come Lately said:
There are some names in there! For me it's hard to say, the game has changed so much through those years. The team they played in also had a great deal to do with their success or lack of.

But for me the stand out for us is Benji, like joey he changed the way the game is played, the same can be said of Thurston and smith.

These boys are good with teddy in there and woods with the right pack they can do anything so at the risk of getting splinters I'm going to sit on the fence and say time will tell, but I'm glad they are with us.
Click to expand...

That's a good point, for alot of the halves we have had, they have been at times where our team/s have not had the same level of talent across the park, which would generally assist a halves' performance, so it is difficult to compare apples with apples.

That said you look at someone like Field, he often struck me as player that could stand out in a poor team (Like at the Tigers / Souths), but struggled at a successful team like Manly… He was probably even more frustrating to watch than Benji at times, will never forget that game he played at Penrith Park where we lost 32-31... Don't think i have ever seen more rocks and diamonds from a player.

Guess one point i will make about halves in general, as good as some of them are at times in their careers, like Benji, it is rare that they are at the top of their game for large parts of their career...

As you say it is early days, Moses certainty looks like a player that barring injuries, could be at the top of his game for a long period of time. His tenacity in defence and flamboyance in attack reminds me of Thurston early days, but that is what makes Thurston the player he is, he has been doing it for years.

Brooks on the other hand, as much as he has been overshadowed by Moses this year, he still has moments of brilliance that are still reasonably frequent, as he has done since being in first grade... If he continues to be the attacking player we have seen, but improves his defence, then for me has the potential to be one of our best halfbacks...
 
This thread should be revisited when the team has a pack that is not dominated most weeks ,which in turn gives the halves no real time to work in defence or attack.
Put these 2 behind a Canberra pack and it would be there for all to see just how good a pairing they COULD be !
 
We've had some pretty ordinary Halves over the years. IMO Benjii and Prince were the best of a mixed lot.
I still think that Brooks at his best is better than Moses at his best, but Brooks goes missing too much, they've both had good as well as bad games this season and next season will show whether they can be more consistent.
I would rather see at least one good defender in the halves, but neither of our two is reliable. Two targets in a team is one two many,
 
@Snake said:
This thread should be revisited when the team has a pack that is not dominated most weeks ,which in turn gives the halves no real time to work in defence or attack.
Put these 2 behind a Canberra pack and it would be there for all to see just how good a pairing they COULD be !
Click to expand...

Yeah it would be interesting to see how they go behind a big pack… Can't think of when our team/s have had a consistenty dominant pack... The Tigers in the late 80s were pretty good, but that is probably about it... Even when we won in 2005, we had more of a mobile pack that could be dominated by the larger sides... Maybe we will find out in 2018 :slight_smile:
 
@goldcoast tiger said:
We've had some pretty ordinary Halves over the years. IMO Benjii and Prince were the best of a mixed lot.
I still think that Brooks at his best is better than Moses at his best, but Brooks goes missing too much, they've both had good as well as bad games this season and next season will show whether they can be more consistent.
I would rather see at least one good defender in the halves, but neither of our two is reliable. Two targets in a team is one two many,
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That is true… It may be part of the reason we dont lose too much of our competitiveness if Brooksy or Moses is out... The downside in attack is offset by the upside in defence... Our defence against the Cowboys was one of our better efforts this year...
 
No. 2 in the NRL in all key areas as a combination just behind Hunt and Milford…
 
Not there yet but Brooks and Moses are quality players. Most people seem to have jumped on the Moses's bandwagon over the past month after he has shown what he can deliver. On the other hand Brooks still has plenty of knockers on these boards. Its funny both Hasler and Bellyache were keen to lure Brooks over to their clubs, so I guess they saw some quality in him.

Still early days in there development, but if we can keep them they are going to be something very good. Both a different players and that is what you want. As for their defence, both can tackle and are not afraid of tackling,up to date it is more about decision making, communication and just plain reading the play that has been a bit iffy.
 
Can't compare them yet with the likes of Prince and co but Brooks is getting better and made some impact with his try saving tackle and his 40/20 but Mosses is the one who is really starting to shine, he is involved , he talks , just improving a bit faster than Brooks , Both will be great players of the future and I think they will lead us into the 8 next year with Teddy , Woods , Taylor , helping out
 
I rate both very highly,

They are a good foil for each other and will be the NSW and AUS reps in years to come.
 
We can't keep both halves. It's impossible if want to retain Tedesco and Woods.
A sacrifice needs to be made and the choice is clear.
 
Brooks shows flashes, but isn't consistent enough. The Warriors game for example, besides one great kick early that got us out of trouble, he was hardly seen till the final 10.
 
@matchball said:
We can't keep both halves. It's impossible if want to retain Tedesco and Woods.
A sacrifice needs to be made and the choice is clear.
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Good point, but i refer to Teddy's interview where he said that he would to like to continue playing together and that money was not the only factor. They can build to be the next to dominate SOO and Test teams. Their path won't be uncontested as some players at Penrith may also be thinking the same thing (moylan, cleary and cartright)!

However, there will be pressure on them from other clubs, internal squabbles and maybe from administration if and when the next big star comes along.
 
@matchball said:
We can't keep both halves. It's impossible if want to retain Tedesco and Woods.
A sacrifice needs to be made and the choice is clear.
Click to expand...

Think you are totally on the wrong track Matchball (that is ok, your opinion).

After all the effort and money the Club has put into these guys I think it would be a real disaster to let either of these guys go. They have shown in the lower grades that they complement each other. They are at different levels since they have moved to the NRL. Moses seems to have settled quicker than Brooks now - where as Brooks was quicker off the mark.

They are at different levels and really different types of halves. Moses is an organiser and sometimes breaks the line - Brooks is more a take them on type. Together they will be dynamite when they get it together.

I don't think either need to be sacrificed to keep Teddy and Woods. With increased cap we should be able to keep everyone we want.

They do all want to play together.
 
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