Kennelnator
Kennel Enthusiast
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2016
- Messages
- 1,051
- Reaction score
- 1,447
Top 5 dud players of 2017 (so far)
Mohamad Moussawel
-
June 16, 2017 - 12:03 pm
It’s been an interesting season so far with plenty of talking points. What I’d like to focus on though are the players who just aren’t performing to the high and consistent standards of the club level.
They’re not necessarily overrated but for this season at least, they’re certainly underachieving. I’d go so far as to call them duds.
dud
noun
a thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.
adjective
not working or meeting standards; faulty.
So, with the definition above fresh in your mind, here are my Top 5 duds of 2017.
Michael Lichaa
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Hooker
Michael Lichaa joined the Bulldogs from the Sharks back in 2015 after signing a three-year deal in 2014 after claiming a host of personal accomplishments and trophies during his junior career making him an attractive replacement for the departing Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Lebanese International is fast becoming a villain amongst the fans as he’s failed to deliver as an adequate replacement for his Origin predecessor, and club captain, Michael Ennis.
I think adequate is a little soft because he’s literally looked lost on the field all year round. His awareness, decision making, passing and direction have been poor. He’s been outclassed by his opposite number in every game.
Lichaa has 1 try and 0 assists this season in 14 games. His average run metres currently stands at 43.6 with 19 missed tackles.
Jarryd Hayne
Gold Coast Titans – Fullback
We all know this NSW cult hero. He needs no introduction.
Now statistically, Jarryd Hayne hasn’t necessarily flopped in comparison to all the other average Joes in his respective position but, when comparing this season’s performance to what we know he is capable of, that’s a different story.
The Hayne Plane, at club level, has taken a dive as his on field grit is in question. Hayne has 4 tries and 2 assists in 8 games with only 700 all run meters and 89 hit ups.
When comparing him to the top FB’s in the game… he’s a dud.
Ben Hunt
Brisbane Broncos – Halfback
Ben Hunt signed with the Brisbane-based club in his youth, he made is debut in 2009 against the Sharks. Slowly making his way past his positional competitors, Hunt became the Broncos’ starting half, replacing the retiring Darren Lockyer in five-eighth before making his transition to halfback.
In the years leading to the 2017 season, Hunt was named in the Maroons’ squad and emerging squad and played a major role in aiding the Broncos make the 2015 GF.
The 2017 season, however, portrays a different side to the skilful playmaker. Recently axed from the squad and replaced by his future replacement,Kodi Nikorima due to a lacklustre start to the Broncos’ rollercoaster season.
Hunt has 1 try and 4 assists in 8 games while only being able to lead his squad to 3 wins in the 8 games he’s played. He’s Dragons bound on a multimillion dollar contract next season and perhaps has already checked out. Good luck St. George Illawarra….
Sam Kasiano
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Prop
For some unknown reason, this mammoth of a man is having a shocker of a season. So bad, the Bulldogs have seen him as expendable and reportedly offloaded him to the Storm come 2018.
Sam Kasiano has been a major asset for the Blue and White since making his debut in 2011. He won the prop of the year in 2012 and earned himself the nickname, Dogzilla.
Fast forward to 2017 and a major weight loss for the big bopper to adapt to the changing game, Kasiano’s season has been littered with errors and has been sat down by the opposing forward pack too many times.
He looks lazier and less fit, which is odd since he lost a lot of weight. When comparing the, once feared, Kiwi International to front rowers of his expected standards, he has some major catching up to do. He has 0 points to his name with 0 line breaks and only 153 tackles, that’s an average of 10.9! Dud for sure…
He has 0 points to his name with 0 line breaks and only 153 tackles, that’s an average of 10.9! Dud for sure…
Roger Tuivasa Sheck
New Zealand Warriors – Fullback
Now, I know that plenty will disagree with me on this one, but before you pull out your pitchforks, let me explain.
In 2015, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was named the Dally M Fullback of the year before joining the Warriors the following season with MASSIVE expectations that he’s not delivering on in the 2017 season.
I have a few Warriors fans who also agree that RTS just hasn’t lived up to the sky-high standards we expect and have seen.
Statistically, though, he hasn’t done that bad for himself with 4 tries and 4 try assists in 13 games. But he’s also made 15 errors with 22 missed tackles, so it’s a mixed bag.
RTS is a game-changing player who was brought to the Warriors to do exactly that but the Warriors are currently sitting 11th on the ladder (6 wins and 8 losses and a point differential of -29), just ahead of the disappointing Bulldogs.
Mohamad Moussawel
-
June 16, 2017 - 12:03 pm
It’s been an interesting season so far with plenty of talking points. What I’d like to focus on though are the players who just aren’t performing to the high and consistent standards of the club level.
They’re not necessarily overrated but for this season at least, they’re certainly underachieving. I’d go so far as to call them duds.
dud
noun
a thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.
adjective
not working or meeting standards; faulty.
So, with the definition above fresh in your mind, here are my Top 5 duds of 2017.
Michael Lichaa
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Hooker
Michael Lichaa joined the Bulldogs from the Sharks back in 2015 after signing a three-year deal in 2014 after claiming a host of personal accomplishments and trophies during his junior career making him an attractive replacement for the departing Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Lebanese International is fast becoming a villain amongst the fans as he’s failed to deliver as an adequate replacement for his Origin predecessor, and club captain, Michael Ennis.
I think adequate is a little soft because he’s literally looked lost on the field all year round. His awareness, decision making, passing and direction have been poor. He’s been outclassed by his opposite number in every game.
Lichaa has 1 try and 0 assists this season in 14 games. His average run metres currently stands at 43.6 with 19 missed tackles.
Jarryd Hayne
Gold Coast Titans – Fullback
We all know this NSW cult hero. He needs no introduction.
Now statistically, Jarryd Hayne hasn’t necessarily flopped in comparison to all the other average Joes in his respective position but, when comparing this season’s performance to what we know he is capable of, that’s a different story.
The Hayne Plane, at club level, has taken a dive as his on field grit is in question. Hayne has 4 tries and 2 assists in 8 games with only 700 all run meters and 89 hit ups.
When comparing him to the top FB’s in the game… he’s a dud.
Ben Hunt
Brisbane Broncos – Halfback
Ben Hunt signed with the Brisbane-based club in his youth, he made is debut in 2009 against the Sharks. Slowly making his way past his positional competitors, Hunt became the Broncos’ starting half, replacing the retiring Darren Lockyer in five-eighth before making his transition to halfback.
In the years leading to the 2017 season, Hunt was named in the Maroons’ squad and emerging squad and played a major role in aiding the Broncos make the 2015 GF.
The 2017 season, however, portrays a different side to the skilful playmaker. Recently axed from the squad and replaced by his future replacement,Kodi Nikorima due to a lacklustre start to the Broncos’ rollercoaster season.
Hunt has 1 try and 4 assists in 8 games while only being able to lead his squad to 3 wins in the 8 games he’s played. He’s Dragons bound on a multimillion dollar contract next season and perhaps has already checked out. Good luck St. George Illawarra….
Sam Kasiano
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – Prop
For some unknown reason, this mammoth of a man is having a shocker of a season. So bad, the Bulldogs have seen him as expendable and reportedly offloaded him to the Storm come 2018.
Sam Kasiano has been a major asset for the Blue and White since making his debut in 2011. He won the prop of the year in 2012 and earned himself the nickname, Dogzilla.
Fast forward to 2017 and a major weight loss for the big bopper to adapt to the changing game, Kasiano’s season has been littered with errors and has been sat down by the opposing forward pack too many times.
He looks lazier and less fit, which is odd since he lost a lot of weight. When comparing the, once feared, Kiwi International to front rowers of his expected standards, he has some major catching up to do. He has 0 points to his name with 0 line breaks and only 153 tackles, that’s an average of 10.9! Dud for sure…
He has 0 points to his name with 0 line breaks and only 153 tackles, that’s an average of 10.9! Dud for sure…
Roger Tuivasa Sheck
New Zealand Warriors – Fullback
Now, I know that plenty will disagree with me on this one, but before you pull out your pitchforks, let me explain.
In 2015, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was named the Dally M Fullback of the year before joining the Warriors the following season with MASSIVE expectations that he’s not delivering on in the 2017 season.
I have a few Warriors fans who also agree that RTS just hasn’t lived up to the sky-high standards we expect and have seen.
Statistically, though, he hasn’t done that bad for himself with 4 tries and 4 try assists in 13 games. But he’s also made 15 errors with 22 missed tackles, so it’s a mixed bag.
RTS is a game-changing player who was brought to the Warriors to do exactly that but the Warriors are currently sitting 11th on the ladder (6 wins and 8 losses and a point differential of -29), just ahead of the disappointing Bulldogs.
