Opinion Burton and our current form

[Bluebody]

Another year and another bucket of frustration and disappointment.

What I find interesting is how our systems have not produced any acceptable standard of a halves pairing that can game manage and direct the team around with a decent kicking game and the capacity to get repeat sets. We have not achieved this for several years - that is a long time not to achieve a highly critical goal!

The way we have played in the last month is quite telling. Burton is one of the major reasons we are failing because he just doesn't game manage at all. He plays like a passenger who is ready for the bomb and to offer his step and go or a pass for the team to do their thing. He does not inject himself into the game no matter how many times CC has insisted he needs to do that, even moving him to 7 to try to force the issue. Strangely, he proves he can with his phases of producing spectacular clutch plays that are epic and breathtaking. This is what keeps the coaching staff and fans hoping he is the answer. It appears instivitive clutch plays are the only way for him to turn on his skills.

Burton is ambitious to want to be a half and want the money for it. He also has potential and talent to burn, but not the determination and the ticker to get on with it for 80 mins. I think we have flogged this horse to death - he just needs to be put into the centres until he is older and more mature and he may be ready in a couple of years. For now, he is a liability as a half.

Everything was built around Burton and he has not been able to kick for position and produce repeat sets. His bombs are great, but a hammer in the toolbox can only take care of the nails. He throws shocking passes and kills the momentum when he is overthinking and overplaying his hand. He just doesn't have the mental ability and composure for the position yet and we are trying to force him because we believe he can do it, because we all witnessed those several clutch plays!

My point is, so what if he can do it? He is just not ready and we need halves that can control the team. Period! He can evolve there later when he is actually improving. Right now, he is going backwards and this could hurt his confidence in the long run.

And because he can't do the job now - all our debutants (about 7-9 this year?) and the rest of our young players have had extra pressure defending and extra pressure trying to produce go forward without any momentum being created by the halves. Flanagan and Burton have been passengers reluctant to put their hands on the steering wheel and keep it there. Rajab needed a better and slower introduction into FG and was found out defensively by a white hot Ponga. The rest of the halves we tested were relying on Burton.

We need a half to take the game by the scruff of the neck and we are yet to find one that is willing to do it and execute. Until we establish one or buy one, our young pack and players are going to struggle having to work extra hard to compete with low experience and low confidence.

All these shocking high scores against us have created psychological damage that we need to now also manage. We have players overthinking, not commiting and marking their men, to cut down their thinking time. They are staying in no man's land when defending and throwing out their arms instead. They have turned into turnstiles. Even Carr and Burton don't have the confidence to communicate and mark their men? WTF?

We are in deep trouble and its because the Burton experiment has failed. Fixing it does not appear easy, but when you hit rock bottom and got nothing to lose, anything can happen. Even Burton may surprise me.

Cheers to be surprised by anyone, and particularly a no. 7, anytime soon, please.

 

[Dogs4eva13]

Another year and another bucket of frustration and disappointment.

What I find interesting is how our systems have not produced any acceptable standard of a halves pairing that can game manage and direct the team around with a decent kicking game and the capacity to get repeat sets. We have not achieved this for several years - that is a long time not to achieve a highly critical goal!

The way we have played in the last month is quite telling. Burton is one of the major reasons we are failing because he just doesn't game manage at all. He plays like a passenger who is ready for the bomb and to offer his step and go or a pass for the team to do their thing. He does not not inject himself into the game no matter how many times CC has insisted he needs to do that, even moving him to 7 to try to force the issue. Strangely, he proves he can with his phases of producing spectacular clutch plays that are epic and breathtaking. This is what keeps the coaching staff and fans hoping he is the answer. It appears instivitive clutch plays are the only way for him to turn on his skills.

Burton is ambitious to want to be a half and want the money for it. He also has potential and talent t burn, but not the determination and the ticker to get on with it for 80 mins. I think we have flogged this horse to death - he just needs to be put into the centres until he is older and more mature and he may be ready in a couple of years. For now, he is a liability as a half.

Everything was built around Burton and he has not been able to kick for position and produce repeat sets. His bombs are great, but a hammer in the toolbox can only take care of the nails. He throws shocking passes and kills the momentum when he is overthinking and overplaying his hand. He just doesn't have the mental ability and composure for the position yet and we are trying to force him because we believe he can do it, because we all so those several clutch plays!

My point is, so what if he can do it? He is just not ready and we need halves that can control the team. Period! He can evolve there later when he is actually improving. Right now, he is going backwards and this could hurt his confidence in the long run.

And because he can't do the job now - all our debutants (about 7-9 this year?) and the rest of our young players have had extra pressure defending and extra pressure trying to produce go forward without any momentum being created by the halves. Flanagan and Burton have been passengers reluctant to put their hands on the steering wheel and keep it there. Rajab needed a better and slower introduction into FG and was found out defensively by a white hot Ponga. The rest of the halves we tested were relying on Burton.

We need a half to take the game by the scruff of the neck and we are yet to find one that is willing to do it and execute. Until we establish one or buy one, our young pack and players are going to struggle having to work extra hard to compete with low experience and low confidence.

All these shocking high scores against us have created psychological damage that we need to now also manage. We have players overthinking, not commiting and marking their men, to cut down their thinking time. They are staying in no man's land when defending and throwing out their arms instead. They have turned into turnstiles. Even Carr and Burton don't have the confidence to communicate and mark their men? WTF?

We are in deep trouble and its because the Burton experiment has failed. Fixing it does not appear easy, but when you hit rock bottom and got nothing to lose, anything can happen. Even Burton may surprise me.

Cheers to be surprised by anyone, and particularly a no. 7, anytime soon, please.

Buton was awfull first 10 min, put in multiple bad kicks leading to 7 tackle sets, got us off to a bad start.

 

[djdeep4172]

I don’t care what anyone says we were almost 5 out of 7 to start the year and a few games after that we have absolutely dropped our bundle.
Something is rotten and it stinks
The intensity isn’t there and what ever it is it’s filtering through to reserve grade both grades have sucked for weeks .

 

[CMP]

One answer that would have helped that question was the half that steered to Knights around the park on the weekend. He was available, Not a superstar but not commanding big dollars either. We had no interest because we have players coming though. Trindall is sitting in reggies and is this years chance at a solution. Yet again tumble weed from our club.

As a club our talent identification is so so bad. Both on internal pathways players and external signings. We seem clueless to identify strengths in areas and players that we are lacking.

The head in the sand approach is killing me.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Ciraldud said Burton has the best kicking game in the comp though?

 

[Matthew G]

Another year and another bucket of frustration and disappointment.

What I find interesting is how our systems have not produced any acceptable standard of a halves pairing that can game manage and direct the team around with a decent kicking game and the capacity to get repeat sets. We have not achieved this for several years - that is a long time not to achieve a highly critical goal!

The way we have played in the last month is quite telling. Burton is one of the major reasons we are failing because he just doesn't game manage at all. He plays like a passenger who is ready for the bomb and to offer his step and go or a pass for the team to do their thing. He does not not inject himself into the game no matter how many times CC has insisted he needs to do that, even moving him to 7 to try to force the issue. Strangely, he proves he can with his phases of producing spectacular clutch plays that are epic and breathtaking. This is what keeps the coaching staff and fans hoping he is the answer. It appears instivitive clutch plays are the only way for him to turn on his skills.

Burton is ambitious to want to be a half and want the money for it. He also has potential and talent t burn, but not the determination and the ticker to get on with it for 80 mins. I think we have flogged this horse to death - he just needs to be put into the centres until he is older and more mature and he may be ready in a couple of years. For now, he is a liability as a half.

Everything was built around Burton and he has not been able to kick for position and produce repeat sets. His bombs are great, but a hammer in the toolbox can only take care of the nails. He throws shocking passes and kills the momentum when he is overthinking and overplaying his hand. He just doesn't have the mental ability and composure for the position yet and we are trying to force him because we believe he can do it, because we all so those several clutch plays!

My point is, so what if he can do it? He is just not ready and we need halves that can control the team. Period! He can evolve there later when he is actually improving. Right now, he is going backwards and this could hurt his confidence in the long run.

And because he can't do the job now - all our debutants (about 7-9 this year?) and the rest of our young players have had extra pressure defending and extra pressure trying to produce go forward without any momentum being created by the halves. Flanagan and Burton have been passengers reluctant to put their hands on the steering wheel and keep it there. Rajab needed a better and slower introduction into FG and was found out defensively by a white hot Ponga. The rest of the halves we tested were relying on Burton.

We need a half to take the game by the scruff of the neck and we are yet to find one that is willing to do it and execute. Until we establish one or buy one, our young pack and players are going to struggle having to work extra hard to compete with low experience and low confidence.

All these shocking high scores against us have created psychological damage that we need to now also manage. We have players overthinking, not commiting and marking their men, to cut down their thinking time. They are staying in no man's land when defending and throwing out their arms instead. They have turned into turnstiles. Even Carr and Burton don't have the confidence to communicate and mark their men? WTF?

We are in deep trouble and its because the Burton experiment has failed. Fixing it does not appear easy, but when you hit rock bottom and got nothing to lose, anything can happen. Even Burton may surprise me.

Cheers to be surprised by anyone, and particularly a no. 7, anytime soon, please.

I find it hard to believe that a thread can be made on the 22 year old who has 10 assists 4 tries this year when had we not had him, we d have barely scored any points. This club has huge issues in the roster, burton isnt one of them, how about we find him an actual halfback to play alongside because hes had 3 different partners this year, flanno who isnt good enough, oloapu who is a kid who he had no pre season with and rajab who is defensively not up to it. Such a daft thread highlighting burton with the efforts some of these players are putting in when burton is statistically our best.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

One answer that would have helped that question was the half that steered to Knights around the park on the weekend. He was available, Not a superstar but not commanding big dollars either. We had no interest because we have players coming though. Trindall is sitting in reggies and is this years chance at a solution. Yet again tumble weed from our club.

As a club our talent identification is so so bad. Both on internal pathways players and external signings. We seem clueless to identify strengths in areas and players that we are lacking.

The head in the sand approach is killing me.

We should've signed Cogger as a stopgap, would've taken some pressure off Burton and allowed our youngsters to focus on their development in reserve grade. Our club just doesn't get it.

 

[mikey]

Another year and another bucket of frustration and disappointment.

What I find interesting is how our systems have not produced any acceptable standard of a halves pairing that can game manage and direct the team around with a decent kicking game and the capacity to get repeat sets. We have not achieved this for several years - that is a long time not to achieve a highly critical goal!

The way we have played in the last month is quite telling. Burton is one of the major reasons we are failing because he just doesn't game manage at all. He plays like a passenger who is ready for the bomb and to offer his step and go or a pass for the team to do their thing. He does not not inject himself into the game no matter how many times CC has insisted he needs to do that, even moving him to 7 to try to force the issue. Strangely, he proves he can with his phases of producing spectacular clutch plays that are epic and breathtaking. This is what keeps the coaching staff and fans hoping he is the answer. It appears instivitive clutch plays are the only way for him to turn on his skills.

Burton is ambitious to want to be a half and want the money for it. He also has potential and talent t burn, but not the determination and the ticker to get on with it for 80 mins. I think we have flogged this horse to death - he just needs to be put into the centres until he is older and more mature and he may be ready in a couple of years. For now, he is a liability as a half.

Everything was built around Burton and he has not been able to kick for position and produce repeat sets. His bombs are great, but a hammer in the toolbox can only take care of the nails. He throws shocking passes and kills the momentum when he is overthinking and overplaying his hand. He just doesn't have the mental ability and composure for the position yet and we are trying to force him because we believe he can do it, because we all so those several clutch plays!

My point is, so what if he can do it? He is just not ready and we need halves that can control the team. Period! He can evolve there later when he is actually improving. Right now, he is going backwards and this could hurt his confidence in the long run.

And because he can't do the job now - all our debutants (about 7-9 this year?) and the rest of our young players have had extra pressure defending and extra pressure trying to produce go forward without any momentum being created by the halves. Flanagan and Burton have been passengers reluctant to put their hands on the steering wheel and keep it there. Rajab needed a better and slower introduction into FG and was found out defensively by a white hot Ponga. The rest of the halves we tested were relying on Burton.

We need a half to take the game by the scruff of the neck and we are yet to find one that is willing to do it and execute. Until we establish one or buy one, our young pack and players are going to struggle having to work extra hard to compete with low experience and low confidence.

All these shocking high scores against us have created psychological damage that we need to now also manage. We have players overthinking, not commiting and marking their men, to cut down their thinking time. They are staying in no man's land when defending and throwing out their arms instead. They have turned into turnstiles. Even Carr and Burton don't have the confidence to communicate and mark their men? WTF?

We are in deep trouble and its because the Burton experiment has failed. Fixing it does not appear easy, but when you hit rock bottom and got nothing to lose, anything can happen. Even Burton may surprise me.

Cheers to be surprised by anyone, and particularly a no. 7, anytime soon, please.

Good post.burton looked like he was enjoying his game last year under potter.the whole team did.but this year he and others have gone back wards.

 

[bricktamland]

Buton was awfull first 10 min, put in multiple bad kicks leading to 7 tackle sets, got us off to a bad start.

My mate said today what the hells with your team? 5th tackle it’s just a bomb every time with no pressure chasing the kicks .. so true

 

[bricktamland]

Good post.burton looked like he was enjoying his game last year under potter.the whole team did.but this year he and others have gone back wards.

In a way I’m glad the attentions being brought to attention. Tomorrows team gonna be very interesting, do you think he makes the changes or what? Surely someone’s in his ear telling him it’s gotta happen, he won’t last next year at this rate

 

[Bluebody]

I find it hard to believe that a thread can be made on the 22 year old who has 10 assists 4 tries this year when had we not had him, we d have barely scored any points. This club has huge issues in the roster, burton isnt one of them, how about we find him an actual halfback to play alongside because hes had 3 different partners this year, flanno who isnt good enough, oloapu who is a kid who he had no pre season with and rajab who is defensively not up to it. Such a daft thread highlighting burton with the efforts some of these players are putting in when burton is statistically our best.

You make a good point he has not had a decent no.7 to give him a chance at 6. But our attempt to build the entire team around him as if he can game manage has failed. He is too young and we were distracted by his clutch plays and overall brilliance and went overboard with the expectations.

 

[Bluebody]

I don’t care what anyone says we were almost 5 out of 7 to start the year and a few games after that we have absolutely dropped our bundle.
Something is rotten and it stinks
The intensity isn’t there and what ever it is it’s filtering through to reserve grade both grades have sucked for weeks .

Something triggered a fall out in the camp for sure. The latest rumours Assassin shared might be true or partly true to help explain what is going on. They're down on confidence, they're not communicating and connecting with each other, they are not running extra hard. I wonder if they players are tired of bad kicks and no pressure being built from the halves. It may have become the straw that broke the Dog's back.

 

[djdeep4172]

Something triggered a fall out in the camp for sure. The latest rumours Assassin shared might be true or partly true to help explain what is going on. They're down on confidence, they're not communicating and connecting with each other, they are not running extra hard. I wonder if they players are tired of bad kicks and no pressure being built from the halves. It may have become the straw that broke the Dog's back.

One question?
If over half the team have been told to
Move on,and players that have contracts beyond 2023
RFM and TPJ who might have been told better opportunities may lie else where,it would be this reason also why the team has absolutely lost their cause for 2023 to play well.

 

[Eesma]

I like Burto so I feel rude saying this but, whilst he has talent in spades, I don't think he has the brains to be a 7. I still believe we could find a lot of success with him at 6 but there has to be an organiser beside him and there needs to be someone to mentor him, otherwise turning that natural talent in to consistently great footy will be a long and fraught road.

 

[Bluebody]

One question?
If over half the team have been told to
Move on,and players that have contracts beyond 2023
RFM and TPJ who might have been told better opportunities may lie else where,it would be this reason also why the team has absolutely lost their cause for 2023 to play well.

How do other teams manage popular players being moved on - and what are we doing wrong? It is very confusing how we are mismanaging a big part of the game, which is players coming and going. And wouldn't you play harder to secure your place elsewhere? May Averillo was told quietly that there won't be a place several weeks ago and he played out of his skin to get the gig with the Dolphins? We are trying to understand what is going on, my hunch is that several things have gone wrong and the whole cards has collapsed.

 

[_G-Dog_]

Not Burtons fault in that he isnt a halfback.. hes never played halfback but now hes expected to play 7 at the top level.. we need a halfback..

 

[billy beane]

Another year and another bucket of frustration and disappointment.

What I find interesting is how our systems have not produced any acceptable standard of a halves pairing that can game manage and direct the team around with a decent kicking game and the capacity to get repeat sets. We have not achieved this for several years - that is a long time not to achieve a highly critical goal!

The way we have played in the last month is quite telling. Burton is one of the major reasons we are failing because he just doesn't game manage at all. He plays like a passenger who is ready for the bomb and to offer his step and go or a pass for the team to do their thing. He does not not inject himself into the game no matter how many times CC has insisted he needs to do that, even moving him to 7 to try to force the issue. Strangely, he proves he can with his phases of producing spectacular clutch plays that are epic and breathtaking. This is what keeps the coaching staff and fans hoping he is the answer. It appears instivitive clutch plays are the only way for him to turn on his skills.

Burton is ambitious to want to be a half and want the money for it. He also has potential and talent t burn, but not the determination and the ticker to get on with it for 80 mins. I think we have flogged this horse to death - he just needs to be put into the centres until he is older and more mature and he may be ready in a couple of years. For now, he is a liability as a half.

Everything was built around Burton and he has not been able to kick for position and produce repeat sets. His bombs are great, but a hammer in the toolbox can only take care of the nails. He throws shocking passes and kills the momentum when he is overthinking and overplaying his hand. He just doesn't have the mental ability and composure for the position yet and we are trying to force him because we believe he can do it, because we all so those several clutch plays!

My point is, so what if he can do it? He is just not ready and we need halves that can control the team. Period! He can evolve there later when he is actually improving. Right now, he is going backwards and this could hurt his confidence in the long run.

And because he can't do the job now - all our debutants (about 7-9 this year?) and the rest of our young players have had extra pressure defending and extra pressure trying to produce go forward without any momentum being created by the halves. Flanagan and Burton have been passengers reluctant to put their hands on the steering wheel and keep it there. Rajab needed a better and slower introduction into FG and was found out defensively by a white hot Ponga. The rest of the halves we tested were relying on Burton.

We need a half to take the game by the scruff of the neck and we are yet to find one that is willing to do it and execute. Until we establish one or buy one, our young pack and players are going to struggle having to work extra hard to compete with low experience and low confidence.

All these shocking high scores against us have created psychological damage that we need to now also manage. We have players overthinking, not commiting and marking their men, to cut down their thinking time. They are staying in no man's land when defending and throwing out their arms instead. They have turned into turnstiles. Even Carr and Burton don't have the confidence to communicate and mark their men? WTF?

We are in deep trouble and its because the Burton experiment has failed. Fixing it does not appear easy, but when you hit rock bottom and got nothing to lose, anything can happen. Even Burton may surprise me.

Cheers to be surprised by anyone, and particularly a no. 7, anytime soon, please.

I have been thinking along these lines for almost 18 months regarding Burton .... he flashes WAY too many red flags.

Also many are of the opinion that he is new to the halves .... not so, apart from his one season in the centers, he has always been a 5/8. Panthers Ball and Flegg and NSW under 20'S. Also isn't that young ... 23 in his third season of NRL. Should be going much better even allowing for how bad the team is. As you mention only appears to be able to pull off splash plays. Given time to think he is VERY ordinary. Not the bravest player i have seen either.

How many of our players actually really believe that we will win games ..... only a few i would suggest. So many of our players only know how to lose.

Fortunately, the vast majority will be gone in the next year or two. Part of our problem at the moment besides just not having the cattle is that we have players who know they are not part of the future.

2024 and onwards has always been my timeframe for when we improve.

 

[Suave]

Burton isn’t in great form but the answer isn’t to move him to centre. I still can’t understand any fan who would want this.
Hes an out and out five eighth being forced to play halfback because the club failed to recruit a proper game manager.
Hes also a so much better half than anyone at the club despite being forced to play a role that doesn’t suit his skill set. So we drop him to the centres and then what? Who is our halves pairing exactly? Oloapu and Flanagan? You’re on some serious crack if you think that offers us more.

 

[djdeep4172]

How do other teams manage popular players being moved on - and what are we doing wrong? It is very confusing how we are mismanaging a big part of the game, which is players coming and going. And wouldn't you play harder to secure your place elsewhere? May Averillo was told quietly that there won't be a place several weeks ago and he played out of his skin to get the gig with the Dolphins? We are trying to understand what is going on, my hunch is that several things have gone wrong and the whole cards has collapsed.

More concerning if the defence.
Efforts were comical and so poor.
Kiraz,Amoloti and Averilo have terrible defence .
To add to that poor reed Mahoney is getting found out in the middle because his inside men TPJ and King have become soft.
There are many exposed deficiencies now all of a sudden because players also in the middle won’t have their captains back in defence.
Feel Gould needs to have a walk into the club and have a discussion ,not threats but one of pride and what it means to wear that jersey and the players that played before them that bled for the club.
If it means most have to leave to start the right culture and to bring the bulldog grunt back so be it.
At the moment the pussies have taken over

 

[The DoggFather]

Let this sink in....

He is a centre, learning to be a 5/8th in the halfback position.