Opinion How do you solve a problem like Averillo?

[chisdog]

How do you solve a problem like Averillo? He was thrown in at the deep end last year. He really needed to develop in reserves against men first. I would like to see him play some good footy in reserves with a good halves coach to guide him (& no it's not Barrett the wonder halves coach either).

 

[craigo]

Averillo will be a 120 game legend at mounties

That is impossible cause the flog never gets dropped to reserve grade!

 

[Dogtime]

For the Coach all he can do is keep offering encouraging words and try different combinations in opposed sessions. I don't want to death ride any players as seriously, if I was a player and I'd happen to read the papers and fan forums like this, how could young players cope?Honestly, the situation reminds me of our Mybe problem a few years back. Des was adamant Mbye was the future, signed him to a big 4 year deal but he just couldn't find a spot in the team for him to shine.
Averillo, BBO, Wakeham or Flanagan will be our 7 in 3 weeks time. Barrett needs one of you guys to stand up, take control of the team, find your voice and have the confidence to back yourself. Watch tapes of Cronk, Cleary, Johns, Reynolds, J Hughes. Turvey, S Morris and Langer were running halfbacks so it's not beyond any of our guys to be the 7. Believe in yourself, demand the ball, get the forwards out of the way and organise the team. Get players to position themselves where you want them.
I have faith that a 7 will emerge.

 

[the_insider]

honestly he reminds me of a poor man's Mbye

 

[D- voice]

For the Coach all he can do is keep offering encouraging words and try different combinations in opposed sessions. I don't want to death ride any players as seriously, if I was a player and I'd happen to read the papers and fan forums like this, how could young players cope?Honestly, the situation reminds me of our Mybe problem a few years back. Des was adamant Mbye was the future, signed him to a big 4 year deal but he just couldn't find a spot in the team for him to shine.
Averillo, BBO, Wakeham or Flanagan will be our 7 in 3 weeks time. Barrett needs one of you guys to stand up, take control of the team, find your voice and have the confidence to back yourself. Watch tapes of Cronk, Cleary, Johns, Reynolds, J Hughes. Turvey, S Morris and Langer were running halfbacks so it's not beyond any of our guys to be the 7. Believe in yourself, demand the ball, get the forwards out of the way and organise the team. Get players to position themselves where you want them.
I have faith that a 7 will emerge.

You have very well summed up the halves situation, we have to be patient in the hope one will emerge and take control of his and the team destiny.
We can't give a fair verdict on all the halves ( correct me if I am wrong ) Wakeham and Flanagan played five eight, I have the feeling comes next trail they will partner Burton, or at least one of them will.
We need a long term halfback someone skillful cunning and courageous that can divert some of the attention away from Burton, based on the form in the first trial BBO is leading the pack.
The question remains, if all 4 halves fail will TBaz have the courage to try Dufty there ???
I wonder how this totally new spine goes ?
1 JAC
6 Burton
7 Dufty
9 Cook

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Gee he's got a good strike rate. Mybe and Avo.. OOF

In his defence though imagine if these two started their careers with Storm or Roosters and their role / position was established earlier on. Clubs like us that have sucked at developing talent is the real issue sadly

 

[gbrussell]

He is a utility can fill positions I think but we either carry him or bbo on the bench or we play averillo somewhere in the backs and leave him be but he ain’t a half

I think this is spot on. If we have a utility on the bench, which we should, he has to be able to cover 6,7 and 9. BBO is the best option for that role. The other bench roles should be 2 props and one second rower. If Averillo is in the side,the only spot I could see him in, is in the centres. He has however been tried there and been found out in defence, as most do when they are not specialist centres.

 

[Dannyboi88]

I think this is spot on. If we have a utility on the bench, which we should, he has to be able to cover 6,7 and 9. BBO is the best option for that role. The other bench roles should be 2 props and one second rower. If Averillo is in the side,the only spot I could see him in, is in the centres. He has however been tried there and been found out in defence, as most do when they are not specialist centres.

I just think the kid needs a position to focus on and strive to be great at cause he looks like he can’t settle no matter what position he plays. Utility is great but can be a curse too.
But in saying that bbo can cover the halfs hooking role which is the standard 14 but averillo can play anywhere in the backline and can play halfs and hold his own .

 

[TwinTurbo]

After 1 trial game I’d have Cook on the bench as the utility, yes I know he’s not a utility but JMK is. Cook can replace JMK if he gets injured or runs out of gas and if a back get injured JMK can replace them. After all next year that’s most likely JMK’s only chance for an NRL role with Mahoney coming.

The 3 wonnabee halves should be in NSW Cup learning their craft, not sitting on the bench.

After 2 trial games, well let’s see.

Always a Bulldog

 

[MirandaDog]

I have always thought that he’s our next MBye, trying to find his position for the next 10 years while not adding too much value week to week. He really is a decent reserve grader at best

 

[Mozzie]

I think we need to get Seizer back from the UK ?

 

[Yougra]

After 1 trial game I’d have Cook on the bench as the utility, yes I know he’s not a utility but JMK is. Cook can replace JMK if he gets injured or runs out of gas and if a back get injured JMK can replace them. After all next year that’s most likely JMK’s only chance for an NRL role with Mahoney coming.

The 3 wonnabee halves should be in NSW Cup learning their craft, not sitting on the bench.

After 2 trial games, well let’s see.

Always a Bulldog

Totally agree. If Averillo has been training all summer as the number 7 we need to stick to that plan and see how it pans out. BBO should be playing NSW Cup at 7 every week , honing his skills against men so that if and when he gets a call up he is better equipped

Cook on the bench still gives us some spark out of dummy half when he comes on and JMK can handle a number of positions if need be

 

[w00t]

Averillo's best position was always FB.

Why he was never given a shot there last year i'll never know but he excels with his running game. He can pass as well but if you stick him with the pressure of organising the entire team he falls to pieces.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Averillo's best position was always FB.

Why he was never given a shot there last year i'll never know but he excels with his running game. He can pass as well but if you stick him with the pressure of organising the entire team he falls to pieces.

He's best position has always been centre, core skills are already there meaning he can focus on a smaller pool of skills to develop and continue his growth. Fullback there's a lot more to him to work on while being a fatigue heavy role, same could be said about the halves though. Either way what's best for the team is usually put ahead of what's best for the player and coaches will try and squeeze the potential out of players and in the process they sometimes break them. A halfback for us is more valuable than a fullback or centre so that's the direction the club has chosen to go.

 

[Bigmous]

It would help if he actually got the ball early or on the run. We need our starting forwards to do a better job, better dummy half service.

Assuming that they trained like that the whole off-season, having Burton and Hethrington back should help immensely with combinations. TPJ should have a greater impact with Burton alongside him also.

 

[w00t]

He's best position has always been centre, core skills are already there meaning he can focus on a smaller pool of skills to develop and continue his growth. Fullback there's a lot more to him to work on while being a fatigue heavy role, same could be said about the halves though. Either way what's best for the team is usually put ahead of what's best for the player and coaches will try and squeeze the potential out of players and in the process they sometimes break them. A halfback for us is more valuable than a fullback or centre so that's the direction the club has chosen to go.

True but last year which was essentially a wasted year we should've at least given him a shot there and tried to groom Wakeham or BBO for HB. If Averillo actually came good at FB it would've filled another spine position, but i guess now we'll never know

 

[CrittaMagic69]

True but last year which was essentially a wasted year we should've at least given him a shot there and tried to groom Wakeham or BBO for HB. If Averillo actually came good at FB it would've filled another spine position, but i guess now we'll never know

I think it was the plan when Baz first came across but for numerous reasons we ended up shifting him to 5/8 instead and then forced him to halfback when Flanagan was a complete failure. Wakeham was never really in Baz's plans due to his lack of running game imo while BBO is way too inexperienced and erratic to be considered then and now, needs some time to develop and learn the role before having the full-time gig.

Our transition/pathways or whatever you want to call it has been absolutely embarrassing (like everything else), we promote these young kids with absolutely no support or experience around them and then wonder why they never look like settling into their roles.

Mahoney is a step in the right direction, he will have around 100 games of experience by the time he joins us and hopefully another strong year off the back of last season while still yet to hit his prime. He should make a difference in and around the middle and take pressure off the halves. Another key signing is probably still needed though.

 

[Baby Blues]

You perform or get dropped. What’s the difficult concept here?

 

[Bulldog1966]

Did i see Sezer and Milford mentioned here..I rest my case on the sheer panic theory I have about some..granted it isn't confidence building the halves performance in the trial, but fuck have some hope punters..

 

[David holland]

You work out if Averillo is a half, if not what is his true position, if he doesn't fit maybe you identify the half you want and offer Averillo in the deal, do you go for Luke Brook, Ash Taylor ? Canberra targeted Fogarty and got his man why can't we