Like others have said it’s hard to judge a players performance under Hasler. He really did stunt a lot of our players performance and development to fit into his game plan.
Prime example is lichaa. He got his natural game stunted so much. But look at the last 3 weeks of Nrl and the World Cup. Look at our halves. They played like centres. Look at Klemmer. He should have been running off the picket fence but haslers plan was to play him tight and use tolman for kick offs and drop outs. No other coach would do this.
Look at cook. He walks in and revolutionised the team then goes to Souths. The guy was a control freak and had his game plan so scripted that each play was predetermined (tolman on the 4th anyone?)
I think Frawley can be a genuine half. He showed some glimpses of his kicking game and it is accurate. But under Des’s system there would be no kicking on the 5th. So after his first game that was ironed out of his game. And when we were 10 out the ball would go to mbye for a kick.... which is borderline ridiculous when you have a genuine running/kicking halfback in the team.
Ok Frawley isn’t a superstar. He will never make origin. He will never win a dally m. But you know what you will get from him. And with a proper structure and system in place he will be a capable half next to a dominant partner. Let him chime in when required. Let him grubber and bomb 10-20 out. Let him clear the ball out of our own half. He isn’t the next immortal. But he never got a chance at his natural game at the club, just the same as lichaa, graham, Jackson, tolman, hoppa, mbye, klem didn’t either.
Pay will lift the boys this season and I am expecting a lot better performances on the field. Even if we can get Eastwood back and he still has some miles left in his legs I think he can be a useful lock with his middle defence and offload. He has never been a back rower in his entire career let alone at 29.... another one that suffered under haslers idiocy.
And if you have any doubts about it. Look at graham. Easily the most skilful prop Australia has seen since possibly beetson. Amazing first few years in the Nrl. What does Hasler do? He runs plays for tolman 2 times a set and uses graham as a link player..... you have graham, kasiano and klemmer in your 17 and your go to forward is tolmam.... please.... after he was offered tolman an extension 12 months before off contract I think castle should have sent Hasler to rehab. The guy wasn’t thinking logically.