Well let's look at our spine. DWZ is an international fullback (somehow) & really is a 1 trick pony - ie charge into the defence line hard. Wakeham played his 14th game & 5th
@5/8. Averillo played his 21st game & 1st at HB & Katoa, is the other experienced one playing his 66th match & 36th at starting hooker, but is not up to 1st grade standard IMO.
The inexperience in the halves really cost us when it counted but I thought Averillo added a lot more spark to the attack without Flanagan there. Player development has been a big problem in our club dating back to when Des took charge. It may take more time for anything put into place after he left to bear fruit.
I think the players are partly at fault, by not putting in their best at all times & really shouldn't need a coach to motivate them, but a coach needs to make sure they ARE motivated. He also should have hooked Elliott too. Let's see what happens this week at selection now that Barrett can select players outside the top 30. It will do some players good to be dropped but will Barrett do it? We shall see Tuesday.