Opinion Why Gus signing an experienced half is almost a certain

[CrittaMagic69]

I don't have much confidence in Barrett either but I think Burton's talent and composure as well as the impact of the other signings will gloss over some of Baz's coaching flaws.

I also think BBO has looked right at home I'm FG and will only improve with a full offseason and training with Burton. I'd rather see those two grow and develop together over a full season than signing any of the experienced players that are being mentioned.

I can't see it working, it will just be making do with what we have until someone better comes along or until they find form a year or so later. We need to win now, I'm sick of losing.

 

[B-Train]

I can't see it working, it will just be making do with what we have until someone better comes along or until they find form a year or so later. We need to win now, I'm sick of losing.

We all are bro. Even with someone like Pearce I doubt we'll be anything more than a top 6 team. Without him we can still be a top 8 team or better. Either way we're not contending for a premiership next season. So that's why I'd rather let those two get as many games together as possible because they have the potential to be a great long term halves combo for us.

 

[Bazildog]

I'm not talking about the individual merits of each player, I'm just saying that you can still be a top five team with a younger halves combo.

I think Burton is talented and composed enough that he doesn't need an injury prone, ball hogging washed up half like Pearce to babysit him. Pearce would only get in the way. I think we'll be fine with Burton and BBO and wouldn't want to sign an experienced player for the sake of it.

You and plenty of other people wanted to sign Shaun Johnson but surprise, surprise he got injured again and had a few shit games before he got injured. One game he missed nearly ten tackles. So all of the experienced options that are out there still have their flaws like younger players would.

Pearce played his 1st GF @21 and then won the comp as a 24 year old so you don't have to be 34-35 like Cronk when he won his last GF's with the Rorters. Some guys come into FG @ 18-19 and just kill it like Freddy did and some take few seasons before suddenly exploding. I think Burton is more like Freddy in as much as he just looks like he belongs in the top grade, where someone like Avo shows flashes of brilliance but for the most part looks like a boy playing with the men.

The big "if" appears to be still around the 9 but if we pretend that Gus and co have that covered and we just look at our halves there is a case for and against someone like Pearce.

Burton will be 6 and based on signing Dufty and already having Allen and JAC in the squad I doubt we are looking to put someone else there. That leaves BBO and Avo for the 7 spot which makes it even more strange that they are playing BBO @ 6 unless the plan already is for Avo to be Burtons 7 next year. So this theory probably says we don't need Pearce at all.

But if the thinking is BBO will need a year in and out of reggies and on the bench that only leaves us with Avo and if that doesn't work we are fucked. So, you bring in Pearce initially with Avo playing 14 and occasionally rotating to reggies with BBO so they both get time to build confidence and Burton gets a genuine halfback allowing him to play his natural game.

or....we sign Cheese, Avo starts to own the 7 for the last of of this year and kills it next year with BBO coming off the bench in 14. Happy days

 

[B-Train]

Pearce played his 1st GF @21 and then won the comp as a 24 year old so you don't have to be 34-35 like Cronk when he won his last GF's with the Rorters. Some guys come into FG @ 18-19 and just kill it like Freddy did and some take few seasons before suddenly exploding. I think Burton is more like Freddy in as much as he just looks like he belongs in the top grade, where someone like Avo shows flashes of brilliance but for the most part looks like a boy playing with the men.

The big "if" appears to be still around the 9 but if we pretend that Gus and co have that covered and we just look at our halves there is a case for and against someone like Pearce.

Burton will be 6 and based on signing Dufty and already having Allen and JAC in the squad I doubt we are looking to put someone else there. That leaves BBO and Avo for the 7 spot which makes it even more strange that they are playing BBO @ 6 unless the plan already is for Avo to be Burtons 7 next year. So this theory probably says we don't need Pearce at all.

But if the thinking is BBO will need a year in and out of reggies and on the bench that only leaves us with Avo and if that doesn't work we are fucked. So, you bring in Pearce initially with Avo playing 14 and occasionally rotating to reggies with BBO so they both get time to build confidence and Burton gets a genuine halfback allowing him to play his natural game.

or....we sign Cheese, Avo starts to own the 7 for the last of of this year and kills it next year with BBO coming off the bench in 14. Happy days

I'm just totally against signing Pearce. He's only played 7 games this season, his body is breaking down, he's always been overrated and he's a dominant half who would only get in Burton's way.

Whether Burton is named at halfback or five-eighth, he will be the dominant half. I'm happy to give him the keys and see how far he can take us with BBO as his halves partner.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

We all are bro. Even with someone like Pearce I doubt we'll be anything more than a top 6 team. Without him we can still be a top 8 team or better. Either way we're not contending for a premiership next season. So that's why I'd rather let those two get as many games together as possible because they have the potential to be a great long term halves combo for us.

I'm not talking about winning a comp, I just don't want to be totally shit. People underestimate how reliant our system is on the halfback and how much pressure it puts on them, if they"re not firing then no one else is and there's fuck a development going on then and it's exactly what has happened to Jake this season.

 

[David holland]

Once we get the go forward and ruck sorted we need someone is ICE the game