Is it possible to discuss halves without being lured into histrionics?
Like the rugby league equivalent of a black hole, it seems that our sport’s hottest topics are inevitably sucked towards hyperbole stated as fact.
This week started out as Jarryd Hayne versus Neil Henry.
It ended with Chicken Little cries in desperation, the sky falling in, and everything revolving around Gold Coast Titans half Ash Taylor.
We were told if Neil Henry didn’t walk, Taylor might well go and then – kablam – the Gold Coast would cease to exist.
I’m sorry, am I missing the part where Taylor has become a bankable, gold-plated, premier halfback and man for all seasons?
Sure he’s talented. Possibly even in the top five halves in the competition on a good day.
But boy, pull me up if any this sounds strangely familiar.
This season we’ve been told how losing Mitchell Moses was the worst thing that could happen to the Wests Tigers, how Te Maire Martin was the second coming of Jesus, how Daly Cherry-Evans and Gareth Widdop could no longer play – and now they suddenly can again (depending on which week it is).
Remember when Ben Hunt was touted as a ‘one-in-a-generation’ player, then we were told he was damaged goods and could never win again, then he became great once more?
Remember when Adam Reynolds was New South Wales’ answer at number 7, or Shaun Johnson was New Zealand’s saviour and then curse, or how Mitchell Pearce was either the devil or divine, depending which jersey he wore?
A glance around the competition prompts me into believing there are only two halves that I’d ever gamble a club’s legacy upon – Johnathan Thurston or Cooper Cronk.
Sure Michael Morgan goes pretty good. Anthony Milford’s sublime on his day. I’m a fan of James Maloney too when he’s on song.
But in terms of deciding the fate of a club, its coach and other players’ careers, there are far too many fluctuations in consistency for me to ever proclaim some of the things said about Taylor this week.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
I’m old enough to remember guys like Brett Seymour, Tim Smith, Andrew McFadden, Jarrod Mullen etc coming in and blitzing the competition in the first forays of their career.
I’m sure people said you could build a club on the back of them at the height of their powers too.
Aside from the masses jumping to overblown conclusions, there are a few other things that worry me about a willingness to toss everything aside to keep Taylor.
The guy is only 22. He may be an immense player, but what sort of lesson will he be taught that an entire club is prepared to pander to him after just his second full season of NRL?
Is that really going to get the best out of him? If the Titans keep him, what do they bring to the negotiating table next time if he wants to up his demands?
I saw a bunch of former players hopped online and proclaimed Henry was a bossy coach, a fella who treats grown men like children. Meanwhile, some others came out and defended Henry.
I would say, by the majority, those players critical of Henry were characters renowned as ‘tricky’ to coach.
The other factor is something I believe a lot of rugby league fans never cotton onto.
The best halves are not measured by their individual ability but how they make the men around them perform, most pointedly, how they assist their forwards in winning the grind.
Every footy player knows a brilliant half with all the tricky moves who features in plenty of tries and highlight reels but who doesn’t communicate when he’s going to kick early, sends outside runners toward the sideline, falls off simple tackles, gives away silly penalties, goes away from the gameplan.
Do that enough times and your big dogs stop working hard for you in the middle, the team falls in a heap and there’s no coming back.
I’m not for a moment saying Taylor is that sort of demoralising guy. In fact he may be the opposite and that’s why the Titans want to hold onto him.
But the equation is more complex than measuring one man in isolation.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Does he motivate the men that carry the team forward? Is he prepared to knuckle down, work hard in training and make the tough plays that inspire those around him? Does he know the strengths of the men to either side of him and is prepared to be selfless to make it a winning outfit?
Most importantly, will he do all these things consistently and will he do it year after year for a decade to come?
Or does he need a taskmaster who is going to call him on his faults and get him to refine those areas where it is necessary?
When you’ve got an entire team – nay, an entire club – to consider, making it all about one player is as short-sighted as it comes no matter if it’s Hayne or Taylor.
thomas c
Guest
I guess it's good that he's doing better. Last I heard him mentioned was after the car crash and with talk about him struggling with depression.
Ginger Meggs
Guest
The latest Super Boosted half-back is the young Brodie Croft, after his sizzling game for the Storm against Newcastle, who have the wooden spoon wrapped up. All you Blues supporters had better hope that he is a flash in the pan because the lad is another bloody Queenslander. It's just not fair!
RM
Guest
Yep, but all players will go through patches of bad form over the course of their career. The great ones manage to keep the gap between their best form and their worst as small as possible, but they still have some bad games from time to time. For Taylor though - say he has a dip in form next season, perhaps an injury or two and all of sudden he'll just be another once-promising halfback, only this time one who thought he could hold a club to ransom. That second part will be just as big a question mark over him as his form, when other clubs decide whether or not to chase his signature (or how much money to offer for that signature)
RM
Guest
Cheers!
Robert Burgin
Expert
I also rated Brett highly and I believe he is doing even greater things in his current role with Toowoomba Valleys, in terms of what he contributes to society. This wasn't a cheapshot at his ability or what he's now doing outside of footy, but to demonstrate how risky it is to bet it all on a playmaker in the early stages of their career.
thomas c
Guest
While since anyone mentioned Brett Seymour. I thought he was really good. Him and Todd Carney might be advertisements for the hazards of having a poor attitude. I agree we need to calm it down so it doesn't go to people's heads. Even the early praise of Nikorima is too much.
Wild Eagle
Guest
This site is a dream come true after being on the Silvertails and me a moderate position on the future of the coach, the recruiter and some of the players like Api. The aggressive know it all stance of many of them is just pathetic and then when you point out how wrong their abusive predictions were you become a target. I've had a couple of fair debates on here without someone becoming abusive. It's not often about a difference of opinion as is often wrongly called but someone making abusive declarations which have no substance and getting cranky when you prove them to be wrong. I don't get why someone who is consistently negative and wrong continues to make hopeless and aggressive predictions on public forums and don't expect to be challenged by someone like me. Being negative would be very interesting if it was correct on a regular basis. I had a debate with you recently The Barry and the way you debate the point is a good example as to how it should work.
Wild Eagle
Guest
Milf is a unique talent and great to watch He was much better than Thurston in the GF which the Cows won and should have a Clive Churchill medal in his collection I believe.
Wild Eagle
Guest
Are you deliberately spelling the word 'your' incorrectly as in 'Your Kidding' ?
Psychodelia
Guest
Dave, agree with your comments about Milf. He does need lots more kicking practice! However, he is currently kicking because of a long term groin injury to Jordan Kahu. Trying to give Kaku a bit of a break so he can see out the season.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Nice article Rob. I think some of it is the internet age. Moderate, middle of the road opinions don't get you clicks, likes and replies. Professional and amateur writers get noticed more if they proclaim the new thing as "the best half since Sterling" or "the new Joey" or "Queensland's next long term half" than "he's a good young player but he's got a lot to learn." Debating on sites like this often forces you into extreme positions because if you make one criticism of a player, you have people who disagree jumping down your throat and calling you a hater.
Your kidding
Guest
The Telegraph is crap news. Lightweight journalism at its worst. They often get facts wrong and the grammar is appalling.
dave
Guest
The more i see of Milford the more I'm impressed as he gets better and better and i would not be surprised if he becomes the next Thurston however he should worry about his conversion kicking which was off in the Broncos/ Dragons game and Kahu would have been a more successful converter. There is a lot of class/ magic around Milford that makes me want to watch the games he plays in like the old black pearl Renouf
Nat
Roar Guru
Hats off to Rupert Murdoch. He can get any Prime Minister (or President for that matter) he wants because he owns print, online and TV news publications dedicated to his cause. It is the same with the league media. DT jounos will create a story based on very little if anything at all, and that gets printed in their respective papers, repeated on the various Fox footy shows, online and Triple M radio. You will not get a source nor will anyone in their little boys club question the validity of the story. Because it is repeated so often through the various networks the general public starts to believe there is something to it. Hayne vs Henry - possibly. Great story because we love a tall poppy takedown. But when the Titans board refuse to reveal the outcome of their meeting Paul Kent 'uncovers' the real truth and it centres around another star. Grain of Salt people. Kent is trying to get an audience and he can say anything because the only thing that reflects badly on him is no audience.
Wild Eagle
Guest
Some great points here Robert. The most exciting times I ever had at Brookvale Oval was watching Phil Blake's dynamic 1st season in 1st grade. He would toy with the lower grade opposition and then do the same when he came on in top grade. I couldn't believe that he didn't go on the Kangaroo tour and if someone told me he wouldn't be Manly's 1st choice half soon and no longer at the club within a few years I would have choked on those sugar coated Red Peanuts you used to buy on the hill at Brookie. It was a valuable early experience for me as a fan and a critic. The tough, hard and sensible player often does a lot better than the outright talent. I was only thinking the other day how communication on the field is such an unrecognised feature of a teams success and how valuable it is to have cool heads who think clearly and talk clearly under pressure. After playing league at school and not really saying much on the field I ended up playing a lot of touch footy at a decent level. Communication is obviously essential here as well if you want to win. One thing I noticed is that plenty of players appeared to be great communicators because they were always talking very loudly. Trouble is when the heat was on they went deadly silent. I preferred team mates who didn't say a lot but were very vocal when it mattered. I wonder in league sometimes how good the talk is between say wingers and centres because I see wingers come in to help the centre so often when they need to stay on their own man. Clearly it is case by case but as an attacking centre it is a dream come true for the winger to come in without cause.
AGordon
Guest
your comments are spot on, as is the article.
George
Guest
Clubs will only shy away when the player's form drops significantly, unfortunately.
peeeko
Guest
top stuff
RM
Guest
Well said. It has been exciting watching Ash Taylor burst onto the scene over the past two seasons, and I still think he has the goods to be Qld's next great halfback...but equally he still has a long way to go. And if the Telegraph is to be believed (yes, that is a very, very big if) then he probably doesn't realise the damage he has done to his 'brand' in the past couple of weeks. A rookie half, yet to achieve anything in the game, demanding that his coach be sacked? Ridiculous, prima donna behaviour and exactly the opposite of what an aspiring leader should be. Personally, I think that Telegraph story had more than a touch of theatrics about it and I'd say Taylor's manager is probably the main force behind it, trying to drum up more cash for his client. Even then, someone needs to take Taylor aside and explain to him that a greedy manager can damage a player's career by dragging him into tabloid bulls**t. Clubs can eventually shy away from players with that sort of baggage.