Re: ben barba : Fri Jan 08, 2021 7:45 am
Ben Barba had one of the finest debut seasons ever in the NRL. A talent no doubt. However he’s now 31 and time takes it’s toll, especially on a player who hasn’t always been a true pro.I’ve said it on here a million times before but I’ll say it again, when a player of that talent can’t get a gig in Australia then there is a problem. I’m aware of the legal issue with this player at present but even so it’s been a while since he was a hot property over there,
He’s a very expensive gamble, might pay off, probably won’t. Another Kevin Locke imho.
Worse still how can you build a team around such an enigmatic player. Even Saints struggled and they were a team capable of exploiting his talent, a younger talent at the time.
Can’t deny he’s box office but he isn’t actually what we need. We are not short of flair or pace in the back line, just watch what we did to HKR. We lack grunt, we lack the ability to dominate the middle and thus release that potential.
On another day Barba might be what we need but not this day, don’t think many will disagree tbh.
Also wouldn’t it be nice to finally see Jowitt crack it, we’ve stuck with him this far. I know he’s no Barba not even the 31-year-old version but he’s slowly becoming a fine player in his own right and he’s for the long term.
Academic I suppose because I doubt we have the cash for a marquee signing.
