Where are out top shelf players?

[ism22]

Not all the stars, but I'm thinking of big name players and their clubs.

Manly:
- DCE
- Stewart
- Matai
- T-Rex
- Watmough
- (I'd even name guys like Kite who are just hanging around)

Storm:
- Cronk
- Smith
- Slater

Cowboys:
- JT
- Bowen
- Tate

Knights:
- Boyd
- Uate
- Tahu

Parra:
- Hayne
- Hindmarsh

Cronulla:
- Carney
- Gallen

Tigers:
- Benji
- Lote

Dogs:
- Inu
- Barba
- Morris

Raiders:
- Dugan
- Campese

Merge:
- Morris
- Soward
- Scott/Creagh/Young/Merrin

Titans:
- Myles
- Idris

Broncos:
- Hodges
- Civoniceva
- Parker
- Gillett
- Thaiday

Souffs:
- Inglis
- Taylor
- Burgess
- Luke

Riff:
- Jennings
- Coote

Warriors:
- Maloney (granted he still plays for them)
- Rapira
- Mannering
- Matulino

---

I hate to bag our team but EVERY other team has at least 1 top shelf player. You can add to/trim my list above but the crux is most teams seem to need a couple of top shelf players, and we don't really have one.

How can this be? Are we saving for some BIIIG surprises or are we simply lost/unable to attract talent?

---

Edit:
Sorry if I sound negative. I do love our boys (JWH, Pearce, Mini, Moga, Guerra...etc) but it's frustrating as hell that none of them have really come through as big name players (Moga is excused of course.)

[Cockadoodledoo]

Our recruitment policy is sign a bunch of 16-18 year olds and reserve grade rejects from other clubs and hope for the best. What exactly do you expect?

[Guest]

Pearce?? Mini??? SKD?? You're a halfwit... C'mon, have some faith in your team!!!

[Cockadoodledoo]

Pearce?? Mini??? SKD?? You're a halfwit... C'mon, have some faith in your team!!!

we have a comedian here at the chookpen

[Guest]

Pearce?? Mini??? SKD?? You're a halfwit... C'mon, have some faith on your team!!!

Mini prior to injury absolute superstar now a good 1st grader,Pearce doesn't dominate enough to be called a superstar but not through lack of trying and don't get me started on SKD quality finisher but can't tackle to save his life so DM could just be onto something that's why we need SBW he'll make everyone look good just like Carney did in 2010 also Maloney will help next year IMO he's a smarter playmaker than Pearcey hopefully they work well together next year.

[Geohood]

No matter how lame it may sound now to people, we may look at our team in one or two years time and be thankful that we didn't lose the faith in what we were building to.

[milanja]

I think you cld comfortably scrap titans saints and penrith from that list this yr too. plus the two raiders players you have mentioned are rarely on the field.

[Guest]

No matter how lame it may sound now to people, we may look at our team in one or two years time and be thankful that we didn't lose the faith in what we were building to.

Let's hope so GH but the spin doctor Smith is starting to remind me of Arsene Wenger the coach of Arsenal he's always talking about the youth and look what they've won in the last 6 years SFA so you need a balance of youth and experience to be successful he thinks where all gullible with his Crap excuses he's fooling no one he'll be at Centrelink with Elliott sooner rather than later.

[John Corey]

Pearce?? Mini??? SKD?? You're a halfwit... C'mon, have some faith in your team!!!

Mini?????? SKD?????? I think you actually win the halfwit prize to be honest

[Rooster_6]

Got plenty of players who are far better than the players mentioned in the opening post.

The issue here is the definition of a top shelf player, I mean if Jamal 'plays good when he feels like it and is a turnstyle in defence' Idris is a top shelf player then so is Mose Masoe. A top shelf player is someone who performs consistently at the top level over a long period of time imo. Steve Matai is not a top shelf player, he's a good centre but not much more he's certainly not better than SKD and I certainly wouldn't consider SKD to be a top shelf player but he's certainly equal and better than several on that list. I could keep going but there's too many in that list that I wouldn't consider 'top shelf players'.

[Guest]

Got plenty of players who are far better than the players mentioned in the opening pos
The issue here is the definition of a top shelf player, I mean if Jamal 'plays good when he feels like it and is a turnstyle in defence' Idris is a top shelf player then so is Mose Masoe. A top shelf player is someone who performs consistently at the top level over a long period of time imo. Steve Matai is not a top shelf player, he's a good centre but not much more he's certainly not better than SKD and I certainly wouldn't consider SKD to be a top shelf player but he's certainly equal and better than several on that list. I could keep going but there's too many in that list that I wouldn't consider 'top shelf players'.

You got to be kidding me skd is a turnstile in defence the bloke cat tackle to save himself matai puts his shoulder in and hits hard ,kenny dope is a hack, side ways running crab how you can say kenny dope is better than matai just proves you don't watch much football

[Rooster_6]

You got to be kidding me skd is a turnstile in defence the bloke cat tackle to save himself matai puts his shoulder in and hits hard ,kenny dope is a hack, side ways running crab how you can say kenny dope is better than matai just proves you don't watch much football

Was at the game on Sunday, you?

Did you conveniently miss Matia's woeful ability to read numbers or do you just care about the 'big hits? They're both average defenders you wont get any arguments here.

[Guest]

Was at the game on Sunday, you?

Did you conveniently miss Matia's woeful ability to read numbers or do you just care about the 'big hits? They're both average defenders you wont get any arguments here.

Haha I got to every game ahd sit in the pen kenny dope is wooful at best get tapes and watch Steve tackle then get dopes tapes and watch his great efforts in defence

[Rooster_6]

Haha I got to every game ahd sit in the pen kenny dope is wooful at best get tapes and watch Steve tackle then get dopes tapes and watch his great efforts in defence

I don't rate Kenny Dowall's defence, never have.

My question if you care to actually answer rather than rambling on like a drunk again did you see Matai's inability to count numbers in defence on Sunday?

[Guest]

Mini?????? SKD?????? I think you actually win the halfwit prize to be honest

I would have been a little harsher JC.