double hoops
First Grader
**** No.
Hi all. Here is a left field 5/8 option I havent heard discussed. What about DCE's great mate Ben Barba. We all know mateship is what makes a great side and players realise their full potential. Given the club recruited Myles on this basis why not Barba. Just read the sharks have serious cap pressure and maybe there is a chance they would pay part of his salary next year given he is on the nose. At his best he has been devestating and I think DCE and his family may be the stabilising influence he needs to become an even better player. Thoughts?
He should be the middle in a human centipede.Barba is a piece of human trash. No.
Great response i think thats shut the idea down for me.I get what you're saying but he is definitely NOT a 5/8! I think the fantasy of him shifting to 5/8 is just that, a fantasy! A fantasy that was well told, and sold, by his Manager!
Looking at the basic fundamental skills required to play 5/8 and the skills he's displayed as a fullback, on the surface it seems like an option that could work. Lockyer is a great example of a fullback making a successful shift to 5/8. A good argument would be that since Barber is such a talented player and a good learner, he could easily learn and adapt the other skills he will require to be successful at 5/8.
Now Barber is a player that needs space and time with the ball which is why he is suited at fullback! Fullback also means he doesn't have to think to much and can play his natural instinctive, reactive game off the back of set plays organized by his halves and platform laid by his forwards!
Moving Barber to 5/8 means he has to think and organise his troops, he has to get his hands on the ball more often with less 'ball in hand' time and he would have to tackle more often requiring a higher fatigue threshold. At 5/8 he is also positioned right in the line off attack which takes away his ability to stand back and see both the attacking and defensive lines and see the play unfold and the defensive holes so he can pick the right moment to inject himself into the attack.
If Barber could adapt to 5/8, after a full preseason and a half a dozen games, no he won't be perfect, but he should have shown some improvement and learn from his mistakes...... But he didn't!
Take Milford for example, he is constantly improving at 5/8 every week and the more he's settling into 5/8 the more natural 5/8 is becoming, and all those skills he displayed at fullback are now becoming more and more previlant in his game at 5/8.
Some players can learn and adapt to any position at any time but there are also some players that just can't. And it's not a lack of ability or hunger or training nor is it a lack of quality coaching, its simply that sometimes a player just can't 'get it' which inhibits their ability to adapt and successfully play that position.... And this is the case with Barber.
Taking nothing away from his abilities, he's proven himself a great freakish player but he simply just does not have that natural thinking, organizing and ball play execution brain mentality required to at play 5/8. Even if he did have his best buddy DCE to lead the way, at some point he has to be able to think, create and execute for himself, and unfortunately for Barber at 5/8 he just can't!!
Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 7 | 1 | 109 | 16 | |
8 | 7 | 1 | 56 | 16 | |
8 | 6 | 2 | 66 | 14 | |
8 | 5 | 3 | 51 | 12 | |
9 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 11 | |
9 | 5 | 4 | 95 | 10 | |
9 | 5 | 4 | 42 | 10 | |
8 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 10 | |
9 | 5 | 4 | -14 | 10 | |
9 | 4 | 5 | -16 | 8 | |
9 | 4 | 5 | -19 | 8 | |
8 | 3 | 5 | -55 | 8 | |
9 | 4 | 5 | -70 | 8 | |
9 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 7 | |
8 | 2 | 6 | -63 | 6 | |
8 | 1 | 7 | -89 | 4 | |
8 | 1 | 7 | -166 | 4 |