Wentworthville Magpies are Eels second grade, but they have two teams Dave. I didn't say he was third rate - I said third grade - which is a term about him I lifted directly from the Eels forum.

Pretty much the point I was trying to convey.

Lineham made him look good. As soon as Tom was injured, Crooks was found out.

We have far better coming through.

Don't agree with that Crooks scored some great trys and made a lot for other players.

Not sure we have better players coming through either, Logan-not convinced he will make it?

Talanoa is a better IMO and hopefully we will sign another centre who is better than Crooks and it won't matter

Fair enough, but he certainly isn't a 3rd grade Centre over here.

3rd grade you say in Oz - but good enough for SL Dream Team here and that frankly, is all I'm bothered about.

To say Lineham made Ben Crooks look good is bordering on lunacy and is simply not fair to the lad. Centres can make wingers look good, but don't buy into this little theory at all.

I use my eyes as evidence, he is a better Centre than Yeaman and Micheals IMO and could be argued about Sa (Who after a good start to the season has disappointed at centre and is often injured).

I'm not sure what evidence you want?

Heres my 2p worth on the matter....... crooks, was given a chance by pg, who obviously rated him very highly, the season went great for him and lineham, culminating in a dream team spot.....BUT, since then, pg got the chop, and our new coach IMO doesnt rate him nowhere nearly as highly as the previous.... crooks has skill, no doubt, but tge sheer lack of size has had the coaching staff questioning him eversince he couldnt bulk up in the off season...... at times he got bullied, and without a big winger (lineham) outside him, i feel he would have looked average, when in defence anyways... i also beleive crooks himself thought he's better than he actually is, im sure radford and him had "words" regarding this, obviously tgey didnt agree, and both parties thought it was best to move on......, hes struggled to get a start in the reserve grade over in oz, and that probably says it all....... talent - yes...... finished article - nowhere near

Brilliant post. Good luck to the kid I hope he makes it but I doubt he will.

His dream team season was at a massive cost to the players directly around him. In defence he was 3 in. With a second row inside and half back outside. Basically body guards. So big men/2nds/centres ran at him and the 2nd row looked after him. Tricky decisions were made for him by Horne usually in open play defensive situations.
Then in attack was mostly used for the fancy stuff.
Which obviously kinda worked as he and tom made dream team and scored a few.
But Radford came in and I imagine he thought I can't run a team looking after individuals. Or effectively lose a right side for 1 man.
So it seemed to me he changed it and forced Crooks to look after himself. He went to a conventional defensive pattern and Crooks failed. Badly.
Personally I thought radford did what he could with him.
In - terrible
Took him out a while
Brought him back - terrible again
On loan - got some form,and confidence came back v London and looked good.
Next game couldn't tackle a dinner.
Radford couldn't defend for him. He gave him the chances imo