Peter Parr

Hastings is an NRL quality halfback at least, even if not a real needle mover. Crossland is still unsigned and will be lucky to get a Super League gig based on performance. Got far less going for him as a half than Cogger & Lamb did - now one of them is a backup half in England and the other is in local league.
 
Hastings is half the player you all think.
Just a pretty fit, high energy toiler.
No different skillset to Crossland - just 5 years older so he's learnt a bit of "ringcraft" along the way.
If we give him big money, he'll just be one of the hundred or so bad buys we waste money on year after year.
 
Billy said:
Hastings is half the player you all think.
Just a pretty fit, high energy toiler.
No different skillset to Crossland - just 5 years older so he's learnt a bit of "ringcraft" along the way.
If we give him big money, he'll just be one of the hundred or so bad buys we waste money on year after year.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of Josh Reynolds
 
Some players wear that #7 for 200 games without really learning how to steer a side around the park. Crossland is no guarantee of getting there if you gave him a run for 5 years and there hasn’t been a lot leaping out at you which might make you think he would. Madden had a lot more potential in that regard but he too likely would have snatched a first grade jersey now if it really looked like he had “it”.

Also I think what’s being understated here is a value of a guy who is still playing with the same energy in round 20, and still in as good physical condition, as he was in round 1. Year after year we see guys who look like they new hotness, guys who throw prettier passes, have a more eye-catching boot, have a better step, break more tackles etc than a lot of the established halfbacks. Yet there’s Adam Reynolds, there’s Chad Townsend, leading teams in the top four. There’s little Benny Hunt who’s had failures in his career which would break a lot of blokes mentally and emotionally, looking like an unbackable favourite for the Dally M.

I’m not saying Hastings is the second coming of Joey - he’s not super quick off the mark, he doesn’t have all the tricks, you’re not going to cut together a blistering highlight reel. But he will absolutely still be leading a team around somewhere when he’s 32, whether it’s here or back in England, and in that time dozens of sexier players will come and go and be forgotten, because they don’t want it bad enough and aren’t willing to do the things you need to do to keep improving and to be a consistent half at the professional level. Believe that.

I was fanging so hard for Jake Clifford before we signed him, fangirling over that big boot and that athleticism and that big step, all those tools he has, and telling myself the drifting through games, the inconsistency, that’s something which would go away with time. But you know, maybe it won’t. Maybe it never will.
 
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Okay you can make a better highlight reel than I thought but gee there’s some make-a-wish kid standard defence in England lol.
 
I saw something about brooks maybe out for the rest of the year, to be confirmed by scans. Can see Hastings going back to 7 if that’s the case.
 
Hastings plays with a lot of effort and potentially leadership but I think he lacks a lot of skills. To compare to a player in our side I think Kurt Mann plays with a lot of effort and lacks skill and he gets absolutely panned on this website. I think our lack of a quality 7 is our biggest issue and unless we can get someone we haven’t been linked with to break contract would wait until 2024 when there are better options to at least speak to.
 
You can see why Englishmen struggle over here. Anyway back to Peter Parr. He needs to step up big time. Clearly the office is full of tomorrow/next week guys. We need a NOW guy to get everyone else up to speed. You lead everyone needs to follow.
 
Hastings seems to have 'time'. Doesn't have the footwork of a 22 year old Shaun Johnson or the kicking game of Adam Reynolds. Seems to have a bit of physical presence and get the ball to the right person at the right time a lot. I can see Dom Young getting a lot more quality ball and crossfield kicks next year.

Not super different to someone like Mitchell Pearce IMO. A lot higher quality than someone like Tyson Gamble who is all effort etc but not as good a half.
 
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