I challenge you to actually closely watch what each player does for a game. people said the same for Cusack last year, NRL quality prop but doesnt break tackles - yet he finds his front consistently increasing the speed of the play the ball and dominates in the tackle to ensure our line is back.

Berrigan is a smart player and his control of the ruck is very good - thankfully the coaches look at the technicalities of the game rather than just how many breaks someone makes

Was quick out of dummy half in the derby when he scored his try. Mind you he did only have Wheeldon at 'A' defender

I see the good cusack does, and i see the good in other players too. I dont see any good in Berrigan. Guess that just my opinion as i see it. Youre not going to convince me otherwise.

mmmmmmmmmmm

No, but then he hasn't been 'missing' for us either. No more missing than, for example, Swain.



Which makes continuing pretty pointless. If you're being so one-eyed that you can't see what he contributes, there's not much chance I'm going to get through to you.



No he isn't.



Obviously not. If that's all you're criticising him for, though, I suggest you get a bit of perspective because that's not a big problem.

Think we'll agree to disagree. To call me one eyed when youve just written what you have is also very very funny!!

I know his game after watching him for many years so I don't need to be told about Berrigan and what he can do. The fact is this season he has looked off his game, maybe it's down to injury but either way he has not been the player he can be. I would also argue about his distribution, at times this season it's been poor and slow for a player of his ability.

It would help him to be playing with a better pack and halves I don't doubt that but I am sure Agar would do better with better players too so that excuse could be used for anyone.

Berrigan has been a big disappointment for me. When we signed him, I was of the opinion that he would gives us everything that Swainy did in his defensive efforts but that his speed, strength and creativity would show him to be even a notch above the great Swainy. Sadly that just isn't the case.

Apart from a couple of touches of class across 1 and a half seasons, he doesn't look quick at all, his distribution from dummy half is no better than what we have, his lack of leadership on the pitch is woeful, especially as the "marquee signing" and his apparent lask of interest at times is very concerning.

If he is the third highest earner in SL, we are not getting anywhere near value for money.

Nail on the head.

I'm a foureyes

Me too!!

If you really believe that, you are seriously deluded !!!

Swain go missing ??? Whatever Swain earned while he was at our club, he was worth every penny of it and more. Infact inversely proportionate to Berrigan.

Swain had quality aroungd him, thats the difference

If the 17 players that take the field every week played with the same effort, desire, attitude and commitment that Berrigan plays the game with, then we would find ourselves in a far greater position than our current one.

Simples

As I said, he's lacking a bit of sharpness. That's all I've noticed that's really any different from his time in the NRL.



It's not quite up to Swain's standard in terms of accuracy and speed, very few players do have distribution that good, but it's much better than, for example, Houghton's. It's been as quick as can be expected given the PTBs he has to work with, and it's been noticeably quicker with Tony and Raynor back. Cusack's a big loss to him though, in this regard.



Which is exactly what I meant when I said people had unrealistic expectations of him. He won't get through as much tackling as Swain, he's not used to that having defended much wider in Aus. He's obviously quicker in terms of running, but his passing won't be. It never has been. To expect otherwise is both unfair and pointless. His creativity in terms of putting players through gaps is better. That's not something you'll see much from hooker, but that is something he has on Swain. I'm not sure what you mean by 'strength'.

To expect Berrigan to be at least equal to one of the best from the past couple of decades in every area is unrealistic and, frankly, daft, especially when they are players with differing style and strengths.



Nope, which was my point.

Yeah, he did have a "torn bicep" <ss> though.

He isn't slow he's pedestrian! Against Saints he couldn't manage to pick the ball up off the floor at dummy half without being tackled. But he surely doesn't need to be that quick on his feet , his experience and quick thinking should allow him to control things. A supposedly inferior Aussie like Chad Randall looks far superior over here and Drew who wasn't fit to lick Berrigans boots in Oz ( and can't tackle ) is far more effective in SL and Wakey started off with an ordinary squad which has been decimated by injury. Did Randall and Drew just get better?

I think that is a very very good point. I am not a Berrigan hater by any means and I know fine well how good he has been as a player in his career. However - for whatever reason - he has failed to take hold of games like the mentioned Drew and Randall have done for their respective, not particularly gifted, teams. If this is down to injury then he should get it sorted now as I have said for a while, if not he has to up his game to impose similar authority from a key position in the 'modern game'.

Randall has improved enormously, but was a decent player to start with anyway. Drew was always a good hooker, and his style means he's going to be much more noticeable in attack. Note that being more noticeable doesn't mean he's performed better.



Again, this is something he's never really done. He's always been more of a compliment to the players around him than someone to dominate a game.

You was under the wrong impression then.

I dont think we do enough to protect Berrigan as i have said before he shouldnt be defending in the middle instead we should be allowing him to safe his energy for when we have the ball by having him defend nearer the edge.

Bingo.

I would have played him at centre this year (and Whiting/Washy at loose) as the form of Lee and Houghton at 9 has improved.

However, having said that, I'm not sure we can protect our acting half by letting him defend wider. A half back maybe, but hooker/acting half should be in the thick of defence and be able to produce with and without ball in hand. If they can't do that they shouldn't be acting half.

I dont mean out in the wings or anything drastic like that i just mean i would have him defending inbetween Horne and Tickle to get him out of the firing line as its clear he is the player that gets spotted by opposition forwards to get at to tire him out.

Possibly - I agree that our lack of imagination in these respects is a big worry.

Thought people on here had a bit more rugby sense . Berro
is in a very average team and has the following problems

1 . Poor manager and tactics
2. Very slow play the ball
3 . No runners
4 . No Class 7 with him
5. Small Pack behind him

People saying about swainy need to realise he had players with him who would walk into this team if they were still playing kearney , mcmenemy ,
cookie, briscoe, carvell, domic . Swainy was a quality player but give berro a team like he had and would see best of him .