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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 3307839, member: 1899"] I had high expectations of Croft going into the 2018 season. I didn't think it was possible but it seemed like Melbourne had found their Cooper Cronk replacement. He was a similar style of player where he didn't have all the skills, but he was quick off the mark and just seemed to perform well under pressure. It was amazing how quickly that all fell to pieces. It was so rare to see Melbourne lose faith in a player but those early 2018 rounds Croft went from one of the most promising halfbacks to a reserve grader. It was amazing how quickly it all fell apart, one bad defensive mistake here, a kick out on the full there and in those critical moments Croft just fell short. The Storm brought him back in the back-end of the season, but he just struggled to threaten the top teams. By rights Melbourne should have won that Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters, but Croft kept insisting on trying to isolate Mitchell 1-1 with Will Chambers who just got monstered all game. I found it crazy how little he went after Cronk in that game, it was like Game II 2017 all over again when NSW refused to target JT. When Seibold was pictured talking to Brodie Croft in a Sydney cafe I went back and watched a lot of his games closely just to see what he could bring. Brisbane wanted him to be their game managing halfback, something they hadn't have since Ben Hunt left the club. It's amazing what you notice when you just focus in on one player. Melbourne did everything in their power to limit his role. Croft's role consisted of... (1) Give early ball to Kaufusi (2) Go to the line and play out the back to Hughes (3) Dummy and go down blind-sides And if Smith and Munster were tied up, put up a bomb in the corner. Defensively it seemed like Bellamy's solution to Croft's poor technique was just to have him sprint off the line everytime. It worked to an extent, Croft would pitch in and do his part. However he never got those brain explosions out of his game and right as it seemed like he was going to have an amazing game he'd come up with some of the most creative blunders yet. It really was like watching a young Ben Hunt all over again. I had mixed feelings over the signing. On one hand the Broncos were desperate for a halfback and they needed an NRL calibre player to at least give Dearden some time to develop his game. On the other, there was nothing about his game that suggested he could be a game managing halfback and the way Brisbane went all-in on him concerned me. Seibold wanted to go back to the 2015 gameplan where Croft would be the organiser and Milford would play off the back of it. It actually looked promising during the early rounds of 2020, but when Brisbane found themselves with little possession and territory it all fell apart. The longer Brisbane went through their losing streak, the harder Croft would play. You know how everyone used to say that Jason Smith would play like he had all the time in the world? Croft was the opposite, it looked like he was late to an appointment and would rush every play. When Croft broke down after the Warriors game, I've rarely felt worse for a player. He had walked into this situation at the Broncos and found himself with the weight of expectations. It's why I've stressed the importance of signing players who can change the club, not talents who could thrive in a good system. Kyle Flanagan is another example. At the Roosters he was one of the better halves in the competition, not perfect but a serviceable halfback. The Bulldogs sign him and now he can barely make grade because the Bulldogs expect him to win games with their rabble of a club. I wish Brodie all the best. I hope he can use Blake Green as an example of somebody who was spit up and chewed out of the system before returning as a more confident playmaker. I think this competition spits out and chews up halfbacks too quickly. Like prop forwards, they need to be shown more patience and be kept around first grade systems. [/QUOTE]

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