Do the players not speak frankly to each other?

If Handley has fancied himself at FB, surely during a game / training / getting changed / heading to their cars / having a coffee at some point, someone (I'd be looking at someone who seems fairly 'straight' and who says things as they are) would say something like "Ash, I get the FB thing and wanting to be more directly involved and creating things more than just finishing them... But, you are 27 now and have been getting selected at wing for years, where people are positive and complimentary about your efforts and skills over the years. Can you, hand on heart, say you have played better the last 6 weeks at FB as you were typically playing on the wing...?"

I'd be doing it, if I had a colleague on my team whose role change was meaning me and everyone else having to pick up extra slack to cover their inadequacies. Especially if the role they were doing before was one actually, they were decent and reliable in. They must be around each other 4-5 hours a day, 5 times a week, and no-one at any point has said such a thing to him..?

There is a clear lack of leadership in the group. I could only imagine someone like Donaldson or Cam Smith being the type to maybe say something like that. Myler might have been more likely in the past, but seems to have regressed and stepped back from doing that since his marriage ended.

No idea what this is.

not sure they were dumped. most simply got to the end of there careers and left. wasn't powell about 35 when we signed him? certainly wasn't young

That list is odd. Powell was virtually retired when we signed him, and Farrell and Fleary weren't young either. Sheridan was a reasonably big signing at the time, and the list also ignores Harris, one of the biggest signings we've ever made. The squad was an utter mess when they took over, as we'd almost gone bankrupt, and GH also brought in a number of players who might not have been big signings but were desperately needed to boost the squad (including a bunch from Sheffield). I'm not sure what point they are trying to make?

Fact is when GH and Caddick took over in 1997 they started spending big, and also focused on junior development. At the same time. We continued to make big signings throughout most of the Golden Generation era, particularly from overseas.

All factually correct but alas the "Big name players" are unattainable with the disparity in salary cap what we all need to understand is that our sport in the northern hemisphere is a poor relation to the southern hemisphere and for the politics it will ever be so, we have to get real and accept it for what it is.

agreed. the secret is to find players like kylie and Scott Donald. huge successes here but deemed surplus over there