Patton probably has the best opportunity that any young half back has had in the HJ era.
He knows that Brown can't go on for much longer and no disrespect to Brown but it is not like he has to take the shirt off Briers. He has been here a while where other young players have had half as many games to prove themselves.
He will also get opportunities as brown is prone to concussion injuries (not wanting to wish that on any player)
We have just signed a back up hooker so less likely to be called on to play DH.
I am sure if that opportunity was presented to any of us in our early 20's we would make the necessary sacrifices to make sure we didn't waste it, whatever that takes.
Looking at his performances for us to date if he desnt up his game and make it here I am not convinced he could carve out a career at another SL club.
Only time will tell.

I'd love to see patton kick on, he has a great chance to claim a shirt this coming season, for me he needs to claim the 7 shirt before the end of the season or we will probably be shopping for another 7.

Realistically with salary cap restrictions he has to cement his place in the side or the next young half with potential to come from the academy will take his place in the squad and save us a little on wages. We have seen it with patton taking GOBs place before. This needs to be a big year for Dec patton, I hope he realises he needs to up his game.

Hulse.
Durbin.
O'Brien
Patton?

I imagine (and I hope) the shopping around for a 7 has already begun - they aren't easy to find.

For sure

Could you imagine Widdop and Austin in the same team!
Wow.
Would be like Murphy and Blake.

But the mind DOESN'T play tricks, Smiffy27
Hodgson didn't SEEM to be a brilliant kicker. He WAS a brilliant kicker.
It's STATS that play's tricks.
Don't forget, a lot of our tries in Hodgson's kicking days were scored by MonaghanJ, hence touchline kicks, and they're a damned sight more difficult than a kick scored from a try near the posts. We played flamboyant rugby back then.
When Ratchford took over kicking duties, our "style" of play became a lot more direct/fewer risks, so tries were scored more centrally.

Ratchford isn't a poor kicker, by any means, but to bracket him and Hodgson (as those stats do) as almost equals, defies logic.

Statistics. There to keep someone in a job, and for some uberfan to play Top Trumps with.

There's a bit of Emperor's New Clothes with Patton from his fans. They like to create the impression of him being an outstanding talent ready to bloom whereas probably the rest of us see a player who is at best just OK. In many games he seems anonymous.

Most likely what will happen is he will be at the club a year or two longer and then move on, and his next move will be a step down. He won't be going to the NRL or Saints, it will be Salford or Toronto. We will move on to someone else.

His fans will then create a legend about a player who could have been one of the greats but he was 'ruined by TS/Price', 'didn't get a fair chance', 'nobody could have succeeded playing behind a beaten pack'...

I believe Hodgson was probably the best goal kicker we've ever had, certainly in my memory, and stats don't tell the full story.

But over a longer period of time, stats do paint an accurate picture.

When you look at Hodgson's kicking average over 13 years by club -

Wire Average 78%
Huds Average 78%
Wests Average 77%
Eels Average 79%

13 year career average: 78%

Regardless of age, club, style of play, this is Brett Hodgson's goal kicking return.

I wouldn't use these numbers to prove how much better he is / isn't to Ratch or Roberts or Patton, but I would say that it does show how fantastic Brett was. He was an amazingly metronomic and reliable goal kicker, the likes of which we've not had since. Consistently (and consistency is key) getting the 2 and turning the screw on teams is a real killer.

I would hope these stats at least add to the debate and provide a different perspective or talking point for the other uberfans to debate around

Over the close season, Patton needs to find a few aces from somewhere.

I remember Martin Crompton, at the time a good, potentially very good scrum half, asking the then-coach Brian Johnson what he needed to do in the off season to improve. Johnson told him, put on some pace.

Come the start of the season and the Locker Cup and we had a new player - Crompton was suddenly very quick off the mark and finding gaps that he simply couldn't before.

Patton needs to do the same. Find a yard of pace, find a killer short range kicking game, find a killer pass .... [ianything[/i to lift him out of the masses of the average.

BMM, Sita whatisname and Patton all need to have the off season of their lives.

Not up to your usual standard I'm afraid.
I suspect there are a lot of fans who would like to see him come good (but are not holding their breath). He's hardly a Kevin Penny is he?*
The disinction being that in his first season or so KP was genuinely class, scored some outstanding tries and was selected for the Dream Team (but you know that).

Stats can definitely mislead & the mind does play tricks.
But I totally agree that Hodgson was a super kicker.

But what the hell is a "Uberfan"?
And who would you try to sign to ensure we have a better kicker?

We've already signed him Smiffy...
Austin will be scoring plenty behind the sticks....and with that comes a kicker with a great stat.