The problem I've got is that I've lost faith with Price and his ability/choices to pick players. The fact that he's leaving makes me question his approach even further so when he drops Austin I automatically think it's Price's tactics or style that has resulted in Blake's drop off, not Blake himself.

Not anymore he left a few months ago.

I think cruel reality is that Blake has lost a bit of gas from two years back. It comes to us all.
It would be true to say that the Catalan half-backs are the same. Drinkwater and Maloney are nothing like they were.(just watch them run us ragged in the cup).
Austin always relied on his pace more than some half-backs.

I wasn't posting in response to what Mather's said as I'm not part of the Twitterati, more that he's a right to voice an opinion and if/when he did, why would someone question anyone on here referring to it.

If that makes sense....time for a lie down

I'm sure I read on here after he signed but before he came that he had a history of setting off like a house on fire when he first appears but then his effectiveness tales off. Or I may have imagined it, who knows what is real anymore?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Regarding Mathers' tweet, it's probably likely he's voicing the general opinion of many within the club & the game as a whole, that, as a marquee signing, Austin has been a bit of an anti-climax.. Its not that he's been a disaster, but he's not really providing value for his inflated money - what we get from him is probably no different from what you would have got from simply having Ratchford, or any half decent half back, there instead.

If you took a neutral & asked them to name our marquee signings based on the last 12 month's performances, would anybody really pick Austin?.. Widdop maybe, but definitely not Austin. If anything, Daryl Clark stands out as our marquee player & I'd suggest if we pay anyone a top player's salary, then it's him. I can see why he's off to the NRL if we don't, he warrants a reward for his efforts and talent.

I think we might be forgetting something.
Austin definitely definitely was a star ... until he got injured at Catalan. I think he was leading the Man Of Steel Points and definitely favourite to win it. I remember watching a clip of his tries in the that first season ... brilliant. Go back and search for those tries ... if you cannot remember.
After the first couple of months he was a superb signing, a marquee player of quality and Price was not being pilloried for his half-back's form or for how he was being coached.
That was two years ago and he just hasn't got back that zip.

That was the opinion on the Canberra fans' message boards when he announced he was leaving them. I don't have a problem with Blake (when he's picked) as a running threat partnering an in-form Widdop, but I do feel it risks unbalancing the camp due to his vastly inflated salary compared to those who offer a consistent contribution (even if not quite as silky as an in-form Austin).

This is probably why Daryl will be off and who can blame him?

He looks over and sees Austin have about 5 good games at the start of every season and then go missing for the rest of it whilst on marquee money meanwhile Clark slogs his guts out every game running his blood to water and has probably been our most consistent player for the last 3/4 years yet isn't appreciated in a money sense in the same way by the club.

The club need to be moving heaven and earth to make Clark a marquee player for next year to keep him here.

Absolutely, speaking with a pal just today about Austin, 2 years ago you were off your seats when ‘Austo’ had the ball in his hand 30 out from the opposition try line.
Not anymore. He said over a season ago that his game had changed since arriving as a controlling role... Wish it hadn’t tbh.

Anyways...as much as ‘Austo’ did need dropping, and the win proves the fact, I was informed that ‘Austo’ passport was indeed at fault.
Either way, if ‘Austo’ had our club interest at heart, he would admit that you can’t change too much a winning team, and accept nothing other than a bench spot...
IF ‘Austo’ starts vs KR, that almost proves by self admission that it was a passport issue rather than form.

I think it needs to be said that it is perfectly possible for D Clark to be on a wage equal to Austin's without being a marquee player. The Marquee is a way of expanding the salary cap nothing more.