Sounds like it makes sense to draft an experienced player ahead of a younger, more speculative pick. Not sure that’s a good enough reason to draft unfulfilled talent and have their traits and what not permeate through our club though. Like we need that kind of influence around the place, especially with such a young list.
Recruiting stop gap measures may have the advantage of taking some of the workload from younger bodies, but even though Kingsley might be experienced and can kick goals, he’s been let go by his former club for a reason. If we’re trying to build a winning culture then I’m not sure what we hope to gain out of drafting this type of player, other than false hope.
If things go well then it can serve to make people think the team is further advanced than it actually is. But younger players can only develop and gain experience by playing games. And where’s the long term benefit in recruiting a mature player, and why do we continually want another club’s off-cuts, unless they bring something more meaningful than inconsistency with them? If they have knowledge to offer and/or have played in premierships and can teach our players about team values and the level of intensity needed to win big pressure games then go right on ahead. Otherwise, by recruiting this type, we’re just taking one step forward and two steps back, because there’s rarely any long lasting benefits from short term fixes. RFC should know that better than most other clubs.
If we go down this track then is RFC more interested in building a team or in creating the illusion of improvement, if things don’t go according to plan? Apart from anything else, if not managed properly, this type of recruiting can put the brakes on the development and overall improvement the team has shown to now.
Injuries weren’t kind to us this year, but they created opportunities for other players. Just my opinion but, the gold for any coach would be to see how well players cope in adversity, rather than providing a safety net, like Kent Kingsley, to come in and perhaps halt the potential for that to happen. Go the long way round RFC. It’s quicker that way, and more rewarding.
