Feel like it's time to start asking questions of Tony Readings. I know the Suburbs squad was gutted in the off-season, but the difference between Eastern Suburbs' pre-season games before Readings, and now, cannot be more stark.
I remember going to a few pre-season games and ES looked very good, despite the changes. The team was playing the same way, they were more confident, and it was as much of a continuation of last year as possible.
Then Tony Readings turned up and the team have completely lost their footballing identity they had under Hay, and in the early games this pre-season. There's no direction in what they're doing and some of the team selections are baffling.
For example, players like Kelvin Kalua who was a regular starting CB under Hay for 2 years seemingly getting dropped before being brought back in RB. Or players like Adam Thomas, who was so slow and dire on the ball at NRFL level he was moved to full back (where he performed much much better). Yet Readings has started him every game this season at centre mid. (Where his distribution is always slow and he simply plays backwards).
Then you have players like Kingsley Sinclair who, despite a much stronger team last year, was getting regular game time. Now he barely gets 5 minutes at the end of games. Instead Tony favours players like Martin Bueno who offer nothing except elbowing the odd opposition player. Then you have players like Mohammad Awad who's not being used properly. But hey ho, let's hoof it up to Stephen Hoyle.
This team has undoubtedly regressed under Readings and I think the players can sense it as well.