by RandomSil Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:44 pm
pingu lives in our hearts wrote:What am I missing with the drink water love? Played 7-8 eighty minute games for an average of 29 in 2019 didn’t he? Why will he be any better this year? I think he is shit but would like to be Convinced otherwise
For me personally it is a change of position.
Playing in the HLFs he should increase his overall base stats such as tackle count and kick meters. (Ignore the fact his one game at Halfback he only made 1 tackle and 39km in 80 minutes). I think everyone is expecting a much bigger role this year as he is alongside Morgan. Last year Morgan averaged 294 kick meters. His average kick meters with Thurston were 118km (2018), 225km (2017), 87km (2016), 72km (2015). The only other stand out year was 2017 in which Thurston was injured for the majority of the year and only played 7 games (The first 6 games of the year with Thurston, Morgan averaged 73km). Morgan has become a dominant kicking half more by necessity, and when he has been the dominant kicking Half the Cowboys haven't looked great.
Drinkwater isn't a dominant kicker by any means, but averaged 65km as a Fullback in the Intrust Supercup between 2017 - 2019, while Clifford last season averaged 150km when playing with Morgan. If Drinkwater bumps his kick meters up to even 100km per game on average that will boost his score by a 4 point average in just one statistic. Add the fact he looked quite explosive and controlled the game (albeit was the 9s) over the weekend, and will have an actual offseason training with the Cowboys and the system, instead of being dumped into what was a mess of a team last year that was chopping and changing HLFs and FBs all year. I can easily see him outscoring his average from last year by 10 - 15 points and having the odd game that he blows up in. (Don't get me wrong, I get there will be dud 30 point games most likely) but an increase in his tackle count (Clifford and Morgan last year averaged 16 and 17 tackles per game respectively which is a 13 point bump in average) as well should help him build a really stable floor and allow him to get good attacking stats of the back of Holmes, Morgan, Taumalolo, and Hess (Who looked solid). With the potential addition of Robson to the side as well. The Cowboys just look strong and Drinkwater can benefit.
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