Totally agree with post number 5!
I think that the place to train basic handling skills is in the airplane, conditions permitting (weather, traffic density, fatigue...). One sim a year would not be enough because skills like that have to be practiced, that is: repeated frequently. Frequent sims are out of the question, since that would be too expensive and create rostering difficulties.
I have myself felt rusty or skilled depending on how often I practice. When I am rusty I don't feel as confident as I do when I am skilled. Should some failure occur such that I had to hand fly when I am rusty would mean an added difficulty, and a big stressor, too.
Of course, practicing in the long-haul is difficult because you fly fewer times and in few of those you have plenty of airspace with no ATC stres, and you are fresh and weather is fine and your mate doesn't mind you to disconnect APs, or even FDs... And ATHR (why that fear?).
As someone pointed out, many recent FOs not only need to practice the basic skills, but they have to learn it, first!
In the JAA syllabus there is absolutely nothing regarding flying technique. There are lesson plans for each flight, but there is not a subject on flying technique as such. It was amazing to me. I suffered myself a deficient training in all aspects (in a suposedly good shcool).
Each student knowledge depends on his instructor ability to teach during briefings, if any. His instructor learnt the same way, and so on... It's a good thing I had an old instructor at home and that I love books!