Bring Cherry Evens in now and give him a shot

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With no real direction coming from our halves over the last 6 weeks or so I would throw caution to the wind and bring Cherry Evens in and push Hodkinson out to 5/8 and if fit push Foran into the centers. Cherry Evens is going to be our half next year and has played out of his socks as a nippy run to the line half, something "clearly our current 7 is not" we have absolutely nothing to loose and everything to gain.

Des showed some insight bringing Foran in last year, why not give the kid his elevation now. He offers way more in attack than Hodkinson if anyone had seen him play this year he is miles ahead of where Hodkinson was last year. Clearly we are going to go in way underdone and it might just take a huge masterstroke like this to mix it up. Somehow however I fear he want
 
Stephen McLean link said:
if anyone had seen him play this year he is miles ahead of where Hodkinson was last year.

I wouldn't say that. If anything he is slightly below to even with where Hodkinson was last year. Hodkinson just hasn't been able to make the step up to NRL standard. There were glimpses but I think that it will be further on in his career before he fully makes the step up.

As for DCE, why not give him a go next week. I can't see us going anywhere next week without the amount of regulars that we will be without so I can't see what harm it would do to give him a try. He might just add that extra spark and add a bit of the unknown for the Dragon's game plan.
 
I know the team has 'nothing to lose' next weekend, but I still think it would be silly bringing in a rookie half against the minor premiers in a finals match. What is the point of exposing him to a potential slaughtering. Give him a full off season to continue to develop and bring him in next year when we have a close to if not full strength team.
 
I agree with giving DCE a taste of the top grade, and some others. We have nothing to lose, and at the very least it will give us something interesting to watch.
Do we really want to see the same proven failures being smashed by Illawarra?
 
Don't mean to ask a stupid question but : is DCE going to be at 7 for us next year do you think? Will Foran start there with Lyon at 6? I know Lyon isnt a fan of 5/8 but is a team player.
 
Jethro link said:
[quote author=Stephen McLean link=topic=185110.msg291051#msg291051 date=1283733825]

if anyone had seen him play this year he is miles ahead of where Hodkinson was last year.

I wouldn't say that. If anything he is slightly below to even with where Hodkinson was last year. Hodkinson just hasn't been able to make the step up to NRL standard. There were glimpses but I think that it will be further on in his career before he fully makes the step up.

As for DCE, why not give him a go next week. I can't see us going anywhere next week without the amount of regulars that we will be without so I can't see what harm it would do to give him a try. He might just add that extra spark and add a bit of the unknown for the Dragon's game plan.
[/quote]

The only reason Hodko has struggled this season is because our forwards haven't laid the foundation. Every game where our forwards did dominate, Hodko went well and we all raved about him.

Next weekend will be no different with DCE, if the forwards get rolled then he'll have nothing to offer.

I still think it is worthwhile throwing him in though
 
That's my hole point we have absolutely zip to loose, in the games I have seen on the QLD ABC his efforts have been superior to Hodkinson's time up there, this this year they lacked the size in the forwards that they had last year and yet he got them over the line with his running game. If any of you guys can remember Manly's glory days were we always had a good nippy creative half, something we have lacked for a long time. I see DCE as good if not better than some half's running around at present, Penrith, Tigers, Parra, Kiwi's, Saints, Sharkes.

As I said Des wont do it but I would like to have his ear for 5-10 mins to convince him to take a gamble every now and then, instead of sticking with the same bunch who clearly show week after week they lack desire or even seem disinterested.

By tacking a punt players start to think **** if I don't perform he's going to push me back to QLD cup. At Manly for the last few years that's not been evident.
 
Hodkinson did suffer by the forward not being dominant (although in every match they showed signs of it). But I think he is a good defensive player, but not nippy enough. I don;t think he will be the answer to Canterbury's problems.
 
Bringing up DCE for next week, I think would probably be a bad idea.

It's a game we probably won't win and there is a chance that sort of debut and a debut in the finals could end up being detrimental to the guys career
 
100% agree Dan.we are toast so why risk him at all.lets just hope the guys have a dig and go down with the fight we were used to for the previous 3 or 4 years.

and it wont happen anyway.des is not that style of coach.
 
Ralphie link said:
[quote author=Jethro link=topic=185110.msg291067#msg291067 date=1283735173]
[quote author=Stephen McLean link=topic=185110.msg291051#msg291051 date=1283733825]

if anyone had seen him play this year he is miles ahead of where Hodkinson was last year.

I wouldn't say that. If anything he is slightly below to even with where Hodkinson was last year. Hodkinson just hasn't been able to make the step up to NRL standard. There were glimpses but I think that it will be further on in his career before he fully makes the step up.

As for DCE, why not give him a go next week. I can't see us going anywhere next week without the amount of regulars that we will be without so I can't see what harm it would do to give him a try. He might just add that extra spark and add a bit of the unknown for the Dragon's game plan.
[/quote]

The only reason Hodko has struggled this season is because our forwards haven't laid the foundation. Every game where our forwards did dominate, Hodko went well and we all raved about him.

Next weekend will be no different with DCE, if the forwards get rolled then he'll have nothing to offer.

I still think it is worthwhile throwing him in though
[/quote]

Not sure about your comment on the forwards. To me they have been dominant in many games, but the halves haven't been able to capitalise. Even yesterday, we seemed to camp out in the opposition's 20 for long periods, field position was not Manly's problem. Hodkinson did not seem capable of passing to his right hand backs - lyon and williams got very little ball. G Stewart has carried Hodko on the right hand attack all year for mine. Foran's work on the left side was far better, and creative.
 

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