Dylan Walker

[swoop]

Not getting value for money ATM.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

I never rated him TBH, I've always thought he's a show pony, and fair to say I wasn't happy when we signed him.

Don't forget, while everyone is bringing up 'NSW/Australian' rep - Walker was picked for the Kangaroos out of a Grand Final-winning side; a lot of guys in that situation get picked largely because they look good in a well-performing team, play a few games, get dropped and are never seen in the rep arena again.

Dylan has always been a ball-hog centre with no apparent footy brain. He needs to be given good early ball and told 'Og, run at hole' to use the one impressive skill he has; 'Og pass to winger in better position' has always been beyond him.

Defensively, I think he has got worse since the constant hand/arm injuries (the painkillers he OD'd on were prescribed after surgery on another chronic hand injury, long before the door-punching episode). I can see why that would make you not want to get your hands or arms anywhere near an attacker, but it also makes you not up to first grade in defence. Williame is a much better defender, he at least gets the point of wrapping up the ball, and seems to be able to at least slightly read the unfolding play - he's made a few good tackles in recent weeks by rushing up and smothering the ball.

I'd prefer a solid, dependable centre who isn't capable of doing the spectacular show pony stuff TBH, if the upshot is you get a guy who actually plays for the team, occasionally passes to his winger, and makes his tackles more often than not.

Nailed it, yokahontas. I wasn't happy when we signed him and I'm not happy now. Undoubtedly a talented attacking player, but glimpses of that talent are too few and far between. And let's not even get started on his defence. Also appears to be an A-grade, door-punching dickhead. All in all, I'd prefer to hate him at someone else's club.

 

[Andrew..]

I'm of a similar view regarding Walker but in all fairness I did think he had a pretty good game at centre in SOO 2. He put his body on the line against Inglis that night and pretty much held his own, and he is only 21.

 

[robbiea]

Not a fan myself ,I find it hard to barrack for him .
It is like at the start of the season when the team never felt "Manly"
DFW still doesn't feel like one of our guys.

 

[tookey]

Walker is a downsized Trex

He has the ability, but lacks a sense of urgency and game awareness.
His winger will never get a pass from him

Lindsay Drake, Craig Field, Trex and Walker are the only Manly players that I actively hate on the field for Manly

#3MoreYearsFFS

John Ribot, Lewis brown?

 

[Woodsie]

Most disappointing buy of the season for mine.

All his highlight moments of the year were individual flashes.

He appears to have no natural inclination to hit gaps, and he doesn't play to set up his outside man.

Understand he is only 21, but a footballers "skill set" or "game" should be recognisable by now.

 

[Woodsie]

@yokahontas "Og run." You must have dated some front rowers.

 

[yokahontas]

@yokahontas "Og run." You must have dated some front rowers.

Haha, just observed them from afar! My dad and brothers were all wingers and my partner is a hockey-playing wimp of a man lol

 

[Woodsie]

Haha, just observed them from afar! My dad and brothers were all wingers and my partner is a hockey-playing wimp of a man lol

Well the old man can't be travelling to bad, he caught you.

 

[yokahontas]

Most disappointing buy of the season for mine.

All his highlight moments of the year were individual flashes.

He appears to have no natural inclination to hit gaps, and he doesn't play to set up his outside man.

Understand he is only 21, but a footballers "skill set" or "game" should be recognisable by now.

Compare (contrast!) him with Tom - at 19, still has mistakes in him and plenty to learn, but has at least shown signs he's capable of learning!

 

[Woodsie]

Compare (contrast!) him with Tom - at 19, still has mistakes in him and plenty to learn, but has at least shown signs he's capable of learning!

Agree, but then again Tom is one in 20million. Not sold on Walker, but hope he makes me eat my words.

 

[The Who]

Walker is totally over rated. How he made the Australian and NSW team is staggering. He has been our most disappointing recruits this season.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

A little disappointed with Walker's year also, perhaps the 5/8 experiment didn't help. Showed a few glimpes of what we know he can do. Centre is his position.

He is 21 who has already shown what potential he has, it just needs a good coach to coach it.

As for some comments here and other threads about replacing Lyon with whom, you don't replace Lyon, you can't replace Lyon, you get a good young centre with potential and move on.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Walker is totally over rated. How he made the Australian and NSW team is staggering. He has been our most disappointing recruits this season.

From memory, wasn't his selection in the Oz team a lot to do with the timing and injuries/withdrawals? There was a bit of Bradbury to it if I remember correctly, but I could be right off on that...

 

[yokahontas]

From memory, wasn't his selection in the Oz team a lot to do with the timing and injuries/withdrawals? There was a bit of Bradbury to it if I remember correctly, but I could be right off on that...

I don't know if I'd go as far as to call it a Bradbury, but it had a lot to do with being in a premiership-winning team at the time - a la Wolfman and umpteen others who have been given rep jerseys during/just after a premiership year, and promptly had to give them back, never to be seen again, once some other team went on a hot streak.

Alex Johnston got a jersey at the same time, didn't he? And I'd rate him a lot higher than Walker.

 

[rifraff]

Are we back on the Wolfy bashing?

You don't think he deserved what he got?

A lot of more talented people than you or me thought he did

 

[midsteyne]

Walker has speed to burn,put him in the correct position and we could see what the potential of him is,if he could learn to combine with TT or learn to play footy like he shakes hands with williame,could be good

 

[Loaded dog]

I think Dylan would feel that things were going right for him if Manly games were played with no opposition players. That way he can dance around and show off his fancy footwork without getting hurt. Just make sure that he is also picked for Origin each year so he tell us about his passion to play for the blues.
NYEagle

II would have thought more of Steve Bell if he hadn't danced as much! The other night, the dogs patlently let Walker do his lateral arabesque then, knocked him over. How predictable? Iwant him to go FORWARD!

 

[XV-1]

He will be better next year.

 

[Snake]

I'm not some big Walker champion, but geez the guy got stuffed around a bit this season; he is not a 6. He was thrust into the play making role and was simply not up to it. Then we moved him to centre and just when he looked like getting it together, Barrett moved him back to 6 when Killer got injured. Then he punched a door (dumb I know) so he has had a really stop start season. He runs hard and you can see him putting in 110% so I can see him being very good next season if he can stay in his preferred position for a weeks at a time.

You'll find the overall attack from the outside backs will improve. Look a team like Canberra...90% of the year they've had Wighton, Lee, Croker, Leilua, Rapana, Austin and Sezer all together every week.