How can Walker Improve??

[maxta]

At 5/8 - we know he is a top centre.
Barrett is keen to stick with Walker at 5/8, resisting to put him into his proven position.
No doubt as proven so far - this will take time, but the rewards are more long term than short term, as shown so far with only patches of individual brilliance.
Thing is - he will not suddenly develop more ball skills & his natural decision when the ball is set for a shift is to cut back in...the tries /breaks he has made have been replicates of this.
The thing is, the one massive strength apart from great elusive skills , was his ability to read an offload & explode into space....now maybe overly concerned with concentrating as the ball player & not making those runs....which will likely improve with more options including that support style running game.
Offloads creating broken play situations like that Vave to Godinet last week need to occur more often to take advantage of this also - with Parcel also sure to take advantage.
The fact Snake has been carrying injuries/out injured & simply not at his best - was originally the player outside Walker on that left edge, who is so heavily relied on to make that opportunity- particularly off that 2nd man sweep play which is now not as sharp & over predictable.
Walkers defence has improved gradually & hope his game can grow some added attacking options, as the season is quickly heading towards the mid point....

 

[jbb/james]

Walker needs to stand a little deeper than he currently does to give himself more time. In the short term i believe he needs to set himself that his first option is to pass. His running game needs to be set up by passing outside a lot more. Great playmakers set the scene for there big shots. Once he has the defence sliding on him more , opportunities to run will come.

He is very capable but doesnt strike me as a natural half, who is always looking to creat options for others.

If he continues to run he needs to get his hands free to pop a pass to supports. Basicly he needs to attract defenders and currently he uses power rather than guile. The power play needs an offload at the end of it, but he tends to box himself in too early , by over committing to the slightest opportunity with his runs not allowing this option

Short version, he just always sets himself for the tryline

 

[HappilyManly]

Run straight at the line and only then, choose to pass or run through .

He seems to stop and looks to see where to run, by then his outside men are covered and he runs into another defender

 

[Woodsie]

A half or 5/8 has either got it, or they haven't.

Yes, practice can and will make him a better 5/8, but in my opinion he will never be a natural.

He needs to be the one hitting the gaps off playmakers.

Run Dylan Run.

 

[king2213]

I 100% agree your either a natural 5/8 or not ! There are blokes that have never played league but are natural 6 and 7 ! They have instinct/vision/talkers/organisation/awareness/thinkers

We should know by the end of this year no excuses ! Hes got Barrett in his corner plus DCE !

 

[tookey]

Put in some more chip kicks and run into the opposition player looking to milk a penalty

He is not a 5/8 and should be in the centres with Lyon at 5/8

 

[Blue pill]

learn to tackle and catch a high ball, should me a message for the entire backline

 

[globaleagle]

Practice all types of kicking. Invaluable..and it's fun!

Possibly be looking at heaps of video with Barrett and his outside guys and set it up so he can get Taupau and others running holes. Like foz and Horo seem to have for half a season before they stopped for some reason.

Good support play for the offload (or someone should.)

And whatever good points smarter students of the 5/8 position than me come up with.

He should not sit down and create 500,000 team lists and post them online!

 

[Andrew..]

I think he's a first class centre but someone must think he's going to be a brilliant 5/8. Lyon has already announced his retirement and to me Walker is his ready made replacement.
The coach must see the bigger picture but buggered if I can work it out.
I do recall Bozo saying Walker would someday play 5/8 for N.S.W maybe he's the driving force behind the experiment.

 

[MissKate]

Move him back to centre, but like buying a Jag to plow your back paddock, however much you want it to happen, sometimes things just don't work out how you would like

 

[Beer buzzard]

Move him back to centre, but like buying a Jag to plow your back paddock, however much you want it to happen, sometimes things just don't work out how you would like

Would you rather have a jag mowing your paddock or a snake cutting your grass?

 

[pjayz]

He should not sit down and create 500,000 team lists and post them online!

That's half the Silvertails membership gone in one stroke...oh and:

1. Snake (vc)
2. Wright
3. Matai (vc)
4. Killer (c) (gk)
5. Tom T (miraculous recovery)
6. Walker
7. DCE (vvc)
8. Myles
9. Parcell
10. Starling
11. Tapau
12. Buhrer
13. Jake T (vvvc)

------------
14. Brown
15. Lawrence
16. Fonua-Blake
17. Vave

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

To put it crudely, Walker is a bit of a hog with the ball. Can he change his spots ?

 

[mozgrame]

The best thing he could do for his game would be to morph into Thurston. lol

Walker will finish his career as one of the best five eighths the game has produced. And of course by five eighth, I mean centre.

 

[Woodsie]

That's half the Silvertails membership gone in one stroke...oh and:

1. Snake (vc)
2. Wright
3. Matai (vc)
4. Killer (c) (gk)
5. Tom T (miraculous recovery)
6. Walker
7. DCE (vvc)
8. Myles
9. Parcell
10. Starling
11. Tapau
12. Buhrer
13. Jake T (vvvc)

------------
14. Brown
15. Lawrence
16. Fonua-Blake
17. Vave

If you are going to do it, do it well. Reading that team I have no idea who the reserve goal kicker (RGK) is, or who is captain (BC) and vice captain (VBC) of the bench.

 

[HoldenV8]

I do recall Bozo saying Walker would someday play 5/8 for N.S.W maybe he's the driving force behind the experiment.

Is this the same Bozo who I believe is one of the selectors who had Walker playing in the centres for City this week before he pulled out with injury?

To put it crudely, Walker is a bit of a hog with the ball. Can he change his spots ?

That is part of the problem with him at 5/8. His running game is good, but on the left Kapow, Skivy and Jorge have been starved of quality ball all season unless they've gone looking for it themselves. As a centre the only time he had to pass was if looking for his winger. As a 5/8 he needs to learn when to pass to his outside supports. When he does want to pass it always seems to be back on the inside.

Don't get me wrong, I like Walker as a running 5/8. But I honestly think (and have thought this since we signed him) that our best bet would be to have Killer's experience put to better use in the halves and let Walker with his speed play centre while also learning to be a pivot. And now that Killer has announced his retirement I think its the time to make that move. It would put less play making pressure on DCE and it would also lessen the burden on Snake having to play as an extra 5/8.

I really can't see Baz doing that though. He see's Walker as a 5/8.

 

[pjayz]

If you are going to do it, do it well. Reading that team I have no idea who the reserve goal kicker (RGK) is, or who is captain (BC) and vice captain (VBC) of the bench.

Yes I'm a rookie, I forgot coach, assistant coaches, trainers, water boys and girls and third party sponsors.

 

[Woodsie]

Is this the same Bozo who I believe is one of the selectors who had Walker playing in the centres for City this week before he pulled out with injury?



That is part of the problem with him at 5/8. His running game is good, but on the left Kapow, Skivy and Jorge have been starved of quality ball all season unless they've gone looking for it themselves. As a centre the only time he had to pass was if looking for his winger. As a 5/8 he needs to learn when to pass to his outside supports. When he does want to pass it always seems to be back on the inside.

Don't get me wrong, I like Walker as a running 5/8. But I honestly think (and have thought this since we signed him) that our best bet would be to have Killer's experience put to better use in the halves and let Walker with his speed play centre while also learning to be a pivot. And now that Killer has announced his retirement I think its the time to make that move. It would put less play making pressure on DCE and it would also lessen the burden on Snake having to play as an extra 5/8.

I really can't see Baz doing that though. He see's Walker as a 5/8.

Re Bozo having Walker in the centres for City, that is nothing less than he did himself.

Bozo played centre for Manly to accomodate Ima, and then 5/8 for Aust.

You play were you best suit your teams needs. The main reason the great Ray Brannigan joined us from Souths (other than $) was Arko promised him the fullback gig. He had Sims at Souths, problem is when he got here a young bloke called Eadie had other ideas.

Ray just got on with the job, and played where he was needed.

 

[Woodsie]

Yes I'm a rookie, I forgot coach, assistant coaches, trainers, water boys and girls and third party sponsors.

At least those you mentioned actually play for Manly.

 

[Turbo]

Simple answer to this thread is for him to grow some balls and tell Trent Barrett that he is a centre not a 5/8. He is never ever going to be like Milford, never