Brad Parker .... the future?

[brad]

Parker is alot like kelly raw . Yer kelly has had this season thus far, but its still going to take another full season before we see big change . He will have his good days , maybe very good days but the grind week in week out is a maturity thing . Parker will be in the same boat, time will tell as we've seen F/A of him . If we want instant success manly will get a recognized centre to partner walker . We should have a long term partner for walker between these two in time.

 

[BOZO]

After the very successful era of the Lyon - Steve Matai centre combination , i suppose that it would only be natural for Manly supporters to have some reasonable expectations for their successors . Walker of coarse automatically fits the bill as a first class centre , and i suppose that i can certainly acknowledge the views of Snake and Bozo and others to the notion to add another pacey and top line centre to then make Manly "s back line even more potent but also with cap considerations . Kelly is presently being given his opportunity, he is progressing quite well but of course a necessary level of performance will still be required from him and both for his sake and the teams prospects for the remainder of the season . As others have alluded to , the N R L is a highly competitive environment ,and so of course all players expected level of performance is always under review.

Very articulately written feathered friend !!!

 

[brad]

I'd have him ahead of Walker.Walker is playing well this season but I suspect he'll have an inconsistent career.Whilst I think Gutherson will go from strength to strength.He was a local junior so if he wasn't moved on,fair chance he'd of had a long career at the club.Clubs can't afford to let quality local juniors move on

Honestly man i love walks , he's up there with dce as my favorite. He is the most dangerous centre in the comp , he's happy and doesn't take s..t off anyone. Your right he's having a good season and playing well and i think we will see alot of years of this .

 

[Kevinward777]

So we could get Walker, Taupau and Keep Tom id say it was a pretty wise decision.

Correct, and those retention facts have been pointed out many times but still Bozo gets dumped on over Gutherson. We actually let Hiku and Gutherson go and picked up Tapau and Walker. Bozo and Barrett also knew they needed to upgrade Tom and Jake. And in anyone's language that is a big big gain for the Manly club. Last year Hiku was spoken about as a big loss also, strangely it's gone quiet on that front. And, as good as Gutho is going, Turbo has the potential to be much better. Throw in Walker now that he's playing centre and I wouldn't swap either for Gutherson.

 

[Holmsey]

I'd have him ahead of Walker.Walker is playing well this season but I suspect he'll have an inconsistent career.Whilst I think Gutherson will go from strength to strength.He was a local junior so if he wasn't moved on,fair chance he'd of had a long career at the club.Clubs can't afford to let quality local juniors move on

Walker was one of the NRLs top 5 centres in 2013, 14 and 15. Won a premiership, represented Aus and NSW.

2016 struggled play out of position until around round 17 when he was switched back to centres instantly destroyed Dragons in round 18 and was good for the rest of the year.

2017 has become the worlds best centre by a long way and is a character and brings something to a team. No better back in the game at the moment and no better centre.

Inconsistent i assume you are talking about Gutherson?

 

[brad]

I think we all liked ole gutho but him or tommy is a no brainer.

 

[BOZO]

I think we all liked ole gutho but him or tommy is a no brainer.

So true and you cant keep them all . No team ever does

 

[Bearfax]

Dont get me onto the Gutherson blunder. I've said what I thought from the moment I heard he had left. And it wasnt to keep Walker, Taupau and Tom T. It was because they thought they had the backline tied up with Matai and Stewart and needed more forward strength. Trouble is most of the forwards they bought were second rate. Gutherson was already signed for 3 years and as we have seen he was a pretty decent 5/8, something I alluded to following a junior rep game I saw years ago.

 

[Snake]

I think you are misinterpreting my comments about Parker. I am not saying he isnt up to first grade or that he isnt well thought of. I was merely pointing out that he has had very limited first grade experience and we still dont know at that level how good he will become. For that reason I wouldn't, if I was choosing, replace Kelly with Parker, unless through injury, because better to have someone who has been proving his worth at first grade, even if many supporters question the quality of his performances, with someone yet to prove his worth at this level.

In the end Parker may be better, but lets not rush it just because some arent totally enamoured by a young guy in his first year. I remember watching week by week a young Bob Fulton in his first year. He was of course younger, but he was at best solid with occasional flashes of brilliance. Manly's star was Frank Stanton in those days, and in 1966 he was streets better than Fulton. But Fulton benefited from that first year and within two years was showing how exceptional he would become. No one thought to drop him because his play was for the most part just satisfactory. He needed that year of experience to help make him become what he became. Let Kelly learn the trade against the best. If he doesnt make it, at least he's had the opportunity. But for now he's in my mind better than most first year players

Fair enough...I take your point and I don't necessarily disagree with you. I have said all along that I am not totally against the idea of Kelly staying put...I really like a lot of the things he has been doing. The reason I probably am growing a little frustrated is because I knew he was going to have that ball knocked out when he was running out of the in goal against the Panthers; it was obvious the way he was carrying the football. He is becoming that heart in the mouth type footballer and when players get like that, I think they need a rest. His ball carrying is ordinary, it's not the first time he has fumbled the ball and it could turn a tight game in the semi-finals.

I'll still be cheering him on and I do think that he has done well for a rookie.

 

[Fluffy]

more than just Woodsie were on him early

 

[Tomay]

Kid looks good and has red hair. There's not enough red heads going around at the moment, so he's bound to be good.

 

[winnyason]

Parker was good but its one game. Kelly got the talent we need to stick by the kid. He had some good games dogs at home comes to mind.
Parker was solid but kelly can be a match winner.

 

[qldeagle]

Parker was good but its one game. Kelly got the talent we need to stick by the kid. He had some good games dogs at home comes to mind.
Parker was solid but kelly can be a match winner.

I think Parker is much more of a match winner than Kelly.

 

[Fluffy]

Parker is also younger than Kelly and has plenty of talent as well.

From what i have seen he is a true footballer, like Jake he can read the game really well and get himself in the right place at the right time.

 

[Clay]

Correct, and those retention facts have been pointed out many times but still Bozo gets dumped on over Gutherson. We actually let Hiku and Gutherson go and picked up Tapau and Walker. Bozo and Barrett also knew they needed to upgrade Tom and Jake. And in anyone's language that is a big big gain for the Manly club. Last year Hiku was spoken about as a big loss also, strangely it's gone quiet on that front. And, as good as Gutho is going, Turbo has the potential to be much better. Throw in Walker now that he's playing centre and I wouldn't swap either for Gutherson.

For me the biggest reason I "dump" on Bozo is he had DCE a lot cheaper and the contract was pulled to keep Foran.
Massive fck up.
The Matai/Snake problem is again created by the club.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Gutherson is a full back not a center. Actually not a bad 5/8 if you have an organiser as your other half but no way i would ever swap gutho for walker in the center position. Walker is killing it this year. In the top couple of centers for mine in the nrl.see the match today and how he set up that last try. Amazing

 

[double hoops]

Parker was a breath of fresh air today. And We didnt win that game without him.

Two weeks time may be a different story. But it was a change that should have happened weeks ago.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Kid looks good and has red hair. There's not enough red heads going around at the moment, so he's bound to be good.

Good to see our support base extends as far afield as Canada's Atlantic provinces.

And people, here in Australia we spell it as 'centre.' Not the ugly, dumbed down American spelling.

 

[nightster]

Parker was good but its one game. Kelly got the talent we need to stick by the kid. He had some good games dogs at home comes to mind.
Parker was solid but kelly can be a match winner.

We are lucky to have two strong young centres to back Walker ...

 

[globaleagle]

Good to see our support base extends as far afield as Canada's Atlantic provinces.

And people, here in Australia we spell it as 'centre.' Not the ugly, dumbed down American spelling.

In Canada...people quote the correct quote.

lol