Brad Parker

[HoldenV8]

Look, I know Brad Parker is a local junior and all that, but is he really first grade standard?

He's been an injury prone fringe player for about 3 years now and TBH, other than some solid defence at times, he really doesn't offer much at all as a player other than an extra body.

In my 36 years following the game and this club, I have never seen anyone go over the dead ball line from a kick off / re-start like we saw from him tonight. No awareness of where he was in relation to the line. None at all. All he needed to do was plant his feet, one each side of the line, and catch the ball and we would have had a penalty on the halfway. Instead he manages to just about fall over the dead ball line and we have to do a line drop out.

I know he's probably not ready to be a regular first grader just yet, but I would honestly prefer Tom Wright to get a run next time. At least he offers more in attack. He can run (faster) and pass, two things we rarely see from Parker whenever he's in first grade.

I wonder how just how many other NRL teams would play Parker in first grade?

 

[Andrew..]

I kind of have a soft spot for the bloke but I can’t disagree with most of what you’ve stated. I hope he improves but it’s a cutthroat game and if he doesn’t make the best of the chances he’s been given he could start to slide down in the pecking order.

 

[Kevinward777]

Look, I know Brad Parker is a local junior and all that, but is he really first grade standard?

He's been an injury prone fringe player for about 3 years now and TBH, other than some solid defence at times, he really doesn't offer much at all as a player other than an extra body.

In my 36 years following the game and this club, I have never seen anyone go over the dead ball line from a kick off / re-start like we saw from him tonight. No awareness of where he was in relation to the line. None at all. All he needed to do was plant his feet, one each side of the line, and catch the ball and we would have had a penalty on the halfway. Instead he manages to just about fall over the dead ball line and we have to do a line drop out.

I know he's probably not ready to be a regular first grader just yet, but I would honestly prefer Tom Wright to get a run next time. At least he offers more in attack. He can run (faster) and pass, two things we rarely see from Parker whenever he's in first grade.

I wonder how just how many other NRL teams would play Parker in first grade?

I’ve never been impressed with him from the beginning. He’s living of his debut game where he defended well against Manu Vatuvai. He’s not quick, definitely not athletic and offers very little to the side.

 

[MadMarcus]

It was a bad error but I’ve seen some very good players make mistakes off kick offs over the years. I think Parker is the least of our worries to be honest.

 

[mave]

Seriously, all he had to do was put a foot on the line and touch the ball, didn't even need to try and catch it.
Dumb stuff from Parker, in a game full of dumb stuff from the other 16 blokes.

 

[Rusty Cage]

Was a strange decision picking Parker on the bench in the first place. Would of thought Tom Wright could cover more positions (though Parker could of slotted into fullback with Matt the utility).

I like Parker, but he does have some deer in the headlight moments.

 

[Sue]

Good defence hides the fact he is not even close to what is is required in attack by a winger in the NRL. Look at the gun wingers. Tall, athletic, dynamic speed.... he looks slow. It’s hard not to like the kid because he busts his gut but he’s just not good enough.

 

[Tomay]

He should probably add some weight and start working on becoming a second rower.

I don’t see any indication that Tom wright is going to do any better at this stage and in fact throwing him in there now could hinder his career. Potential is one thing, ability is another.

 

[Sue]

He may not be ready but he has more potential in his big toe than Brad.Doesnt mean he’ll make it but even at his best Parker just doesn’t have the X factor required to be a top class flanker.

Season is over. Worth a shot.

 

[maxta]

The hard part is he has a genuine go, but is a quality park footballer and a poor NRL player.
Most carries he looks likely to drop the ball even before contact.
His defence again is average and as above, not having a crack at the kid because he tried harder than many of his team mates, simply not that good.
Ppl were back and forth about Tom Wright.....very, very surprised he did not get a bench spot above Parker as at least he would add impact, which may have come in handy in a lacklustre game where there was an obvious lack of spark.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Like many of our players just not first grade standard, Sadly as he’s likeable but that doesn’t cut the mustard!!

 

[Ryan]

Good player. I just think he tries too hard and gets nervous. He's just a kid.

 

[KNUCKLES]

Good player. I just think he tries too hard and gets nervous. He's just a kid.

Nathan Cleary. Tom turbo, Brian Kelly are just kids also

 

[germaneagle]

Being blooded as a first grader at Manly these days means making errors that when highlighted will go down as times the game when we had momentum and now we don,t prime example was Tigers game last year. How many more games or years do we have to suffer these fringe fist grader is anyone's guess at the moment.

 

[wombatgc]

Average at best.

 

[manly al]

Brad is a good natural footballer with some real ability but don"t think that wing is his most suited position . Had one real good game in the centres last season but if Walker . Kelly and Suli are going to be ranked ahead of him in the foreseeable future, maybe more of a utility role for him [ to cover centre or back row ]

 

[HoldenV8]

Being blooded as a first grader at Manly these days means making errors that when highlighted will go down as times the game when we had momentum and now we don,t prime example was Tigers game last year. How many more games or years do we have to suffer these fringe fist grader is anyone's guess at the moment.

That error against the Tigpies I can actually forgive him for because he mainly dropped it due to having done (I think) his MCL in that particular tackle and its not uncommon for a player to drop the ball like he did when they have suffered an injury.

But that goes to another point. Brad Parker seems to be more injury prone than Ferris was, and Ferris was let go mostly because of that.

 

[globaleagle]

SBW once went to put the ball down for a try, slipped over and his foot went out.

So I'm not stamping Brad's papers just yet.

 

[HoldenV8]

I wouldn't stamp his papers just yet either, but TBH Parker really doesn't any reason why he should be in first grade.

 

[Class of 96]

I wonder how just how many other NRL teams would play Parker in first grade?

Parramatta