Centres and winger - are we happy now ?

[Indy0204]

I feel like one more genuine first grade winger and I'd be happy - maybe we already have that in Funa. I wasn't overly impressed with Miski to be honest.

 

[The better Robbo]

There were times pre season, even early season we were very thin on outside backs 2,3,4 and 5...

Early on -
Taufua was being called out to retire
parker very suspect.
No Walker for legal reasons and in short game time was questioned.
Elliott did not instill confidence
Suli seemed destined for the door.
Garrick was a good surprise and added goals.

Since then -
Taufua back to good form and Massive carries out of trouble.
Parker the biggest improvement in the NRL - (imo)
Walker though 5/8, looks hungry and playing great footy.
Elliott has been exceptional (minus the no passing)
Suli in blockbusting form and looks hungry (wrong word)
Garrick has improved to the point of potential Rookie of the year

Definitely happy BUT are they strong enough to win a comp? Only time will tell. If we keep all the backs we have plus Funa and Hoppa ready next year then maybe thats enough... Id really like to see Simona added aswell, a bargain price and a match winner with pace would complete our backline nicely. We won't have the coin to spend up big so have to be smart.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Have you ever seen Horhay pass the ball ?? You'd hate to be outside him on the wing

Garricks defence isn't what you'd call watertight - misses a lot of one on one shots on his opposite number
Elliot rated as "exceptional" is a little more effusive than I'm prepared to offer, I'd settle for a solid. He's been good for depth but he ain't knocking anyone out of the top 17

But have to agree our backline has exceeded my expectations. I think we are one really sharp, dynamic, line breaking winger short of being a really good team

So do you leave out jorge or garrick? Imo we can do better then jorge but Garrick will become a top line winger hes a goer has skill speed and size. He will only get better and better. Plus he kicks. Jorge does good carries out of our own end and he is a tough defender when he gets it right but his play the balls are so slow and he often looks completely lost or not interested. That bailey simmonsen from Canberra looks the goods.....

 

[HoldenV8]

I feel like one more genuine first grade winger and I'd be happy - maybe we already have that in Funa. I wasn't overly impressed with Miski to be honest.

Miski was OK and did a decent job filling in, but being honest, international or not (and remember its only Lebanon, no offence) if he wants a regular first grade gig he'd have a better chance on the Gold Coast.

@Dan ... you mentioned before about Taufua and the centres. He was a junior centre before coming to Manly and getting his first grade start here on the wing after Michael Oldfield was dropped.....and he's been there ever since.

Oldfield.....now there was a disappointment. Bloody fast, but when the ball was kicked behind him he often showed little urgency in his turn and chase and opposition wingers usually just ran past him. Even Des tired of that. Tooves gave him first crack at Robbo's spot, but after just 5 games (6 if you include the 2012 World Club Challenge), he was dropped for Jorge who never looked back. Since then, Jorge has been a mainstay while Oldfield bounced around the NRL and Super League and probably had his best run at Catalans.

 

[KOMORI]

Without going in-depth...

I remember when every kick down field was a source of anxiety, no matter who it was kicked to... now it’s a sense of anticipation for how good the return will be..

 

[The Insomniac]

I feel like one more genuine first grade winger and I'd be happy - maybe we already have that in Funa. I wasn't overly impressed with Miski to be honest.

I reckon we should look @ Euwen Atkin
Des would sort out those defensive lapses and he is a dynamic runner. Move big Red back to the wing. Goodbye George.

 

[The Insomniac]

Can you slot Garrick in for Wolfman for the 2013 GF.
We beat the Roosters then as Garrick more than tall enough to combat Tupou.

No not really. He was only 16 @ the time weighed 75kgs and was only 5ft 10.

 

[Chip and Chase]

So do you leave out jorge or garrick? Imo we can do better then jorge but Garrick will become a top line winger hes a goer has skill speed and size. He will only get better and better. Plus he kicks. Jorge does good carries out of our own end and he is a tough defender when he gets it right but his play the balls are so slow and he often looks completely lost or not interested. That bailey simmonsen from Canberra looks the goods.....

Horhay just signed a 2 year extension so that says to me that Des is a fan. Strange signing if you ask me, I love Jorgey boy, but he has zero utility value and his match awareness and contest engagement is poor. He has a very narrow band of what he perceives his role is and that doesn't alter from match to match.

 

[double hoops]

I'm still not sold on Taufua.

I accept his game has improved significantly under Des. He is catching the best I have seen him. And touch wood but that silly knock on, or crap play of the ball turn over has decreased as well.

My concern is all about how slow the big fella runs in 2019. If he is injured, it has been there all year and he is doing the best he can on half a leg.

I commend his courage, his improvement and tuff carries from kicks.

Yet still wonder if he is our best option on that wing.

 

[Oracle]

I still want walker as a centre that can fill in at 6. He is going good so far but what would he be like with cust or elgey for extended time

Cust= a lot to learn ,be more instinctive, give early ball
Elgey =total failure,Titans knew this when we played them and lost
In Des we trust

 

[Go manly]

Garrick, Suli, Elliott, Parker and Jorge ... are all quality first graders .... but none of the are yet .. or will be ... representative standard.

They are what they are ... and at their combined cost ... a very servicable unit ... they are playing very well behind a competetive forward pack and doing their jobs well ...

They all have improvement in them ... but to answer your question @maxta ... which one of them would you take over Wolfeman, Matai, Lyons,and Robertson ....

The Three try hero Robbo

 

[HoldenV8]

To be fair mate, Croker has made a pretty good career out of not passing the ball from centre

Part of the reason why he has never played Origin. That and his iffy defence.

 

[HoldenV8]

I still want walker as a centre that can fill in at 6. He is going good so far but what would he be like with cust or elgey for extended time

If Walker does go back to centre at some point I for one would much rather see Croker in the #6 than either Cust or Elgey.

Elgey was a flop. He tried hard, I'll give him that. But he was a flop.

Cust, sure he went OK but the reality is he was only an injury replacement at this stage. First Croker did his hammy, then there was Elgey's piss poor form which saw him dropped. And then to top it off, Brad Parker broke his jaw. If Des had any plans to move Walker to 5/8 when LG was dropped, he had to shelve them because we needed a centre AND a 5/8 and since Walker is normally a centre, he got moved to the left side to cover Parker and after that, Cust was what was left. But as soon as Croker and Parker were back on deck, Parker came back into the centres, Walker was moved to 5/8, Croker to the bench when Api was injured (then to the extended bench), and Cust was dropped. Though because it happened to coincide with his concussion people thought he was just injured and would be straight back in which was never really going to be the case. Edit: also remember that DCE got injured around that time as well so Des really had no choice but to keep LG at halfback for a few games and bring Cust into the side.

Lets put it this way, if Cust, Croker or LG were going to come in and play 5/8.....when Parker did his knee against the Warriors then Des would have put Walker into the centres and probably played Croker. But he didn't do that, instead opting to leave Walks in the halves and bring in Elliot to cover at centre.

 

[Dan]

Part of the reason why he has never played Origin. That and his iffy defence.

So in other words a perfect analog for Jorge?

 

[HoldenV8]

So in other words a perfect analog for Jorge?

Probably lol.

A couple of weeks ago on his Freddie and the Eighth show, Brad Fittler basically alluded to the fact that Croker's lack of passing and sometimes selfish play in attack, and his often poor defensive decision making, was what has kept him out of the NSW side throughout his career despite his point scoring deeds for Canberra. And TBH, with Tedesco at the back meaning Tom is playing centre for NSW, as well as having Latrell Mitchell and James Roberts, I really can't see Croker ever getting Origin selection unless there are injuries.

 

[master blaster]

They've exceeded expectations.

However it'll be a test this weekend for Elliot and Taufua. Marking up against Leipana.

They will want to prepare Walker because he is bound to get tested verbally by lippy the lion Joey Leilua . Remember last year down there I think it was. I bet they give it to him for sure. Be strong Dylan

 

[Oracle]

If Walker does go back to centre at some point I for one would much rather see Croker in the #6 than either Cust or Elgey.

Elgey was a flop. He tried hard, I'll give him that. But he was a flop.

Cust, sure he went OK but the reality is he was only an injury replacement at this stage. First Croker did his hammy, then there was Elgey's piss poor form which saw him dropped. And then to top it off, Brad Parker broke his jaw. If Des had any plans to move Walker to 5/8 when LG was dropped, he had to shelve them because we needed a centre AND a 5/8 and since Walker is normally a centre, he got moved to the left side to cover Parker and after that, Cust was what was left. But as soon as Croker and Parker were back on deck, Parker came back into the centres, Walker was moved to 5/8, Croker to the bench when Api was injured (then to the extended bench), and Cust was dropped. Though because it happened to coincide with his concussion people thought he was just injured and would be straight back in which was never really going to be the case.

Lets put it this way, if Cust, Croker or LG were going to come in and play 5/8.....when Parker did his knee against the Warriors then Des would have put Walker into the centres and probably played Croker. But he didn't do that, instead opting to leave Walks in the halves and bring in Elliot to cover at centre.

Damn !
Very well explained and your absolutely right
As you touched on I don’t think it was any coincidence Walker ended inside Parker at 5/8 on the left .
I remember Parker saying Walker was helping him on some specifics that might help him play centre. (When Walker was stood down)
No doubt astute thinking on Des’s part to switch things up
To be honest we don’t have the positional strength the more fancied teams have.
but !, considering what Des has to work with I can see the belief he has instilled in this team is producing unquantifiable potential that defies belief. (Well!, as far as fox reporting goes)
Every aspect of our game is building, our combinations are up,our scrambling defence
against the storm proved what we are capable of.
The steel in this team will be put to the test over these last few games but the talk I’m hearing is the boys can’t wait.

 

[Stevo]

I don't think we can win a premiership while walker has vacated the centre role. Either he has to be replaced or we find a top line 5/8. I'd be keeping Parker because his turn around has been enormous. I'm not sold on Suli. I see some good things from him but i also see him barely breaking tackles. When a player of his size and speed hits a gap out wide he should break tackles at will IMO. Instead it rarely happens. I'd be happy to give him 1 more year to see how it turns out though.

Also i'd like Des to force him to get a haircut. Anyone with hair like that doesn't take life seriously.

I'd much prefer we spent any money we have on bolstering our front row stocks. Boyle looks ok but i'd much prefer it if he were not the forward leader when Tapau and AFB go off.

How much longer do we have to wait for Paseka to hit his straps? He's massive and he looks like a great athlete but where is the aggression and will to break the line? And as for Perrett, this season has been the story of his career. Kills it in reserve grade and comes into first grade and plays like Jane. I feel like he has always had a higher opinion of his own abilities than anyone else.

Cut the dead wood.

 

[Woodsie]

Can you slot Garrick in for Wolfman for the 2013 GF.
We beat the Roosters then as Garrick more than tall enough to combat Tupou.

Garrick has a long way to go to reach Wolfman's level .... I will swap him for the 2103 GF ... if you can guarantee that he will not make an error, miss a tackle or get out jumped by Tupou ... or is he human too ...

 

[Woodsie]

They will want to prepare Walker because he is bound to get tested verbally by lippy the lion Joey Leilua . Remember last year down there I think it was. I bet they give it to him for sure. Be strong Dylan

That is a two way street ... and the giant green toad-man can give away a stupid penalty or 5 with the best of numbnuts .... bring on the attitude Dylan ... get it up 'em!