Croker today has delivered

[mave]

You denied calling him a cancer in the game day thread. Your exact word there was cancerous. Its the same thing mate.

The only cancer was the coach at the time. Croker was thrust into a position last year that he simply wasn't ready for and that wasn't his fault. He was brought into the club strictly as a backup at a time when we still had Blake Green. Once he was released and we missed out on (in order) Brock Lamb, Mitchell Pearce, Trent Hodkinson, Matt Moylan and allegedly Todd Carney, that left it a two horse race and everyone knows that we would have been much better served with DCE-Hastings as our halves. But the coach got his knickers in a twist over Hastings and that was that which basically doomed us from the start.

Lachlan Croker was never a cancer. He just wasn't ready to play first grade last year and certainly wasn't ready to be our first choice 5/8. It would seem though that playing more in NSW Cup before coming in this year, plus being under a coach who actually knows what he is doing, has shown that maybe he is now ready for first grade. Only time will tell if he is about to embark on a good first grade career, or if Sunday's performance was just a blip on the rugby league oblivion radar.

Lol.
I dont even know where to start in a reply to this.

 

[mave]

You denied calling him a cancer in the game day thread. Your exact word there was cancerous. Its the same thing mate.

The only cancer was the coach at the time. Croker was thrust into a position last year that he simply wasn't ready for and that wasn't his fault. He was brought into the club strictly as a backup at a time when we still had Blake Green. Once he was released and we missed out on (in order) Brock Lamb, Mitchell Pearce, Trent Hodkinson, Matt Moylan and allegedly Todd Carney, that left it a two horse race and everyone knows that we would have been much better served with DCE-Hastings as our halves. But the coach got his knickers in a twist over Hastings and that was that which basically doomed us from the start.

Lachlan Croker was never a cancer. He just wasn't ready to play first grade last year and certainly wasn't ready to be our first choice 5/8. It would seem though that playing more in NSW Cup before coming in this year, plus being under a coach who actually knows what he is doing, has shown that maybe he is now ready for first grade. Only time will tell if he is about to embark on a good first grade career, or if Sunday's performance was just a blip on the rugby league oblivion radar.

Ok. I'm giving this a go.

Yes I most certainly did call Croker "the cancerous one".
Maybe @BOZO may be able to enlighten you as to why.

Croker was in fact 100% ready for 1st Grade last season. Our illustrious coach at the time though, thought it best to simply use Croker as a shovel, without letting him actually play his natural game. It is well established that the previous coach is a dimwit.
I'm not going there, again.

No blip. Croker is 1st grade material imo. Hopefully Des gives him some time, obviously the DCE injury forced his hand.

 

[HoldenV8]

Ok. I'm giving this a go.

Yes I most certainly did call Croker "the cancerous one".
Maybe @BOZO may be able to enlighten you as to why.

Croker was in fact 100% ready for 1st Grade last season. Our illustrious coach at the time though, thought it best to simply use Croker as a shovel, without letting him actually play his natural game. It is well established that the previous coach is a dimwit.
I'm not going there, again.

No blip. Croker is 1st grade material imo. Hopefully Des gives him some time, obviously the DCE injury forced his hand.

Sorry to disagree but I don't believe Croker was ready and his performances showed that regardless of the role that Barrett had him playing. It was only in the game he got injured (coincidentally against Canberra at Brookvale) did he start to show any sort of good form. Even in that 54-0 win over the worms, seriously we could have played Marty Taupau at 5/8 that day and still won easily such was the lack of quality from the opposition on the day.

I tend to agree with one thing though, I don't think Sunday's performance will be just a blip on the radar. Des obviously saw more in him at this stage than he does LG which is why he went with him at 5/8. And his early missed tackles might have just come down to pure nerves and probably that he wouldn't have done as much first team training with the side as LG would have up until now. Once he got a try on the board though you could see his confidence rising and in the second half he was pretty damn good, especially as he literally had to take over running the side when DCE went off.

If we had lost Cherry in the early rounds of 2018 I don't think that Croker would have had it in him to take charge. But fast forward 12 months with a new (much better) coach, new approach, new found confidence, taking charge is exactly what he did.

I would honestly say that I think regardless of the DCE injury, Croker's performance on Sunday would have cemented his spot for at least this week against the Dogs. Its LG who seems to be the one in a fight to regain his spot, though he will probably get another chance now that Cherry is out injured because I get the feeling that the only time we'll really see Hodkinson in first grade is if we have no other choice.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

@mave may be time to let it rest, those of us who saw the comment at the time are unlikely to forget, it was bad taste, to put it mildly, but there's little joy to be had in rehashing it a year later, as the author of the original comment despite his protestations clearly has no intention of owning it, or withdrawing it, so best left in the deep past. Time to move on (merely my humble suggestion).

 

[mave]

@mave may be time to let it rest, those of us who saw the comment at the time are unlikely to forget, it was bad taste, to put it mildly, but there's little joy to be had in rehashing it a year later, as the author of the original comment despite his protestations clearly has no intention of owning it, or withdrawing it, so best left in the deep past. Time to move on (merely my humble suggestion).

Yeah agreed.
Will let it go.

 

[HoldenV8]

Yeah agreed.
Will let it go.

I'll second that.

Any objections? No?

Motion carried

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

I have watched a few NSW Cup games this year & Croker has hardly set the world on fire. However, I am pleased that he played so well on Sunday & hope that the extra responsibility of DCE being out will take his game to a new level.

 

[BOZO]

Ok. I'm giving this a go.

Yes I most certainly did call Croker "the cancerous one".
Maybe @BOZO may be able to enlighten you as to why.

Croker was in fact 100% ready for 1st Grade last season. Our illustrious coach at the time though, thought it best to simply use Croker as a shovel, without letting him actually play his natural game. It is well established that the previous coach is a dimwit.
I'm not going there, again.

No blip. Croker is 1st grade material imo. Hopefully Des gives him some time, obviously the DCE injury forced his hand.

This is eating you up isnt it @mave ? Dwelling on the past is not good for your health its Cancerous son
First of all I did not deny I called incompetent contributions to our teams demise like Crockers and Trents Cancerous to our Manlys Winning ways
I always call it as I see it and as a Passionate Manly supporter that loves to win and I was thrilled that Croker did not have a shoker like in previous games and he had very good game and showed potential . One good game does not make a good player Consistent performances do .

Any player or coach that contributes to tarnish the proud Manly jumper with mediocre performace that leads to a mediocre wooden spoon year for us to me is cancerous

Will you and any one stop me from expressing my self the way I see it ? No fcking way

 

[mave]

This is eating you up isnt it @mave ? Dwelling on the past is not good for your health its Cancerous son
First of all I did not deny I called incompetent contributions to our teams demise like Crockers and Trents Cancerous to our Manlys Winning ways
I always call it as I see it and as a Passionate Manly supporter that loves to win and I was thrilled that Croker did not have a shoker like in previous games and he had very good game and showed potential . One good game does not make a good player Consistent performances do .

Any player or coach that contributes to tarnish the proud Manly jumper with mediocre performace that leads to a mediocre wooden spoon year for us to me is cancerous

Will you and any one stop me from expressing my self the way I see it ? No fcking way

I've got no desire to stop you expressing your self/ opinion.
Go for gold.

When you call a 21 year old kid a "cancer on the side", then expect some ongoing feedback on the language you choose to use in your appraisal of said player.

The guy has a family. Let's not forget that.

 

[BOZO]

I've got no desire to stop you expressing your self/ opinion.
Go for gold.

When you call a 21 year old kid a "cancer on the side", then expect some ongoing feedback on the language you choose to use in your appraisal of said player.

The guy has a family. Let's not forget that.

We all have families . My family is also the proud Manly club and no one abuses it with wooden spoon performances

If you are old enough to go to war and dodge bulletts at 18 for your country then you are old enough to dodge the expressions of pissed off Manly fans from your mediocre performances .

Try playing your sentimental violin with some other soft cock on here and not me

 

[Sue]

I hope the kid isn’t held to Wally Lewis standard after this game. He had a cracker and what I like is he likes to mix it physically as well as play his role.

Des hit the nail on the head. Good first graders play 150 games at that level. He needs to play more and Des needs to see more before he can be called a first grader with a long career ahead of him.

This week is a great test. The lad won’t be Cherry’s deputy , he will be the Sherriff and he will be thinking about that all week. That brings its own pressure and some can handle it , some can’t .Let’s all hope (as one poster so eloquently puts it )we all like the cut of his jib over the next six rounds running the show. I wish him luck. He seems like a good kid with a great work ethic and tenacity to get back from injury.

 

[Pittwater Legend]

Good wholehearted kids who are incredibly courageous to come back from multiple serious injuries should always be celebrated. I’m with Tommy Turbo

 

[BOZO]

One needs more than a good heart and courage to win grand finals . My grand mother has a good heart and was a courageous woman as well .
He has shown potential and I hope for the sake of our team he continues to improve .
I like Tommy Turbo also congratulated him fof his fine game and hope he keeps it up
I like nothing more than seeing our players do our Manly jumper proud .

I like Tommy Turbo also congratulated him fof his fine game and hope he keeps it up

 

[mave]

We all have families . My family is also the proud Manly club and no one abuses it with wooden spoon performances

If you are old enough to go to war and dodge bulletts at 18 for your country then you are old enough to dodge the expressions of pissed off Manly fans from your mediocre performances .

Try playing your sentimental violin with some other soft cock on here and not me
View attachment 11303

Wooden spoon performances...lmao.

Croker had wooden spoon performances after 7 rounds ? Crokers season finished against the Raiders in round 7...we were competitive up until then, from memory?

 

[Pittwater Legend]

One needs more than a good heart and courage to win grand finals . My grand mother has a good heart and was a courageous woman as well .
He has shown potential and I hope for the sake of our team he continues to improve .
I like nothing more than seeing our players do our Manly jumper proud .

I’m with Tommy Turbo

Also we are still very early in our rebuild so chill the fark out

 

[BOZO]

Wooden spoon performances...lmao.

Croker had wooden spoon performances after 7 rounds ? Crokers season finished against the Raiders in round 7...we were competitive up until then, from memory?

After 7 rounds last year we were like a boxer with a glass jaw and never recovered after that . I have a memory as well

 

[BOZO]

I’m with Tommy Turbo

Also we are still very early in our rebuild so chill the fark out

I am with Tommy and all the ones that acknowledge a good display and I am proud of how Des has us winning against the odds
I am also one that does not like losing

 

[Adz]

Where's an effing cement truck when you need one?

 

[40 years an eagle]

Lachlan Croker the man to steer Manly in the skipper's absence
Author
Margie McDonaldSenior Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 30 Apr 2019, 02:05 PM
Manly prop Toff Sipley lives next door to Lachlan Croker and says he's a great neighbour. He's not so bad in the halves on a football field either.

"A lot of it is built off the back of his fitness," Sipley told NRL.com, ahead of the Sea Eagles's clash with the Bulldogs at Lottoland on Saturday.

"I'd say he is the fittest at our club based on the testings we do. He has a great attribute of always being around the ball.

"You saw those two tries he got [against the Raiders] and they came from his push-up support and being in the right place at the right time. Those two crucial tackles at the end showed how gritty he is."

Croker, who hadn't played in the NRL for 12 months due to a knee reconstruction, took over the Sea Eagles reins when halfback Daly Cherry-Evans injured his right ankle.

Along with his two tries he made a try-saving tackle on opposite half Sam Williams five metres out from the Manly line and then jumped out quickly to put Jack Wighton on his back in the final minute of play with the Raiders down by just four points 24-20. That ended up being the full-time score.

Match Highlights: Sea Eagles v Raiders

Croker played just eight games last season for the Sea Eagles before disaster struck.

"He's a great player. And from my point of view he is really tough," said back-rower Jack Gosiewski.

"I remember a couple of games last year when he split his head open, got it bandaged, and kept on playing. You've got to be tough to be one of the better halves and he is.

"He's obviously got good ball skills but his toughness stands out for me.

"He's a great under-pressure player and because he's not played footy for awhile he brings a lot of energy for us."

Fullback Brendan Elliot, who himself is in the Manly spine due to Tom Trbojevic's hamstring injury, said the team was right behind the new halves combination of Croker at No.7 and Kane Elgey at No.6.


"I've got big raps on both of them. I played with Kane last year at the Titans and he's a great mate. I'm enjoying playing with Crokes too because he has shown what he can do," Elliot said.

"If they are the starting pair this weekend they have all my faith.

"Everyone is alright but we're shattered for Chez with things like Origin but we're confident we can still do the job while he's out."

Manly playmaker Lachlan Croker.©Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
A journeyman somewhat with four clubs already to his name, Elliot also played with Nick Meaney at the Knights and will oppose him on Saturday.

"I've watched a fair bit of his game time at the Bulldogs and he's going really well. I'm very happy for him. He's a great young kid and a talented fullback as well."

Sipley said the mood had been upbeat at Manly despite Cherry-Evans news that he would be missing between four to six weeks.

"We had a good pre-season where a lot of boys trained in different positions so we were prepared for this," Sipley said.

"It will be a bit hard but we saw a few boys step up already last week, and you'll get to see some of our other leaders here take on that role this week.

"I can't go past Jake's effort leading us around last week. I wish I had some of those Trbojevic genes."

 

[yokahontas]

This is eating you up isnt it @mave ? Dwelling on the past is not good for your health its Cancerous son
First of all I did not deny I called incompetent contributions to our teams demise like Crockers and Trents Cancerous to our Manlys Winning ways
I always call it as I see it and as a Passionate Manly supporter that loves to win and I was thrilled that Croker did not have a shoker like in previous games and he had very good game and showed potential . One good game does not make a good player Consistent performances do .

Any player or coach that contributes to tarnish the proud Manly jumper with mediocre performace that leads to a mediocre wooden spoon year for us to me is cancerous

Will you and any one stop me from expressing my self the way I see it ? No fcking way

Mate, good for you that you can toss the ‘C’ word around willy nilly like it’s nothing. You obviously don’t have any direct experience with the horrible disease, which makes using it as an insult anathema to some of us.

If you can’t consider the fact this is a young kid, with a family, as a reason to pick another word, maybe give a moment’s thought to the other posters here who might also be uncomfortable with it being bandied around.

My partner is (hopefully) just approaching the light at the end of the tunnel in his own bout of cancer - and I don’t think, the entire time, I’ve heard him use the ‘c’ word once. It’s always skirted around with ‘growth’, ‘malignant’, ‘my health issues’. And that’s a big, tough, 42 year old male who can’t bring himself to say the word. I’ve also posted here before that one of the things that’s given me a less obsessive, more ‘it’s just a game’ perspective on football in recent years was losing a close relative to cancer at the age of 31. I know other forum members have had their own experiences with the noxious disease.

It’s not a joke or a clever adjective to throw around. But I’m sure you’ll miss the subtlety like you always do.