Cust

[Daddycool]

It’s just my perception of it but I get the impression Cust is fairly cocky and would be inclined to talk himself up a bit around the team. I wonder if this has been going on over the past couple of weeks and he’s started to get some of the senior players and Hasler annoyed by it. Yes he’s been backing it up on the field but perhaps the impending return of Walker and his contract extension brought it all to a head during the week. It will be interesting to see what team runs out next week.

 

[Budgie]

Does anyone here have inside knowledge on how and why he was dropped ?
Didnt think so !
If Cust played ,and had a shocker ,Is it Des's fault that he didnt show faith in one of his senior guys (in Walker) ?
Damned if he does ,Damned if he doesnt ?

He was Man of the Match last week and not in the 17. Croker was. Des made a colossal mistake.

 

[robbiea]

He was Man of the Match last week and not in the 17. Croker was. Des made a colossal mistake.

I mean there is a lot of unknown assumptions ,maybe he was injured .Maybe he struggled through training this week.We don't know the full story.
I know Des was the hero to all last year.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Does anyone here have inside knowledge on how and why he was dropped ?
Didnt think so !
If Cust played ,and had a shocker ,Is it Des's fault that he didnt show faith in one of his senior guys (in Walker) ?
Damned if he does ,Damned if he doesnt ?

Just think it was a bad call. Crocker has been playing the interchange hooker so Dez left it like that, not knowing Walker would pick up a new injury in the very first set!

Cust is a wayyyy better 5/8 than Crocker and can play interchange hooker just as well. Much better choice to have on the bench.

 

[Budgie]

It’s just my perception of it but I get the impression Cust is fairly cocky and would be inclined to talk himself up a bit around the team. I wonder if this has been going on over the past couple of weeks and he’s started to get some of the senior players and Hasler annoyed by it. Yes he’s been backing it up on the field but perhaps the impending return of Walker and his contract extension brought it all to a head during the week. It will be interesting to see what team runs out next week.

Like Hastings you mean?
If you must speculate why wouldn't you be thinking about DCE's role in it. Twice now he's had an up and coming 6 and twice that guy has been dropped. Just because Cust plays with confidence doesn't make him a cocky personality. I suppose they wouldn't have wanted Andrew Johns in the team either.
Bad to speculate.

 

[Hotspur2014]

Why can’t Des just come out and tell us why he was in the original starting 13 and then disappears into dust ? I smell something and the AFB dropped ball in the first set also had a bad smell !!!

 

[KNUCKLES]

Why can’t Des just come out and tell us why he was in the original starting 13 and then disappears into dust ? I smell something and the AFB dropped ball in the first set also had a bad smell !!!

Maybe tamou farted

 

[robbiea]

Just think it was a bad call. Crocker has been playing the interchange hooker so Dez left it like that, not knowing Walker would pick up a new injury in the very first set!

Cust is a wayyyy better 5/8 than Crocker and can play interchange hooker just as well. Much better choice to have on the bench.

Don't get me wrong .I'm not advocating against Cust ,as I too believe he is a way better half than Croker and Walker together.
We just don't know the full story !!

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Des did a short interview on Fox League during the half-time break of the Cows/Raiders game. Said it was probably hard on Cade, but that Dylan was the first-choice half and would bring a lot of experience. Was probably hoping Walker would last longer than 10 minutes…

 

[KueV2]

You would think with the way DCE was cut down by Thurston, Smith and Co he would be happy for the coach to pick the best squad on the day. You know, to win games of football.
Seems best outcomes on the field come second to who is best buddies off it. Pick the best available team, play well and start winning and matters like who is a prickly pear soon disappear.

DCE wasn't only given a hard time at QLD, our Captain was on the nose with plenty of the boys club at Manly a few years back. Thankfully we had a coach who picked him on merit regardless.

For as long a Cust is at Manly and fit he should be in the team at 6, 9 or reserve. Better option than Dylan at 6, better option than Levi at 9 and better option than Croker of the bench, but who isn't?
If we persist with Walker in the halves we can only hope Cust interchanges with Levi going forward. Much better cover. The Panthers game was over when walker was injured because Croker was on the bench instead of Cust. Every time Croker or Levi touch the football in the opposition twenty I feel like I'm watching a car crash in slow motion. Levi is energetic and talented but has no bloody brain. Wastes tackles on low percentage plays, doesn't know where the half is on the last and can't kick, can't count. Still a better option when he can't pass to Croker though.

 

[mickqld]

Interesting comments re the dropping of Cust and the very poor form of some of our reliable forwards last night. Something doesn't smell right about the last week. I have a feeling there might be factions and rumblings in the camp judging by that piss poor effort last night.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Des did a short interview on Fox League during the half-time break of the Cows/Raiders game. Said it was probably hard on Cade, but that Dylan was the first-choice half and would bring a lot of experience. Was probably hoping Walker would last longer than 10 minutes…

Yeah maybe. But he still could have been on the bench.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Yeah maybe. But he still could have been on the bench.

Definitely. But he really should have been in the run-on side. Given that Walker had been out so long and, like Tom, has a body composition that includes large amounts of tissue paper, the smart thing to do would have been to start with Cust and play Dylan off the bench. He could have covered Scorpio's concussion or even got some time in the halves. But it didn't happen that way.

 

[Daddycool]

It’s not unusual for teams to have “factions” or cliques. You’ll always have this to a degree with the senior players and the younger emerging players. We’ve had that situation plenty of times over the past 10-15 years with varying levels of success. Its also fair to say Cherry-Evans has been at the centre of it, on most of those occasions. Both good and bad.
I was just giving my observations on what I think may have occurred last week. I will say that I haven’t been that impressed with either Cust or DCE previous to a month ago but Cust has been much improved in the past two games (which has been great to see) and DCE was arguably our best last night.
Hopefully Cust plus a host of our younger players get a decent run over the next month so we can see how they go.

 

[Little Grubber Kick]

Des did a short interview on Fox League during the half-time break of the Cows/Raiders game. Said it was probably hard on Cade, but that Dylan was the first-choice half and would bring a lot of experience. Was probably hoping Walker would last longer than 10 minutes…

The crux of the issue lies here "Dylan was the first-choice half".

The Dylan first choice half experiment was tried and deemed an outstanding....cough....unsuccess 4 years ago. Is this what's meant by 'flogging a dead horse'?

This week was actually the perfect opportunity to relish having an in form Cust at 5/8 and Walker back out to the centres where he belongs. He was Dally M 'Centre of the Year' in 2017.

I do also recall that Walker much preferred the centres, has he changed his mind?

And I should also balance that by saying I'm not yet a Custard by any stretch........

 

[Nordburg]

It’s not unusual for teams to have “factions” or cliques. You’ll always have this to a degree with the senior players and the younger emerging players. We’ve had that situation plenty of times over the past 10-15 years with varying levels of success. Its also fair to say Cherry-Evans has been at the centre of it, on most of those occasions. Both god and bad.
I was just giving my observations on what I think may have occurred last week. I will say that I haven’t been that impressed with either Cust or DCE previous to a month ago but Cust has been much improved in the past two games (which has been great to see) and DCE was arguably our best last night.
Hopefully Cust plus a host of our younger players get a decent run over the next month so we can see how they go.

The reservations I have over bringing in a “host of younger players”and I suspect Des does too,is evidenced by the Broncos.Bringing them in one or two at max at a time works well because they can learn and have support from the senior players.The Broncos young players are trying to get by on their own,this despite having a 300+ gamer in Darius in the side(

 

[davohan123]

Interesting comments re the dropping of Cust and the very poor form of some of our reliable forwards last night. Something doesn't smell right about the last week. I have a feeling there might be factions and rumblings in the camp judging by that piss poor effort last night.

something seems very off
yes specially afb he looked very disinterested last night and was a shadow of the player that played in last years finals series specially that first final against the sharks.

rumbilings in the camp and disunity very obvious to me.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Could be rubblings or more likely just be attitude like DCE stated. It's been a problem all year, some good tough games followed by some weak performances. DCE tried hard, he always does but it seems since Tom has gone down when we are behind in points, we don't have as much self belief. If we start well, different story. If we get behind, defence and attitude goes to ****

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Also something in the Telegraph today about a star player who was asked to play fullback by his coach but refused and ran out in the halves. Not sure who that was meant to refer to but it crossed my mind it could have been Walker.

 

[Shoe1]

Also something in the Telegraph today about a star player who was asked to play fullback by his coach but refused and ran out in the halves. Not sure who that was meant to refer to but it crossed my mind it could have been Walker.

Can’t be, there is no way Elliot would have been asked to play 6.