DCE at 9 our X factor for 2021

[Brisbane Tragic]

Des should play DCE at 9 while Fainu is out.

As NRL turns into touch football, hookers are becoming more like running halves. A 9 who can play quick (Cook/Grant) and also ball play/kick (Smith) is priceless. Sadly, Api came closest to that in 2020.

DCE at 9 would keep oppositions guessing. He might also regain his running game.

The main drawback is extra defence, but he's targetted heavily at 7 anyway. With DCE at 9, we could have another forward on bench to help with rotation/tackling workload. Also gives us another end-of-set kicking option (like Smith at Storm).

If Des was really innovative, he could rotate DCE/Foran during match.

My team for 2021:

8. Jake
9. DCE
10. Marty
11. Haumole
12. Jetski
13. Sironen

7. Foran
6. Schuster
5. Saab
4. Walker
3. Suli
2. Tuipulto
1. Tom

14. Jorge Tafua (edge back-rower/back cover)
15. Paseka
16. Alolai
17. Keppie (to rotate with Sironen)

18. Cust
19. Funa
20. Boyle
21. Davey

I do see the argument - very innovative idea and love your creativity indeed but not a chance of that happening. And Jorge as a bench forward - not a chance sorry. In both instances we have two players learning entirely new positions. Daley will not want to play hooker - not at all. Cust will play hooker I think. Jorge has been a great servant but the injury puts him behind the 8 ball and I dont see him playing a game in 2021.

 

[ManlyArmy]

Let's move the only player who did anything for us in 2020 out of his preferred position where he has played for Manly, Qld and Australia...

Oh yeah, and put a guy who plays less than 10 games a year in at halfback who is actually a 5/8

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

You don’t weaken one position to strengthen another. Who is going to play halfback?

Foran im assuming Schuster to 6 but yeah nah

Let's move the only player who did anything for us in 2020 out of his preferred position where he has played for Manly, Qld and Australia...

Oh yeah, and put a guy who plays less than 10 games a year in at halfback who is actually a 5/8

Agreed, Foran will do well in dces place

 

[Mal Cochrane]

This thread will cause a lot of arguments, which is unnecessary.

Anyway, my thoughts are he should play half AND hooker so he can start earning the money Manly overpaid him

 

[The better Robbo]

Des should play DCE at 9 while Fainu is out.

As NRL turns into touch football, hookers are becoming more like running halves. A 9 who can play quick (Cook/Grant) and also ball play/kick (Smith) is priceless. Sadly, Api came closest to that in 2020.

DCE at 9 would keep oppositions guessing. He might also regain his running game.

The main drawback is extra defence, but he's targetted heavily at 7 anyway. With DCE at 9, we could have another forward on bench to help with rotation/tackling workload. Also gives us another end-of-set kicking option (like Smith at Storm).

If Des was really innovative, he could rotate DCE/Foran during match.

My team for 2021:

8. Jake
9. DCE
10. Marty
11. Haumole
12. Jetski
13. Sironen

7. Foran
6. Schuster
5. Saab
4. Walker
3. Suli
2. Tuipulto
1. Tom

14. Jorge Tafua (edge back-rower/back cover)
15. Paseka
16. Alolai
17. Keppie (to rotate with Sironen)

18. Cust
19. Funa
20. Boyle
21. Davey

I have no doubt Chez would be a gun hooker. Will it happen? Probably not... Chez would be better suited than Foz at 9 and has played origin there and also when Ballin was injured Des used to move Chez there occasionally. I actually reckon Chez would be a Damien Cook type 9. It is a way of getting all our best players on the park

 

[Lindsay Drake]

There is more chance of me playing at hooker than DCE, and I’m a fat, bald 51yo who once met Des at Rome airport and shouted him a coffee.

 

[Mataiforever]

posts like this should be removed by admin

 

[Mataiforever]

I’m waiting to see what @Woodsie and @Kevinward777 think about this.

Can't predict what either would think.
Can predict, with certainty, that they will both (independently) disagree with each other

 

[Nice Beaver]

No.

 

[silvereagle]

There is more chance of me playing at hooker than DCE, and I’m a fat, bald 51yo who once met Des at Rome airport and shouted him a coffee.

For those of us who know Des... I think you made the right decision buying the coffee. Absolutely no chance of Des shouting!!!

ps. Foran at 9.....and he might just get through the season unscathed. DCE at half......Shuster at 6...…..Cust / Croker at 14.

 

[HoldenV8]

OK, who's for Turbo playing prop? Come on, lets have a show of hands.....

DCE at 9? Give me an effing break. Tooves was bloody good at dummy half. Monas wasn't bad either after being moved from halfback. Des, I didn't think he actually went so well at 9 even though we did make a Grand Final and have a 20-2 record that year. But Cherry a dummy half? First Foz, now Cherry. Who's next ... Suli?

Thank God Des is coaching this side and not any of us. I watched A Knights Tale sometime last week. All I will say is "Oh my giddy aunt".

The pic is me right now, almost. I have hair lol

 

[Woodsie]

I’m waiting to see what @Woodsie and @Kevinward777 think about this.

I am of the old school that says pick your best 13 players .. and let the positions sort themselves out ... good footballers will contribute wherever they play. ... whether DCE would be a good hooker or not is not the issue .. is that his best position for the team is the issue ... and I think converting Cust a much better proposition.

Also don't think Foran has the legs for the workload of 80min at #7 ... and Jake has the defensive ability for prop but not the go forward.

Too late in the day for Woodsie's opinion. He would be tucked up in bed by now. You'll have to wait till the morning.

Correct, evenings are for family and spending time with the other humans ...

 

[maxta]

Totally opposed to having a Qld / Aussie half at hooker, though like the idea of thinking outside the square....I think Foran would be more the 9 option apart from the workload on his already busted body....which leads me to Cust till Fainu is back...

 

[sheridanstand78]

There is no way that DCE should be moved from half. What the club MUST do is end the denial and get in a competent hooker rather than filling in this role with makeshift players and pinning our hopes on a maybe return of Fainu.

We are shooting ourselves in the foot without an established 9 and setting ourselves up for failure. We need to give our halves every chance to manage games and create chances without being under siege because we have an ineffective 9!!

 

[eaglebuzz]

I don't hate the logic of this, but I think a near identical case could be made for Foran at 9 which would have the added bonus of not moving one of the best halfbacks in the comp to hooker.

Unfortunately, I think we are stuck with Cust or Croker until Fainu is back. And our fortunes will suffer as a result. I am really hoping that the NRL are forced to revise the no fault stand down rule in some way before March. I can't see anything less than a highly coordinated fan boycott or an untenable number of players being credibly accused of major crimes causing such a change though.

 

[Rynostradamus]

What the hell are you smoking OP. Just wow

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I am of the old school that says pick your best 13 players .. and let the positions sort themselves out ... good footballers will contribute wherever they play. ... whether DCE would be a good hooker or not is not the issue .. is that his best position for the team is the issue ... and I think converting Cust a much better proposition.

Also don't think Foran has the legs for the workload of 80min at #7 ... and Jake has the defensive ability for prop but not the go forward.



Correct, evenings are for family and spending time with the other humans ...

Agree totally Woodsie with your comments on Cust, Foran and Jake. Jake is not a metre eating prop - he might have had his moments in years gone past but he is a lock and a perfect foil at times and I say at times as a ball distributor. He certainly wont have to overplay that part of his game this year.

 

[oneeyeeagle]

DCE could be very good here in rotation, and he is one of the best defenders in the team already. I don't dislike the suggestion, not sure if I like it either.

 

[Damien2812]

I thought the same regarding DCE at hooker. DCE is quick, good passer and could get his running game back with the new touch footy rules for 2021. Not sure it will happen but a good idea..

 

[Woodsie]

OK, who's for Turbo playing prop? Come on, lets have a show of hands.....

Don't be ridiculous .... everybody knows that he will be our future immortal as a 2nd rower ....