DCE .. The answer is nigh.

[madmax]

Could he replace the 50 tackles Lach makes a game? I get it from an attacking perspective but we leak not many other teams through the middle....would he be the best answer there?

I guess the more we attack the less we need to defend ?

 

[BOZO]

Reports today that DCE may be played in the utility role at the World Cup .. and has been sighted training at dummy half ..

It seems we may get the answer to the question many have posed ... can or will DCE follow in the glorious footsteps of other legendary Manly half-backs ... and finish with cauliflower ears ... (do hookers still pack into the front row?) ..

The game against Lebanon just became very interesting ...

I was going to start a poll about whether you think he will nail it ... but Global only lets me do 1 poll a month .. something about the responsible serving of polls ...

The right spirit is to play in the position that gives our club the best opportunity to win games

And as you rightly said other Great Manly players such as Hasler and Toovey had done this

Correct me is I am wrong @Woodsie but even the Greatest Eagle of them all the Incomparable one played lock in a game for Manly in the mid 70s ?

 

[Nordburg]

No different to every other hooker in the comp ... and DCE is fit, very fit.

Except DCE has played his whole career in the halves,would automatically double or triple his tackle count and his defence has gone downhill with age in the last few years and he’s the best kicker in the team so he won’t get the time and space from dummy half.I thought the TomT to centre was a silly idea but the DCE to dummy half suggestion that pops up too frequently,is quite possibly the craziest idea

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Except DCE has played his whole career in the halves,would automatically double or triple his tackle count and his defence has gone downhill with age in the last few years and he’s the best kicker in the team so he won’t get the time and space from dummy half.I thought the TomT to centre was a silly idea but the DCE to dummy half suggestion that pops up too frequently,is quite possibly the craziest idea

Tend to agree, Nordburg. Not because I don't think DCE might make a better dummy half than he does a halfback, but because there is absolutely no way he'd ever accept it as a full-time positional change. It's just not going to happen.

 

[Spartan Eagle]

He's done very well to last this long in the game. I just can't see him making all those tackles. Maybe a good way to medically retire him.

 

[Tomay]

Would be a gun hooker. Can tackle better than he gets credit for 1 on 1 on the edge. Better as a gun halfback though.

 

[Nordburg]

Would be a gun hooker. Can tackle better than he gets credit for 1 on 1 on the edge. Better as a gun halfback though.

That’s the issue,he doesn’t tackle better than he gets credit for.He once used to hit and stick,like Croker does to an extent.But the last 3-4 years,due to age and the amount of footy he’s played,he’s more of a hugger or Alan Langer type defender.He doesn’t put the body on the line unless it’s desperately necessary and you can’t afford to defend like that in the middle

 

[Tragic Eagle]

I’m an advocate for DCE to 9. Have set out the reasons many times. Quick, great kicker from dummy half and a decent defender.

 

[StuBoot]

Interesting reading everyone's thoughts and reasonings.

Hunt plays 7 for the Dragons yet is a mainstay for QLD and AUS as a back up 9.
Why can't DCE take on that role for Australia?

If Mal goes with Cleary at 7, why should DCE miss out completely when he really doesn't deserve to, he's regularly done the job at rep level for a long time and only for the fact that he was playing at the same time as Thurston and Cronk would have a stack more SOO and Australia caps.

Rep footy is about the best of the best so let's hope if he does do the back up dummy half role that he nails it.

 

[Cliffy's Jockstrap]

TBH I am really not inclined to read too much into this. Meninga is playing with some ideas against an opponent we are going to beat by a cricket score, and still thinking about how the attack will work against the serious opponents.

 

[mave]

Probably too late for this to happen now, at club level.
Needed to be done 4-5 years ago.

 

[chuckee]

I’ve always thought DCE would make a gun number 9 even a few years ago when we were lacking one and thought Schu/Foz could’ve made up the 6 and 7.

He has what it takes, sharp running game, great passing, option of kicking from dummy half and is also a very good defender.

Doubt it will happen but I believe it would work easily.

 

[Supreme Leader]

Unless he's magically developed organising skills over there (I'm so over the 'DCE needs an organising 6' mantra) I hope he's a revelation when he's in the dummy half role and Super Seibold (gotta start confident) sees it and makes the bold move (yes I did that) and moves him to 9.

Nah, he'll just kick on the 2nd tackle each time from dummy half

 

[Supreme Leader]

Serious question , I wonder if Seibold / Flannagan would make a tough decision and play DCE at 9 , elevating either Humphreys / John’s ( assuming he’s signed ) into the 7 role??

Really , and depending on if the youngsters are up for it , it isn’t a bad idea.

You’d get a crisp passing 9, you’d get a 9 who could “ dart through a hole “ , you’d have an additional kicker , not sure if he’s up for the number of tackles but if it’s golden point you’ve got the best in the business.

Could maybe work.

My concern with Johns is that with the family history how often will he get confused with the lines of white on the grass?

 

[Jerry1]

Million dollar hooker… nah…

 

[Eagles4Life]

No different to every other hooker in the comp ... and DCE is fit, very fit.

Just another hypothetical but what if Croker played a Victor Radley type role at lock? There are a lot of similarities between the two (not just height and weight which are almost identical), with Jake at prop, DCE hooker etc We still have Jake and Croker doing most of the tackling in the middle, supported by DCE and a new halfback TBA Croker and DCE could share the dummy half role as well. Thoughts?

 

[Pete W]

Million dollar hooker… nah…

He wouldn't be the first...Cameron Smith

 

[Pete W]

Probably too late for this to happen now, at club level.
Needed to be done 4-5 years ago.

Didnt Toovey make the switch in his last couple of years?

 

[EaglesDontTweet]

Seibold/Flannagan have been watching, coaching and coaching against DCE for many many years. Surely they won't miss the opportunity to use this accumulated knowledge to minimise his deficiencies and enhance his qualities in the half back position.

 

[Eagle 1]

dce doesnt hammer players in defence and rarely takes the line on. Wouldnt want a valuable 7 getting injured for manly trying to make tackle numbers.

Not many half's, 5/8s or Hookers hammer in defence tbh..