DCE to announce retierment

[BOZO]

We’ve seen enough of Brooks playing halfback at Tigers & even the game this season without DCE against south’s where he was the dominant half. He’s a very good 5/8 but isn’t cut out to lead a team at all, when he keeps it simple & play what’s in front of him is when we see him at his best

This is coming from the Tigers mouth ....
The Tigers fans had seen him for 10 unsuccessful years and if you go to their forum you will see they were glad to have seen him gone and he went from a million dollar player down to 600 grand a year player to Manly and there was no club willing to bid higher .
Every greedy player manager makes sure his client goes to the highest bidder
Manly was the highest bidder and we all get what we pay for .

Teams that Win a Grand final do it with elite quality halves
This is our year with DCE
If DCE goes then so do our Grand final Winning aspirations unless we unearth an elite half because Brooks is not one of them

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

And I wonder what young Walsh is like at clutch field goals. How about left footed?
40/20s?
Or bringing down monsters like Dave Fifita one on one a few metres from our line (I know DCE is criticised at times for shooting out of the line but his individual defence rarely misses)

Anyhow as a few are saying, exciting times ahead. However I've long suspected DCE's true worth will be best appreciated when we don't have him any more!

 

[Disco]

We need to let Walsh and Large develop at their own pace and not over hype them.

Neither have played a game for us yet and both are what 18?

We have this habit of building players up to completely unrealistic expectations then when they come in and play some solid games we tear them down because they haven't set up 6 tries and made 4 line breaks.

Lets stay measured, both have a long way to go

 

[Heckenberg]

We need to let Walsh and Large develop at their own pace and not over hype them.

Neither have played a game for us yet and both are what 18?

We have this habit of building players up to completely unrealistic expectations then when they come in and play some solid games we tear them down because they haven't set up 6 tries and made 4 line breaks.

Lets stay measured, both have a long way to go

We also have Jacob Arthur. Bit of a forgotten man but he could come into his own with a bit of luck on the injury front.

 

[Ohgeez]

Collective amnesia about him taking charge vs Newcastle and Canberra yet again... The problem with Brooks at 7, was the Tigers, not Brooks. South's game was a coaching failure to try and utilise Brooks better.

lmao no amnesia here, he played 5/8 in both those games & did well but also had a few quite games which is to be expected. Of course he is going to take charge at certain points in a season he’s a 10 year vet, personally I don’t see how that correlates to him being halfback for an entire season tho. Brooks has literally said himself he plays better without pressure & when he keeps it simple, to me that doesn’t sound like a guy I want playing the position with most pressure on the field. We will have to agree to disagree on this subject 🤝

 

[Tragic Eagle]

How can anyone replace DCE.

I am not always a fan of his, but he is an absolute legend of the club.

I'd say the best 7 we have had in 50 years.

Sadly we have no choice it has to be done at some stage.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

I am amazed that in what is arguably the hardest position in the NRL people seem to not see what we are going to be missing.

I understand there are frustrations with him but honestly if you think a kid, no matter how talented, can replace him I would like to have some of what ever you are on.

Lets have a look at the players who you might consider ahead of him ($ are zero tackle so who really knows...) and I am sure I have missed someone!

Nathan Cleary (1.2m)
Jahrome Hughes (900k)
Maybe Mitchell Moses (1.2m)
DCE (1m)
Then after him you would put
Ben Hunt (550...it is the broncs)
Jarome Luai (1.2M)
Nicho Hynes (1m)
Sam Walker (1m)

By way of further context Jackson Hastings is on 700k. I would argue there is a fair difference between the two platers

Not measuring by way of careers, but who i would take today ahead of DCE would be Cleary and Hughes as a no brainer, I dont rate Moses ahead of DCE at all, but I would go Hynes.

As for another comment regarding best half back in 50 years, god how we forget Toovey. Des was very good also, but ended up playing many positions. Id have DCE ahead of Orford though.

Every time I see a an old game with Toovey, it was amazing what he'd do, week in week out.

 

[Ohgeez]

Not measuring by way of careers, but who i would take today ahead of DCE would be Cleary and Hughes as a no brainer, I dont rate Moses ahead of DCE at all, but I would go Hynes.

As for another comment regarding best half back in 50 years, god how we forget Toovey. Des was very good also, but ended up playing many positions. Id have DCE ahead of Orford though.

Every time I see a an old game with Toovey, it was amazing what he'd do, week in week out.

Hynes is a good regular season player but has turned to water every time the heat has been on so far in his career. Against bottom 8 teams he is up there with the best players in the comp but I haven’t seen him stand up to teams like Penrith or Melbourne yet

 

[ManlyTragic]

Not measuring by way of careers, but who i would take today ahead of DCE would be Cleary and Hughes as a no brainer, I dont rate Moses ahead of DCE at all, but I would go Hynes.

As for another comment regarding best half back in 50 years, god how we forget Toovey. Des was very good also, but ended up playing many positions. Id have DCE ahead of Orford though.

Every time I see a an old game with Toovey, it was amazing what he'd do, week in week out.

… yeah! And what about Craig Field… don’t forget Craig Field !!….. ok I’m leaving!!

 

[Mal Cochrane]

Hynes is a good regular season player but has turned to water every time the heat has been on so far in his career. Against bottom 8 teams he is up there with the best players in the comp but I haven’t seen him stand up to teams like Penrith or Melbourne yet

I don't see any players consistantly standing up to Melbourne or Penrith yet. Tommy turbo frustrates me in this regard cause of the combination between top teams mark him well and he seems to go into his shell against the top teams

 

[Sheikheagle]

… yeah! And what about Craig Field… don’t forget Craig Field !!….. ok I’m leaving!!

You had to go there. 😂

 

[Rosko]

I could, but that'd ruin my joke from page two so.....🤷‍♂️

Sorry, withdrawn! Anyhoo, I think the retierment story is probably taking the piss.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Listening to levels have a discussion about Dylan Brown and potential landing spots, they mentioned Manly, Willie said surely DCE is thinking he has had enough at the end of this year, and Horo said he can guarantee that isn’t the case

 

[Bearfax]

Not measuring by way of careers, but who i would take today ahead of DCE would be Cleary and Hughes as a no brainer, I dont rate Moses ahead of DCE at all, but I would go Hynes.

As for another comment regarding best half back in 50 years, god how we forget Toovey. Des was very good also, but ended up playing many positions. Id have DCE ahead of Orford though.

Every time I see a an old game with Toovey, it was amazing what he'd do, week in week out.

Only Cleary in my mind is a match for DCE. DCE's range of skills is well beyond most other half backs playing. He dominates in games. You know who's boss out there. Sure he makes mistakes at times, but I would suggest, as I have before, its because he has in the past decade been playing with a low quality team and he's trying too hard. He played better this year because he had someone he could rely on in Brooks, Same happened in 2021 when he had Foran ad Schuster. Same when he had Green. Other years he's been the only serious attacking player (therefore the main target), mainly because Turbo was missing 50 % of the time over four years. Thurston didn't hit the top until he was surrounded by a strong team at the Cowboys. Cleary is a standout because he has one of the two best sides in the comp. Before that was achieved, he was seen as just a good half.

 

[manly al]

No doubt could argue the toss indefinitely the overall value and performance level with D C E "s Manly career to date but in terms of individual skill level and general ability , probably is [ or slightly ] Manly 's best ever 7 .
Very serious and capable Manly 7 competitors over time , different eras and full time professionalism to take into account but D C E does again rate right up there as a very well rounded half .
Plenty of outstanding or excellent previous Manly halfs in various departments with the likes of Tooves , Hasler , Ox , [ also could throw in Monaghan who was pretty handy as well ]
Also previously no doubt guys like Phill Blake , Gibbs , Martin , Mayes , Junee and Ward but again in overall ability and skill level , would be hard to go past D C E .
Still rate Thurson ahead of him in terms of a long term level of game effectiveness and performance wise and whether Thurson was playing in good or average lineups but regardless , D C E is in a fairly high bracket already

 

[LeonardCohen]

I am amazed that in what is arguably the hardest position in the NRL people seem to not see what we are going to be missing.

I understand there are frustrations with him but honestly if you think a kid, no matter how talented, can replace him I would like to have some of what ever you are on.

Ahhh at last some common sense.

On the surface, the replacement for DCE is a new and exciting talent wearing the same numbered jumper; problem solved? Not quite - 329 first grade games of experiences...a premiership...25 games for QLD...series wins as captain...21 games for Australia...the most golden point FG's since the format's inception...a great kicker of 40/20s...a nuanced passing game...composure under pressure...a great trainer...a strong leader...

Step on up rookie