Dummy half battle about to get real

[Ryan]

I remember getting my daily dose of Silvertails for ten years as an interested reader when I lived in Newtown. I shared a house with a Tigers player and two Jets players who were forever putting sh1t on me for supporting Manly.

I'd wander across the road to the internet cafe with a coffee in hand, settle back, and enjoy the action.

@Ryan was a favourite of mine back then.

Awww, thanks mate, I needed that today ! Well, for the record, same goes for you !

Tough as nails, strong willed , and didn't tolerate any of my crap , and there was plenty. Haha. Think I'm a bit different these days !

We have a pretty amazing community here that's given me some of my best mates in life !

You're a champion , bud.

 

[Kevinward777]

Awww, thanks mate, I needed that today ! Well, for the record, same goes for you !

Tough as nails, strong willed , and didn't tolerate any of my crap , and there was plenty. Haha. Think I'm a bit different these days !

We have a pretty amazing community here that's given me some of my best mates in life !

You're a champion , bud.

I was reading your posts long before I joined Silvertails. One might say - you drew me in - like a moth to flame haha.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

No matter how good he was... he wont be the same player. Like Hopoate.. or others who go away on those missions.. They dont come back the same player. Fainu has had a long time out of the game.. The only benefit i guess would be that he is still training? he is aloud to train with our group?

Will need time.

Disagree , he’s been training like he’s playing next week.

Will need match fitness but otherwise will be good to go!!

 

[KaZa]

Disagree , he’s been training like he’s playing next week.

Will need match fitness but otherwise will be good to go!!

Is he actually training with the first grade side? so hes over his injuries and in full contact training?

Match fitness is huge though. We wont see the best of him till next year at best.

 

[Brookie Bob]

Fainu is legitamately the missing link. Literal potential to be the best hooker in the game and just threw his career away. I hope he revives it well, he is a younger and more talented version of Koriasau and will do wonders with this current Manly side. We need him bad.

This missing link?

 

[cc eagle]

I'm not having a go at Frog as I think he's done a reasonable job all year, but how deep into the finals can we expect to go without a specialist No 9, just looking at our last game against the scum, Frog had 2 runs for 10m in 76mins, Grant 13 runs for 131m in 58mins, that's a huge difference and keeps them on the front foot and us backpeddling giving away set restarts, so we did a good job to keep in touch, especially as our completions were dreadfull. Looking at the top 3 teams they all have rep dummy halfs, with scum having 2, who are quick, can make breaks and plenty of metres, even the Raiders look different in attack when Starling comes off the bench, just his speed around the ruck.
Just hoping Frog starts to run the ball in the last few games before the finals, especially when defences are tiring, may be Des is happy with him to just clear the ruck as quick as possible to give our backline and Tom more chance to attack.

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

I'm not having a go at Frog as I think he's done a reasonable job all year, but how deep into the finals can we expect to go without a specialist No 9, just looking at our last game against the scum, Frog had 2 runs for 10m in 76mins, Grant 13 runs for 131m in 58mins, that's a huge difference and keeps them on the front foot and us backpeddling giving away set restarts, so we did a good job to keep in touch, especially as our completions were dreadfull. Looking at the top 3 teams they all have rep dummy halfs, with scum having 2, who are quick, can make breaks and plenty of metres, even the Raiders look different in attack when Starling comes off the bench, just his speed around the ruck.
Just hoping Frog starts to run the ball in the last few games before the finals, especially when defences are tiring, may be Des is happy with him to just clear the ruck as quick as possible to give our backline and Tom more chance to attack.

I have a sneaky suspicion that another No.9 we used to have didn't run that much.... Mr. Matty Ballin was a distributer and tackle machine if I recall correctly. a bit like frog has become.....

don't forget the more time the dummy half has the ball in his hands the less time it's in Tommys mits.

 

[deanm]

I'm not having a go at Frog as I think he's done a reasonable job all year, but how deep into the finals can we expect to go without a specialist No 9, just looking at our last game against the scum, Frog had 2 runs for 10m in 76mins, Grant 13 runs for 131m in 58mins, that's a huge difference and keeps them on the front foot and us backpeddling giving away set restarts, so we did a good job to keep in touch, especially as our completions were dreadfull. Looking at the top 3 teams they all have rep dummy halfs, with scum having 2, who are quick, can make breaks and plenty of metres, even the Raiders look different in attack when Starling comes off the bench, just his speed around the ruck.
Just hoping Frog starts to run the ball in the last few games before the finals, especially when defences are tiring, may be Des is happy with him to just clear the ruck as quick as possible to give our backline and Tom more chance to attack.

IMHO, If we control possession better , we won't need to tackle as much and Grant wouldn't have just kept running at tired forwards.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I have a sneaky suspicion that another No.9 we used to have didn't run that much.... Mr. Matty Ballin was a distributer and tackle machine if I recall correctly. a bit like frog has become.....

don't forget the more time the dummy half has the ball in his hands the less time it's in Tommys mits.

Good to have an attacking option at dummy half but our game has become more about getting it to the halves and backs quickly. When you've got the likes of Foz DCE and Schu to create you want to give them as many opportunities as possible. Don't forget Levi was a nippy runner but a disaster as dummy half!

 

[Dan]

Fainu isn't a specialist 9, he has been moved to that position over time, he is however a natural 9

 

[StuBoot]

Funny you write this as my son (10yo) mentioned when watching the Cheese score last night-“why doesn’t Croker do that?”
I told him it might be same postion but teams and players have different styles.

In saying that Froggy has had a few darts recently and Chez has stepped in there more than a few times recently and gone for it as well.
When we have Foz and Chez either side good clean ball seems to be going alright though.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The other thing is Croker has become a tackling dynamo, so naturally won't have the energy to be making constant dazzling runs as well. We currently need his defence, so all a matter of balance I guess.
Has he played every single game? Wonder if he'll get a mini-spell, maybe in the last couple of games give Lawton a full game or at least a 40 minutes stint just to keep his hand in as dummy half option.

 

[cc eagle]

I have a sneaky suspicion that another No.9 we used to have didn't run that much.... Mr. Matty Ballin was a distributer and tackle machine if I recall correctly. a bit like frog has become.....

don't forget the more time the dummy half has the ball in his hands the less time it's in Tommys mits.

I think compared to Frog, Matty ran a fair bit, I agree with your last part thou

 

[HoldenV8]

I think compared to Frog, Matty ran a fair bit, I agree with your last part thou

Matty didn't run a hell of a lot though. In his early days that was more left to when Heath L'Estrange would come on. And after that when Matty became an 80 minute tackling machine, he didn't run a lot then either because the emphasis was on getting the ball to DCE, Foz, Snake, Killer or Gifty.

In a lot of ways, just with mostly different players, we're basically playing the same way now as we did from about 2011-2014. The dummy half is not so much of a runner as he is a good ball distributor. Getting it to the right person at the right time crisp and clean is more important than a 5 metre scoot from dummy half. And besides that, like Matty Ballin, Froggy has never been the quickest runner so it wouldn't be the strongest part of his game even if he did like to run.

 

[maxta]

Matty didn't run a hell of a lot though. In his early days that was more left to when Heath L'Estrange would come on. And after that when Matty became an 80 minute tackling machine, he didn't run a lot then either because the emphasis was on getting the ball to DCE, Foz, Snake, Killer or Gifty.

In a lot of ways, just with mostly different players, we're basically playing the same way now as we did from about 2011-2014. The dummy half is not so much of a runner as he is a good ball distributor. Getting it to the right person at the right time crisp and clean is more important than a 5 metre scoot from dummy half. And besides that, like Matty Ballin, Froggy has never been the quickest runner so it wouldn't be the strongest part of his game even if he did like to run.

Your exactly right - so when he did run to score the opening try vs Storm 2008, took em by suprise

 

[Sheikheagle]

Your exactly right - so when he did run to score the opening try vs Storm 1008, took em by suprise

Croker has scored and set up a few this year similar to Mattys 2008 GF try

 

[mickqld]

We play expansive, side to side ball movement to breakup defenses. We don't play tight up the middle bash n barge relying on dummy half running. We just need a good distributor and tackler at #9.

 

[HoldenV8]

Your exactly right - so when he did run to score the opening try vs Storm 1008, took em by suprise

Very true. I'm not saying that Matty never ran because obviously he did. But when he had great play makers around him, like Froggy does now, Matty didn't really have to run that much.

Why run so much when you can give the ball to someone like Turbo who can turn a half chance into a 70 metre try.

I'm a fan of using your game breakers if you have them.

 

[cc eagle]

He’s done a commendable job and has earned his spot / but he most definitely will never be a top class 9. Hes become a solid player. Nothing more.

He has too many mistakes in his game and almost always destroys the teams momentum when he makes them.

In the big games, he will stand out as the reason why won’t win a comp with him at 9.

Agree, but hope you're 100% wrong.

 

[BOZO]

He’s done a commendable job and has earned his spot / but he most definitely will never be a top class 9. Hes become a solid player. Nothing more.

He has too many mistakes in his game and almost always destroys the teams momentum when he makes them.

In the big games, he will stand out as the reason why won’t win a comp with him at 9.

I agree with your benchmark assessment of top class dominating number 9s out shine the solid ones but that does not mean we cannot win the comp .

We just have to rely more heavily on our other dominating players

I do agree with you though that in the faster pace finals matches where the lever of excellence is raised. Inferior Execution , Mistakes and Slow plays will play a big role in losing a close game