Is Tom's best position fullback?

[maxta]

Can see a host of options now
Thing is- the open roving role from FB is ideal for his freakish attacking ability
Problem is - a Top level FB needs quality communication with his players in defence and far more urgency once a kick is placed ....the kid is great, has most elements you want from a star player but does not inspire those around him verbally and not as urgent at times, as say a Brett Stewart at the back
Yes he is still young, but is on big dollars and needs to step up

 

[double hoops]

Him being on DCE type of dollars will be at the fore right now. Thus year Turbo is playing more as our ball player in attack, fullback in defence. Our 6 is just an extra centre. It was the same set up even with Croker, and which probably explains why Walker looked so much better today compared to 2016.

Getting Tom more involved can probably only be the right set up moving forward.

Tom is struggling with having to think in attack, as well as then think in defence. But players who get the big bucks are lucky, and he need adapt and earn it.

He should settle into the role.

 

[HoldenV8]

Our 6 is just an extra centre.

You just hit the nail on the head of our biggest problem. We have 3 centres and a halfback playing a lone hand.

It doesn't work.

 

[40 years an eagle]

Getting Tom more involved can probably only be the right set up moving forward.

Tom is struggling with having to think in attack, as well as then think in defence.

This.

 

[40 years an eagle]

You just hit the nail on the head of our biggest problem. We have 3 centres and a halfback playing a lone hand.

It doesn't work.

Agree, except we actually have 4 centres....because TT is one too. Bring in a FB, Suli to wing to find his feet and TT in the centres. Unfortunately I believe Dylan is our best centre to have at 5/8 and that is our best option right now.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Gutherson has a body more suited to a full back

The best fullbacks are not 6’4 like Tom

Phil Mann being a case in point.

 

[Holmsey]

Don’t reply to me river rat hybrid tip rat

Wow! Haha lol

 

[God]

Agree, except we actually have 4 centres....because TT is one too. Bring in a FB, Suli to wing to find his feet and TT in the centres. Unfortunately I believe Dylan is our best centre to have at 5/8 and that is our best option right now.

5 even, M.Wright is a center not a winger.

Would like to see a back line of:

Halves
DCE
Hastings

3/4
Turbo
Walker

Wings
Uate
Kelly

FB
T.Wright

Even if we lose, long term that's at least a team that can grow.

 

[God]

Agree, except we actually have 4 centres....because TT is one too. Bring in a FB, Suli to wing to find his feet and TT in the centres. Unfortunately I believe Dylan is our best centre to have at 5/8 and that is our best option right now.

5 even, M.Wright is a center not a winger.

Would like to see a back line of:

Halves
DCE
Hastings

3/4
Turbo
Walker

Wings
Uate
Kelly (till George is back)

FB
T.Wright

Even if we lose, long term that's at least a team that can grow.

 

[Bearfax]

Again check out the style of play that Kelly plays. He's not an out and out speedster, though he's faster than many think on this forum. But he is more the evader. He has good cross field thinking and is good at setting up his outside men. He's better when closer to the action. Gets a little lost further out. I still think he'd make a fine 5/8 if given the chance. He's more the ball player than Walker, Suli, Tom Wright, etc. He's got a little of the Cliff Lyons/Jamie Lyon evasiveness, puting opposition in two minds, and he distributes well. I say give him a go and see how he handles it.

 

[Bearfax]

Some have Tom Wright as our 5/8. I have consistently been a supporter of this young star in the making. He is more gifted than all but a few of the others in the Manly camp. He has all the skills, he's fast, catches the ball well, has great speed and evasiveness, defends quite well though he needs to stop his grabbing style tackles, is strong, has a great kicking game, knows how to set up his outside men. To me only Tom T and DCE have basic all round skills to match this kid. But as has been pointed out by one person on this forum, he tends to play like he's in a touch football comp. He doesnt seem good at setting himself up to be ready for the big play, but reacts far more spontaneously, which is good if he had the skill of Cliff Lyons, but he doesnt have that breath of vision...at least not yet. And he doesnt seem to be willing to take the game consistently by the throat and make things happen. He can do it, we've seen it time and again when he's hot. But he operates too much as merely the link man

Tom Wright could be a SOO player, if he committed himself to taking control of the games. He's got the skills. He would be an ideal match for DCE, and maybe he needs to look at DCE and how he makes things happen. Until he gets that into his game, he is just a good reserve grader. He needs mongrel. Someone needs to kick him a couple of times before he gets on the field. Otherwise its an enormous talent unfullfilled.

 

[Fluffy]

Again check out the style of play that Kelly plays. He's not an out and out speedster, though he's faster than many think on this forum. But he is more the evader. He has good cross field thinking and is good at setting up his outside men. He's better when closer to the action. Gets a little lost further out. I still think he'd make a fine 5/8 if given the chance. He's more the ball player than Walker, Suli, Tom Wright, etc. He's got a little of the Cliff Lyons/Jamie Lyon evasiveness, puting opposition in two minds, and he distributes well. I say give him a go and see how he handles it.

Matt Wright is similar and looked ok when he filled in at 5/8 (better hands than Kelly but poorer footwork), neither have a good top speed.

Question is around the kicking of both and of course organization.

 

[Fluffy]

Some have Tom Wright as our 5/8. I have consistently been a supporter of this young star in the making. He is more gifted than all but a few of the others in the Manly camp. He has all the skills, he's fast, catches the ball well, has great speed and evasiveness, defends quite well though he needs to stop his grabbing style tackles, is strong, has a great kicking game, knows how to set up his outside men. To me only Tom T and DCE have basic all round skills to match this kid. But as has been pointed out by one person on this forum, he tends to play like he's in a touch football comp. He doesnt seem good at setting himself up to be ready for the big play, but reacts far more spontaneously, which is good if he had the skill of Cliff Lyons, but he doesnt have that breath of vision...at least not yet. And he doesnt seem to be willing to take the game consistently by the throat and make things happen. He can do it, we've seen it time and again when he's hot. But he operates too much as merely the link man

Tom Wright could be a SOO player, if he committed himself to taking control of the games. He's got the skills. He would be an ideal match for DCE, and maybe he needs to look at DCE and how he makes things happen. Until he gets that into his game, he is just a good reserve grader. He needs mongrel. Someone needs to kick him a couple of times before he gets on the field. Otherwise its an enormous talent unfullfilled.

Further to that he needs to get some experience and could easily do that on the wing.

Wright for wright and then wright for Brown is about the only change I would make right now given our extreme injury toll and Hastings making himself unavailable, possibly Sipley for Perrett but I doubt anything will be gained except Perrett getting a rest (something isn't 100% with him right now)

Tafua and Parker are back over the next month or so hence now is the time do it.

I can understand the reluctance, Newcastle went all out with youth and won 3 spoons in a row on the back of it.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Tom Wright - The Great Wright Hope

I'm struggling to remember someone with more hype than him in the last few years. I just don't see what others see in this guy as an all round package. He carved up in attack against kids his age, but if he was really a standout in ISP he'd already be in team given our injury toll. I think the fact that we have played 4 other outside back depth players in front of him this year shows where he is at. I get the wishful thinking that we have a superstar on our hands, but at the moment I haven't seen any consistent evidence of that potential being realised.

I'd cop seeing him given a go on the wing as an option, just to see if he can lift to that NRL level, but personally I think it'd be madness to play him anywhere else at this stage - especially 5/8. He may well be the next Turbo, Ponga or Gutho, but he could also just as easily be the next Aaron Goom or Luke Dorn. Anyway we only need one more injury to a back over the next couple of weeks and he is there by default, so we may yet get the question answered.

 

[Bearfax]

Tom Wright - The Great Wright Hope

I'm struggling to remember someone with more hype than him in the last few years. I just don't see what others see in this guy as an all round package. He carved up in attack against kids his age, but if he was really a standout in ISP he'd already be in team given our injury toll. I think the fact that we have played 4 other outside back depth players in front of him this year shows where he is at. I get the wishful thinking that we have a superstar on our hands, but at the moment I haven't seen any consistent evidence of that potential being realised.

I'd cop seeing him given a go on the wing as an option, just to see if he can lift to that NRL level, but personally I think it'd be madness to play him anywhere else at this stage - especially 5/8. He may well be the next Turbo, Ponga or Gutho, but he could also just as easily be the next Aaron Goom or Luke Dorn. Anyway we only need one more injury to a back over the next couple of weeks and he is there by default, so we may yet get the question answered.

You're right to be wary. If you had seen him in the semi last year in the Holden Cup you'd asppreciate the skill set the kid has. And there are enough of him in package shots (try UTube) to confirm the skill level. But he was quiet in the G/F probably because he was heavily marked openng the door for Cust to star. He hasnt set the game alight in the Reggies so far but he's doing some good things. But he's got to get more involved and aggressive in his play. But there's no question the kid has all the skills. Just needs to use them more. On the wing at first may be ideal, because he's played full back and he has pace to burn and evasiveness to leave players grasping at air. Commitment needs to be addressed.

 

[Stevo]

I seriously do not get the Tom Wright love fest. Yeah he was good in the 20's, So what? He might have talent but he can't even nail down 1 position in the ISP. They have played him at Fullback, Centre and 5/8 and they still don't know where he is best suited.

Oh yeah, Tom Trebojevic is a centre.

 

[Bearfax]

I seriously do not get the Tom Wright love fest. Yeah he was good in the 20's, So what? He might have talent but he can't even nail down 1 position in the ISP. They have played him at Fullback, Centre and 5/8 and they still don't know where he is best suited.

Oh yeah, Tom Trebojevic is a centre.

Easy to forget he could be still playing Flegg Cup this year. He's only 20.

 

[conanu]

A big Tom T fan
Thing is,- a bloke like Ponga is on half his wage and killing it
I don’t expect a better game from Tom in comparison, simply a bit more want in defence and the 1% plays
No doubt Tom is a Champion who can easily go down as 1 of the best ever at Manly....but if you seen Brett Stewart- it was all about the team and effort from the back....Tom gets that right....he forever becomes a Manly legend

Ponga is on a lot more than Tommy T. Ponga is on serious coin Knights paid massive overs to get him there. Brett to be fair had a very good team around him, Poor old Tom has a bunch of reggies that changes every week.

 

[damiennp90]

Ponga is on a lot more than Tommy T. Ponga is on serious coin Knights paid massive overs to get him there. Brett to be fair had a very good team around him, Poor old Tom has a bunch of reggies that changes every week.

I'm pretty sure he's not.

Was reported 3.6 over 4 years which Knights said is massively not true.

That would be about what's Tommys on.

Ok big risk from the knights. But it's certainly paying off now. And the Knights don't have that good a side.

Tommy needs to step up.

 

[anthonyb1965]

Turbo = $900K per season (2018, 2019 and 2020)
Ponga = $600K per season (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021)

Tommy should be improving in leaps and bounds having spent quality time with Slater during the World Cup but I fear either his head space is not right and/or he is not receiving the coaching he needs to keep progressing his amazing talents.

Right now, Newcastle paying $600K per season for Ponga is a masterstroke(dollar wise) but teams will soon wise up to his style and he looks better because of the average backline (Pearce excluded).

Ponga
Try Assists - 1.1 per game
Tries - 0.1 per game
Runs - 11.4 per game
Metres - 108 per game
Offloads - 4.3 per game
Tackles 4.1 per game
Missed Tackles - 1.9 per game
Errors - 1.1 per game

Tommy
Try Assists - 0.9 per game
Tries - 0.1 per game
Runs - 14.3 per game
Metres - 129 per game
Offloads - 1.4 per game
Tackles 5.1 per game
Missed Tackles - 1.4 per game
Errors - 1.6 per game