Is Tom's best position fullback?

[Paw93]

Tommy is a fullback every day of the week. But he needs to start posting like one, especially with the coin he's on.

 

[EagleFlys]

I suppose we are looking at Moses making a mockery of him, and blaming him for being in the line, but maybe that's where Twenty and the shadow want him?

Moses and Jennings set it up a few plays earlier, it was on the cards from then.

Poor positional play or bad coaching structure? IDK.

 

[Holmsey]

I don't get the reasoning behind Tom moving from fullback and there's a reason no one else involved in league discusses it, because its not and never will happen. He is a fullback, look at his try assists, line break assists and line breaks he is a ball playing fullback. No one is giving him time to develop, he was excellent in defence yesterday saved the try on Hayne with an amazing tackle and saved another, the chip kick for Jennings was not his fault as all fullbacks defend in the line early on in the tackle count when in the 20 zone, Boyd does, Slater does, its a part of the modern game, he gets told to defend in that spot. Plus he has only just turned 22! He isn't 26 and in his prime, he has a lot more time before he is there. Plus he has had no mentor, a rookie coach and a struggling team in turmoil. He is fine at fullback and currently regarded by most in game as the best NSW fullback. He has had 2 full seasons, both affected by injury. Wait until he has a good team and stable team environment around him along with some more experience. But considering he has already played a bit of fullback for Australia and will get selected for NSW this year I think he is fine. Everyone wants him to be Slater or Stewart, he is Tom Trbojevic, a 22 year old super star, imagine how good he will be soon.

 

[fLIP]

For mine, Tommy is as skillful a fullback as any in the comp and better than most.

His short fallings at this point is his ability to organise the defense like Stewart was so very good at. On top of that, when even the slightest thing goes against him he starts with temper tantrums, kicking the ground and generally just withdrawing from the game.

I think we forget how young he is. I say we stick with it, hes already a gun and he's only going to get better.

 

[Peter C]

And way too much for him not to be improving his defensive positioning at the back over three seasons.

And way too much considering the way he's been playing.

 

[Top End Eagle]

Might have helped if the contracted and injured superstar fullback he came in for hung around and earned his pay packet by being around the young bloke and the playing group.

Instead of crying into his sashimi in Melbourne.

 

[Holmsey]

Might have helped if the contracted and injured superstar fullback he came in for hung around and earned his pay packet by being around the young bloke and the playing group.

Instead of crying into his sashimi in Melbourne.

That was a bold move @Top End Eagle , they will hunt you down now for ever questioning the great fullback...

 

[bob dylan]

Tom is on BIG money, way too much for him playing at centre.

And I bet him and his manager wont want centres money when the Roosters come knocking.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

For mine, Tommy is as skillful a fullback as any in the comp and better than most.

His short fallings at this point is his ability to organise the defense like Stewart was so very good at. On top of that, when even the slightest thing goes against him he starts with temper tantrums, kicking the ground and generally just withdrawing from the game.

I think we forget how young he is. I say we stick with it, hes already a gun and he's only going to get better.

Maybe Big John needs to get him up to what’s left of the Cross for some R and R.

 

[Bearfax]

I think its a mistake to compare Tom T with Brett Stewart at his peak. Brett in his first year was not the giant he became and had to learn his skills. That year his team was flogged, in one game by 70, but we forget that Brett had to develop into the champion he became.

Tom T is not as good as Brett Stewart ...yet. He's developing. He's hot and cold as Brett was in his early years. Sometimes Tom T explodes in a manner that makes both Stewart and Slater look second class. Then he struggles and doesnt look anywhere near those guys' standard. His performance against the Raiders was master class and not one full back this season could compare. But he's young and consistency is always a problem with the young. Whether he plays centre, five eighth or full back, he will be one of the best in his position, and possibly one of the greats in time. For now, he's a kid playing behind a losing side, struggling to maintain the brilliance we know he has in him. Ask me if he's as good as Slater and Stewart when he's 25-26.

 

[XV-1]

I suppose we are looking at Moses making a mockery of him, and blaming him for being in the line, but maybe that's where Twenty and the shadow want him?

Moses and Jennings set it up a few plays earlier, it was on the cards from then.

Poor positional play or bad coaching structure? IDK.

I did not watch the 2nd half yesterday.

Did anyone run in between Tom's legs yesterday and score a try like last week?

 

[Peter C]

I think its a mistake to compare Tom T with Brett Stewart at his peak. Brett in his first year was not the giant he became and had to learn his skills. That year his team was flogged, in one game by 70, but we forget that Brett had to develop into the champion he became.

Tom T is not as good as Brett Stewart ...yet. He's developing. He's hot and cold as Brett was in his early years. Sometimes Tom T explodes in a manner that makes both Stewart and Slater look second class. Then he struggles and doesnt look anywhere near those guys' standard. His performance against the Raiders was master class and not one full back this season could compare. But he's young and consistency is always a problem with the young. Whether he plays centre, five eighth or full back, he will be one of the best in his position, and possibly one of the greats in time. For now, he's a kid playing behind a losing side, struggling to maintain the brilliance we know he has in him. Ask me if he's as good as Slater and Stewart when he's 25-26.

I doubt it anyone could be as good as Slater , although Dragons fans believe Matt Dufty is nearly there

 

[XV-1]

I doubt it anyone could be as good as Slater , although Dragons fans believe Matt Dufty is nearly there

he certainly makes less mistakes than Turbo and is very dangerous in attack.

 

[Holmsey]

he certainly makes less mistakes than Turbo and is very dangerous in attack.

Lets me change that a bit "he certainly doesn't pass alot, less than Turbo and is very much a hog in attack"

 

[Bearfax]

I doubt it anyone could be as good as Slater , although Dragons fans believe Matt Dufty is nearly there

Again we forget that back around 2008-9, Brett was considered the best full back, not Slater. Stewart's court case and injuries, forced him into second place. Slater is considered the greatest because he's been heavily promoted. Eadie would have made minced meat of him as would Langlands in their hey day. Eadie was a far more complete full back than Slater...and he kicked goals

 

[Mr Manly 007]

Just so you know , Brett Stewart only played for Australia once. (2007.)
Billy Slater played fullback when available from 2008 onwards.

 

[Mr Manly 007]

he certainly makes less mistakes than Turbo and is very dangerous in attack.

2017 Tom had the equal most errors for the season for all nrl players.
This year Tom has still made too many errors and hopefully he improves as the stats aren’t looking good again.

 

[40 years an eagle]

Is he a fullback?

In attack, through sheer size, positional awareness, power and evasiveness he is, but his youthful exuberance /inexperience/immaturity causes FAR too many handling errors and low percentage plays. He is still a kid in FG.

Attack is what he lives for, it's his drug.

He has been dominant in attack through the junior ranks because of his physical attributes and abilities and that's what drives him.

Defence?

No glamour in it for him, no endorphins released, so no kick out of it. Ho hum.

It hurts but he's a show pony, but again, he is a kid.

Definitely the poorest Manly fullback among those he is far too often being compared to and probably the poorest defensive positional fullback in the league today.

Until he matures and gets his juices flowing from being a complete fullback he can never be compared to some of the greatest fullbacks to wear our gear, who have been some of the best in the game, ever.

Batty, Eadie, Stewart, Ridge...sit him down with these guys for a while.

Right now is he the fullback a FG team needs?

No...but where else do you play someone with his great running skills and desire to get his hands on the ball all the time that is not mature enough to be a 5/8, decision-making and ball-security wise?

 

[Bearfax]

Just so you know , Brett Stewart only played for Australia once. (2007.)
Billy Slater played fullback when available from 2008 onwards.

Point taken. But in 2008 Brett surpassed Slater as the top full back and was even on NRL promotion posters at the beginning of 2009. It was the court case and subsequent injuries that knocked Brett off the pedastal, not Slater's superior football. We also forget Brett is almost two years younger than Slater and that's why Slater had the early jump on him.

We never saw the best of Stewart, but I have no doubt he would have been better than Slater had the court case and injury not intervened. He was well on the way also of beating Irvines try scoring record. He was on the rise when those problems started and was No 1 full back even despite being much younger at the beginning of 2009. He had only just turned 24 when the World came down on him. Imagine what he could have been in later years. As it was he was outstanding even running virtually on one leg.

 

[parkway_drive]

Re the Slater and Stewart debate.

I am a Chook, but I reckon if Stewart didn't have all that bullsh*t that happened to him in 2009 he may have become the greatest fullback of all time. He was ahead of Slater in 2008 and possibly the best fullback season I have ever seen in my 40 plus years of watching rugby league.