[Resurrected] Lachlan Croker

[manly for ever]

Great guy and a fantastic clubman but he just isn’t it, we honestly looked better with Simpkin as our 9 as some have already said, Ideally a Simpkin/Gordie combo would be so beneficial to the team more spark and we get those quick passes from Simpkin unlike Crokes

 

[Coops manly]

Croker has never offered anything attack wise out of 9 .
Also appears to of lost a yard of pace in defence.
He gives his all but he is not creative enough for us to challenge the top 4 teams we are zero threat in the ruck and that needs to change.
I feel he is very well liked in the squad with the seniors players and doubt there will be any changes next year with him seeming to have a mortgage on that position .

 

[HK_Eagle]

Croker has never offered anything attack wise out of 9 .
Also appears to of lost a yard of pace in defence.
He gives his all but he is not creative enough for us to challenge the top 4 teams we are zero threat in the ruck and that needs to change.
I feel he is very well liked in the squad with the seniors players and doubt there will be any changes next year with him seeming to have a mortgage on that position .

There better be a change next year. I refuse to run over hot coals for another year when our club wants to play stupid.

 

[Coops manly]

There better be a change next year. I refuse to run over hot coals for another year when our club wants to play stupid.

I agree mate no more playing favourites hopefully there is a change.

 

[NREagle]

I'm a Croker defender 99% of the time. He was awful last night. Admittedly the team lost the game, but he threw three or four passes to no one. His defence didn't make up for it last night. Simpkin has to be playing next year, either in #14 or #9.

I'd give Simpkin a full preseason with the squad, start him at 14 for the first month or so to develop and strengthen combinations during game time, and then transition him to our 9 for the season.

I love Croker too, and he deserves his spot in our 30, but some tough calls have to be made if we want to match it with the top teams.

 

[Sheikheagle]

I'd give Simpkin a full preseason with the squad, start him at 14 for the first month or so to develop and strengthen combinations during game time, and then transition him to our 9 for the season.

I love Croker too, and he deserves his spot in our 30, but some tough calls have to be made if we want to match it with the top teams.

I think everyone loves croker but agree the dummy half position is too important to keep him there. Seibs made the tough call on parker. Maybe croke is next.

 

[Nambawan]

I think everyone loves croker but agree the dummy half position is too important to keep him there. Seibs made the tough call on parker. Maybe croke is next.

The dummy-half position at Manly has become FARCICAL. It is glaringly obvious that Croker's very one dimensional play is beyond inadequate, and I believe that inadequacy has been dragging the team down. If this particular situation is replicated next year we will see the same mediocre endings. Time for a quick decision and excision by club management. Of course if necessary the man could be found another position in the club mentoring young players as he is reputed to be a fine type of person.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Roosters second string hooker Conor Watson was miles ahead of Froggy.

There’s a reason why hooker is part of the spine and good clubs invest in spines to win premierships. Why is hooker not a priority for Manly?

Oh I long for the days of Thrower backed up by Ray Brown or Ballin backed by L’Strange.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Croker has never offered anything attack wise out of 9 .
Also appears to of lost a yard of pace in defence.
He gives his all but he is not creative enough for us to challenge the top 4 teams we are zero threat in the ruck and that needs to change.
I feel he is very well liked in the squad with the seniors players and doubt there will be any changes next year with him seeming to have a mortgage on that position .

And that’s why we won’t get any better next year:

 

[Jay Eagle]

We looked so much sharper when he was out injured.. enough said

 

[maxta]

I really feel the hooker role needs to be filled better in 2025 and does not even need to be Superstar quality (but I'd take Grant if possible)....even a natural 9 like the 1 we have in our squad "Simpkin" would be fine....or at least better and I feel his limited games we looked FAR slicker and in control around that middle.
Not gunna bag a bloke like Croker who spills blood and gives 100% every game, but he is limited in ability and lacks both the vision and execution to deliver at NRL level in the modern game and the "nice guy" stuff doesn't cut it anymore.
I would go as far as to say I would have reservations, if Penrith had Croker at 9 the past 3 seasons they would have won every season....the importance of that service almost every play making decisions of what side to pass, when to run (non existant), engaging markers to push the big men over the advantage line and the crispness of delivery....which is often sluggish and has opposition defence putting heat on the runners often lucky to hold the ball as getting hit on recieving that "slow" ball.
We all know Croker is whole hearted and at times a terrier in defence, but the fact is we can expect the same if we do the same in 2025 and this dummy half delemma, along with our lack od defensive line speed and communication on the edges, will make or break our potential to improve in 2025.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

There better be a change next year. I refuse to run over hot coals for another year when our club wants to play stupid.

When it comes to things like the intransigence surrounding Stoker Croker, Jake the Peg as a lock forward and the Pastor Aloiai* re-signing, there are a lot of group gutkickings (at the Fort Fumble CoE) to be meted out.

*When he entered the fray on Saturday night, his body language appeared all wrong.

 

[Cliffy's Jockstrap]

I honestly don't think Attack is our problem, certainly it isn't the one we have to fix first. Manly this year has scored more points and more tries than Penrith. That is not our problem. We rank 4th for missed tackles, 1st for ineffective tackles, 4th for errors and 13th for set completion %. Those point to the parts we need to fix or we could sign Harry Grant indeed and still have no hope higher than 7th.