Manly Signings

[SeaEagleRock8]

no need for us to rush into locking Croker down right now

Got about 3 weeks till we know the result of the trial, his price could be higher then

 

[NZEaglesFan]

If ever a player personified my picture of what a "Manly" player represents .. it is Croker.

3 serious knee reconstructions before his 10th 1st grade game, dropped, recalled, dropped, bagged mercilessly by the "fans" .. but still turned up and refused to quit .. what, you want me to play hooker OK ... again his form is less than stellar, again comes the relentless bagging ... and again comes the character and the no quit attitude ... and again the kid shows the grit ..

He will never be a star, but he is turning into a damn good !st grader ... and one that I am proud to see wear the Manly jersey ... all clubs need their Crokers ...

I admitted surprise when one of the first things Dessie did in 2019 was to re-signed him, even though he was still injured. .. and I suspect that if Dessie wasn't going to let him go when he was a busted nobody ... he will be very unlikely to let him go now ...

What is Crocker doing wrong at the moment that we do not want to re-sign him? Answer: he is not doing much wrong and are we putting all our eggs in the one basket (Fainu), what if he does not get acquitted, what happens then?

Do you seriously thing Lawton is better than Crocker and can play the full 80 minutes. I do not think so and by having Crocker play full 80 minutes and tackle his @rse off. He is 9th on overall tacklers and ahead of Jake and our highest tackler and if he was missing, we will definitely notice the difference.

 

[40 years an eagle]

If you are talking tackle efficiency in the NRL in 2021 then Marshall King, J Lussick, F Lussick, Clark, Cotter are rated higher whilst Egan is the same at 91%

If you are talking tackles per game Egan and Kenny are higher whilst Liddle is equal at 35 per game

Though if missed tackles is your thing than J Lussick, F Lussick, Clark are rated higher whilst and Rein is the same.

No doubt Croker has been a good clog defensively but he is no Matt Ballin whilst offering little in attack.

Basically I think peoples views on Croker are too tied to the teams form. When we are losing he has to go, when we are winning he has to stay.....I think things are a little more nuanced than that.

Sure he has improved since the first for rounds but not as significantly as many make out, he is still not the guy who will impact the result of the game. He is the guy that will fill a role and I think we can aspire to higher in a key position.


Buuuut as said, that doesn't mean he has to go, just that we investigate if we can upgrade, see what happens with Fainu then make a decision in the off season.

So according to those stats he is pretty much a top 3 defensive 9. The Lussick's have both played very few games. Joey 5 career games, 4 this year, Freddy 9 career and also 4 this year. Mitch Kenny has played 9 games this year.


So your quoted stats put into perspective mean that Croker is the #1 defensive full-time hooker in the NRL and only loses 1 category to Wayde Egan.

 

[castle eagle]

So you believe a squad only needs 2 hookers? Rorters have used 5 this season so far.

and the donkeys have used 8 halfback/ five-eight combinations.
Not relevant to your point at all, i just think its funny!

 

[Disco]

So according to those stats he is pretty much a top 3 defensive 9. The Lussick's have both played very few games. Joey 5 career games, 4 this year, Freddy 9 career and also 4 this year. Mitch Kenny has played 9 games this year.


So your quoted stats put into perspective mean that Croker is the #1 defensive full-time hooker in the NRL and only loses 1 category to Wayde Egan.

Oh sorry no no no, I just compared him to the players I believe are around his level, I excluded about 12-15 players

 

[40 years an eagle]

Oh sorry no no no, I just compared him to the players I believe are around his level, I excluded about 12-15 players

Would be great to see how he fares against the others.

 

[Mataiforever]

Croker is next priority in my opinion on a good price. With Fainu in doubt we can now rely on Croker. We don't wanna lose him now too and have to potentially find another replacement

He would surely be commanding bottom dollar

Just give him a 1yr extension to reward his efforts. Close mates with Turbo and Brad too.

 

[Mataiforever]

I don’t think Croker is surplus next year even if Fainu is free.

Manase hasn’t played footy in two years and will be extremely dusty.

Cust looks to be out the door.

Lawton has been great, but as a second rower, and has a history of injury.

Croker has played big minutes, been a warrior in defence and given decent service now building great chemistry with the turbo brothers, foz and chez.

Sign him for 1 year due to his efforts, he’d be on bottom dollar.

If Fainu is free he won’t be into full swing until mid next year anyways... plus we need a backup and at the moment Lawton is my backrower on the bench consdering Dylan has been a great 14.

 

[Ryan]

Again this will sound harsh but here I go......Croker is doing an admirable job, but he'd rank somewhere around 15-20 if you were rating the best hookers in the game.

If we get caught in a pickle with the Fainu situation I'd be fine with extending him for a season but I cant see any rush and if someone else snapped him up we can find a comparable option.

He'd excel in a Bronco's system with Staggs and Reynolds in the halves and Isaako at the back. In fact, Croker should be a priority signing for them (and I'm worried we'll lose him to them).

As @Woodsie stated, the kid oozes character. Say adding him and Finucane would turn their culture quick smart.

Honestly, I'd rather Croker than Fainu (what with the sharing snapchat girl's naked images, the supporting Hopoate's abuse of the club, the gang crap, the online bong smoking, the alleged stabbing - and how his removal from the team has taken from the overall cap space for us).....

Let the Bronco's have him. I'll take (and always rated) a kid like Croker. In fact, that's why my loyalty and respect for Foran returned. Character.

 

[Eagles4Life]

What is Crocker doing wrong at the moment that we do not want to re-sign him? Answer: he is not doing much wrong and are we putting all our eggs in the one basket (Fainu), what if he does not get acquitted, what happens then?

Do you seriously thing Lawton is better than Crocker and can play the full 80 minutes. I do not think so and by having Crocker play full 80 minutes and tackle his @rse off. He is 9th on overall tacklers and ahead of Jake and our highest tackler and if he was missing, we will definitely notice the difference.

Croker is our most improved player. If he keeps improving or even maintains his current form, he deserves to keep the nine spot in 2021.

Lawton is a much better nine then many people on here seem to think. He is doing a great job at back row, but to me he is clearly a better attacking nine than Croker. Lawton has a better pass, and is far more instinctive in his dummy half play.

Croker has been made into a nine, while Lawton has been made into a backrower.

To complicate things even further I actually think Lawtons best position now is as a Foran-like five eight.

If Fainu gets through the court case ok, he is our nine of 2022. He is more then capable of playing eighty minutes in that role.
If that's the case Lawton's utility skills push Croker out of the squad completely. If Des decides to alternate two nines next year, it will be Fainu/Lawton. Lawton will become our version of hectic cheese.
Again Croker doesn't make the seventeen.

If Fainu comes back Croker will be depth at best. Most of his time will be spent in the twenty one but not the seventeen. If Fainu doesn't come back he makes that seventeen from the bench in 2022.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Got about 3 weeks till we know the result of the trial, his price could be higher then

So by the end of the month! Do we know how his shoulder is going?

 

[Eagles4Life]

He'd excel in a Bronco's system with Staggs and Reynolds in the halves and Isaako at the back. In fact, Croker should be a priority signing for them (and I'm worried we'll lose him to them).

As @Woodsie stated, the kid oozes character. Say adding him and Finucane would turn their culture quick smart.

Honestly, I'd rather Croker than Fainu (what with the sharing snapchat girl's naked images, the supporting Hopoate's abuse of the club, the gang crap, the online bong smoking, the alleged stabbing - and how his removal from the team has taken from the overall cap space for us).....

Let the Bronco's have him. I'll take (and always rated) a kid like Croker. In fact, that's why my loyalty and respect for Foran returned. Character.

On character grounds I agree absolutely. Fainu is a tool of the highest order.

But he is an outstanding footballer, and the new rules completely suit his game. If he returns as he was when he left us, he is already in the top three nines in the NRL.

On the other side he is a massive risk to our culture. Once a dickhead always a dickhead. I hope he gets off but if he doesn't his incredible potential as a footballer will be completely wasted. His deficiencies of character will have cost him everything.

I hear what you are saying @Woodsie

 

[XV-1]

Croker has done better at #9 than he ever did for us at #6! Agree sign him for 1 or 2 years on the cheap regardless if fainu comes back. Always good to have squad depth!

That I agree with. .

Croker was bound to improve under Des than Twent.

Comparing Twent and Des as coaches is like comparing Mark Woodford to Federer

 

[Will on the hill]

Croker vs Fainu is a fascinating question. Croker brings defence and 80 min potential. Fainu brings the attack thru the middle. Lawton as a super sub only makes it more interesting. Fainu played his best when Api was on the bench. Is there a world where we play Croker Fainu and Lawton? Can't see it myself.

So much hinges on Fainu's court case. Hopefully it's sorted one way or another this year.

 

[Highflier]

If ever a player personified my picture of what a "Manly" player represents .. it is Croker.

3 serious knee reconstructions before his 10th 1st grade game, dropped, recalled, dropped, bagged mercilessly by the "fans" .. but still turned up and refused to quit .. what, you want me to play hooker OK ... again his form is less than stellar, again comes the relentless bagging ... and again comes the character and the no quit attitude ... and again the kid shows the grit ..

He will never be a star, but he is turning into a damn good !st grader ... and one that I am proud to see wear the Manly jersey ... all clubs need their Crokers ...

I admitted surprise when one of the first things Dessie did in 2019 was to re-signed him, even though he was still injured. .. and I suspect that if Dessie wasn't going to let him go when he was a busted nobody ... he will be very unlikely to let him go now ...

and very well put Woodsie

 

[Little Grubber Kick]

Lawton's versatility makes him the perfect 14

Is this inflation?, wasn't perfect a 10 once upon a time

 

[Disco]

Would be great to see how he fares against the others.

I do all my best league research whilst "working"......maybe on Monday I'll do a full breakdown haha

 

[QLDSeaeagle]

On the other side he is a massive risk to our culture. Once a dickhead always a dickhead.

Exactly, He could turn into our very own Todd Carney.

 

[XV-1]

Exactly, He could turn into our very own Todd Carney.

U r being a bit harsh on Carney. Carney has never been caught sending nude photos of girls around for spite or arrested for stabbing someone.
If Carney was Lockear, everything would have been brushed under thecarpet.

I agree with a lot of posters here, Fainu is a disgrace as a young man and human being. Guilty or not.
One thing is 4 sure, if he is found not guilty, Des will ensure he fits in or fckcjs off.

 

[eagle66]

When the planets align and Fainu is back, Croker should start the match and play the first 15 to 30 minutes, depending on what is going on.