Metcalf

The concern over Metcalfe "s tackling capability relates back to his i st year with Manly in the 20 "s in 2018 , was moved from the halves to full back mainly because he was a defensive liability even at that level . Just no question of his attacking brilliance then and now however and does possess a rare talent . Super speed of the mark and ability to maintain really good pace i . e , a genuine speedster . Harness that with again some more robust and reliable defence and organizing experience and for sure Manly can have a real good player in their halves ranks going forward and if they can retain him
 
susan said:
Pretty harsh.How about the ability to spot an opportunity via a lazy defender and also having the ability to execute the kicks perfectly.Kicking is half the battle in the modern game.He wasn’t just chasing a football. The opportunities were created and finished by him. Beachsprinters just chase.

The other good sign was having the confidence to try things on your first outing in the limelight. Confidence is precious in a playmaker.

I’m very happy to have some potential ex factor down the track in our halves because one weakness this side has had for a long time ( Fainu improved it a lot and we have lost him for who knows how long )is the ability to convert close to the line. I am a huge DCE fan and would not swap him for anyone but we do tend to have plenty of headless chook moments in the red zone and another dangerous option in the mix down the track won’t hurt that situation if the kid progresses.

With Fainu gone it is going to be a lot easier to double team DCE close to the line so we will need creative options. I really like Levi for his energy and his passing game is the best we’ve had since Ballin but don’t expect Fainus creativity in attack.

Anyway he’ll be doing the rounds in Blacktown early on so it’s up to him to earn a chance and let’s hope he kicks on. If we could find a genuine star in the next couple of seasons at five eight and get Dylan( who has done a very good job at 6) back to the centres this side wins the comp in my opinion.

Also agree with Harry. ZDC is not the answer to the second hooker scenario.Saw a couple of nice touches from Ipape and Croker was solid.
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I hope he kicks on but a couple of things...
Ability to spot a lazy defender...it was a dart from dummy half,not something a halfback makes a living from.
Kicking game....a kick for himself on the line and a reef downfield for 50 metres which he chased and won.Against 13 people he would have more bodies in front of him kicking a couple of metres out and having to negotiate through them to get to the ball as well as a fullback sweeping behind,and reefing the ball downfield would also have wingers and fullbacks back covering at the 13 a side game.Tom Wright was good at that but kicking for the team and others is a different ball game than kicking for yourself.
Defense is not just technique a coach can install or helping a player with positioning,it is also about attitude and willingness to put the body on the line.
I hope he kicks on and becomes a champion but have to agree with others that whilst there were some good highlights for a youtube clip I thought it was lacking in ability that translates to the 13 a side game,but each to their own,happy if I am proved wrong in a year or two...
 
My 2 bob's worth is ... he was out all last year and only came back for a couple of games against men for Blacktown at the end of the season .... for a slightly built 20 year old ... the prospect of defending against NRL players under fatique and with space would be daunting and a challenge ..
note how well some more credentialed fatiqued players went againgst Willyarmy Kickouh ...

What he did have was pace and the confidence and vision to back himself .... for mine he appears to have the personal attributes that are the foundation blocks of a good footballer .... but as others have said ... time will tell ... I wouldn't be betting against him ....

.. and good luck to him ...
 
susan said:
Pretty harsh.How about the ability to spot an opportunity via a lazy defender and also having the ability to execute the kicks perfectly.Kicking is half the battle in the modern game.He wasn’t just chasing a football. The opportunities were created and finished by him. Beachsprinters just chase.

The other good sign was having the confidence to try things on your first outing in the limelight. Confidence is precious in a playmaker.

I’m very happy to have some potential ex factor down the track in our halves because one weakness this side has had for a long time ( Fainu improved it a lot and we have lost him for who knows how long )is the ability to convert close to the line. I am a huge DCE fan and would not swap him for anyone but we do tend to have plenty of headless chook moments in the red zone and another dangerous option in the mix down the track won’t hurt that situation if the kid progresses.

With Fainu gone it is going to be a lot easier to double team DCE close to the line so we will need creative options. I really like Levi for his energy and his passing game is the best we’ve had since Ballin but don’t expect Fainus creativity in attack.

Anyway he’ll be doing the rounds in Blacktown early on so it’s up to him to earn a chance and let’s hope he kicks on. If we could find a genuine star in the next couple of seasons at five eight and get Dylan( who has done a very good job at 6) back to the centres this side wins the comp in my opinion.

Also agree with Harry. ZDC is not the answer to the second hooker scenario.Saw a couple of nice touches from Ipape and Croker was solid.
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lol - never once said he doesn't have potential. I am 56 and I could still pick out a lazy defender because if you were like me and loved to tackle but didn't like being tackled - you lived off lazy defenders or halves or five eigths. Again not sure the kicking skills needed to be that honed - from memory he was 50 or so out - so the chances of the ball going dead were pretty slim and his pace would get him there. I have no doubt he has got talent - everyone has been spruking him for a while - my point was so far I have seen speed and my other point was to let him play for Blacktown and show us the skills and talent and toughness he has then lets start anointing him. Maybe on this forum I need to just make one point per post so the main thrust doesn't get lost. I will learn I am sure.
 
Smokin Joe said:
I hope he kicks on but a couple of things...
Ability to spot a lazy defender...it was a dart from dummy half,not something a halfback makes a living from.
Kicking game....a kick for himself on the line and a reef downfield for 50 metres which he chased and won.Against 13 people he would have more bodies in front of him kicking a couple of metres out and having to negotiate through them to get to the ball as well as a fullback sweeping behind,and reefing the ball downfield would also have wingers and fullbacks back covering at the 13 a side game.Tom Wright was good at that but kicking for the team and others is a different ball game than kicking for yourself.
Defense is not just technique a coach can install or helping a player with positioning,it is also about attitude and willingness to put the body on the line.
I hope he kicks on and becomes a champion but have to agree with others that whilst there were some good highlights for a youtube clip I thought it was lacking in ability that translates to the 13 a side game,but each to their own,happy if I am proved wrong in a year or two...
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Wow Smokin - sorry man - I didn't see your post before I just replied otherwise I would have just agreed with you - totally spot on! My apologies mate.
 
Shane4500 said:
lol - never once said he doesn't have potential. I am 56 and I could still pick out a lazy defender because if you were like me and loved to tackle but didn't like being tackled - you lived off lazy defenders or halves or five eigths. Again not sure the kicking skills needed to be that honed - from memory he was 50 or so out - so the chances of the ball going dead were pretty slim and his pace would get him there. I have no doubt he has got talent - everyone has been spruking him for a while - my point was so far I have seen speed and my other point was to let him play for Blacktown and show us the skills and talent and toughness he has then lets start anointing him. Maybe on this forum I need to just make one point per post so the main thrust doesn't get lost. I will learn I am sure.
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And I said hell be at Blacktown for sure three times I think in previous posts so don’t disagree with you there. He’s no way a top 17 man yet.My point is I’d rather back the coaching staff we have to work on attitude and technique and be positive than hark back to U20s in 2018 to judge him.because he has more upside than our other options by lengths.
He was a kid when he played last with any regularity. He’s not a kid now. He’s much bigger and hopefully healthier now.
It’s not that easy to do what he did simply because there were nine on the field. I did not see too many other youngsters over the weekend pull off three tries like that, and certainly no one in our side showed anything much at all in attack other than Metcalfe Garrick and maybe Croker to a lesser extent.Solid in defence in first two games but slow around the park would sum it up overall for our boys. To be expected given the lack of first graders and very few speedsters picked.
He took his chance with both hands when given the opportunity. That’s all he can do. Now he needs to do the same for Blacktown.
 
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The general consensus seems to be that he has attacking skills and most agree he needs time to develop.The issue I have with his defense occurred in the Titans game and it is about attitude.We were defending on our line and a Titans forward(I think it was Cartwright) put a chip kick in for himself,Metcalfe as a footballer had 2 options...
1. Contest the kick
2.Try to tackle the player as soon as they caught the ball.
He did neither,he allowed Cartwright to catch the ball uncontested and turned his back making no attempt to tackle him and went over for an easy try.Sorry but that is the defensive issue,not technique but attitude and commitment and willingness to take the tough option...Maybe Des can do something about it but I have doubts.
 
Smokin Joe said:
The general consensus seems to be that he has attacking skills and most agree he needs time to develop.The issue I have with his defense occurred in the Titans game and it is about attitude.We were defending on our line and a Titans forward(I think it was Cartwright) put a chip kick in for himself,Metcalfe as a footballer had 2 options...
1. Contest the kick
2.Try to tackle the player as soon as they caught the ball.
He did neither,he allowed Cartwright to catch the ball uncontested and turned his back making no attempt to tackle him and went over for an easy try.Sorry but that is the defensive issue,not technique but attitude and commitment and willingness to take the tough option...Maybe Des can do something about it but I have doubts.
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I saw that as well Smoking ... it was so strange that, like you I couldn't understand it ... may be he was afraid of tackling the attacker in the air rule ... either way it was bizzare and I hope just a brain-fart moment and not an entrenched flaw ....
 
Yep. He should have contested it as first option for sure but in a more general sense I have no doubt that rule will throw up some crazy situations for sure, especially early in the season.It is absolutely ridiculous.
 
Smokin Joe said:
The general consensus seems to be that he has attacking skills and most agree he needs time to develop.The issue I have with his defense occurred in the Titans game and it is about attitude.We were defending on our line and a Titans forward(I think it was Cartwright) put a chip kick in for himself,Metcalfe as a footballer had 2 options...
1. Contest the kick
2.Try to tackle the player as soon as they caught the ball.
He did neither,he allowed Cartwright to catch the ball uncontested and turned his back making no attempt to tackle him and went over for an easy try.Sorry but that is the defensive issue,not technique but attitude and commitment and willingness to take the tough option...Maybe Des can do something about it but I have doubts.
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I noticed that too. He did a similar lazy effort in the Storm game when Munster ran around him to score, he made no real effort. Definitely seems like an attitude thing and we all know Des is big on these little 1% areas and Im sure he will point it out as lazy efforts. It's these little efforts that are the difference between good and great players
 
Woodsie said:
I saw that as well Smoking ... it was so strange that, like you I couldn't understand it ... may be he was afraid of tackling the attacker in the air rule ... either way it was bizzare and I hope just a brain-fart moment and not an entrenched flaw ....
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Think we had bigger brain farts in that game - seriously who's idea was it to kick on the 2nd tackle out wide with only 20 secs left in the game? senseless
 
SeaEagleRock8 said:
Probably a combination of just rested because its a Micky Mouse comp and kept fresh for finals in case we won through?
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He only played 30 secs of the first game .... My concern is .... that given the NRL rules that at least one of your top 5 money earners have to play .... and Kapow was ours ...if he was not genuinely injured and we were being smartees then he leaves us open to being GreenTurded ....
 
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