Harry said:
Darren said:
Great stuff Harry, but we do promote kids if they are ready and local. Choc, Kingy etc and even Tooves. We all know Tom and Jake T are pretty close and so is Gutho. Theyt promoted Jesse. Charlie Taylor is a bit away from 1st grade. Kids like Knight aew doing well. Chee Kam was a big money flop so far and that would frustrate locals but it was thought we was going to be a gun.
I'm not sure of too many 18-20 year olds playing first grade with their local club? The boys from Newcastle do stand out.
All the teams are doing it. If Manly don't want to give them a run and get them used to it thats fine as other clubs will as the talented kids will end up making their debuts somewhere else. Which is ashame.
What I am hearing Some of these talented players won't be back next year anyway.
Knight, Hoppa and Taylor should be getting some runs in 1sts now, put Taylor on the wing and with our great halves combination and centres with his speed he will be blitzing in the tries and Hoppa and Knight giving them a go as Lock / second row
All the teams are doing it?
Well good for them, some are doing it out of necessity due to injuries and some are doing it because they've got no one better.
We gave Gifty and Kite the tap on the shoulder and look at the perceived rumblings that are going on.
Can you imagine saying to Snake, Jorge or Lyon "guys, can you play reggies this week because we'd like to see how these young guys go in your place" ? Yep, that'd go well.
So, who do we drop to give Hoppa and Knight a go? Choc, Horo, T-Red, Ferris?
To bring up a player just to give them a run because of rumblings they may leave for perceived greener pastures is ridiculous.
I can't remember a player that has been promoted to First Grade over the past few years - Gutho, Jake T, Sao, Hiku - that had a shocker so they wait till they know they're ready. Would be nothing worse for a young bloke to get a chance and then turn in a shocker never to be seen again.
If we were mid table then yes, maybe give them a shot but we haven't been mid table for at least 7-8 years so we must be doing something right.
Surely they can see that spots will open up in the next year or two but this current generation and their managers want it now.