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I wouldn't say its left field. The kid looks a star in the making. Best young playmaker to come through in a long time. Would be a perfect fit. I said in an earlier post we should swap him for Walker. Would be a perfect fit. Burton and Saab are on my wishlist. Lose Thommo and shop Walker

He’s the best young half I’ve seen in a while... will be absolutely astounded if he doesn’t end up being a long term representative five eight.
 
Oh he is everything you say he is and destined for higher honours. Just don’t think he does anything to fix our halves/ game management issue over next two years.Brilliant but not that style of player..... yet.
Love to see him in the 14 rug.
I guess what I'm saying is the present line up is quite pedestrian and predictable, without Turbo and to a lesser extent Walker (though I still think his speed is wasted at 5/8). I dont think the present group appearing this weekend would get us to the top four and may have us struggling for the 8. Like I said before I could see the Cronulla game going bad, and I'm pessimistic about this weekend also. If we win, it will be because our forwards have sufficiently dominated, because, other than hooker, its a top 4 forward line up. What Schuster MAY bring to the side is not only better service to the outer backs, but an unpredictability, the type Lyons showed. His junior form (and I know this is just juniors) demonstrated that unpredictability, which was noted by several judges I read who commented, and had other backlines scrambling. This takes the pressure off DCE and gives space to the backline.

Now I know this is all based on junior form. But we have no other way of assessing until he plays in the top grade. He was I suspected ear marked at the beginning of the season to try out at 5/8 and he seems to have performed well in the trial he played in. I think he'd add another dimension to the play. But its just an opinion.
 
Is saab really that good? I know he's tall. Could have a Daniel tupou like effect.. that'll be nice
Exact size and height of the Ideal modern day winger, but more importantly....has speed and evasion also and can run in 100m tries, which only few can do.
Ignore his form in a beaten up Dragons side and watch him when his inside players are doing well and providing opportunities....can play but will need 5-6 1st grade games to find feet and doubt will be at Illawarra next season.
 
Green was good at warriors last year but has been garbage this year. D Walker is straight a better half than him now - i think walkers organising ability in the rounds he’s played this year has been serially underrated. When we won against chooks and broncos he was one of our best, not to mention my MOTM in the finals against bunnies last year which we were unlucky to win.

I think walker stays at 6 as his organising game is getting much much better, you often see him at first receiver (or second off jake / AFB) more than DCE.If we can get foran on cheap coin, structure the team as foran/walker in the 6 with DCE at 7, so walker is prepped to cover when injured.

I also think cust is very underrated. When he played last year he had a try or try assist in every game and showed some spark last match. Croker is a definite 9 with a good kicking game for me, bit like monaghan but with the aggression of foran.

First priority IMO is finding a good centre/wing that is actually a great backup fullback.Like when snake used to get injured, robbo was a great makeshift 1. Garrick could become that but not sure if he has the running game. Chooks have it made as Bmoz would start at 1 for most of the lower sides but covers for them when needed. Maybe Peta hiku reunite anyone? Has the better hands than reubs to be an ok makeshift 1, and probably would cop playing some reserves throughout the season. Elliott is average despite his good efforts, if he’s playing 8-10 games a season we simply aren’t making top 4.
 
We are actually fine. We just need our core players to stay on the park. Daly needs a halves partner with some threat about him so opposition game plans are not just "shut down DCE and we shutdown Manly" ... Walker can become this player and has shown plenty of skill running the ball and can become more of a Foran like 6 in time but he needs to stay in the park.

DCE will shine when he doesn't need to do it all. All the best halves have had a serviceable halves partner that allow them to shine.

AFB / Marty
Siro / Thommo
Jake
DCE / Walks
Jorge / Suli / Parker / Garrick
Turbo

Is a fair core to the team. Strong running, mobile forwards who are pretty fit. Plus our backs are fast and capable. Pretty young and even our beloved Jorge is only 28. A great pity about Fainu but what do you do.
 
DCE will shine when he doesn't need to do it all. All the best halves have had a serviceable halves partner that allow them to shine.
Agree with only one notable exception I can think of: Joey won the 2001 GF with Sean Rudder as 5/8, who was pretty average. People laud JT (who I have come to appreciate more now he is in retirement), but he doesn’t win a GF without Michael Morgan, a QLD and Australian rep.
 
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He’s the best young half I’ve seen in a while... will be absolutely astounded if he doesn’t end up being a long term representative five eight.
Speaking of left field. Has anyone actually laid eyes in Schuster this year?

Perhaps he's already too big to play in the halves. He has all the skill in the world but looking at his junior mix tape apart from SG ball he looks to be growing exponentially larger than most of the kids around him.

You can't fight genetics. We are all calling for him to get a run in the side as a utility and perhaps that ship has already sailed.

Thommo is gone next year I wonder if we may have the next Kikau with the skills of Jamie lyon in our second row?
 
Shuffle off the myth and gammy hammy and we'll have about $2.4 mil to spend on a couple of players who'll play 24 games per season not 24 every 5 years , not continually throw hospital passes, run around in circles or do 5th tackle kicks straight to the opposition.
 
Speaking of left field. Has anyone actually laid eyes in Schuster this year?

Perhaps he's already too big to play in the halves. He has all the skill in the world but looking at his junior mix tape apart from SG ball he looks to be growing exponentially larger than most of the kids around him.

You can't fight genetics. We are all calling for him to get a run in the side as a utility and perhaps that ship has already sailed.

Thommo is gone next year I wonder if we may have the next Kikau with the skills of Jamie lyon in our second row?


You're right. Other than in the trials, Schuster has been unseen. I understand he is well over the injury he suffered last year. He would be wasted in the forwards with the skills he has. I think that's why he was moved to 5/8 after playing in the forwards earlier in his junior career. Yes he's big, but there's nothing wrong with that as long as he has a good step, is deceptive, a clever kicker, fast off the mark, mobile, feeds the backs well and is a good foil for DCE. And though we haven't seen him alongside DCE, he has all those other skills. King Wally wasn't small and it didn't seem to limit his worth at 5/8l
 
Maloney not going anywhere.


However The Sydney Morning Herald reported Maloney emphatically denied he would cut his Super League stay short to help the Broncos or any other struggling NRL club.

“I’m living the dream over here,’’ Maloney told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“There’s nothing any club could do to get me back there. I’m as happy as Larry.

“I was always comfortable when I made the decision that I was ready to go and that there would be no regrets.

It was also suggested the club may have been struggling, but we’ve actually been one of the luckier clubs over here because we’ve lost less than the NRL and other Super League teams with the French government [topping up] our contracts.’’

Vive la France!
 
On form Dylan walker is probably due for a negative headline about now. Lets hope he is behaving himself doing his rehab.
 

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