players Des has dropped

[Sheikheagle]

His playing 6 enjoying his footy and getting full games week in and week out.

Great stuff. Definitely a 6 or 7. For me not a 9.

 

[Snake]

I

Cust is in the top 5-10 players in the ESL try assist wise. We shouldn't have let him go. He added WAY more spark from dummy half than Croker. I just don't get it.

Saddler would literally be our best NSW Cup forward right now.

Des should have convinced Brian Kelly to stay as well, rather than opting for the lazy play of releasing him. He'd be our best centre.

Lastly, Des allowing AFB to leave. We should have tried everything to accommodate him and make things work, but we went the lazy route and got nothing in return, and our forwards have been plonkers since, barring the ocassional decent performance against the almost rans of the competition.

I agree that he has been a massive loss but can tell you that it was not a cut and dry situation of Des saying ‘you’re replaceable, we’ll survive’. Taupau was shopped a number of times to try and free up the massive cost of his contract and no one would touch him for anywhere close. In the end there was too much money tied up in two props and when we couldn’t move Marty on, we had to honour his contract and that meant AFB would have to get his pound of flesh at the Warriors.

 

[Not Paul Kent]

Kane Elgey was legitimately dropped twice and eventually retired.

That was Baz?

 

[Not Paul Kent]

David Vaeleki comes to mind

 

[Snake]

That was Baz?

No, he played at Manly in 2019.

 

[ALinda]

Cust is in the top 5-10 players in the ESL try assist wise. We shouldn't have let him go. He added WAY more spark from dummy half than Croker. I just don't get it.

Saddler would literally be our best NSW Cup forward right now.

Des should have convinced Brian Kelly to stay as well, rather than opting for the lazy play of releasing him. He'd be our best centre.

Lastly, Des allowing AFB to leave. We should have tried everything to accommodate him and make things work, but we went the lazy route and got nothing in return, and our forwards have been plonkers since, barring the ocassional decent performance against the almost rans of the competition.

Certainly agree with you about Cust and hopefully he takes the option to return to Manly sooner rather than later!

I understood Brian Kelly left us as we was homesick. He went to the GC as he comes from Northern NSW (Ballina I think, as I recall having a conversation with his mum one day...). Mind you, money talks and if he'd been offered enough maybe he would've been convinced to stay.

As for AFB, I thought he didn't want to be at Manly anymore and wanted to "move his family out of Sydney". Imo there's no point having a player causing unrest and who doesn't want to be here. It affects team harmony and isn't worth it.

 

[Snake]

As for AFB, I thought he didn't want to be at Manly anymore and wanted to "move his family out of Sydney". Imo there's no point having a player causing unrest and who doesn't want to be here. It affects team harmony and isn't worth it.

That was one of the reasons he chose Warriors but the initial move came about when it was apparent that he wasn't going to be able to get the same money at Manly that he could command on the open market. Our cap squeeze and his continued rise up the ranks meant it all came to a head.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

The oil I heard on the AFB situation was that Nathan Brown went very hard to get him to Newcastle a few years back, but he stayed with us

Brown got the Warriors gig, and again got in AFBs ear with an offer with a 9 as the first number and Addin made up his excuses and we agreed, his carry on upon getting his release as well as his off the park record made me comfortable enough with it, much like I am now with Walker, even though he is a top 3 front rower

Cust, Travis Burns 2.0 for me. Great attitude, try’s his guts out, capable of some great individual plays but just slightly lacking the skill set all round to be a genuine full time halves option. Personally I feel Croker is a far better all round 9

 

[Supreme Leader]

The oil I heard on the AFB situation was that Nathan Brown went very hard to get him to Newcastle a few years back, but he stayed with us

Brown got the Warriors gig, and again got in AFBs ear with an offer with a 9 as the first number and Addin made up his excuses and we agreed, his carry on upon getting his release as well as his off the park record made me comfortable enough with it, much like I am now with Walker, even though he is a top 3 front rower

Cust, Travis Burns 2.0 for me. Great attitude, try’s his guts out, capable of some great individual plays but just slightly lacking the skill set all round to be a genuine full time halves option. Personally I feel Croker is a far better all round 9

Some what agree with you on Croker, wasn't a fan still have questions but he's getting better. My issue is the Lawton effect, he comes on and they share the dummy half role, confuses me. Is Lawton a 2nd row or a edge player / dummy half?

 

[Shoe1]

Shane Neumann

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Some what agree with you on Croker, wasn't a fan still have questions but he's getting better. My issue is the Lawton effect, he comes on and they share the dummy half role, confuses me. Is Lawton a 2nd row or a edge player / dummy half?

I think all going well with a fit lineup, Croker plays 60 then Lawton comes on with a bit of speed out of dummy half. Bit injuries have dictated otherwise recently

 

[Supreme Leader]

I think all going well with a fit lineup, Croker plays 60 then Lawton comes on with a bit of speed out of dummy half. Bit injuries have dictated otherwise recently

But why are they both on the field fighting to do same job?

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

But why are they both on the field fighting to do same job?

Circumstance with injury I believe, when all was going to plan Croker was leaving the field when Lawton was coming on

 

[Rocky]

Cust is in the top 5-10 players in the ESL try assist wise. We shouldn't have let him go. He added WAY more spark from dummy half than Croker. I just don't get it.

Saddler would literally be our best NSW Cup forward right now.

Des should have convinced Brian Kelly to stay as well, rather than opting for the lazy play of releasing him. He'd be our best centre.

Lastly, Des allowing AFB to leave. We should have tried everything to accommodate him and make things work, but we went the lazy route and got nothing in return, and our forwards have been plonkers since, barring the ocassional decent performance against the almost rans of the competition.

We seriously aren't losing sleep over Brian Kelly leaving? I wouldn't put him above Koula, tippytoes or Parker.

 

[Supreme Leader]

Well I know Des dropped me playing in a trial game back in 1983 at Cromer, he smashed me. Having said that both the Blake brothers played in same game and I remember the game being stopped for a helicopter to fly my team mate to hospital. Michael hit him under the shoulder blades and snapped both his ankles. Phil the genius, Michael the best defensive centre in the game. I always thought that thank god it wasn't me!

 

[Stewbojevic]

Cust is in the top 5-10 players in the ESL try assist wise. We shouldn't have let him go. He added WAY more spark from dummy half than Croker. I just don't get it.

Saddler would literally be our best NSW Cup forward right now.

Des should have convinced Brian Kelly to stay as well, rather than opting for the lazy play of releasing him. He'd be our best centre.

Lastly, Des allowing AFB to leave. We should have tried everything to accommodate him and make things work, but we went the lazy route and got nothing in return, and our forwards have been plonkers since, barring the ocassional decent performance against the almost rans of the competition.

I agree with AFB, he’s one of the best props in the game and gets his team momentum every time he gets the ball.

The others… meh.

Kelly is a poor defensive centre, Saddler never proven, Cust had some good games but nothing special yet. I did like him though but he wouldn’t make our current team.

I wouldn’t mind Hiku, JWH, Hynes, Ramien, Walker (next year) though