Quick question- Hooker in 2023 ?

[Rocky]

Not interested in what commentators say,I saw a guy who had a good pass from dummy half and tackled well which is what Croker does.
There was no engaging markers or any good momentum darts or kicking game,just a guy playing a role in a side.
Not a difference maker,not sure what the Dogs paying him big money has to do with it,supposedly we are paying silly amounts to some of our own.

Agreed with this.

If Mahoney played with Manly this year he wouldn't look any better than Croker.

 

[frank stokes]

We let him go because we had the up and coming Fainu who was our rising star and the rest is history .

Yep and our powers that be could not recognise the SOO and premiership winning talent that was right under their noses...
Sometimes the shiny new model has design and development issues @BOZO...

 

[Adz]

They are more dominant nines than our makeshift one we have and the open market values that

As I said,just opinions,yours is different from mine.

 

[Adz]

I am an optimist as well but backs do not lay the platform for wins forwards do
And Unless we have aggressive forwards making metres and a running creative intimidating hooker our backs wont have the room to do their magic

Did you actually read the full post or just stopped at that bit,because if you read further in the relatively short post that is what I said?
I disagree about the 9 though,if you have good forwards laying a platform and creativity in other key positions you are ok with a solid 9.
You only have so much in a cap,which other position should we weaken to spend more money on a more expensive 9?
Unless you can move on someone like Cherry or Tom (without paying any freight and good luck with that)then where does the money come from,you can't weaken the forwards as we have already agreed they need to be strong to lay the platform?

 

[Adz]

Can u believe we let Api go...?

Mind numbingly stupid....

Stupid or a calculated gamble that did not pay off?Easy to be smart in hindsight.
One was the next big thing with an unbelievable skillset and one was a good hooker that most on here bagged because he supposedly could not pass and was a lot older.

 

[Darren]

Stupid or a calculated gamble that did not pay off?Easy to be smart in hindsight.
One was the next big thing with an unbelievable skillset and one was a good hooker that most on here bagged because he supposedly could not pass and was a lot older.

Agree, Fainu was going to be a superstar and that's why Api was let go. He was young and could have played the 9 for ten seasons. He would have demanded big money in future contracts so understandable. Clint was the same.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Agree, Fainu was going to be a superstar and that's why Api was let go. He was young and could have played the 9 for ten seasons

Spoke briefly with Max Krilich at a men of league thing not long after Fainu was charged, he confirmed he had been set to be a 10 year player for us until that happened. Absolutely appalled that someone would carry a knife, as alleged at the time.

 

[Darren]

Spoke briefly with Max Krilich at a men of league thing not long after Fainu was charged, he confirmed he had been set to be a 10 year player for us until that happened. Absolutely appalled that someone would carry a knife, as alleged at the time.

Yes, who would have thought that this would go so long (covid) and then guilty.

 

[BOZO]

Did you actually read the full post or just stopped at that bit,because if you read further in the relatively short post that is what I said?
I disagree about the 9 though,if you have good forwards laying a platform and creativity in other key positions you are ok with a solid 9.
You only have so much in a cap,which other position should we weaken to spend more money on a more expensive 9?
Unless you can move on someone like Cherry or Tom (without paying any freight and good luck with that)then where does the money come from,you can't weaken the forwards as we have already agreed they need to be strong to lay the platform?

Yes Feathered friend I did read your full post and the crux of the matter and the important point is if you have forwards that go backwards your backs cannot go forward

Another important point is the critical and dominant 9 in the spine is the ace of spades in a good pack and it is no coincidence that all premiership contenders have one

You talk about cap space and cap space is not all about how much money you have but also how well you use it to spend it on new emerging young talent rather than persisting with players with limited potential that limit your chances of winning the premiership

 

[BOZO]

As I said,just opinions,yours is different from mine.

Yes feathered friend we all have different opinions and that is what our great forum is for

 

[BOZO]

Spoke briefly with Max Krilich at a men of league thing not long after Fainu was charged, he confirmed he had been set to be a 10 year player for us until that happened. Absolutely appalled that someone would carry a knife, as alleged at the time.

Fainu

What a Player
and What a Tragedy

Highlights of Fainu on his devastating debut season
He had so much potential and improvement ahead of him
He could have been anything
What a shame

 

[40 nil]

Api was given the option to shop around at the end of 2019 & Penrith (desperately in need of a top flight hooker) signed him on a $600k three year contract (no way Manly could match this at the time). Playing with a side that has reached three consecutive GFs, Api has improved significantly as a player (IMO) & is in the best form of his career - hence his next two year contract for $800k (or is it $850k?) with the Tigers.

 

[BOZO]

Everyone’s bagging Crocker … but the plan always was to have Manase by now!

Just sayin’

I do not think that everyone is bagging Crocker but they are not rating him as compared to all the dominant teams that have more dominant hookers

Fans are fixated so much on winning games and they are all for match winning players

It is essential for bottom of the table teams to Rebuild their roster
Rebuilding the roster is replacing players with limited potential with emerging talent or if there is space in the cap they go and raid another club

The moral of the story
Some players can only take you so far
There is no point in flogging the same old limited roster
All you will get is the same floggings all year
Looking forward to seeing some fresh changes in our 2023 team

 

[BOZO]

- hence his next two year contract for $800k (or is it $850k?) with the Tigers.

Top spine players command big contracts and those figures would just jus about be right

Api will be a big loss to the panthers next season unless they have another emerging talented number 9 in their ranks

 

[Adz]

Yes Feathered friend I did read your full post and the crux of the matter and the important point is if you have forwards that go backwards your backs cannot go forward

Another important point is the critical and dominant 9 in the spine is the ace of spades in a good pack and it is no coincidence that all premiership contenders have one

You talk about cap space and cap space is not all about how much money you have but also how well you use it to spend it on new emerging young talent rather than persisting with players with limited potential that limit your changes of winning the premiership

We are developing young players like GCKTong,there are also young dummy halves like O'Donnell in the juniors,are there other emerging juniors elsewhere you have an eye on that we could sign?
I guess you are talking about young players on the rise who are NRL ready?
Could we afford them if so?
Could you explain what you mean by a dominant 9?
Please try to be more specific than being able to fxxk the opposition.

 

[BOZO]

We are developing young players like GCKTong,there is also young dummy halves like O'Donnell in the juniors,are there other emerging juniors elsewhere you have an eye on that we could sign?
I guess you are talking about young players on the rise who are NRL ready?
Could we afford them if so?

I have heard about our emerging talent like GCKT but I also know Des would rather persist with his failing players and we know how that has ended

My opinion is Talent not used is talent wasted
Emerging talent is one of the ways to spend your cap more wisely as they are less costly in the beginning of their career .

 

[Jerry1]

Fainu

What a Player
and What a Tragedy

Highlights of Fainu on his devastating debut season
He had so much potential and improvement ahead of him
He could have been anything
What a shame

You can’t take the stupid out of stupid.
Indeed a shame,

 

[BOZO]

You can’t take the stupid out of stupid.
Indeed a shame,

it is a shame feathered friend

But when we are young We all think with our other head

 

[Ryan]

it is a shame feathered friend

But when we are young We all think with our other head

One thing about Croker - is he is an absolute class individual. Full of character.

 

[BOZO]

One thing about Croker - is he is an absolute class individual. Full of character.

Crockers Character can not be questioned but only admired
He is super tough and resilient and plays far above his weight
He is also much loved by his team mates

Having said that ....
Manly fans love nothing more than premiership winning players