The No-Look News (Schuster Chronicles)

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I think Foran & Schuster were two of our best tonight.
But I really believe Manly need Schuster at 5/8.
I don't know what we do with Foran then - he has had a good year, just not good enough though.

Guess we won't find out until 2023 but by that time, Schuster may have bulked up too much for 5/8.
 
I think Foran & Schuster were two of our best tonight.
But I really believe Manly need Schuster at 5/8.
I don't know what we do with Foran then - he has had a good year, just not good enough though.

Guess we won't find out until 2023 but by that time, Schuster may have bulked up too much for 5/8.
I thought Schu was poor last night, for a backrower to run only 29mts in 80 mins tells me hes not working hard enough, seems like he wants to be a five eighth playing out wide, and when he gets the ball crabs cross field looking for gaps, sometimes he needs to tuck the ball under his arm and go forward, Gifty was a great ball player but could also hit the ball up like a prop when needed.
All very well throwing the no-look pass for trys, but he also has to do the hard yards as a forward, I understand he's in his first year in 1st grade but he still as a back rowers job to do, look at the mts Guac made last night.
 
Gifty was a great ball player but could also hit the ball up like a prop when needed.
Let's remember though that Des brought Gifty through with great patience, partly to give him time to mature physically because he wasn't all that big. He didn't become a first grade regular till he was about 23 or 24.
Whereas Schu got his opportunity through others' injuries, and the level of talent he displayed meant he simply couldn't be dropped, despite the immaturity in parts of his game (and in his physical development).
I have no idea what position will suit him going forward, he's so young I expect a lot will depend on his own motivation.

edit - I just checked, Gifty didn't play a full season of NRL until he was 23, till then he just played a couple of games per year.
 
I think Foran & Schuster were two of our best tonight.
But I really believe Manly need Schuster at 5/8.
I don't know what we do with Foran then - he has had a good year, just not good enough though.

Guess we won't find out until 2023 but by that time, Schuster may have bulked up too much for 5/8.
The last two months of the season have really demonstrated that Schuster is not suited to the backrow role in the modern game. He just doesn't have the capacity to play this role effectively, without blunting his potential in attack. To me he is simply not a backrower. He isn't a five eight either at the moment. He needs to drop 10 kgs, taper his body shape and focus on his fitness, so he can play five eight in 2023. To do that I think he should play left centre in 2022. I actually think he would kill at centre for a year. A little bit like Fittler did in his first few seasons, before becoming a world class five eight. His place in the backrow could be taken by Bullemore, with Davey on the bench. This combination changes our left edge significantly. i.e Metres gained, Impact off the bench etc With Schuster on the left I would play Walker as right centre again. Yes he has been a revelation as a bench utility coming through the middle. However, I think the games against the Storm and the Rabbitohs have shown us that Jake in the prop rotation doesn't work against the top teams. No matter how hard he and Croker work in defence, it's just not enough. Jake stays at lock. He was completely outplayed by Cameron Murray last night, but this is the type of role he must play for us. Two bench utilities is a luxury we cannot afford for 2022. We should run with a bench utility (Lawton), a backrower (Davey) and two props (Aloiai and Sipley). Obviously this means we start with Paseka and Keppie, but both need to improve significantly to compete with the top packs. I can't find a spot for Woods in the seventeen at the moment. After last night I think we have the side to compete with the top teams, we just have too many players not playing at their best, or not playing in the right positions. Schuster is definitely one of them.
 
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The last two months of the season have really demonstrated that Schuster is not suited to the backrow role in the modern game. He just doesn't have the capacity to play this role effectively, without blunting his potential in attack. To me he is simply not a backrower. He isn't a five eight either at the moment. He needs to drop 10 kgs, taper his body shape and focus on his fitness, so he can play five eight in 2023. To do that I think he should play left centre in 2022. I actually think he would kill at centre for a year. A little bit like Fittler did in his first few seasons, before becoming a world class five eight. His place in the backrow could be taken by Bullemore, with Davey on the bench. This combination changes our left edge significantly. i.e Metres gained, Impact off the bench etc With Schuster on the left I would play Walker as right centre again. Yes he has been a revelation as a bench utility coming through the middle. However, I think the games against the Storm and the Rabbitohs have shown us that Jake in the prop rotation doesn't work against the top teams. No matter how hard he and Croker work in defence, it's just not enough. Jake stays at lock. He was completely outplayed by Cameron Murray last night, but this is the type of role he must play for us. Two bench utilities is a luxury we cannot afford for 2022. We should run with a bench utility (Lawton), a backrower (Davey) and two props (Aloiai and Sipley). Obviously this means we start with Paseka and Keppie, but both need to improve significantly to compete with the top packs. I can't find a spot for Woods in the seventeen at the moment. After last night I think we have the side to compete with the top teams, we just have to many players not playing at their best, or not playing in the right positions. Schuster is definitely one of them.
Concerns with Schuster & Walker (since ankle injury) is they may not be fast enough.
But then, neither was Jamie Lyon @:D
 
I think Schuster, Olakau'atu & Harper have been fatigued from their first full season of NRL.

None of them have made the breaks or covered in defence like they were doing for most of the season until these last few weeks.

I think they'll be better for it next year plus Des will do some rearranging based on Davey being available & Bullemor joining us.
 
Played his heart out last night was tackling with one arm at the end got the ball too late to do anything with and when he did set up more try assists and line break assists then both foz and dce put together. Not sure what else he could do a 5/8 playing out of position. One of manlys best last night he was absolutely gassed at the end. Manly will never win against the top 3 teams with a spine that includes DCE foran Croker its just never going to happen because they are not good enough. Simple

He should be proud of what he's accomplished this year playing out of position.
 
The last two months of the season have really demonstrated that Schuster is not suited to the backrow role in the modern game. He just doesn't have the capacity to play this role effectively, without blunting his potential in attack. To me he is simply not a backrower. He isn't a five eight either at the moment. He needs to drop 10 kgs, taper his body shape and focus on his fitness, so he can play five eight in 2023. To do that I think he should play left centre in 2022. I actually think he would kill at centre for a year. A little bit like Fittler did in his first few seasons, before becoming a world class five eight. His place in the backrow could be taken by Bullemore, with Davey on the bench. This combination changes our left edge significantly. i.e Metres gained, Impact off the bench etc With Schuster on the left I would play Walker as right centre again. Yes he has been a revelation as a bench utility coming through the middle. However, I think the games against the Storm and the Rabbitohs have shown us that Jake in the prop rotation doesn't work against the top teams. No matter how hard he and Croker work in defence, it's just not enough. Jake stays at lock. He was completely outplayed by Cameron Murray last night, but this is the type of role he must play for us. Two bench utilities is a luxury we cannot afford for 2022. We should run with a bench utility (Lawton), a backrower (Davey) and two props (Aloiai and Sipley). Obviously this means we start with Paseka and Keppie, but both need to improve significantly to compete with the top packs. I can't find a spot for Woods in the seventeen at the moment. After last night I think we have the side to compete with the top teams, we just have to many players not playing at their best, or not playing in the right positions. Schuster is definitely one of them.
I like the idea of Schuster at left centre for a season but cant see Walker coming back as centre due to the weight he's (obviously deliberately) put on.

I reckon Walker continues as #14.
 
Hopefully he gets more game time in the halves next year. Can't wait to see him grow as his potential is crazy high i mean there's no chance he would have though he be doing 30+ tackles every week and still he gave it a crack! Hopefully he works on hitting holes over the pre season and his fitness and he will be good to go next year.
 
He’s got some talent all right , he’ll be as good as Gifty soon and personally I can’t see him going to 5/8.


Disagree on that one Mark. He's better than Gifty and has already proven he can make a star five eighth. Gifty didn't even get a permanent spot in the Manly side until he was 23 and rep games started at 24. My goodness Schuster has been a star performer throughout his junior years and is already a permanent fixture in the Manly side and now in a NZ rep squad. Gifty wasn't even recognised for his worth until he was 24. This kid is only 20. He already has skills I've only seen from the best five eighths I've seen in the game. In a few years if we can hold onto him and Des doesn't waste his talent having to do heavy defence work, he'll be a dominant factor in Manly's backline, or some other backline if we aren't careful. His value has already shot up being selected in the NZ squad and I understand Auckland are sending out feelers for him.
 
Disagree on that one Mark. He's better than Gifty and has already proven he can make a star five eighth. Gifty didn't even get a permanent spot in the Manly side until he was 23 and rep games started at 24. My goodness Schuster has been a star performer throughout his junior years and is already a permanent fixture in the Manly side and now in a NZ rep squad. Gifty wasn't even recognised for his worth until he was 24. This kid is only 20. He already has skills I've only seen from the best five eighths I've seen in the game. In a few years if we can hold onto him and Des doesn't waste his talent having to do heavy defence work, he'll be a dominant factor in Manly's backline, or some other backline if we aren't careful. His value has already shot up being selected in the NZ squad and I understand Auckland are sending out feelers for him.
Can’t disagree with any of that too.

But if they are going to run him at 5/8 you’d think they’d have to start that from next year , so let’s see !!

PS: maybe Bullemor is his forward replacement??
 

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