Time to Unleash Moses the Monster in the centres

[BOZO]

I agree that Harper is the question mark to an extent...Parker is certainly more safe in this team but one thing about Harper is his youth and inexperience. It’s no surprise that the longer the year has progressed, the poorer he has gone...that to me is a sign of fatigue. Mental and physical. It’s a huge ask for a rookie to come in and play a long long season away from home with all the disruptions.

Souths Sydneys rookie fullback had three games this year and he handled the pressure like a pro .

Parker is competent in defence but he is no threat what so ever in attack .

We will agree to disagree

We lost . Our season is over and I am devastated

 

[BOZO]

You can argue he has the benefit of 50 more games as well

Campbell Graham - Playing Career - RLP

A summary of the career stats for Campbell Graham, a rugby league player who represented Australia, Aus PM XIII and Junior Kangaroos, and also played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

Morgan Harper - Playing Career - RLP

A summary of the career stats for Morgan Harper, a rugby league player who represented Maori, and also played for the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Parramatta Eels.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

The comparison was made with Parker

 

[lsz]

The comparison was made with Parker

Who did not play tonight? How is that relevant / how can you "judge" a player who was not there?

 

[frank stokes]

This is what I believe ..
Speed is King and I like good competent defensive backs that have speed and line breaking ability because we cannot afford to be a one man team and rely on Tommy all the time .

I hear what your saying bud but we have Saab, Garrick and Turbo... you also need good defenders..
Saab - love him but no...
Garrick - decent but FM some of his efforts under a high ball (and not just tonight)
Suli - he's gone anyhoo but he gives space and gets beat on his outside all the time
Harper - as I said, been great at times, but his one-on-one misses tonight and against storm are just not good enough...
Parker - occasionally comes in at the wrong time but gets it right more often than not and he is brilliant under a high ball and a genuinely finisher...

 

[BOZO]

I hear what your saying bud but we have Saab, Garrick and Turbo... you also need good defenders..
Saab - love him but no...
Garrick - decent but FM some of his efforts under a high ball (and not just tonight)
Suli - he's gone anyhoo but he gives space and gets beat on his outside all the time
Harper - as I said, been great at times, but his one-on-one misses tonight and against storm are just not good enough...
Parker - occasionally comes in at the wrong time but gets it right more often than not and he is brilliant under a high ball and a genuinely finisher...

Saab and Turbo need to be fed . When they shut out Turbo who feeds them ?

Their centres need to feed them with line breaking capabilities

We need to improve as a team next season to go one better and those areas need improvement as well

 

[BOZO]

Who did not play tonight? How is that relevant / how can you "judge" a player who was not there?

I was replying to snakes post who quotes this ..
.Parker will never be a world beater but he is actually a lot like Campbell Graham; big, good defender, not overly fast or flashy.

I Have seen both Parker and Graham play many times

 

[lsz]

I was replying to snakes post who quotes this ..
.Parker will never be a world beater but he is actually a lot like Campbell Graham; big, good defender, not overly fast or flashy.

I Have seen both Parker and Graham play many times

So you like him then? Have lost me here bozo

 

[frank stokes]

It’d be interesting to see how he goes if he gets an opportunity but I don’t think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. Harper will develop. Still very young and inexperienced. Parker is a really strong defender and will be going around again...I actually think all this talk about our edge defence masks some bigger problems, like a lack of go forward and momentum in the ruck and poor line speed in the middle (apart from Walker).

Gotta admit that our forwards, who I have viewed as our strength, got found out tonight...

 

[BOZO]

So you like him then? Have lost me here bozo

Sorry I think we have a miss communication there

Where have I lost you ?

 

[BOZO]

Gotta admit that our forwards, who I have viewed as our strength, got found out tonight...

Our backs and our halves and our forwards

All crumbled under pressure

 

[lsz]

Sorry I think we have a miss communication there

Where have I lost you ?

Might be one to leave till when we are both thinking with a clear head (and not after our season has ended!)

 

[Snake]

Souths Sydneys rookie fullback had three games this year and he handled the pressure like a pro .

Parker is competent in defence but he is no threat what so ever in attack .

We will agree to disagree

We lost . Our season is over and I am devastated

Taafe hasn’t had the grind of a long season which is kinda the point I’m making. Experience as in, dealing with the mental and physical fatigue of a long season, not so much handling the moment.

But I get it...you don’t rate our centres and sure they are not the best in the comp, but I think the pack is a bigger problem and i think tonight showed that regardless of wether we have Suli or Parker, it’s not gonna be the difference between a win and a loss.

 

[BOZO]

Might be one to leave till when we are both thinking with a clear head (and not after our season has ended!)

I am absolutetly devastated our season is over . Our Grand finals hopes have ended

 

[lsz]

I am absolutetly devastated our season is over . Our Grand finals hopes have ended

I feel for you

This was a bonus year for me. Of course i had hoped we get to the GF but it all felt a year too soon

 

[Eagles4Life]

This is what I believe ..
Speed is King and I like good competent defensive backs that have speed and line breaking ability because we cannot afford to be a one man team and rely on Tommy all the time .

Just playing devils advocate here. This means I am not endorsing, but simply brainstorming on centre options for 2022.
Option 1 - Stick with Parker and Harper.
Option 2 - Drop Harper and bring Walker back as right centre with Parker on the left.
Option 3 - Drop Parker and put Walker in as left centre with Harper as right centre.
Option 4 - Drop Parker and Harper and trial new centre combinations.

If option 4 is seriously considered who are we looking at to replace them?
Tuipoluto?
Koula?
Burbo?

Option 5 - New centre/s from outside the squad?

Option 6 - Or do we try some left field options?
Schuster?
Bullemore?

Bullemore played most of his junior football in league and union as a centre. He came into the forwards only recently. If we are looking for a power centre is he a reasonable option?

Schuster's attacking impact has been blunted by the work he does in the backrow. With a preseason that focuses on developing speed and tapering his body shape, he could certainly evolve into a Bradman Best type centre. Just with better hands and stronger defence.

Are there any other options? As I said I am not endorsing any of them but I don't believe we will win a GF with Parker and Harper as our centres. Thoughts?

 

[BOZO]

I feel for you

This was a bonus year for me. Of course i had hoped we get to the GF but it all felt a year too soon

The only bonus I have is when we live up to our legendary clubs standards of being the Greatest club of all and Lifting the trophy . I feel so empty so subdued and can only wait for next year to win the comp
Very down night for me tonight . Thanks for feeling for me

 

[lsz]

The only bonus I have is when we live up to our legendary clubs standards of being the Greatest club of all and Lifting the trophy . I feel so empty so subdued and can only wait for next year to win the comp
Very down night for me tonight . Thanks for feeling for me

Bozo good things come to those who wait

 

[The better Robbo]

Just playing devils advocate here. This means I am not endorsing, but simply brainstorming on centre options for 2022.
Option 1 - Stick with Parker and Harper.
Option 2 - Drop Harper and bring Walker back as right centre with Parker on the left.
Option 3 - Drop Parker and put Walker in as left centre with Harper as right centre.
Option 4 - Drop Parker and Harper and trial new centre combinations.

If option 4 is seriously considered who are we looking at to replace them?
Tuipoluto?
Koula?
Burbo?
New centre from outside the squad?

Or do we try some left field options?
Schuster?
Bullemore?

Bullemore played most of his junior football in league and union as a centre. He came into the forwards only recently. If we are looking for a power centre is he a reasonable option?

Schuster's attacking impact has been blunted by the work he does in the backrow. With a preseason that focuses on developing speed and tapering his body shape, he could certainly evolve into a Bradman Best type centre. Just with better hands and stronger defence.

Are there any other options? As I said I am not endorsing any of them but I don't believe we will win a GF with Parker and Harper as our centres. Thoughts?

Option 5 go find one!
I do think Schuster could make a gun centre and with extra forward depth next year we could possibly try it. He would need to get in shape but has Jamie Lyon type skills and can handle it defensively.

 

[BOZO]

Just playing devils advocate here. This means I am not endorsing, but simply brainstorming on centre options for 2022.
Option 1 - Stick with Parker and Harper.
Option 2 - Drop Harper and bring Walker back as right centre with Parker on the left.
Option 3 - Drop Parker and put Walker in as left centre with Harper as right centre.
Option 4 - Drop Parker and Harper and trial new centre combinations.

If option 4 is seriously considered who are we looking at to replace them?
Tuipoluto?
Koula?
Burbo?
New centre from outside the squad?

Or do we try some left field options?
Schuster?
Bullemore?

Bullemore played most of his junior football in league and union as a centre. He came into the forwards only recently. If we are looking for a power centre is he a reasonable option?

Schuster's attacking impact has been blunted by the work he does in the backrow. With a preseason that focuses on developing speed and tapering his body shape, he could certainly evolve into a Bradman Best type centre. Just with better hands and stronger defence.

Are there any other options? As I said I am not endorsing any of them but I don't believe we will win a GF with Parker and Harper as our centres. Thoughts?

Wow , That is a lot of deep thinking

We need to rise to another level of play to rise to the level of a premiership winning team

I have seen Parker and Harper play but I have not seem much of those other players

All I know is we need more than what we had this season .

 

[HK_Eagle]

Saab and Turbo need to be fed . When they shut out Turbo who feeds them ?

Their centres need to feed them with line breaking capabilities

We need to improve as a team next season to go one better and those areas need improvement as well

That's hilarious given that one of the biggest criticisms of Suli during his time at Manly was his inability/reluctance to feed his wingers... yet, you continually deride Parker (who selflessly does what's best for the players around him through either feeding his wingers early and appropriately or running hard decoy lines). I love your passion, Bozo, but there are some really strong blind spots and biases (conscious or sub-conscious).