Tom Wright

[Smokin Joe]

Actually he plays in several positions with the Brumbies including stand off, centre, wing and full back, but yes he's been recently on the wing. He generally plays outside centre or wing for the Canberra Vikings. He is seen as a sensation for the Brumby fans as reported and in consideration for Wallaby selection, but yes he still has to seal is position in the Brumbies. Got to remember he's been playing RL for many years and now has to readapt to RU positioning.

He played many positions for the Brumbies like he moved between many positions for us Bear,they have setled him at wing and that is where he has shone,we all view things differently and I respect your opinion,but I disagree....such is life.

 

[Bearfax]

He played many positions for the Brumbies like he moved between many positions for us Bear,they have setled him at wing and that is where he has shone,we all view things differently and I respect your opinion,but I disagree....such is life.

Point taken Smokin' and I know you are quite knowledgeable and astute about these sports. But as I recall the times I saw this kid play, he did have some very clever moves linking with other players. I think he has the skill set, but may take some time before it matures.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Can’t believe people are still holding a candle for tom Wright. Good rugby player, average league player. To claim he is first grade material on the basis of one try is funny. He ran around Gareth Widdop ... just stop and think about that ..... Gareth Widdop.

If he was a gun then there were 15 other league clubs that could have swooped on him when we decided to let him go. The silence was deafening.

 

[Bearfax]

Can’t believe people are still holding a candle for tom Wright. Good rugby player, average league player. To claim he is first grade material on the basis of one try is funny. He ran around Gareth Widdop ... just stop and think about that ..... Gareth Widdop.

If he was a gun then there were 15 other league clubs that could have swooped on him when we decided to let him go. The silence was deafening.

Bit tough on him C & C. He was a star junior and highly regarded and one Bob Fulton had great hopes for when he invited him to Manly. I understand there were other clubs after him, but he left before his contract had expired because of the offer to the Brumbies. This kid was a RU school boy star and RL junior star (recall his performances in SG Ball), starred in several of his games with Blacktown. Problem was he only got to play 5 first grade matches and I think it was three off the bench with little play, so to assess him poorly based on that is pretty savage.. Barrett used him poorly

 

[The Who]

I was always looking forward to watching him play. I reckon I saw him play at Brookie 10-12 times over a couple of years. He was the epitome of the phrase 'rocks or diamonds'.
At time he was brilliant in attack, reminding me of Phil Blake. At others he would commit the most simple of errors.
I haven't seen him in action for the Brumbies but I hope he is maximising his natural abilities. I'd be excited to watch him play, and I wouldn't write him off just yet.

 

[Scorpio]

Food for thought. Would Des have even given an NRL start to a 20-year old who was willing to walk away from the sport, while under contract, after only 5 games?

 

[Woodsie]

. Barrett used him poorly

Better than Dessie .... Des packed his bag for him and gave him the bus fare to the ACT ...

 

[Woodsie]

Food for thought. Would Des have even given an NRL start to a 20-year old who was willing to walk away from the sport, while under contract, after only 5 games?

Not on his defensive efforts .... Des was the one that approved his release ....

 

[Mataiforever]

Yeah,I have seen numerous games for the brumbies and they have settled him at wing(for the points I mentioned above),we all have our different views/opinions...In regards to Metcalf it is the same as he too is an individualistic player,just being a dangerous returner and athletic does not make you a good fullback,those days were a few years back(it is why Garrick is a good athlete but has no idea about how to play the position)
,I saw your post about Gebbie and have to disagree there too,Gebbie is not a fullback in my opinion(he is another Taufua,he is small in stature but powerful),his skill is as a metre eater,he returns the ball flat chat and is good as a dummy half runner/hit up guy.I have seen nothing from him that indicates he is good in the air or has skills as a link man or a passing game.
I would bring back Nicho Hynes over him.The sunshine coast moved him to fullback and it suits him,he played some at NRL level for Storm and with Papenhuyzen pretty reliable he would get more opportunity with us...

Fair play, just discussing, I saw Tom play some good games at centre. I like your Nicho Hynes call. Wont get a crack at melbourne and would be cheap and had some good QCup form. Re Gebbie he played some FB in Qcup last year and looked great to me although obviously not a ball player and QCup is different league.

The thing with Garrick is that he was never going to shine as a 1 instantly. I thought his improvement on the weekend was huge, he was very reliable. Will take a few weeks to get used to the attacking side of chiming in but I thought he was doing that better too. I like Des persisting with him over Elliott because Elliott will never offer anything more than reliability but Garrick may get used to the role and have some more flair about his play in a few weeks time. To be fair tho when Dylan gets back surely he takes the 1 and we stick with Cust at 6.

Metcalf for me would also add something different, I think in times like this he should get some sort of look in to the 17 soon. He is also a fairly good ball player which is something I think we can all agree we are missing at the back without Tom.

 

[Scorpio]

Not on his defensive efforts .... Des was the one that approved his release ....

Indeed. I get the feeling that Des will do everything to prepare players for first grade before (eventually) giving them their shot. But if someone asks for the door (as with Kelly) then he will tell them to walk.

No room for players who don't want to be here.

 

[Bearfax]

If Des had let him go it would be because he was financially under the pump with players he had. But did he?

I look at the pedestrian group in our backline. Yeh good defenders,, try hard, but they aren't going to open up a game. Like Gutherson, I think Wright had decided he wasn't wanted and there were big offers elsewhere. Loyalty has nothing to do with wanting your career to get somewhere, and it wasn't happening with Barrett.

Now, as for Des showing him the door, negotiations with the Brumbies were occurring in July-August 2018 and it was finally announced that Manly had given Wright the OK to leave in early September if not earlier. Des was not officially named new coach of Manly until almost two months later in late October 2018, so I would seriously doubt that he had any say in it. Maybe Wright may have stayed if he knew Des was to coach, but he knew Barrett's contract was for another year.

 

[Woodsie]

You keep blaming Barrett ... yet even the Brumbies have played him in 4 different postions in an attempt to find his spot ....

My opinion is he was a gifted and talent athlete .... but didn't have the mental toughness and determination to make it in the NRL ... as he matures he may get it .... but he was a long way away from being a consistent first grader 2 years ago ...

 

[Bearfax]

You keep blaming Barrett ... yet even the Brumbies have played him in 4 different postions in an attempt to find his spot ....

My opinion is he was a gifted and talent athlete .... but didn't have the mental toughness and determination to make it in the NRL ... as he matures he may get it .... but he was a long way away from being a consistent first grader 2 years ago ...

Woodsie, the kid has a gift very few players have. Now your comment is probably valid but I recall Canterbury saying the same sort of thing about a weedy little character called Thurston. You can always train a player to work on aspects of his game and that may include toughness. Phil Blake was similar but he became a star at Souths and got tough. But you can never teach innate skill. If you have those fundamentals you always have a chance of development. If you dont, nothing will create what just comes naturally. A solid hard working player, will probably remain a solid hard working player. But if he doesnt have the skills he will remain such. A gifted player will always be a gifted player. But he may not be tough. But you can teach toughness, but you cant teach innate talent.

 

[Woodsie]

Woodsie, the kid has a gift very few players have. Now your comment is probably valid but I recall Canterbury saying the same sort of thing about a weedy little character called Thurston. You can always train a player to work on aspects of his game and that may include toughness. Phil Blake was similar but he became a star at Souths and got tough. But you can never teach innate skill. If you have those fundamentals you always have a chance of development. If you dont, nothing will create what just comes naturally. A solid hard working player, will probably remain a solid hard working player. But if he doesnt have the skills he will remain such. A gifted player will always be a gifted player. But he may not be tough. But you can teach toughness, but you cant teach innate talent.

I agree ... but it all starts and finishs with desire .... I'm not sure he had the hunger ...

 

[Smokin Joe]

Fair play, just discussing, I saw Tom play some good games at centre. I like your Nicho Hynes call. Wont get a crack at melbourne and would be cheap and had some good QCup form. Re Gebbie he played some FB in Qcup last year and looked great to me although obviously not a ball player and QCup is different league.


Without a doubt he was much better defensively and with his positioning,the thing is what to do,do you persist or look for alternatives?He can work on trailing Marty up the middle and looking to run inside of Sironen and back up DCE and Cust/Croker to get defenders guessing and provide an extra option,he can look to follow up quick play the balls and try to capitilize on that,but the ability to throw cut-out passes and be a link in the backline making good decisions takes years(just ask Tom,Dufty,Gutherson etc...).
If Des persists people will bag him as they want someone being able to do the job well now and not wait for him to develop more skills,otherwise we need to have someone who can fill in now and if they are good at playing fullback they will not be playing reggies for us for long.(dilemma?)
I am happy to give him another week to see if he has made more strides,but if not then I am happy to see someone else given a shot.If Metcalf is given an opportunity then I would be fine with that(why not give him a shot if things are not working?)I would even give Funa a shot or look at Croker in the spot,Croker has done a good job at dummy half and filled in well at 3 when called on earlier,he strikes me as someone who would go alright at the back.....(don't know about his ability to catch a bomb or torpedo bomb)

 

[manlyfan76]

Future Wallabies prospect Tom Wright monitored for NRL return due to RA contract uncertainty

 

[manlyfan76]

• Source: FOX SPORTS

Tom Wright celebrates scoring a try for the BrumbiesSource: Getty Images
The future of Wallabies prospect Tom Wright is being monitored by his former club Manly as uncertainty continues to surround contracts with Rugby Australia.
Foxsports.com.au understands that the Sea Eagles are keeping tabs on the future of Wright, who left Brookvale in 2018 just five games into a promising NRL career.
Wright is off contract at the end of this year but given that RA have frozen all contract negotiations, he faces an uncertain future.

RA’s unknown financial forecast means Wright is not the only former league player said to be on the radar of prying league clubs.

 

[Ranga]

Smokin’ Joe - look away now...

 

[manlyfan76]

More on fox nrl

 

[BOZO]

Can’t believe people are still holding a candle for tom Wright. Good rugby player, average league player. To claim he is first grade material on the basis of one try is funny. He ran around Gareth Widdop ... just stop and think about that ..... Gareth Widdop.

If he was a gun then there were 15 other league clubs that could have swooped on him when we decided to let him go. The silence was deafening.

Just a reminder feathered friend . Here is the replay where he not only leaves 4 St George backs dead on their tracks gasping for air he also leaves the commentator gasping for air with... """"That is blinding , What Skill """"" . as Tom Wright took a pass from DCE from 40 metres out of the St George try line , he ran across field dummied once then exploded in between the International English rep player Widdop and the St George centre Lafai with blinding speed and as the winger Nene Mcdonald tried to make any impression to cover him to no avail , Tom steps inside Dufty with ease to score our only try in our 32 to 8 points loss . Try scorers for the Dragons were Widdop, Lafai, simms, mann ,Graham and Mcdonald .
Here is the replay of that try to remind you what a devastating runner he was and what potential he had and if Des can turn Parker and Suli and Croker around then I can imagine what he could have done with Tom Wrights natural speed and skill

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007898900034777088