Walker to 5/8 our X factor for finals

[Mark from Brisbane]

I never voted but you gotta say it’s been a great success to date.

 

[torana355]

I didn't look at this thread earlier but it seems you were right, under Des, Walker is going nicely at 6.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Walker has needed a few games to get up to speed. Agreed he is maturing and seems to have pulled his head in more as well and let his footy do the talking. He's the kind of player who will win you a game on his own from time to time with some freakish play. Hoping it will be in the finals. We have good backup in the halves as well, but this looks like the best lineup.

 

[40 years an eagle]

Walker has needed a few games to get up to speed. Agreed he is maturing and seems to have pulled his head in more as well and let his footy do the talking. He's the kind of player who will win you a game on his own from time to time with some freakish play. Hoping it will be in the finals. We have good backup in the halves as well, but this looks like the best lineup.

Agree mate, and i'm a bit of an Ian Martin tragic myself.

Astonished me how he always ran with his chin up and never got his head taken off...that I can remember. He was a gem.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Has to be a chance for sure. Des has him straightening the attack unlike under Barrett. Often gets the ball full pace on the advantage line at first receiver and his power running gets the attention of multiple defenders; his short passing and drawing of the man has been sublime off the back of it and all of a sudden we are making good yardage in backline movements not necessarily involving Tommy.Love the fact he turns up up both sides of the ruck as well so it’s not predictable. That’s great coaching from Des.

Defensively he’s way better as nowhere near as much decision making at five eight.
His kicking had been the worry for me as I’was sick and tired of DCE getting teamed on the sixth tackle with no options. It it’s been surprisingly good, especially his bombs which are landing in great spots to pressure the back three.

The best part overall s his powerful directness in attack and the attention it requires from the opposition.

Love his work right now. He is an elite player. And a match winner. We have a few of those now.
Parker needs credit as if he didn’t step up Walker is not a five sight option.

This!!! Couldn't of said it better myself. Walker has been outstanding. You know the game well susan

 

[Sheikheagle]

He was outstanding yesterday and it’s no secret that DCE had his best game for ages.

 

[The Who]

He was outstanding yesterday....

I keep hearing and reading this; so when do you think he'll make a line break?

 

[Woodsie]

So ... does everybody still think that Walker will be lucky if we are kind and offer him a reduced contract to stay .....

PSSS ... I am sure you were all correct and no other clubs will be interested in him ..... we may do him a favour and offer him a minimal contract as some were suggesting .... I mean it isn't like some other clubs need a good 5/8 or centre ...

 

[eaglebuzz]

I changed my disagree after the Melbourne match. He had a blinder that night.

 

[HappilyManly]

I keep hearing and reading this; so when do you think he'll make a line break?

You missed it then, as did his support players

Another 3 try assissts yesterday should see Chez stay in the Team

Equal 1st for try assisst per game
https://www.nrl.com/stats/players/?competition=111&season=2019&stat=35

 

[globaleagle]

So ... does everybody still think that Walker will be lucky if we are kind and offer him a reduced contract to stay .....

PSSS ... I am sure you were all correct and no other clubs will be interested in him ..... we may do him a favour and offer him a minimal contract as some were suggesting .... I mean it isn't like some other clubs need a good 5/8 or centre ...

Yup.

Gotta work out his ave per game. Then for every game missed through numb nuttery, deduct that from his new contract.

Then we're all sweet. Possible exception if he gets the Clive Churchill award in a winning team on GF day, then we're good to go.

 

[Sheikheagle]

I keep hearing and reading this; so when do you think he'll make a line break?

It’s not all about line breaks. His passing and linking with the back rowers has been great we don’t look as clunky as we did with cust there. He is also a reasonable game manager. He may not have made many line breaks however he is a constant threat.

 

[BOZO]

Every team needs a real bad mother fcker in their line up .........

Zero tackle .....




Hooray for Dylan the Villain
Thanks, Dylan!!!

Mike Winkler
CONTRIBUTOR
August 3, 2019 - 10:00 am
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 16: Dylan Walker of the Sea Eagles celebrates scoring a try during the round 14 NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Lottoland on June 16, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Thank goodness for Dylan Walker.

The well-documented incidents in his off-field life may have changed Walker’s on-field persona a little, but with his niggling and needling, he remains Dylan the Villain for opposition fans. You don’t have to be Curtis Scott to find the Manly utility back mightily irritating.

Walker’s continued presence is an enormous blessing for rugby league fans, because without him there is the hideous prospect of Manly becoming – gulp – likable. Lovable, even.

There, I’ve said it.

Five, ten, twenty years ago, this would sound like heresy. For as long as we can remember, the arrogance and swagger of Manly players have been gleefully matched by the demeanour of their fans.

‘Nobody likes us; we don’t care’ is their credo. Their lair at Brookvale is detested by followers of every other club. Equally annoying is the haughty refusal of Sea Eagles fans to travel to matches anywhere else.

Who could forget Arko and Bozo and the idea of one rule for us, one for everyone else? They were not just nicknamed the Silvertails – they owned it.

But look at them now. We have all heard the story of Jake Trbojevic whispering ‘sorry’ to opponents he has hit too hard. It is equally true that he spends his spare time running water for the local Under 7s and, I dunno, helping pensioners across the street or something.

It is a fair bet that brother Turbo Tom uses his Inspector Gadget arms to rescue kittens stuck in trees. Probably relocates fallen birds to their nests while he’s doing it. (Of course, if the Trbojevic’s really cared about charity they would sign on with the Titans, but that might be a good deed too far even for them.)

Marty Taupau looks like Adonis but talks like Socrates. He is a benchmark for enterprise in player education, and can bicep-curl more textbooks than you can bench-press comic books.

Jorge Taufau appears as cuddly as a koala but hits like a B-Double. He is such a good fella, you almost feel like it would be an honour to have him jam in off the wing and fold you in tiny sections.

For all of his career, Daly Cherry-Evans has had fans bagging him, but now that he is finally free of the Mean Boys clique that centred around the Stewart brothers and Anthony Watmough, DCE seems AOK.

And then, of course, there’s Des. The man who offers apples to journalists at dawn media scrums, who boasts a better head of hair than Robert Plant circa 1975, and a better football brain than most other inhabitants of the planet.

These silvertails are operating out of scummy demountables like a Year 4 class condemned to the bad portable with the busted aircon. Their home ground has the charm of a Board of Works depot. They seem at least as salary cap compliant as any other club, and more squeaky-clean than their despised rivals who brandish the magical three-coloured chequebook.

They beat another despised rival, Storm, in the most stirring victory of recent rounds, and possibly the season. This is a team with resilience, heart and a genuine chance of making it to the big dance this year.

So – thank goodness for good old Dylan Walker. Long may he grub it up, because otherwise, Manly would receive no hate at all. And that would not be rugby league.

 

[BOZO]

The moral of the story ....

Dylan Walker is a perfect fit for Manly .

 

[Sheikheagle]

The moral of the story ....

Dylan Walker is a perfect fit for Manly .

After eating a massive piece of humble pie. I agree with you

 

[southsideeagle]

That must have been a big shake up for Dylan. The threat of damaging his family life, losing his livelihood plus a few mil and judgement by the court. Ok he was not guilty but I think it would have scared him (Would have me). He appears alot less d**kheadish and maybe the change has taken time to settle in. His new contract will probably be less the the current $600k.

With Thompson saying he wants to stay (on less money) and Api saying he would prefer to see out his contract this leave things abit tight.

What is Dylan worth to another Club? I think if he received $450k from us he would have difficulty getting another club to say fork out say $500K. If I was him I would only sign for 2 years and back myself to be again a $600k year player.

 

[The Who]

It’s not all about line breaks. His passing and linking with the back rowers has been great we don’t look as clunky as we did with cust there. He is also a reasonable game manager. He may not have made many line breaks however he is a constant threat.

I'm not a fan of Walker, however I'd love to be proven wrong. I thought he was a running back, but I'm yet to see/remember him making a break this season.
I'm obviously missing his attributes.

 

[HappilyManly]

I'm not a fan of Walker, however I'd love to be proven wrong. I thought he was a running back, but I'm yet to see/remember him making a break this season.
I'm obviously missing his attributes.

I'm surprised at his defense and only lapses into the bad habit of leaving the defensive line to go for an intercept.

Yesterday's bridge pass to Jorge also has to be beaten out of his game

The biggest positive is allowing Parker a spot and Chez not being the only receiver on the 5th

 

[Woodsie]

What is Dylan worth to another Club? I think if he received $450k from us he would have difficulty getting another club to say fork out say $500K. If I was him I would only sign for 2 years and back myself to be again a $600k year player.

I respectfully think you are dreaming .... he is propably a few good games away from being chased by every club in the comp unhappy with their 5/8's and centres ..... he has speed, X factor, hands, vision and is a competitor .... and now continues to add an element of maturity ..... he may have already moved into the $700k range ....

If he signs for less at Manly I think it would be by choice ... not because he has to .... which would of course then put him into shaggable status .... a far cry from the tear up his contract calls of the outraged ...

 

[BOZO]

After eating a massive piece of humble pie. I agree with you

Mate we all eat humble pie and it always gets washed down by a great Manly win from our players

So its a win win situation for us