Most Overrated Big Name Recruits

[Rob Dragon]

I am struggling to see the value in Gareth Widdop. At best he is a serviceable 1st grader. He is one of those players who looks good in a very decent team; but struggles to inspire a team like our current mob.

This got me thinking about other big name recruits who failed to live up to the hype and the following players come to mind (I might be showing my age here).

1. Wally Fullerton-Smith

Came to us aged 25 as a QLD SOO and Australian back-rower. Seriously ordinary!

2. Rod Maybon

Recruited by Roy Masters who had a pretty good eye for the game and he just never lived up to the hype or expectations.

3. Gareth Widdop

I am sorry but the bloke is a plodder.

Any others forum bloggers?

 

[duck]

Not sure if serious.

 

[Minh]

He steered us to an important win today with a clever kicking game in wet weather, IMO one of our best today and still not happy....well I guess each to their own.

 

[gregstar]

I am struggling to see the value in Gareth Widdop. At best he is a serviceable 1st grader. He is one of those players who looks good in a very decent team; but struggles to inspire a team like our current mob.

This got me thinking about other big name recruits who failed to live up to the hype and the following players come to mind (I might be showing my age here).

1. Wally Fullerton-Smith

Came to us aged 25 as a QLD SOO and Australian back-rower. Seriously ordinary!

2. Rod Maybon

Recruited by Roy Masters who had a pretty good eye for the game and he just never lived up to the hype or expectations.

3. Gareth Widdop

I am sorry but the bloke is a plodder.

Any others forum bloggers?

a p*sstake surely.

gator was consistently our leading forward when we had a pack & a team of special school rejects. furthermore he did a sh*tload with the younger forwards coming through the lower grades.

masters had left the club 7 years before maybon came. maybon was on a hiding to nothing given we were recovering from the severe disappointment of '93.

widdop is a decent player struggling in a struggling team.

 

[giboz71]

I am struggling to see the value in Gareth Widdop. At best he is a serviceable 1st grader. He is one of those players who looks good in a very decent team; but struggles to inspire a team like our current mob.

This got me thinking about other big name recruits who failed to live up to the hype and the following players come to mind (I might be showing my age here).

1. Wally Fullerton-Smith

Came to us aged 25 as a QLD SOO and Australian back-rower. Seriously ordinary!

2. Rod Maybon

Recruited by Roy Masters who had a pretty good eye for the game and he just never lived up to the hype or expectations.

3. Gareth Widdop

I am sorry but the bloke is a plodder.

Any others forum bloggers?

I think he is much more than serviceable first grader. He's skillful and tough and a good choice for captain. He suffers from not having a true 7, so when playing outside Benji, his role gets blurred between a 6 and a 7 which doesn't help him. He actually looked better today playing outside McCrone.

The best 6's right now are the dynamic runners like Milford and Morgan who can both score long range tries. Widdop is a little different, he uses his smarts instead.

Put him outside a true 7 like he did in Melb with Cronk and I'm sure we'll see the best out of him.

 

[TheRev]

Widdop is as always a fullback imo, but we can work with him, it's unfortunate the hip injury before he came here robbed him of his speed.. Imagine him but 50% faster..

 

[Forster Dragon]

Went OK and is not a dud signing.Just needs the forwards to do their job,just like any half.

 

[2010]

I thought he was outstanding against Souths

 

[BLM01]

Mann, Farrell, Kemp, Beale, Henderson, Drinkwater, Neilson. I could name 30 more over the past 2-3 years.
We used to recruit well in the main. Recent times well....
Widdop closer to the best than the worst in the over rated dept. Benji is worse in comparison

 

[getsmarty]

Our team won with a gutsy effort today led by our captain. Here's a novel idea....how about we just enjoy the win this week.

 

[denis preston]

Throw a oldie at you.The dragons brought Dick Huddart from England in 1964 for a record fee at the time.The Dragons were all cashed up ( the Leagues club was at it's peak then ) and the rumor was they only got him so that other clubs didn't. Didn't play bad and kept his first grade spot but was nowhere near the player who distroyed Australia 2 years earlier and he was on more money than Langlands , Smith & Provan.

The other stupid signings were Hawthorne & Branson as they were on big money and played the same positions !!

 

[Mr Red]

I am struggling to see the value in Gareth Widdop. At best he is a serviceable 1st grader. He is one of those players who looks good in a very decent team; but struggles to inspire a team like our current mob.

This got me thinking about other big name recruits who failed to live up to the hype and the following players come to mind (I might be showing my age here).

1. Wally Fullerton-Smith

Came to us aged 25 as a QLD SOO and Australian back-rower. Seriously ordinary!

2. Rod Maybon

Recruited by Roy Masters who had a pretty good eye for the game and he just never lived up to the hype or expectations.

3. Gareth Widdop

I am sorry but the bloke is a plodder.

Any others forum bloggers?

you say big name recruits and then use Rod Maybon as an example... :shock:

Wally Fullerton Smith was good for us playing in a team surrounded by rubbish players.. He still played for QLD and Australia whilst at the dragons so couldn't be that bad...

 

[Country Dragon]

Totally ridiculous to say Widdop is over rated, must surely be a joke!

 

[watatank]

I think he is much more than serviceable first grader. He's skillful and tough and a good choice for captain. He suffers from not having a true 7, so when playing outside Benji, his role gets blurred between a 6 and a 7 which doesn't help him. He actually looked better today playing outside McCrone.

The best 6's right now are the dynamic runners like Milford and Morgan who can both score long range tries. Widdop is a little different, he uses his smarts instead.

Put him outside a true 7 like he did in Melb with Cronk and I'm sure we'll see the best out of him.

The best halves are capable of and perform the roles of a 6 and 7. Most halves are expected to play the role of both.

To me, Widdop is a natural fullback who is playing in the halves. He's a good player overall and decent as a half. He is a smart, tough player, decent skills and can fit him into a structure well enough but his kicking game is average and he's not that creative which limits what can happen around him.

Widdop has said that the main reason he left Melbourne was that he wanted to be more of a dominant player in the halves. We signed him for four years, he's now also captain. If he needs a "true 7" that implies he needs a better player to lead the way. It also makes bringing through a younger half difficult. If he needs that kind of player then maybe he's not as good as many of us think he is.

 

[Lethal25]

At least we didn't buy Watmough

 

[Cagey Mac]

We just beat the one comp favourites without our biggest name signing
Widdop was one of,if not our best, lauded by commentators for his skill and toughness
His kicking game yesterday was exemplary. Had the ball punched out of his hands or would have scored himself.
He's still among the fastest in the team
So we had crap game against the Sharks
Robbed against the Storm who are 3:0
Toughed it out against the Rabbits
Widdop, Aitken and McCrone were among the best on the paddock
Some of you guys are full of shit.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Widdop should not be in any of these conversations about bad buys. He has been pretty good and plays with heart.

My worst is Dane Nielsen in the last few years. Was expecting big things from him.

 

[Datramp]

Bloody hell. Its like people cant remember 4 games ago when Widdop almost single handedly won us a semi final while playing on 1 leg. Guy competes and never gives up. There are very few if any 5/8 I would swap him for.

 

[giboz71]

The best halves are capable of and perform the roles of a 6 and 7. Most halves are expected to play the role of both.

To me, Widdop is a natural fullback who is playing in the halves. He's a good player overall and decent as a half. He is a smart, tough player, decent skills and can fit him into a structure well enough but his kicking game is average and he's not that creative which limits what can happen around him.

Widdop has said that the main reason he left Melbourne was that he wanted to be more of a dominant player in the halves. We signed him for four years, he's now also captain. If he needs a "true 7" that implies he needs a better player to lead the way. It also makes bringing through a younger half difficult. If he needs that kind of player then maybe he's not as good as many of us think he is.

Not sure about that.

The best halves combinations usually have an organising halfback at 7 (Cronk, JT, A Reynolds, Hunt) and a dynamic runner at 6 (Milford, Morgan, Austin, Bird last year). not sure you could really interchange these guys.

Widdop doesn't really fit either role, but we see him as our long term 6. To be honest, I'd prefer a Milford or Morgan player at 6 that can light up our backline.

I've been advocating for Widdop to be trialled at FB for a while now, but clearly this isn't going to happen any time soon.

 

[Coffs dragon]

I can't go past Bronson Harrison and Dane Nelson in a draw for worst buys, considering they were both representative players for NZ and QLD respectively.