Nightingale one season too many ?

[Noraa]

Just wanted your thoughts 1st two games he’s caused us all sorts of grief I know he’s a legend and has been great for the club for a lot of years but at what stage do you tap him on the shoulder

 

[watatank]

I think a lot of people thought that last season was one season too many. Anyway this should really be his last season.

 

[Noraa]

Yes but do you let him play out the season like he has the first few games or give him a low key retirement

 

[2010]

Sad to say that last year should have been his last.
But the Coach did not identify a replacement for this year and hopefully McIdiot will identify his replacement and use him off the bench.

 

[giboz71]

The only reasons I can think of for Mary to keep picking him.

- he likes Mann as the bench utility
- Lomax not quite ready for FG
- Garrick is rubbish (and there is really no other winger in lower grades)

 

[Coffs dragon]

Poor Flo could possibly be the slowest winger since Daryl Halligan & Luke Covell. Their saving grace was they were both very good goal kickers which kept them in the team.
Flo is all heart and bleeds for the Dragons, but 2018 needs to be the finish as an NRL winger.

 

[ALSGI]

Can we save the sentimental stuff for when he’s retired please. We all agree he’s a legend.
I’ve been saying it since Dec 16 (even earlier) so I might try something different.

Keep him there as long as he wants, should go out on his own terms, forget what’s best for the team.

 

[Crush]

Never write off a champion. If he is still stinking it up like he did against the Sharks after 6-8 weeks then drop him.
I'm still calling he wins the Clive Churchil this year!

 

[ST Tangles 01]

I hope he turns it around.
I went a few years to long in cricket and the body can't do what the mind wants.
You end up trying to hard to prove you still have it and start making mistakes you wouldn't of in previous years.

 

[The calm one]

Okay lets get things in
perspective. He coughed up a couple of balls, yes he had a bad knight at the office. BUT when he got sin binned he saved a certain try and got us home. Would his replacement, whoever it may have done the same thing or was it his experience that got us over the line. Open to discussion????

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Just wanted your thoughts 1st two games he’s caused us all sorts of grief I know he’s a legend and has been great for the club for a lot of years but at what stage do you tap him on the shoulder

This issue is not about Nightingale and playing one season too many.
It is about the coach and being decisive.
If Nightingale is selected he will play on. He is a professional footballer for Pete's sake.
If he is not selected this thread doesn't appear.
We have a ready made replacement in Mann.
He was superb when he played wing in 2016 bagging 10 tries in no time at all.
Why doesn't McGregor bite the bullet and make the change???
Why didn't he persevere with Mann on the wing in 2017???
Right now, McGregor has yet another opportunity to make a genuine coach's decision and make the swap.
I'm sure Mann would rather play 80 minutes on the wing than sit on the bench twiddling his thumbs.
Bagging Nightingale is just a total anathema to me. He doesn't deserve it.
It has very little to do with him actually.
Maybe Mann to start and Nightingale to come off the bench would be a great compromise because Nightingale may be very useful when the big men start to tire.

 

[ALSGI]

Okay lets get things in
perspective. He coughed up a couple of balls, yes he had a bad knight at the office. BUT when he got sin binned he saved a certain try and got us home. Would his replacement, whoever it may have done the same thing or was it his experience that got us over the line. Open to discussion????

Mate he’s long gOne.....Mann, Lomax on the wing.

 

[Frank Facer]

Nightingale should have retired at the end of last season, if not the one before. I read that he is considering playing on in 2019. lol

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Nightingale should have retired at the end of last season, if not the one before. I read that he is considering playing on in 2019. lol

I reckon that a large percentage of footballers nearing the end of their careers are desperate to extend their tenure as much as possible.
Benji is another example.
You just don't know their financial position and how much they need the money either - so there are lots of hidden factors.
You're a long time retired as the cliché goes.
I don't blame players wanting to extend their careers at all.
Having said that, they are part of a club and the club management sometimes has to make hard decisions for the good of the club.
If the management and coach have no balls and are pussies, then you can hardly blame the player.
Not every retiree has a media position lined up that pays a mozza.
That's my take on the matter anyway.

 

[Gareth67]

Can only repeat wihat has already been said - one of the Dragons best over many years and no one likes to see a champion footballer begin to have his skills detirate . Undoubtedly Jason will continue to have his good days , but unfortunately it would appear that there will be more poor days then good .

A large percentage of members have realised for quite sometime now that opponents beat us with pure speed in the backs and to my way of thinking the Dragons need to do something about that problem sooner , rather than later .
Perhaps replace him with either Mann or Lomax and have our champion Nightingale on the bench and when tough defence is called for in a tight contest then put him on the field .

As Dennis Papaioannou suggested we cannot blame Jason if he is selected by the coach and I agree with that and also that the coach must see that there is a need to introduce another quicker player into the starting team . For the greater good of the side it means that one champion may need to be benched .

 

[Gareth67]

Mistake sorry gentlemen, accidentally hit the wrong key Bloody iPad keys are too damn small !

 

[FlameThrower]

i'm willing to give him another chance, but tend agree he should retire at seasons end...or as has been suggested, swap him for Mann, and NIighty to the bench, can he fill in as hooker ?

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Never write off a champion. If he is still stinking it up like he did against the Sharks after 6-8 weeks then drop him.
I'm still calling he wins the Clive Churchil this year!

McCrone wrote the rulebook on being allowed to play whilst not worthy for way too long.

I think Flo has played a season too long BUT l trust he can & still will win us a game or two this year.

We all stuff up every now and then ............ my life wouldn't be complete without a daily stuff up but then again, l'm over 50 so were allowed to ........... and feel good about it.

Flo doesn't have that luxury.

 

[Frank Facer]

I reckon that a large percentage of footballers nearing the end of their careers are desperate to extend their tenure as much as possible.
Benji is another example.
You just don't know their financial position and how much they need the money either - so there are lots of hidden factors.
You're a long time retired as the cliché goes.
I don't blame players wanting to extend their careers at all.
Having said that, they are part of a club and the club management sometimes has to make hard decisions for the good of the club.
If the management and coach have no balls and are pussies, then you can hardly blame the player.
Not every retiree has a media position lined up that pays a mozza.
That's my take on the matter anyway.

Of course players want to extend their careers as long as possible, where else or how else are they going to be making 300K plus a year, unless they already have a media job lined up, like Gasnier did. I doubt that Gasnier would have retired when he did, if he didn't already have his media job.

It is up to the coach and management to tell a player that his time is up, or to look else where.

 

[2010]

The One thing that will keep Flo in first grade is the lack of someone taking over his spot.
Do we have such a player to step up. Lomax has been touted as a replacement and will one day play first grade.
It's up to McIdiot to give him the opportunity to show us whether Lomax is ready.
But we all know about the way the bench is handled.
If Lomax is the top contender put him in the bench and give him a decent hit out from the bench. Not just 5 minutes.
Mann can play wing why not give him first shot.
We have as decent first grade team but we are suffering by not having any player in the reserves that can push our first grade players.