2018 Captain?

[herbert henry1908]

If Wallace is picked that's a really bad sign. If he's our hooker for the whole of 2018 we're in big trouble.

He might have a few good games left, but in general our attack was superior without him. Faster service & a hooker that runs occasionally are desperately needed.

problems with our attack are double sided. On one hand we don't have many options if Moylan isn't there, on the other hand this makes it very easy for the opposition to read our attack. A running hooker can change that dynamic.

 

[OldPanther]

If Wallace is picked that's a really bad sign. If he's our hooker for the whole of 2018 we're in big trouble.

He might have a few good games left, but in general our attack was superior without him. Faster service & a hooker that runs occasionally are desperately needed.

problems with our attack are double sided. On one hand we don't have many options if Moylan isn't there, on the other hand this makes it very easy for the opposition to read our attack. A running hooker can change that dynamic.

It pains me to say it but Wallace retire. Play Rein/Katoa on a two hooker rotation, work on Egan behind the scenes to make him ready for first grade, Egan plays second half 2018 or starts 2019.

 

[BxTom]

I suspect that Wallace was only kept up in FG due to his maturity. I think it was warranted due to the immaturity/inexperience of the team generally. It would surprise me if Wallace was an automatic pick for much of next season.

Tom.

 

[Luke Bowden]

I'd stick with Wal. The players all look up to him and he has the full respect of the training staff/fans etc.

Moving beyond Wal, I'd be looking at Yeo or Mez. Both young, outstanding blokes who would do the club proud.

 

[Frankus]

Yeo would be my pick. Plays the full 80. Puts in 100% every week and his bad games can be counted on one hand. Also at the right age to be a longterm option.

Wallace shouldnt even be considered atop 17 certainty next year. He has had some serious injuries and they are taking its toll on his body. The guy is probably tougher than our whole pack combined. But more than once he was a liability because he has poor judgement on when its smart to play through injury and pain and when its better to sit out while someone fully fit does.

Griffin is equally stupid at that though.

I like Yeo, have rated him highly since he debuted. Does the hard stuff, no frills player but we need a captain who is going to fire the guys up, rip into someone who does dumb shit and do alot of talking on the field. Moylan was Mr Anonymous as captain. Wallace does alot of the talking. Merrin I'm not sure about.

I think RCG would be a good option. Vocal, leads by example and should be given a Roos jersey based on his second half of the year. Easily our best prop.

 

[Pomoz]

It pains me to say it but Wallace retire. Play Rein/Katoa on a two hooker rotation, work on Egan behind the scenes to make him ready for first grade, Egan plays second half 2018 or starts 2019.

Don't be pained, it is the right call. He has plenty of miles in his legs and they are feeling it now. But having said that, make him club captain next year if we are choosing a rookie captain for the year after, like Yeo or Mansour. He can handle all the off field stuff and appoint a vice captain for him to mentor. When Wal isn't picked, the vice captain takes the on field captaincy duties. When he comes off Wal steps in. Lessens the load and is an honour for Wal in his final year.

If we aren't appointing a rookie then I think the most obvious choice is Trent Merrin as captain. Tough, experienced and a great professional off the field. Subject to my comments below, he has earned the right to have a spell as captain. He is much more experienced than Yeo and will handle the media attention. After having his private life examined under the microscope when he was dating Sally (lucky bugger), captaincy will be a cakewalk.

The last point I will make is that picking a captain is difficult without knowing what they are like off the field. Great leaders are not necessarily the best players. Kevin Kingston was an awesome leader, much better than Luke Lewis based on what I saw of him off the field. Obviously not in the same class as Lewis as a player, but nevertheless a great captain. Only the coach and the players will be able to spot the leaders amongst them. It will be obvious to those in the club.

 

[OldPanther]

Don't be pained, it is the right call. He has plenty of miles in his legs and they are feeling it now. But having said that, make him club captain next year if we are choosing a rookie captain for the year after, like Yeo or Mansour. He can handle all the off field stuff and appoint a vice captain for him to mentor. When Wal isn't picked, the vice captain takes the on field captaincy duties. When he comes off Wal steps in. Lessens the load and is an honour for Wal in his final year.

If we aren't appointing a rookie then I think the most obvious choice is Trent Merrin as captain. Tough, experienced and a great professional off the field. Subject to my comments below, he has earned the right to have a spell as captain. He is much more experienced than Yeo and will handle the media attention. After having his private life examined under the microscope when he was dating Sally (lucky bugger), captaincy will be a cakewalk.

The last point I will make is that picking a captain is difficult without knowing what they are like off the field. Great leaders are not necessarily the best players. Kevin Kingston was an awesome leader, much better than Luke Lewis based on what I saw of him off the field. Obviously not in the same class as Lewis as a player, but nevertheless a great captain. Only the coach and the players will be able to spot the leaders amongst them. It will be obvious to those in the club.

Pretty well said. I think if the club want to be the development club they label themselves give it to a young bloke if they can handle it (refer back to your point about knowing the right person.)

 

[Kilkenny]

Big off season,get himself fully fit and I think Trent Merrin is most suited for the position.

 

[TheFrog]

I suppose we could be like the Roosters and have multiple captains. Wallace as club captain and Merrin as team captain.

Article by Michael Chammas in today's Herald suggesting that Moylan has relinquished the captaincy and Penrith have placed a $250k transfer fee on him.

The Penrith Panthers have moved to deter rival clubs from circling Matt Moylan by placing a transfer fee on the five-eighth should he ask for a release from the final four years of his contact.

Fairfax Media can also reveal the 26-year-old, who last week indicated to the club he was intent on making things work at Penrith, has relinquished the captaincy after asking to be released from the burden and toll of leading the football team.

It hasn't stopped rival clubs from meeting with his manager to discuss the possibility of him leaving Penrith in the off-season. However, Penrith are believed to have asked for around $250,000 in compensation should Moylan ask to leave his junior club.


Under NRL rules, a transfer fee between any of the 16 clubs would be exempt from the salary cap, however the club gaining Moylan's services would have to pay an additional 50 per cent loading fee to the governing body, which goes into the player education and welfare program.

This would be on top of the $900,000-a-season deal his manager is seeking from interested clubs, meaning Moylan would set a club back in excess of $1.2 million should Penrith be compensated for a potential release.

Cronulla and the Wests Tigers are the front-runners for Moylan's signature, with Manly believed to now be out of the race having recently upgraded Dylan Walker's contract and likely to extend Blake Green's contract beyond 2018.


South Sydney paid a transfer fee for Sam Burgess to get him back from rugby union, while Cronulla did the same to get James Segeyaro from the English Super League. But it's almost unprecedented for an NRL club to pay another NRL club for a player's services.

Also complicating the pursuit of Moylan is the fact he has a $250,000-a-year registered third-party deal in place that is unlikely to be transferred to another club.

The Tigers want Moylan to wear the No.1 jersey vacated by James Tedesco after his defection to the Sydney Roosters, but Moylan has indicated his preference is to play in the halves.

There had been talk Cronulla would offload James Maloney to lure Moylan to the club, but Cronulla believe they can afford to have both Moylan and Maloney at the club next year despite having also signed Josh Dugan on a lucrative deal.

Tigers coach Ivan Cleary handed Moylan his debut at Penrith and has a strong relationship with him from their time together at the Panthers. However, Cronulla also have the added advantage of Andrew Fifita, who is one of Moylan's closest friends.

Moylan has been training at the Panthers academy during the past fortnight and appears to be in a much clearer head space than a month ago when it looked like he would demand a release from the club.

The Panthers handed Moylan the captaincy in 2016 aware of some of the shortcomings in his preparation and dedication to training. The appointment of him as captain was meant to inspire and bring the best out of him. But it has arguably had the opposite effect, strangling a player who thrives on freedom.

It's understood he asked to step down from the captaincy at one of the regular meetings he now has with club officials – the strongest indication to date that he will be at the club when they return for pre-season training on November 13.

 

[Panther Pete]

Assuming this article is true, the two things I took out of it are firstly he is not worth $1.2 mil and second, we should let him go if Fifita is one his best mates.

 

[Tronald Crump]

Not one quote from anybody in that story. All ifs and buts.
Having knee surgery today for a clean up so he can be back for pre season training. Gould claimed on radio today nothing has changed on his contract situation.Despite the constant media stories Penrith aren't worried about the distractions.
I say he is staying.