JOSH DUGAN UNLEASHES ON DRAGONS

[watatank]

If Millward wants Dugan at right centre which doesnt worry me. Why did we sign Atkin who is a right centre .

the plan probably would have been to move Aitken to left centre, although this has been complicated somewhat by Lafai now

 

[Simon]

If Millward wants Dugan at right centre which doesnt worry me. Why did we sign Atkin who is a right centre .

Millward's job is to develop a squad - next year 30 players. We need multiple players for each position. The coaches job is to pick the best team available from that squad each week.

I cannot believe the press and even what people write in here about Millward and him determining where players play. He works through the squad and salary cap. I'm hoping we have good players that miss out on first grade selection each week - means we have a good squad.

 

[possm]

They signed him for 3 years if I'm not mistaken. Maybe the plan was to see how Aitken develops in that time. Play Dugan at FB for the first couple of years then shift him if Aitken hasn't developed as much (or possibly shift Aitken at that point to forward pack). In that 2 years a guy like Field/Dufty to step up into FB.

Also if we hadn't signed Aitken then missed out on Dugan we could've been left short too (even though we seem to have an abundance of centres).

This of course is pure speculation but trying to figure out how the club was thinking.

Hebert is a right centre and is signed and Milne is one of our best right centres - better than Aitken in my opinion:
Dugan
Milne
Aitken
Herbert
All right centres. What a mess.

 

[Gandhi]

Hebert is a right centre and is signed and Milne is one of our best right centres - better than Aitken in my opinion:
Dugan
Milne
Aitken
Herbert
All right centres. What a mess.

Possum, we probably need three vying for one position. Dugan, Aitken and Herbert. Probably why Milne was not in tbe clubs plans. Is it really that difficult for a good footballer to become a left centre if they have played mainly right? Sheeze....its one field with 13 players a side....how hard can it be to pick up a slightly different position. Most kids from age of 6 to 18 have played numerous positions.

 

[possm]

Possum, we probably need three vying for one position. Dugan, Aitken and Herbert. Probably why Milne was not in tbe clubs plans. Is it really that difficult for a good footballer to become a left centre if they have played mainly right? Sheeze....its one field with 13 players a side....how hard can it be to pick up a slightly different position. Most kids from age of 6 to 18 have played numerous positions.

Can be an easy adjustment if the player can has a right and left foot step and can kick with the right or left foot and can pass accurately to the left and right.

Why is Dugan played at right centre?

 

[The Doc]

Possum, we probably need three vying for one position. Dugan, Aitken and Herbert. Probably why Milne was not in tbe clubs plans. Is it really that difficult for a good footballer to become a left centre if they have played mainly right? Sheeze....its one field with 13 players a side....how hard can it be to pick up a slightly different position. Most kids from age of 6 to 18 have played numerous positions.

Its actually not as easy as you think.
You develop a step of a certain foot... a fend with a certain hand... a flick pass with a certain hand...all these things contribute to a centre being excellent or ordinary.
And the side of the field contributes to all these aspects working or not.

 

[watatank]

Cooper was one of the best left centres but was an ordinary right centre. But yeah someone is probably going to have to adapt. There is also right wing and right backrow as options too

 

[Gandhi]

Can be an easy adjustment if the player can has a right and left foot step and can kick with the right or left foot and can pass accurately to the left and right.

Why is Dugan played at right centre?

Good question....he doesn't really pass.... he doesnt really step....and we dont need him to kick. He is a strong running player. He could adapt either side i reckon.

 

[possm]

Cooper was one of the best left centres but was an ordinary right centre. But yeah someone is probably going to have to adapt. There is also right wing and right backrow as options too

In our case there was no need to adapt. Milne as our right centre and Lafai as our left centre. The other centres in our club as backup.

Dugan is the exception. If we are play Dugan at right centre then it should be Milne as the backup and Herbert as the replacement for Nightingale. Aitken as a reserve forward should never have been signed for three years and not so early. We needed to sort out the marquee players first, then move through our preferred first graders based on form and potential.

 

[watatank]

In our case there was no need to adapt. Milne as our right centre and Lafai as our left centre. The other centres in our club as backup.

Dugan is the exception. If we are play Dugan at right centre then it should be Milne as the backup and Herbert as the replacement for Nightingale. Aitken as a reserve forward should never have been signed for three years and not so early. We needed to sort out the marquee players first, then move through our preferred first graders based on form and potential.

Yeah but aitken is not a reserve forward hes in the top two centres. Hes not playing centre because we signed him, we signed him because we're comfortable with what he contributes to the team. he'll probably be left centre if dugan stays. If he moves to the forwards down the road hes already signed up at a reasonable price and maybe herbert takes that centre spot. Or someone else like lomax or whoever. All in all i think the club is comfortable with him.

I guess what im saying its probably not the conundrum you claim it to be. At least the club wouldnt see it that way

 

[2010]

There is a lot hinging on getting Duges signed. How ever it goes it has a big influence on Packer, Mann and Lafaii plus a few juniors.
Duges is off for three weeks and I hope a decision is made before he gets back.

 

[Walpole]

What's wrong with today's players that they can only play on the left or right? A centre's a centre. You defend in the same spot, you gave a winger outside you, it's the same bloody game regardless of what side of the field you're on. Are the players so regimented and mechanical that they can't adjust to the other side of the field? Or is it the "coach by numbers" attitude of every club that has reduced them to this?

 

[watatank]

Yeah the coaching has something to do with it (starting from junior reps), as well as there being more athletes in the game. As a player you're always going to have certain tendencies...a hand you like to carry the ball in, a hand you like to fend with, a foot you like to step off, a way you like to pass the ball, even a preferred tackling shoulder. For example, most teams have a stronger left side attack because most players are better passing right to left and as such it's usually easier to defend on the left side because teams aren't as effective passing left to right. So you end up developing on the left or right depending on that and don't move around as much as they probably used to. That development starts earlier and earlier in the junior rep system because they use the same patterns as NRL teams and there are a lot of young coaches looking to rise through the ranks.

 

[possm]

What's wrong with today's players that they can only play on the left or right? A centre's a centre. You defend in the same spot, you gave a winger outside you, it's the same bloody game regardless of what side of the field you're on. Are the players so regimented and mechanical that they can't adjust to the other side of the field? Or is it the "coach by numbers" attitude of every club that has reduced them to this?

I still remember the days when centres were referred to as 'inside centres and outside centres'. A time, when possible, both centres played on the same side of the field.

 

[Walpole]

Yes, and passed the ball to each other! It seems now that you might only see the other centre in the sheds at half time.

 

[Carlton]

Well the club isnt going to play dugan at fb next year no matter what mary says. Mary may not even be here next year. Millward is pulling the strings. Millward says he is a centre. Therefore, we could go after gagai to replace duges at centre and move mann to fb ...or one of our juniors. Or go after hayne to play fb or centre. Or go after cronk to play halves and move widdop to fb. Lots of options. There are other options too.

What makes you think that Gagai will be any cheaper than Dugan?

Hayne will cost at least $400K more than Dugan and doesn't provide the passion the team needs.

Cronk would be even more expensive than Hayne and we play Widdop at fullback. Sounds like a gamble, may work but thats a lot of money on Hunt, Cronk and Widdop.

Hayne is under contract still, Cronk may not even play next year.

I don't think there are that many obvious options.

 

[SEAT 1A]

Time for a decision to be made. If Dugans offer is around $800 000 I believe thats pretty close his value. Very good player and I feel we are a lot better team with him but we should not let this negotiation drag on. Give him until next Friday or we start moving in a different direction

Agree with that figure dragon thomo. To be fair to Duges, the argy bargy is all in the negotiation process.

If Duges can get his Mil he's gone, and good luck to him. If not, I don't think he will leave for a similar offer buy another club.

 

[Pro Dragons]

If they sign him on, as the club has stated as a centre on a centre's wage and then keep him at fullback, should the club then pay him the price difference between a centre and fullback?
The club has made the distinction between a centre's and fullback's price.

 

[Frank Facer]

If they sign him on, as the club has stated as a centre on a centre's wage and then keep him at fullback, should the club then pay him the price difference between a centre and fullback?
The club has made the distinction between a centre's and fullback's price.

No. Dugan is not worth 1 mil a season at fullback either.

 

[Dragon Revival]

The Club should give Dugan a deadline.
He said that he did not want to go to French rugby. If there was $1,000,000
available elsewhere he would have gone by now. Millward has been unwise to leave the re-signing of Dugan, Mann and Packer so late. He should expedite the process ASAP. We have a good Top 16 and should keep them to be reinforced by Hunt next year.