Young player

[dragons girl]

In relation to teenagers' playing first grade vs older players.Last year Griffen dropped Soward and moved Wallace to hooker.He saw something in young Cleary and stuck with him.That to me is a coach.We have a coach who is not interested in young talent,but sticking with players who are not first grade standard or should be moved on.For pity sake Mciidiot give Jai Field a go.From what I saw in the charity shield he runs straight which in my humble opinion is the right way to go.

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

Dragons Girl, there is a matter of difference between Griffin and McGregor which helps create the decisions they make.

Griffin has two round thingy-me-jiggys around the mid body part there of whilst McGregor is left with quite a large void. I'm surprised his voice isn't of a higher pitch.

 

[dragons girl]

Well that explains it.

 

[Dragons 09]

I think Gus had a lot more to do with the emergence of Cleary than Hook did. And with all due respect to JF, i doubt Gus would be advocating the same fasttrack process for him.
Some kids are ready, some are not, a year playing against men in the reggies will be the making of Field for the future.

 

[Coffs dragon]

I heard Trent Merrin on Sky Sports breakfast radio this morning, saying that Phil Gould is at every training session. He claims that he is a student of the game and passes on plenty of knowledge to all the playing group both young & old, plus valuable advice to coach Griffen.
Can you imagine Doust doing this with Mary & Co......it would be an episode of Dumb and Dumber or Yes Prime Minister.

 

[Old Kogarah Boy 1]

I heard Trent Merrin on Sky Sports breakfast radio this morning, saying that Phil Gould is at every training session. He claims that he is a student of the game and passes on plenty of knowledge to all the playing group both young & old, plus valuable advice to coach Griffen.
Can you imagine Doust doing this with Mary & Co......it would be an episode of Dumb and Dumber or Yes Prime Minister.

I was thinking more like the Play School vernacular.

 

[emu62]

I heard Trent Merrin on Sky Sports breakfast radio this morning, saying that Phil Gould is at every training session. He claims that he is a student of the game and passes on plenty of knowledge to all the playing group both young & old, plus valuable advice to coach Griffen.
Can you imagine Doust doing this with Mary & Co......it would be an episode of Dumb and Dumber or Yes Prime Minister.

And Phil tried to get Mann as a 5/8, yet what does our coach do with him?.Thats the difference between someone who actually has some football knowledge & our incompetent pea brain coach

 

[BennyV]

*sigh*

Cleary was dominating U20s for a year and a half before being considered for a step up. He was then brought into NSW Cup for a few games before being elevated into first grade. At the time Jamie Soward was very under-form and struggling with his ongoing back issue that eventually forced his retirement, and Wallace was playing hooker already. They were going through a a fairly sizeable injury crisis across their backline, so he gave the in-form Cleary a chance.

This is in no way a guarantee that FIeld is ready for a full season of first grade, let alone indicative of his ability to excel.

 

[The Doc]

I was one of many calling for field to be given a run...
But... after watching the charity shield, i now believe, in my opinion, the kid needs time in NSW cup.
He tried his sideways run with a big step a few times and was shut down striaght away.
In the CS it seemed that was all he had to his game.
We all know he offers more, but he needs time playing NSW cup to get more confidence in other aspects of his game.
So when the sideways run and big step doesnt work... he has the confidence to mix his game up.
He will be a star... no doubt about that.
He just isnt ready just yet in my opinion.

 

[possm]

*sigh*

Cleary was dominating U20s for a year and a half before being considered for a step up. He was then brought into NSW Cup for a few games before being elevated into first grade. At the time Jamie Soward was very under-form and struggling with his ongoing back issue that eventually forced his retirement, and Wallace was playing hooker already. They were going through a a fairly sizeable injury crisis across their backline, so he gave the in-form Cleary a chance.

This is in no way a guarantee that FIeld is ready for a full season of first grade, let alone indicative of his ability to excel.

I believe Field will be ok if he is not SET UP TO FAIL. Widdop has made it known that he would prefer McCrone as his partner in the halves. Reason for this is obvious; Hunt will be our 7 next season and either Widdop or Mann of Field or someone else will be the 6.

If Mary puts Field in at 6 - second receiver, I'm sure he will do well. Field just needs some space to move and he will do the rest. It would help if he had Dufty at fullback, Dugan and Milne in the centres and maybe Thompson and Frizell ready to follow a kick or receive a pass in open space.

 

[BennyV]

I believe Field will be ok if he is not SET UP TO FAIL. Widdop has made it known that he would prefer McCrone as his partner in the halves. Reason for this is obvious; Hunt will be our 7 next season and either Widdop or Mann of Field or someone else will be the 6.

If Mary puts Field in at 6 - second receiver, I'm sure he will do well. Field just needs some space to move and he will do the rest. It would help if he had Dufty at fullback, Dugan and Milne in the centres and maybe Thompson and Frizell ready to follow a kick or receive a pass in open space.

Here's the thing - he wont just 'do the rest'. The charity shield showed that, in the 13 man game, he wont have anywhere near the room and time that he got in 20s or in the 9s. It also showed that teams are already doing their homework on him, and he got hit (and hard) each time he tried to skip to the outside of his defender, which is his go-to move. He's got development and learning to do, and there's no favours done to him by learning a) under McGregor, or b) in first grade, especially considering his current playing weight. Playing him off the bench now is simply desperation by Mary.

There's no doubt that he will be, at worst, a very good first grader. However, he's not there yet and has significant development to undertake in terms of his body, his stamina and his skillset. When we have first-grade hardened and equally-talented options like Kurt Mann, there's no reason he should be looking at first grade right now.

 

[ALSGI]

I believe Field will be ok if he is not SET UP TO FAIL. Widdop has made it known that he would prefer McCrone as his partner in the halves. Reason for this is obvious; Hunt will be our 7 next season and either Widdop or Mann of Field or someone else will be the 6.

If Mary puts Field in at 6 - second receiver, I'm sure he will do well. Field just needs some space to move and he will do the rest. It would help if he had Dufty at fullback, Dugan and Milne in the centres and maybe Thompson and Frizell ready to follow a kick or receive a pass in open space.

Spot on possm.
Give him a decent crack, not the shit go he was given in the CS.

 

[watatank]

I don't see what the big deal is. Field will play first grade, the club has given every indication that he will do so. It may not be straight away but he will play. Question will be about how will this transition be managed. Personally I think he needs more time than he will end up getting but that's just me.

 

[ALSGI]

I don't see what the big deal is. Field will play first grade, the club has given every indication that he will do so. It may not be straight away but he will play. Question will be about how will this transition be managed. Personally I think he needs more time than he will end up getting but that's just me.

I reckon develop him in FG now, probably fair to say most disagree, and that's what the forum is for.
The only thing making it a big deal is that McAnchor has McCrone and Widdop in the halves, and we already know how that's going to go even if they do slog out a win on Saturday.
I'd be more comfortable with Field developing with Illawarra if Mann was at 6. McCrone is a backwards, predictable more of the same shit selection imo, not the lessons learned improvement McGenius talked about in the off season.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I think Field will play for Illawarra this weekend

 

[Walpole]

Agree with those saying Field needs some time in the Cutters but how the hell is Mann not selected in the starting side? First grade centre under Bellamy, reserve grade winger under McGregor.

 

[saintm]

Here's the thing - he wont just 'do the rest'. The charity shield showed that, in the 13 man game, he wont have anywhere near the room and time that he got in 20s or in the 9s. It also showed that teams are already doing their homework on him, and he got hit (and hard) each time he tried to skip to the outside of his defender, which is his go-to move. He's got development and learning to do, and there's no favours done to him by learning a) under McGregor, or b) in first grade, especially considering his current playing weight. Playing him off the bench now is simply desperation by Mary.

There's no doubt that he will be, at worst, a very good first grader. However, he's not there yet and has significant development to undertake in terms of his body, his stamina and his skillset. When we have first-grade hardened and equally-talented options like Kurt Mann, there's no reason he should be looking at first grade right now.

Well said regarding Field

 

[SaintPauli]

Check this out! Mann was a regular first grader in the Melbourne system on a regular and consistent top 4 team. He comes to the dragons and barely gets a taste of first grade. To top it of the few games he played for us last year about 50% of games he was our leading try scorer. Yet we a bottom 4 team! Can't find a regular place in first grade for him. WHAT THE ! Bad bad coaching decisions.

 

[dragons girl]

Check this out! Mann was a regular first grader in the Melbourne system on a regular and consistent top 4 team. He comes to the dragons and barely gets a taste of first grade. To top it of the few games he played for us last year about 50% of games he was our leading try scorer. Yet we a bottom 4 team! Can't find a regular place in first grade for him. WHAT THE ! Bad bad coaching decisions.

That's Mciidiot for you.Absolutly no idea of what he is doing.

 

[possm]

It seems to me that Mann may very well not be in the Club's plans going forward. This is the only reason I can imagine for the way he is being treated.