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Why not play Jai Field on the Wing?

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
Steve Slippery Morris became an outstanding winger. Same frame and speed. So why not, small, midget or not. Yes we may even score more points. Funny that.
Not really.
That was going on nearly 40 years ago when players weren’t anywhere near as professionally prepared as they are these days. You now have outside backs who are bigger than backrowers in the 80’s.
Also a wingers job is to take hit ups off their own line(not just wait for a pass from a centre to score) and gain metres. Can you see Field doing that??
 
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possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
Steve Slippery Morris became an outstanding winger. Same frame and speed. So why not, small, midget or not. Yes we may even score more points. Funny that.
In those days there were a lot of lightweight, speedy, quick stepping wingers and Slippery was one of the best. Now days clubs are buying South Pacific wingers with size and speed, Field, Dufty and players of such stature are no match for them.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
Steve Slippery Morris became an outstanding winger. Same frame and speed. So why not, small, midget or not. Yes we may even score more points. Funny that.
Different game these days RedV. Wingers are big and fast. Gone are the days of quick skinny guys down the sidelines. Unless Field puts some weight on those skinny legs he'll never make it in the NRL IMO.
 

dragonssamy61

First Grade
Messages
5,549
Mainly because opposition outside backs and edge forwards are big and strong these days, Field would be rag dolled over the touch line in attack and nothing but a speed bump in defence. I'm not sure why Field is being groomed as a fullback, to me he is a natural five-eighth. So unless Mary plans to move Widdop, Field will either be a first grade utility or a reserve grade five-eighth.

To me, Masters, Lomax and Dufty make more sense at fullback than Field

Agree possm
Marsters is a full back
lomax centre
If they dont make it here they will make it somewhere.
Although lomax has the ability to play anywhere in the back line
 

st shaneoh

Juniors
Messages
163
Agree possm
Marsters is a full back
lomax centre
If they dont make it here they will make it somewhere.
Although lomax has the ability to play anywhere in the back line
Different game these days RedV. Wingers are big and fast. Gone are the days of quick skinny guys down the sidelines. Unless Field puts some weight on those skinny legs he'll never make it in the NRL IMO.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
Only at the Dragons where the quickest players in the club don’t have anywhere to play.

So let’s continue being the slowest team in the comp. Coz that’s worked out well for us.

Hate to be harsh, but if Dufty works out at FB, then effectively there is nowhere for Field to go. May as well set him loose. Sure some other club would happily grab him so he can run rings around us in the future. He can get in the queue behind all the other fast backs that run rings around us.

He could get minutes in the halves if Hunt plays some hooker but apparently that’s a stupid suggestion as well.

So why not just set him loose. He doesn’t fit anywhere after all?
 

Drag Queen

Bench
Messages
2,981
Only at the Dragons where the quickest players in the club don’t have anywhere to play.

So let’s continue being the slowest team in the comp. Coz that’s worked out well for us.

Hate to be harsh, but if Dufty works out at FB, then effectively there is nowhere for Field to go. May as well set him loose. Sure some other club would happily grab him so he can run rings around us in the future. He can get in the queue behind all the other fast backs that run rings around us.

He could get minutes in the halves if Hunt plays some hooker but apparently that’s a stupid suggestion as well.

So why not just set him loose. He doesn’t fit anywhere after all?
Someone on here keeps saying we need speed, speed and more speed. Unfortunately we also need someone with some mongrel as well. He's still pretty young though...
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
Someone on here keeps saying we need speed, speed and more speed. Unfortunately we also need someone with some mongrel as well. He's still pretty young though...

What would be more accurate is we need players who can play centre and wing who aren’t as slow as my mother.

With Lafai and Nighty on one side, that’s a recipe for disaster, as any coach with a clue will direct their attack down that corridor. They were exposed time and again this year.

Field is quick, but he doesn’t know how to play wing or centre. Garrick, Herbert and eventually Lomax are better options but none are sure things and Mary is reluctant to give them a go anyway.

Hence I don’t understand why we didn’t go after Johnstone or Gagai after Duges signed for the the Sharks. Proven rep quality outside backs who could have slotted into any outside back position.

Unless the young guys proven to be capable, then we are stuck with our shit slow backs like we have been for years.
 

Drag Queen

Bench
Messages
2,981
What would be more accurate is we need players who can play centre and wing who aren’t as slow as my mother.

With Lafai and Nighty on one side, that’s a recipe for disaster, as any coach with a clue will direct their attack down that corridor. They were exposed time and again this year.

Field is quick, but he doesn’t know how to play wing or centre. Garrick, Herbert and eventually Lomax are better options but none are sure things and Mary is reluctant to give them a go anyway.

Hence I don’t understand why we didn’t go after Johnstone or Gagai after Duges signed for the the Sharks. Proven rep quality outside backs who could have slotted into any outside back position.

Unless the young guys proven to be capable, then we are stuck with our shit slow backs like we have been for years.
Nobody wanted Gagai more than me.
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
Only at the Dragons where the quickest players in the club don’t have anywhere to play.

So let’s continue being the slowest team in the comp. Coz that’s worked out well for us.

Hate to be harsh, but if Dufty works out at FB, then effectively there is nowhere for Field to go. May as well set him loose. Sure some other club would happily grab him so he can run rings around us in the future. He can get in the queue behind all the other fast backs that run rings around us.

He could get minutes in the halves if Hunt plays some hooker but apparently that’s a stupid suggestion as well.

So why not just set him loose. He doesn’t fit anywhere after all?
I would hang onto Field and let him develop his game in reserve grade. If he can develop his game to a high level and then come into first grade when an injury occurs to say Widdop and if he can perform very well in first grade, then we could let Widdop go early and hang onto Field. We should keep our options open. It is also very good to have 3 first grade halves on our roster, in case of an injury to one of our starting halves.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
What would be more accurate is we need players who can play centre and wing who aren’t as slow as my mother.

With Lafai and Nighty on one side, that’s a recipe for disaster, as any coach with a clue will direct their attack down that corridor. They were exposed time and again this year.

Field is quick, but he doesn’t know how to play wing or centre. Garrick, Herbert and eventually Lomax are better options but none are sure things and Mary is reluctant to give them a go anyway.

Hence I don’t understand why we didn’t go after Johnstone or Gagai after Duges signed for the the Sharks. Proven rep quality outside backs who could have slotted into any outside back position.

Unless the young guys proven to be capable, then we are stuck with our shit slow backs like we have been for years.
I just had the most frustrating conversation with my sharks fans extended family members. I only see them occasionally. They were mocking dragons as usual and I said Dragons will go top 4 next year. They said who's your team? I named the forwards, they seemed non fussed. They asked me who the back line was. I was embarrassed to say our 1-5. They laughed in my face and said that team isn't making the top 8. And they have a point really. Our 1-5 sucks. Like worst in the nrl. Reality check for me. We'll be lucky to be competitive with guys like Lafai and Macdonald running around. And we all know Mary won't bring the young guys in.
 

giboz71

First Grade
Messages
8,895
I just had the most frustrating conversation with my sharks fans extended family members. I only see them occasionally. They were mocking dragons as usual and I said Dragons will go top 4 next year. They said who's your team? I named the forwards, they seemed non fussed. They asked me who the back line was. I was embarrassed to say our 1-5. They laughed in my face and said that team isn't making the top 8. And they have a point really. Our 1-5 sucks. Like worst in the nrl. Reality check for me. We'll be lucky to be competitive with guys like Lafai and Macdonald running around. And we all know Mary won't bring the young guys in.

The sad part is, the club doesn’t think our 1-5 are that bad. Lafai, Aitken and Mann all got extensions as did Nighty for another year.

I have hope that Herbert, Garrick and Lomax can step up but as with any juniors, none are sure things. And none of our exciting youngsters have really kicked on under Mary, Host and Leilua being examples so why would we hope any of the young backs would be any different under our clueless coach?

I’m fairly certain that our backline for this year will be the same one trotted out in 2018.
 

Life's Good

Coach
Messages
13,971
Only at the Dragons where the quickest players in the club don’t have anywhere to play.

So let’s continue being the slowest team in the comp. Coz that’s worked out well for us.

Hate to be harsh, but if Dufty works out at FB, then effectively there is nowhere for Field to go. May as well set him loose. Sure some other club would happily grab him so he can run rings around us in the future. He can get in the queue behind all the other fast backs that run rings around us.

He could get minutes in the halves if Hunt plays some hooker but apparently that’s a stupid suggestion as well.

So why not just set him loose. He doesn’t fit anywhere after all?
Cutting Field loose may be what happens.
He is in a pool of players that might have skills better suited to our needs.
As harsh as it sounds we may not be the club for him.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,412
The sad part is, the club doesn’t think our 1-5 are that bad. Lafai, Aitken and Mann all got extensions as did Nighty for another year.

I have hope that Herbert, Garrick and Lomax can step up but as with any juniors, none are sure things. And none of our exciting youngsters have really kicked on under Mary, Host and Leilua being examples so why would we hope any of the young backs would be any different under our clueless coach?

I’m fairly certain that our backline for this year will be the same one trotted out in 2018.
Absolutely the backline will be the same. 1-5 will not change unless there is an injury.
I just hope that Macdonald finds his mojo, dufty turns out to be a weapon and lafai and aitken benefit from great ball from the halves.
I fear though that dufty may be a turnstile in defense and the other guys will continue to be ordinary.
Lets hope that thats not the case!
 

watatank

Coach
Messages
13,973
Only at the Dragons where the quickest players in the club don’t have anywhere to play.

So let’s continue being the slowest team in the comp. Coz that’s worked out well for us.

Hate to be harsh, but if Dufty works out at FB, then effectively there is nowhere for Field to go. May as well set him loose. Sure some other club would happily grab him so he can run rings around us in the future. He can get in the queue behind all the other fast backs that run rings around us.

He could get minutes in the halves if Hunt plays some hooker but apparently that’s a stupid suggestion as well.

So why not just set him loose. He doesn’t fit anywhere after all?

Even if Field was to play off the bench as a half, he can't keep doing that forever. There would still need to be a plan to eventually move him to the halves, or fullback or wherever.

If Dufty works out at fullback then we'd have an established fullback option to go with our established halves, is that so bad? Maybe Field is better and he takes that spot. If there isn't a spot for him then so be it. The Cowboys lost Ponga because they had Coote at fullback, it happens. There's still a lot of football to be played and Field needs to develop his game anyway. We still have Field signed to the end of 2019 as an option for fullback and halves, so we don't have to release him.
 
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