Matt Dufty re-signs until end of 2019

[Life's Good]

I don’t see anything bad with a one year extension. If Dufty has a big season he should be rewarded with a new deal & more dollars because he will have earned it. If not, the club can, hypothetically, shop him around where they wouldn’t need to pay a high figure to offload him.
My hope is the former because that’s a likely Top 8 result(not just because of him but because it will have meant combinations have formed in key positions).

 

[Overseas dragon]

I don’t see anything bad with a one year extension. If Dufty has a big season he should be rewarded with a new deal & more dollars because he will have earned it. If not, the club can, hypothetically, shop him around where they wouldn’t need to pay a high figure to offload him.
My hope is the former because that’s a likely Top 8 result(not just because of him but because it will have meant combinations will have formed).

Talking about combinations DUFTY seems to indicate the structure is different this time around .will be nice to see a backline firing on all cylinders .GO THE BIG RED VVVVV

 

[Life's Good]

Talking about combinations DUFTY seems to indicate the structure is different this time around .will be nice to see a backline firing on all cylinders .GO THE BIG RED VVVVV

I’m hoping that means he is ready to run more instead of pass on the kick return. It looks like he has added a bit of size to his frame so I’m hoping that’s a sign.

 

[giboz71]

I hear what you are saying with the size of wingers but the great fullbacks recently have been very small in billy slater, Matt Bowen and Lachlan Coote. Even Ben barba is pretty small and did defend well. In fact the last few premiers have had the small fullback. If they get their technique right, they should be fine.

Add Bevan French and Kalyn Ponga to the smaller fullback brigade.

End of the day, having faster smaller blokes scoring and setting up plenty of tries by combining with their halves usually offset any perceived defensive weaknesses.

We had the best defensive fullback in the game for the last 4 years that hasn’t done us real good in terms of results so maybe a change is needed.

 

[Frank Facer]

All this talk about Dufty's defence at fullback is a bit over the top. I have seen the best of fullbacks made to look silly one on one, as the last line of defence. Most fullbacks make less than five tackles a game. If the fullback is making a lot of tackles, then that means that others are not defending properly in the first place. Defence is only a small part of a fullback's game. Ability to ball play is a more important skill, scoring tries, safe under the high ball, speed to get to attacking kicks, ability to clean up grubbers, ability to bring the ball back from kicks are all very important skills needed in a fullback today. Vision is another great attribute in a fullback, Dufty may have that?

I hope Dufty kills it this year and becomes a star.

I also hope that Dufty does run the ball back from kicks this year. I can see him being very dangerous in broken play. I have seen footage of him in the 20's scoring length of the field tries from kicks. He will be able to do it in first grade too. I can see coachs directing their halves not to kick to Dufty.

 

[possm]

Agreed...However, most people are looking at from a clubs perspective.
Maybe... he was offer longer on an amount he wasn't happy to sign for. As mentioned early I think he is backing him self for a good year...ensuring a bigger and longer contract based on his performance.

From my point of view it's all upside for Dufty and the Club. We get to see Dufty perform without the pressure of contract negotiations; which and always lead to distractions. The Club will also have the opportunity to assess Dufty's suitability at fullback and if necessary for any other position in the team.

 

[possm]

Add Bevan French and Kalyn Ponga to the smaller fullback brigade.

End of the day, having faster smaller blokes scoring and setting up plenty of tries by combining with their halves usually offset any perceived defensive weaknesses.

We had the best defensive fullback in the game for the last 4 years that hasn’t done us real good in terms of results so maybe a change is needed.

Also add Milford to that list, he was a great fullback when he played for the Raiders.

 

[giboz71]

Also add Milford to that list, he was a great fullback when he played for the Raiders.

Going back even further, Preston Campbell won a Dally M in 2001 as just not the smallest fullback in the game, but as the smallest player full stop.

If they can’t catch you, doesn’t matter how small you are.

 

[denis preston]

Did anyone see barba's tackle in his first game for st Helens ? No reason the Duff can't do that as he certainly looks like he has baulked up.

 

[Uplifting]

Exactly. This gives Matt the opportunity to just play footy this year without distraction. That will both help him have a good year, and enable the club to put in a better pay packet based on his performance.

Milward seems to have the knack of being an open book, and making that a win/win situation.

We all hope he has a wonderful year. (Matt that is).

 

[possm]

Exactly. This gives Matt the opportunity to just play footy this year without distraction. That will both help him have a good year, and enable the club to put in a better pay packet based on his performance.
Millward anointed Field as the 2018 fullback and didn't give Dufty a mention at the time. I suppose one can 'open book' but it also important to 'read' book.

I'm not sure where in the top team Field's future may be. If Dufty is successful - and I'm sure we all are hoping he does really well, then maybe some more body building for Field will put him in a good position to occupy a wing spot. Good under the high ball and with tons of speed and elusiveness, all that really needs attention is defence and size.
Milward seems to have the knack of being an open book, and making that a win/win situation.

We all hope he has a wonderful year. (Matt that is).

 

[Slippery Morris]

I know we won't be able to sign all of our young guns however, I hope we are able to sign the best of our young guns.

I am not saying they can't sign them all, they just need to spread out the contracts so they are not all up at the same time.

 

[Slippery Morris]

I think Millward knows his stuff well and this is a great move extending Dufty. When he see's a gun he makes sure they stay e.g Vaughn and McInnis. He has extended these 2 because they are going to be spoken about during Origin for sure and knows teams will be sniffing around. He will do the same if he senses any danger with Dufty next season at the end of this season if he has a cracker and not wait till the end.

He obviously did not see the same in Dugan and Packer hence waited till last minute to see what they were worth and saw then as far to expensive. We will see if he made the right call which I am sure he did.

 

[Overseas dragon]

I think Millward knows his stuff well and this is a great move extending Dufty. When he see's a gun he makes sure they stay e.g Vaughn and McInnis. He has extended these 2 because they are going to be spoken about during Origin for sure and knows teams will be sniffing around. He will do the same if he senses any danger with Dufty next season at the end of this season if he has a cracker and not wait till the end.

He obviously did not see the same in Dugan and Packer hence waited till last minute to see what they were worth and saw then as far to expensive. We will see if he made the right call which I am sure he did.

Regardless of how dugan plays for the scumulla he wanted too much money to stay here no appreciation or loyalty for his previous years too high salary .....

 

[Belta]

Good points on size v defensive weakness. Others players who spring to mind, although not fullbacks, who were great exponents of this argument were Langer and Toovey, neither for mine, were defensive liabilities to their team.

I know that it's different now due to the average players being far bigger but IMO those small players of the past would still have succeeded and if Dufty, shows the same attitude as those and has the right conditioning and technique (not to mention courage) he can also be effective defending much bigger opponents.

 

[2010]

I think the one year extension was to ward off clubs approaching him. If he is as good and we think he is I am sure he will get a long term deal sometime this season

 

[getsmarty]

Dufty the fullback Dragons have lacked since Boyd
Author
Brad Walter Senior Reporter
Timestamp
Sun 18 Feb 2018, 10:13 AM

Matt Dufty is being touted as the ball-playing fullback St George Illawarra Dragons have lacked since the days of Darius Boyd, and new halfback Ben Hunt believes he can develop a similar relationship with him to the one he enjoyed with the Brisbane Broncos skipper.

Dufty is set to replace Josh Dugan in the Dragons No.1 jersey after starring in Saturday night’s 24-18 defeat of Super League club Hull FC at ANZ Stadium, but he is a different type of fullback to his predecessor.

Whereas Dugan’s strength is his hard running from the back, especially when returning a kick, Dufty plays like a second five-eighth and can beat defences or create space for team-mates with his acceleration.

St George Illawarra fullback Matt Dufty. Robb Cox/NRL Photos
The 22-year-old showed his speed as he ran more than 200 metres in 68 minutes and made two line breaks in the match against Hull to all but cement the Dragons No.1 jersey made vacant by Dugan's move to the Cronulla Sharks.

“I just wanted to come in and really attack this year and kind of make that spot my own, so that is what I tried to do,” Dufty said.

“I set up a good opportunity but I have still got next week to go [in the Charity Shield] and it is up to Mary [coach Paul McGregor] what he wants to do for round one and moving forward.

“Every game I get out there I am growing and I feel more comfortable, so hopefully this year I can keep [the jersey] and make it my own.”

Dufty made seven NRL appearances last season but the Hull match was the first time he had played with Hunt after the Test star joined the Dragons from the Broncos.

The pair combined regularly on the right side of the Dragons attack and both said they felt comfortable playing together.

“Me and Benny get on well and we have a good combination there, so it is forming nicely,” Dufty said.
“He is a pretty easy half to play off, he has got great skills and is a great passer so he has fitted in perfectly.”

Hunt, who played 72 minutes in his first appearance for the Dragons, said he had enjoyed playing with Dufty.

“He is a good little player, if you give him the ball with just a tiny bit of room out the back he is going to make it into a lot of room,” Hunt said.

“He has got a lot of speed, [he] is really electric so if we can give the ball to him in space he is going to do some damage.”

Asked about comparisons between Dufty and Boyd’s style of play, Hunt said having a ball playing fullback would boost the Dragons attack.

“It is a massive bonus when you have got such quality out the back on your plays and moving around,” he said. “You have just got to know when to get them the ball and they can do the rest.”

Meanwhile, Hunt said he was pleased to get his first game with the new club out of the way but vowed to get more involved next weekend against South Sydney Rabbitohs at Mudgee.

“I started a bit slow I think, I felt my way into the game and going forward I need to be a bit different to that,” he said.

“I need to inject myself into the game straight away. I am the halfback here and that is what they expect from me. I need to start getting my hands on the ball earlier.”

McGregor said forwards Tyson Frizell and Jack De Belin were expected to play next Saturday night against the Rabbitohs after sitting out the Hull match.

Dragons 24 - 18 Hull FC

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/02/18...awarra-dragons-have-lacked-since-darius-boyd/

 

[possm]

If the unthinkable happened and Dufty was injured, who would replace him at fullback, Field, Widdop or Lomax?

My pick would be Lomax.

 

[watatank]

Mann or Field

 

[giboz71]

If the unthinkable happened and Dufty was injured, who would replace him at fullback, Field, Widdop or Lomax?

My pick would be Lomax.

I too was pretty happy with the brief glimpse of Lomax, but we need to see plenty more from him before we anoint him our next FB.

Mann or Field would take over if Dufty got hurt .