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Shaun Nona the BRONCO

FlameThrower

Bench
Messages
3,557
You're forgetting Nona was also on Melbourne's books, and Bellamy - apparently, a good coach - did not use him either.

He is reserve grade material only, and won't play a single first grade for Brisbane (even during the Origin period...he'll be 29 this year FFS!).
Very good point, but this the Dragons Forumn - it’s just designed to bash the Club/Coach at any opportunity.
 

watatank

Coach
Messages
13,972
The point I'm trying to make is Mcgregor never once tried Nona in first grade even though he had a very good all round game including a very nice short kicking game one game he forced I think 7 or 8 line drop outs .and was never tried once I'm not saying hes a star but injury should have given him an opportunity but because J. D liked Nona ,Mary never used him .........

He has been overlooked by many coaches, not just McGregor and he'll be at best 4th choice half in Brisbane. Good luck to him if he debuts, but chances are it'll be a non event (whether he does or not)
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
OK, Ill hold you to that. Ill watch closely to see if he makes a name for himself at the Broncos. I will check back in after 15-20 rounds when he a still hasn't played 1st grade........STILL
I don't think you'll have to wait that long, I'm of the opinion he will finally get his chance to show his stuff. Mary should have used him when McCrone was playing well below form. Maybe we would have one a few extra games and made the finals.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,410
I don't think you'll have to wait that long, I'm of the opinion he will finally get his chance to show his stuff. Mary should have used him when McCrone was playing well below form. Maybe we would have one a few extra games and made the finals.
And if he does make the broncos starting side as their halfback or 5/8 and play well I will say well done Nona and Mary had a shocker by not selecting him.
But if he doesn't I will post every single week in this thread "still no sign of Nona".
 

Overseas dragon

Juniors
Messages
2,275
And apparently J
And if he does make the broncos starting side as their halfback or 5/8 and play well I will say well done Nona and Mary had a shocker by not selecting him.
But if he doesn't I will post every single week in this thread "still no sign of Nona".
Still no sign of intelligence CRUSH
 
Messages
2,866
Nona plays what's in front of him, that's probably the reason he can't make a team that's very structured and micro-managed. Very skillful all rounder in attack and defence just not as malleable as McCrone and others who do what they're told. It's a shame, I always wanted him to get a crack at firsts just to see how he went. Didn't JD call him " the best player never to play first grade ". I'll defer to JD on that one.
I think you are on the money with you're assessment.
Nona was very creative and a natural footballer that had an important role to play as a back up half for first grade.
If he had slotted into 5/8 at the time Widdop got injured, we would have won more games than we did.
Certainly would have made the difference between making the finals and not.
I would back JD's judgement over McGregor's any day of the week.
No way we would have missed the finals in 2017 and probably the same in 2016 under JD.
Anyway - the list of players that have withered on the vine at STI while waiting for their chance in FG is long and painful.
Nona, Havili, Wakeman, Hind, Bird, Hastings spring to mind.
Being conservative is one thing.
Being bloody minded and stupid is another.
 

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,678
If Nona has been upgraded to the Broncos 30 (atm he's still listed as an ISP player for the Seagulls), then it explains why Nikorima is listed as a Hooker.
Milford is the only 5/8 they have, with Scarlet and Murphy as the halves.
So, wether Nona is a reserve grader or not, is not the point, the point remains JD believes in him so he will get his long waited debut.
It the very reason why Nona, Lewis, Hind and Dodd were never going to be considered by McGregor no matter what peril the team was in, they were a by-product of someone who out-coached him and gained higher accolades than him. Playing busted players and/or 140 game veterans who struggled to make 1st grade elsewhere was simply trying to prove a point about who is superior no matter the impact.
 

Saint_JimmyG

First Grade
Messages
5,067
I think you are on the money with you're assessment.
Nona was very creative and a natural footballer that had an important role to play as a back up half for first grade.
If he had slotted into 5/8 at the time Widdop got injured, we would have won more games than we did.
Certainly would have made the difference between making the finals and not.
I would back JD's judgement over McGregor's any day of the week.
No way we would have missed the finals in 2017 and probably the same in 2016 under JD.
Anyway - the list of players that have withered on the vine at STI while waiting for their chance in FG is long and painful.
Nona, Havili, Wakeman, Hind, Bird, Hastings spring to mind.
Being conservative is one thing.
Being bloody minded and stupid is another.

Nona: the wrong side of 20, yet to play a single first grade, and was also ignored by Bellamy.

Havilli: couldn't gain a regular spot with an inconsistent Warriors side - this isn't a compliment.

Wakeman: currently plying his trade in the ESL; he didn't capture any interest with any other NRL clubs.

Bird: fair call but I believe he's someone who wouldn't have played under McGregor no matter how much money was thrown at him.

Hastings: punted from the Roosters, and has hardly set the world alight with Manly - isn't he now considered a utility player, instead of a halfback nowadays?

Hind: reserve grader with no guarantee of making it to first grade.

Most of the above haven't been missed. Bird is the obvious exception, but he wouldn't demand a spot in the halves and I doubt he'd be happy for long in the centres (even though Brisbane will probably start him there). Besides, I don't think the position suits him.
 
Messages
2,866
Nona: the wrong side of 20, yet to play a single first grade, and was also ignored by Bellamy.

Havilli: couldn't gain a regular spot with an inconsistent Warriors side - this isn't a compliment.

Wakeman: currently plying his trade in the ESL; he didn't capture any interest with any other NRL clubs.

Bird: fair call but I believe he's someone who wouldn't have played under McGregor no matter how much money was thrown at him.

Hastings: punted from the Roosters, and has hardly set the world alight with Manly - isn't he now considered a utility player, instead of a halfback nowadays?

Hind: reserve grader with no guarantee of making it to first grade.

Most of the above haven't been missed. Bird is the obvious exception, but he wouldn't demand a spot in the halves and I doubt he'd be happy for long in the centres (even though Brisbane will probably start him there). Besides, I don't think the position suits him.
I am a great believer in playing players in their specialist positions.
Considering McCrone was one of our halves all of last year, Nona stacks up pretty well don't you think?
In hindsight, and based on the FG results, he's starting to look like a world beater!!
As for the others, I think it is fair to say that players in the second tier cannot really develop or achieve their potential unless they are exposed to the top grade.
Some have more potential than others but unless they are exposed, you just never know.
Bird was tearing it up in reggies and he still couldn't get a run.
Very often it boils down to the subjective bias of the coach that never gives them that opportunity to start with.
When you tag players as also rans, reserve graders, rubbish etc. I don't agree.
I am surprised you mention Nona and Bellamy because how can you compare the halves at Bellamy's disposal (Cronk, Munster, Green and Widdop) to what McGregor had to choose from.
I am not at all surprised that Nona didn't get a go at Melbourne.
 

Walpole

Juniors
Messages
2,418
This revisionist history on Nona's abilities is hilarious. Mary didn't pick him in first grade = Mary's a shit coach = Nona's was a superstar who was single handedly held back by McGregor. f**k off! What absolute bullshit. He hasn't played first grade anywhere, under any coach, and never will. Just like his very able fellow reserve grader Darren Nicholls. I don't like Mary any more than most but he's at least shown he's better at spotting a reggie than half this forum.
 

Overseas dragon

Juniors
Messages
2,275
This revisionist history on Nona's abilities is hilarious. Mary didn't pick him in first grade = Mary's a shit coach = Nona's was a superstar who was single handedly held back by McGregor. f**k off! What absolute bullshit. He hasn't played first grade anywhere, under any coach, and never will. Just like his very able fellow reserve grader Darren Nicholls. I don't like Mary any more than most but he's at least shown he's better at spotting a reggie than half this forum.
Nobody here said he was a superstar .if your going to rant at least read the posts before you reply .Mr Walford regards
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,410
When Widdop got injured the forum was crying out for Kurt Mann to get a shot. He did. It didn't work out well.
Now the forum is saying Mary should have played Shaun Nona at that time. Its laughable! If Mary had of played Nona at that time the forum would have crucified him and said why was he playing a reserve grader when we have a superstar 5/8 in Kurt Mann in our squad!
Honestly its like some people hate the coach so much that they blame everything on him. Why anyone is frustrated that Shaun Nona has left our club now is beyond me.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
When Widdop got injured the forum was crying out for Kurt Mann to get a shot. He did. It didn't work out well.
Now the forum is saying Mary should have played Shaun Nona at that time. Its laughable! If Mary had of played Nona at that time the forum would have crucified him and said why was he playing a reserve grader when we have a superstar 5/8 in Kurt Mann in our squad!
Honestly its like some people hate the coach so much that they blame everything on him. Why anyone is frustrated that Shaun Nona has left our club now is beyond me.
I would have thought Nona for McCrone and Mann for Widdop. Everyone accept Mary was of the opinion that McCrone just did not have it and was not up to first grade standard. Why didn't Mary give Nona a go?
 

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