Corey Norman??

[Dragonslayer]

Hi mate, .. Dufty is a good footy player. Yes he has provided speed, which has been lacking. I think what most people are concerned about, is his deficiencies as a fB. Very suspect under the high ball, which in the modern game is critical, poor defensive reads, tackling suspect at best, very little in terms of bringing the ball out from deep in our half, gets manhandled too often, and so on. In broken play he is dynamite, and thats great, but he needs work. FB is a key position and such flaws cant be overlooked. Not saying he cant make it, but a few beaut tries as a result of a broken defensive line isnt enough at this stage.

Just my take on Dufty.
His suspectability under the high ball became a factor during the 2nd half of the season, when game fatigue kicked in. So, he needs to work on his fitness and body strength, I dont think 1st grade is the place for that.
As for bringing the ball back, agree here thaf he needs to attack the line rather than surrender too easily. Again that comes with body strength and mental approach. Again not a 1st grade training ground to do this.
Being ragdolled is not uncommon for a fullback, even Tedesco was ragdilled during last season, however, Dufty, because he surrenders so meekly, is more susceptable. And again 1st grade is not a place to develop a strategy against it.
I think Dufty has the makings of a very good fullback, and I would be suprised if he didnt play some games in 1st this year, however, this to me, is a year for him to hone his skills in readiness for a long career. Failure to accept his deficiencies and not develop his game, im afraid will see him slip from all chance of stardom.

 

[Brutalitops]

The quiet good deeds of maligned Dragons recruit Corey Norman
WRITTEN BYTROY WHITTAKER
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Corey Norman stood in the streets of Sydney's Martin Place on Tuesday night and cheerfully handed out clothing to the homeless.

The maligned NRL talent wasn't looking for publicity or social media plaudits. Nor was he told to be there by his club

Norman simply wanted to help.

The St George Illawarra recruit has been quietly assisting the Pass It On Clothing & Cocharity since midway through last year.

Norman's apparel business YKTR, which he co-owns with former Cronulla hooker James Segeyaro and retired player Isaac John, is one of many brands that provides garments for those in need.

Pass It On hosts three giveaway events a week - one each in Parramatta, Martin Place and Gosford - where between 700 and 900 items are gifted.

Former NSW and Australian representative Michael Buettner runs the Gosford session.

Norman is present at least once a month at either the Sydney CBD or Parramatta.

Segeyaro and leading referee Matt Cecchin also regularly lend a hand, while ex-NRL players Cameron King and Jackson Hastings have contributed in the past.

It's a humbling experience for the rugby league identities, says Chris Vagg, a former NRL employee who co-founded Pass It On in 2016.

"When you go into that space, it changes your dynamic," Vagg tells Sporting News Australia.

"It's a great tool for mentoring, especially with guys who may have had some troubles early in their careers.

"It really reinforces how lucky they are to be doing what they're doing."

View image on Twitter


Andrew Jackson@Andrew_Jacko
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Jacko/status/1090172929080385536

Corey Norman out at Martin Place handing out YKTR merch to those doing it tough on the streets and hanging around to chat - the things he and many other #NRL players do that many never see.


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9:00 AM - Jan 29, 2019

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Norman has been guilty of minor behavioural slip-ups in recent times, including a self-filmed video that leaked earlier this month showing him encouraging an older man to snort a white powder.

But Vagg only has praise for Norman and says he is void of any ego or aloofness when working with the homeless.

"I think it gives him a bit of a kick and perspective. Speaking to people, seeing how they're going and building relationships," says Vagg.

"I can't fault him in anything he's done for us. He's always given back.

"At our Christmas party we had some images that were for sale - he put skin in the game and bought one of them really happily."


Chris Vagg@vaggchris
https://twitter.com/vaggchris/status/1090201414473723905

Roy repping his new YKTR kit proud as punch in MP tonight!

He’s a @NRL_Dragons tragic too, many thanks to the boys @Normz35 + @kryofix for bringing the vibe.

It’s amazing how much impact a simple gesture can have...#givingisthenewblack @NRL @NRLCommunity @FootySmiles


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10:54 AM - Jan 29, 2019

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It's not as easy as just turning up, chatting for a few minutes and then going home at these events for Norman, either.

He is involved in setting up and packing away the clothing racks as well as engaging with all comers and distributing the kit.

The 27-year-old has received some brutal home truths during his charity work, too, having copped a reality check over the leaked video drama.

"[The homeless] don't miss you [in their comments] - there's no airs and graces there," says Vagg.

"Obviously the video that was leaked a couple of weeks ago, one of the boys out at the Parramatta service was just dressing him down saying 'don't be silly, don't you be doing that.'

"These people have nothing, so there are no prejudices. If they want to say something, they say it."

Vagg has watched Norman develop since meeting him eight months ago.

In prime physical shape, Norman now carries a calmness in his aura and appears settled with his life away from footy.

For those reasons, Vagg is tipping the enigmatic five-eighth to enjoy a massive maiden season at the Dragons.

"Mate, he looks in good nick. He looks in really good nick," he says of the former Eels playmaker.

"He seems to have an air of confidence, and I don't mean that in an arrogant way, I mean in a composed way.

"He has that air of a guy that's got his ducks in a row off the field.

"That will project onto the field, I would suggest. I think he'll have a really good year."
https://ppihelpdesk.co.uk/articles/...ral&s=performmediagroup-nospam47com&c=1792701

 

[nontime111]

hes a top fella, met him once, hell be good for us

 

[Dragons4me]

Start him on the wing.. he’s a bit too small at the moment for a 1st grade centre.. give him time to beef up and then let him loose..

Like we did with Matt Cooper..

Really excited about Silverman. I just can't wait to SEE him (play).

 

[possm]

How Ben Hunt helped lure Corey Norman to Dragons
Dragons

• January 30, 2019 3:09pm
• Source: AAP

Ben Hunt has revealed how he helped lure Corey Norman to the Dragons.Source: AAP
St George Illawarra star Ben Hunt has revealed how he urged club officials to look past Corey Norman’s chequered history and lure him to Wollongong.

Almost seven years after battling for Darren Lockyer’s famed No.6 jumper in Brisbane, the pair are set to form a lethal halves pairing in the Red V in this NRL season.

Despite Hunt and captain Gareth Widdop leading the Dragons to the top of the table for half of last season, the club opted to chase Norman over the summer.

St George Illawarra signing Corey Norman at Dragons trainingSource: Supplied
Round 1
And Hunt was immediately on board with the plan which sees Widdop play fullback before returning to England at the end of the season.

“I definitely had a few chats with (coach Paul McGregor) and the recruitment staff down there before they decided to sign him,” Hunt told AAP.

“I was all for it. They were really excited that I wanted him to come down and had played with him before. We definitely had those discussions.”

Both players rose through the ranks together at the Broncos before Hunt made his first grade debut in 2009, and was followed by Norman the next season.

Corey Norman and Ben Hunt during their time at the Broncos. Picture: Glenn BarnesSource: News Limited
However only once in four years did the pair combine at the scrumbase before Norman secured a lucrative deal with Parramatta.


“I told them I always enjoyed my time playing with him, and I knew he was a great competitor no matter what sort of situation he was in,” Hunt said.

Norman arrives at the Dragons with some heavy off-field baggage, including an eight-week suspension and $20,000 fine in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to drug possession at Sydney’s Star casino.

The NRL-imposed penalty also related to a police warning for consorting with criminals and filming and distributing video of incidents including apparent drug use and sexual activity.

Corey Norman has a chequered past. Picture: Zak SimmondsSource: News Corp Australia
And the ink had barely dried on his new deal when historic footage emerged on social media of him with another male snorting an unknown substance, though no action was taken by the NRL.

Hunt believes Norman has grown from his mistakes.

“He’s obviously made a few mistakes — which a lot of us have — but he’s definitely grown up from the bloke I used to know and he just wants to play some good footy,” he said.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/525d4ab1cf8937354fafb11c2e8f1ac5

So there it is for all to see in black and white. Widdop to fullback and Norman to five-eighth and Hunt as happy as Larry; finally a halves combination with a game manager who has very good kicking and passing skills and a halfback who loves to run and seize opportunities as they arise.

Widdop is our bonus for 2019; he could have depated prior to 2019 if he wanted. From fullback he can advise fellow team mates of threats and opportunities and of course be will be devastating in attack and solid in defence. Widdop performs well under the high ball and has very good positional sense in attack and defence.

With Widdop, Norman and Hunt of the field ast the same time, the Dragons will be the envy of the competition. The next step will be to select Lomax at right centre and our two new big speedy wingers in the team. I feel their first grade inexperience would be more than off-set by their speed and enthusiasm.

Yes Dufty has some work to do and if he applies himself to improvement in 2019, he could be our long term fullback however, if he spits the dummy and continues to battle with Dragons officials over salary and selection, he may very well find himself looking for opportunities with another club. I say that this would be a shame because with a little imporvment in his skill-set and an attitude to show he is up for the job, he could very well turn into being one of the Dragon's fans favourite players.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Hi mate, .. Dufty is a good footy player. Yes he has provided speed, which has been lacking. I think what most people are concerned about, is his deficiencies as a fB. Very suspect under the high ball, which in the modern game is critical, poor defensive reads, tackling suspect at best, very little in terms of bringing the ball out from deep in our half, gets manhandled too often, and so on. In broken play he is dynamite, and thats great, but he needs work. FB is a key position and such flaws cant be overlooked. Not saying he cant make it, but a few beaut tries as a result of a broken defensive line isnt enough at this stage.

Yes I understand ,what you're saying is he needs proper coaching, so he probably will have to leave

 

[Dragons4me]

Sorry Mr Dufty, you keep feeding your kid lies telling him he is better than he really is. Gonna be a big reality check when no other club picks him up as their starting fullback. He is currently reserve grade standard at best, if you can't see that take your Rose coloured glasses off

I can see why you've only posted

Sorry Mr Dufty, you keep feeding your kid lies telling him he is better than he really is. Gonna be a big reality check when no other club picks him up as their starting fullback. He is currently reserve grade standard at best, if you can't see that take your Rose coloured glasses off

I can see why you've only posted 158 times in three years if that's the quality of your contribution Eastview.

 

[BLM01]

So there it is for all to see in black and white. Widdop to fullback and Norman to five-eighth and Hunt as happy as Larry; finally a halves combination with a game manager who has very good kicking and passing skills and a halfback who loves to run and seize opportunities as they arise.

Widdop is our bonus for 2019; he could have depated prior to 2019 if he wanted. From fullback he can advise fellow team mates of threats and opportunities and of course be will be devastating in attack and solid in defence. Widdop performs well under the high ball and has very good positional sense in attack and defence.

With Widdop, Norman and Hunt of the field ast the same time, the Dragons will be the envy of the competition. The next step will be to select Lomax at right centre and our two new big speedy wingers in the team. I feel their first grade inexperience would be more than off-set by their speed and enthusiasm.

Yes Dufty has some work to do and if he applies himself to improvement in 2019, he could be our long term fullback however, if he spits the dummy and continues to battle with Dragons officials over salary and selection, he may very well find himself looking for opportunities with another club. I say that this would be a shame because with a little imporvment in his skill-set and an attitude to show he is up for the job, he could very well turn into being one of the Dragon's fans favourite players.

Possm..tell me. Those speedy wingers you talk about.
Why should they be selected in the 17 in front of Dufty.
Can you at least wait until after the trials. For me they have done zip in the past few years to warrant automatic 1st grade selection.
You are too quick to write Dufty into ISP. I did not see you call for that before halfway last season. I know he needs work but he may surprise you in the trials.
Least Dufty as earned his spot and excelled for the most part of last year in 1st grade which is more I can say than those 2 import reggies wingers. They may surprise me...but

 

[Belta]

Possum said;

“..tell me. Those speedy wingers you talk about.
Why should they be selected in the 17 in front of Dufty?...”

===========================================================

In my opinion Dufty is either fullback or ISP.

If Mary does elect to play Widdop at fullback then I can’t find a spot for Dufty. I’d say Dufty may end up being the second best fullback, however this could (and at some stage will) change if Dufty plays well in ISP and/or one of the halves or Widdop play poorly or is injured.

In my opinion “....those speedy wingers...” are genetically suited to play wing, unfortunately Dufty isn’t.

 

[Belta]

Sorry ignore last post. I was replying to BLM01 not Possum. (Reminder to self, don’t post after night shift)

 

[possm]

Possm..tell me. Those speedy wingers you talk about.
Why should they be selected in the 17 in front of Dufty.
Can you at least wait until after the trials. For me they have done zip in the past few years to warrant automatic 1st grade selection.
You are too quick to write Dufty into ISP. I did not see you call for that before halfway last season. I know he needs work but he may surprise you in the trials.
Least Dufty as earned his spot and excelled for the most part of last year in 1st grade which is more I can say than those 2 import reggies wingers. They may surprise me...but

I honestly like Dufty as a Dragons junior very much. I was calling for his inclusion in first grade in the last months of Dugan's term with us and preferred him over Nightingale at the time.

But loyalty is not a sound criteria for selection in first grade - we have seen that unfold with the Aitken experiment. My idea of loyalty would be to assist players be the best they can - hopefully first grade standard - while in the junior ranks and at ISP level. The coach needs to be able to sit Dufty down, go through videos with him and explain that he needs to work on certain parts of his game in order to have good all round first grade skills.

Dufty is an exciting speedster and his inclusion in first grade would only be a plus if he upped his skills in defence and gained the confidence to put his body on the line when taking the high ball and bringing the ball back from within our red zone.

So it is for Dufty to decide, does he want to do the work in ISP and thus become the best fullback he can be or does he want to lock heads with the Club and so eventually move on?

Pearson and Ravalawa are taller and much heavier than Dufty without being that much slower. They are an example of being the modern day winger.

At the end of 2018, the Club let go Macdonald and lost Nightingale through retirement. Dragon's recruitment purchased a number of outside backs including the two players mentioned above. At the time these two players were spoken highly of by Millward while others were spoken of as depth players. In my opinion the above two wingers were recruited to play in first grade - of course on the proviso that they showed skills of a first grade standard.

We also have Pereira in the mix and to a lessor extent Maranta. So a good healthy competition for the wing spots. My preference just happens to be Pearson and Ravalawa because of size and speed.

With regards to Dufty as a winger, the same problems he faced at fullback would be there and even more apparent. He would have to take the high ball and not be rag-dolled into touch or back behind the try line. He would have to be able to tackle some big wingers one on one. On the plus side, his elusiveness and speed would be a plus out wide, it would only be size and confidence that would let him down.

 

[DragonJ]

Possum said;

“..tell me. Those speedy wingers you talk about.
Why should they be selected in the 17 in front of Dufty?...”

===========================================================

In my opinion Dufty is either fullback or ISP.

If Mary does elect to play Widdop at fullback then I can’t find a spot for Dufty. I’d say Dufty may end up being the second best fullback, however this could (and at some stage will) change if Dufty plays well in ISP and/or one of the halves or Widdop play poorly or is injured.

In my opinion “....those speedy wingers...” are genetically suited to play wing, unfortunately Dufty isn’t.

possm is one of my favorite posters but he has dropped the ball here. No way Dufty can play on the wing. Unless he has ball skills no one knows about allowing him to play halfback, his only position is fullback.

 

[DragonJ]

Sorry ignore last post. I was replying to BLM01 not Possum. (Reminder to self, don’t post after night shift)

Too late. Ok, possm didn't drop the ball.

 

[BLM01]

Possum said;

“..tell me. Those speedy wingers you talk about.
Why should they be selected in the 17 in front of Dufty?...”

===========================================================

In my opinion Dufty is either fullback or ISP.

If Mary does elect to play Widdop at fullback then I can’t find a spot for Dufty. I’d say Dufty may end up being the second best fullback, however this could (and at some stage will) change if Dufty plays well in ISP and/or one of the halves or Widdop play poorly or is injured.

In my opinion “....those speedy wingers...” are genetically suited to play wing, unfortunately Dufty isn’t.

Agree.re Dufty's position..but genetically suited is not enough to guarantee you a 1st grade spot either.

Take Dufty playing wing out of the conversation cause it wont and should not happen and he may go to ISP if fullback is his only spot..thats life.
This is not about the wing so much. It is about wishing for unproven reserve grade people to hopefully step up and push someone back to ISP who may of fact improved over the off season and for the large portion of last year was 1st grade standard.
And I include Periera in the conversation for his part he played..what has he done wrong.

I dont get the throw the 2 imports in the 17 because we perceive they have got blistering 1st grade speed. Have they really against...tried and proven 1st graders?. What else do they have?

Possm..says size and speed.
Well I wait with baited breath to say how or this unfolds this year
Of course I am a Dufty fan but also a realist and if Widdop is a better fullback.for 2019....Ok ISP if that is where he wants to play cause you cant have 2...but still I think Mary will start with Lomax & Periera on the wings, Aitken & Laf in the centres if Widdop 1.
Not my preferred option but as I have said before they have painted themselves into a corner with recruitment re the flanks. If all these reserve graders (i.e. Rav, Jonus, Maranta & Charly) dont work out which is a big possibility to 1st grade standard he will have to go that way. Boy we beter hope for someone to step up..If injury strikes out in the backs we are stooffed.

 

[possm]

possm is one of my favorite posters but he has dropped the ball here. No way Dufty can play on the wing. Unless he has ball skills no one knows about allowing him to play halfback, his only position is fullback.

You'll notice that all my posts are written in blue text. I don't know where Belta got that quote from but I'm certain it was not from me.

I have always be on about Pearson and Ravalawa being included in the 17 as our wingers. I have also made the casy why Dufty should not be selected as a winger in first grade.

 

[Eastview]

I can see why you've only posted 158 times in three years if that's the quality of your contribution Eastview.

Alright, I'll bite. Why does it matter how many times I've posted? Give me a list of clubs that Dufty would start as their first grade fullback.

 

[Brutalitops]

Alright, I'll bite. Why does it matter how many times I've posted? Give me a list of clubs that Dufty would start as their first grade fullback.

Considering players that are off contract and aging: Titans, Raiders, Eels, Tigers and possibly Bulldogs too. One could argue he beats Darius Boyd at Brisbane right now too but he's no guarantee to beat Isaako

 

[muzby]

You'll notice that all my posts are written in blue text.

Blue?

I’d better go get my eyes checked...

 

[Eastview]

Considering players that are off contract and aging: Titans, Raiders, Eels, Tigers and possibly Bulldogs too. One could argue he beats Darius Boyd at Brisbane right now too but he's no guarantee to beat Isaako

Out of that list only the Bulldogs may be interested if they don't plan on playing Hoppa at the back - if they do then there is no sport for Dufty.

 

[Brutalitops]

Out of that list only the Bulldogs may be interested if they don't plan on playing Hoppa at the back - if they do then there is no sport for Dufty.

Currently Tigers are playing Corey Thompson at the back, a winger at best

Titans have Michael Gordon who will retire, and have indicated AJ Brimson is a half, leaving a back spot to fill soon

Eels lost two of their best fullback options in one go, leaving Bevan French, who is just a worse Dufty. Eels are probably the most likely of the lot.

Duffy might not have locked down 1 at our club, nor would be walk up to most clubs, but it's really stretching the narrative to deny he might attract interest.

Hell if Connor Watson fails at fullback, add Knights to the list. They want Ponga at 5, and beyond Watson, their fb depth is Nathan Ross