2020 season

[herbert henry1908]

I'm saying he is capable which is demonstrably true. I just showed it. Why he hasn't been showing it more often is a guess. My guess is we are a poorly coached team and he goes into his shell when a more dominant player is in the team. The amount of touches is irrelevant. People behave differently when a more dominant personality is in the room. Based on Nathan's more quiet personality I would bet he feels it easily when someone like Maloney comes along. All a guess though.

The problem is he’d need to overhaul his whole style. He pays a robotic, methodical game. Not free wheeling. Occasionally in amongst that he gets a player through a gap, but the style he plays holds him back in attack.

On the plus side you’ll never get many bad games, but his style seriously restricts his attacking game. I just don’t think he has it in him. In fact he’s talked about this, said that he’s never been one to create many try assists.

 

[OldPanther]

The problem is he’d need to overhaul his whole style. He pays a robotic, methodical game. Not free wheeling. Occasionally in amongst that he gets a player through a gap, but the style he plays holds him back in attack.

On the plus side you’ll never get many bad games, but his style seriously restricts his attacking game. I just don’t think he has it in him. In fact he’s talked about this, said that he’s never been one to create many try assists.

I'm not saying he's going to become JT or anything. I do see him being better than this year though. There's an in between I'm imagining.

 

[Dave's mate]

People are saying that. There’s several comments in the previous two pages that he’ll be better without Maloney.

The whole side will be. The defensive load he puts on to players around him alone is massive

 

[herbert henry1908]

I'm not saying he's going to become JT or anything. I do see him being better than this year though. There's an in between I'm imagining.

Problem is he’s getting paid top dollar, but he plays like an upper mid level half.

We need close to 20 try assists from our highest paid half.

 

[OldPanther]

Problem is he’s getting paid top dollar, but he plays like an upper mid level half.

We need close to 20 try assists from our highest paid half.

He's not highest paid until Maloney leaves. Also his pay shouldn't factor. Clubs are paying young players more than they should for a variety of factors which I don't like.

 

[herbert henry1908]

He's not highest paid until Maloney leaves. Also his pay shouldn't factor. Clubs are paying young players more than they should for a variety of factors which I don't like.

Do you honestly think he’s capable of producing around 20 try assists next year? That’s the benchmark for a good half.

Twelve halves this year have produced 17 try assists or better.

Even Kieran Foran, a completely broken man, has 4 more try assists than Nathan Cleary this year.



What we have is a defensive, steady halfback who’s a great goal kicker. No shame in that, but a match winner he ain’t.

 

[OldPanther]

Do you honestly think he’s capable of producing around 20 try assists next year? That’s the benchmark for a good half.

Twelve halves this year have produced 17 try assists or better.

Even Kieran Foran, a completely broken man, has 4 more try assists than Nathan Cleary this year.



What we have is a defensive, steady halfback who’s a great goal kicker. No shame in that, but a match winner he ain’t.

Yet as soon as Maloney wasn't there had a try and try assist. I don't know if we'll get that many but we will definitely get more. To me he looks like he needs to own the team and he doesn't unless Luai or Burton are with him.

 

[Dave's mate]

Do you honestly think he’s capable of producing around 20 try assists next year? That’s the benchmark for a good half.

Twelve halves this year have produced 17 try assists or better.

Even Kieran Foran, a completely broken man, has 4 more try assists than Nathan Cleary this year.



What we have is a defensive, steady halfback who’s a great goal kicker. No shame in that, but a match winner he ain’t.

Also puts in like no one else and is highly coachable.......f**k Ivan is the coach

 

[herbert henry1908]

Yet as soon as Maloney wasn't there had a try and try assist. I don't know if we'll get that many but we will definitely get more. To me he looks like he needs to own the team and he doesn't unless Luai or Burton are with him.

He had try assists in games where Maloney played.

He only had 10 try assists in his best ever season.

It’s not his game.

 

[franklin2323]

If Clearly’s attacking play doesn’t improve without Maloney, what then?

I mean it’ll be his fifth season, he will have played over 100 games by the end of next season. Pretty sure we’re very close to the point where what you see is what you get. I think we may have passed it personally.

genuinely think it’s false hope to think he’s all of a sudden going to have game vision without Maloney.

I posted earlier. 4 seasons all consistently 8-10 Try assists a decent enough sample size

 

[franklin2323]

Also puts in like no one else and is highly coachable.......f**k Ivan is the coach

If I am coach and I want a half to follow the game plan he is the 1st player I pick... Problem is Ivan doesn't do game plans

 

[OldPanther]

I posted earlier. 4 seasons all consistently 8-10 Try assists a decent enough sample size

Never as the dominant half.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Never as the dominant half.

What do you consider a dominant half?

 

[Pomoz]

You stick to your guns OP, I'll give you that. He has had plenty games and receipts of the ball to show what he is made of. He has also had a forward pack giving him plenty of field position. We are all hoping he can move to the next level and be the creative force we need and if Maloney leaving does that, well that's great.

All this talk of of Maloney not putting in while he was here is rubbish. He needed spinal surgery last year and continued to play whilst in agony. Sure, he misses tackles but he also throws himself at the biggest blokes on the field, gets trampled on and gets back up and goes again. If only RCG had his ticker he might be a better player.

We didn't fail because of lack of effort by Maloney this year, or anybody else for that matter, we failed because we are a poorly coached, unfit, dumb ass football team.

We have been poorly coached from the ME era and onwards. Under ME a bomb from Walsh was our main attack. The only difference in all that time has been intensity and fitness, which reached its peak under Hook. Sadly, in a stunning act of incompetence, we decided to change the staff that had us fitter than a butchers dog. Our intensity and comeback ability went with them in the back of their ute.

 

[Fangs]

No one is saying that but yes 2020 is the make or break year for Nathan.

In more ways than one. I think his rep career is on the line too.

That is unless he finds a different position in the future.

 

[Kilkenny]

While ever his dad his head coach Nathan Cleary’s position as our half is never going to be under threat and he certainly isn’t going to be moved to dummy half so we just have to accept this.

To be honest I have no idea how Nathan is going to fare in 2020 but it is clear the overall fortunes of the team are going to fall on his shoulders and like many I’m just not sure he is up to it.

We will have a better idea of how we may be looking going into 2020 once our new recruits are confirmed but I can’t help feeling we are not in great shape and I’m normally a pretty optimistic fan.

 

[OldPanther]

You stick to your guns OP, I'll give you that. He has had plenty games and receipts of the ball to show what he is made of. He has also had a forward pack giving him plenty of field position. We are all hoping he can move to the next level and be the creative force we need and if Maloney leaving does that, well that's great.

All this talk of of Maloney not putting in while he was here is rubbish. He needed spinal surgery last year and continued to play whilst in agony. Sure, he misses tackles but he also throws himself at the biggest blokes on the field, gets trampled on and gets back up and goes again. If only RCG had his ticker he might be a better player.

We didn't fail because of lack of effort by Maloney this year, or anybody else for that matter, we failed because we are a poorly coached, unfit, dumb ass football team.

We have been poorly coached from the ME era and onwards. Under ME a bomb from Walsh was our main attack. The only difference in all that time has been intensity and fitness, which reached its peak under Hook. Sadly, in a stunning act of incompetence, we decided to change the staff that had us fitter than a butchers dog. Our intensity and comeback ability went with them in the back of their ute.

The fact is in 5 minutes with minimal effort I found examples of Cleary doing what the people here said he's incapable of. Then the argument shifted and made me chase those goal posts for a while.

If Maloney needed surgery he shouldn't have played. That's not tough that's getting in the way.

 

[herbert henry1908]

The problem with the theory of Cleary playing as a dominant half is Ivan likes to play up the centre of the field with a half on either side. Nathan will very likely still be just the right side half mostly, I don’t expect his role to change much at all.

 

[franklin2323]

While ever his dad his head coach Nathan Cleary’s position as our half is never going to be under threat and he certainly isn’t going to be moved to dummy half so we just have to accept this.

To be honest I have no idea how Nathan is going to fare in 2020 but it is clear the overall fortunes of the team are going to fall on his shoulders and like many I’m just not sure he is up to it.

We will have a better idea of how we may be looking going into 2020 once our new recruits are confirmed but I can’t help feeling we are not in great shape and I’m normally a pretty optimistic fan.

I am more confident going into next year then I was going into this year... Whether that continues after we sign more players will comedown to the quality of the players

 

[Panther FIRE]

You stick to your guns OP, I'll give you that. He has had plenty games and receipts of the ball to show what he is made of. He has also had a forward pack giving him plenty of field position. We are all hoping he can move to the next level and be the creative force we need and if Maloney leaving does that, well that's great.

All this talk of of Maloney not putting in while he was here is rubbish. He needed spinal surgery last year and continued to play whilst in agony. Sure, he misses tackles but he also throws himself at the biggest blokes on the field, gets trampled on and gets back up and goes again. If only RCG had his ticker he might be a better player.

We didn't fail because of lack of effort by Maloney this year, or anybody else for that matter, we failed because we are a poorly coached, unfit, dumb ass football team.

We have been poorly coached from the ME era and onwards. Under ME a bomb from Walsh was our main attack. The only difference in all that time has been intensity and fitness, which reached its peak under Hook. Sadly, in a stunning act of incompetence, we decided to change the staff that had us fitter than a butchers dog. Our intensity and comeback ability went with them in the back of their ute.

Yep. Hook wasn't a super coach by any means but we were fit, strong and intense. He did get four of our players into the Blues team. Those players don't even look close to that ability now. Agree that we needed to move on but we missed our opportunity to move up.

I saw Kent's article today. Don't think he's much of a journo but he has a point this time. I for one am certainly tired of 'building for the future' every year.

We should have spent all that money on bringing Richo back to run the club. : ) Ahhh, 2003. : )