Aitken Re-signs with dragons for 3 years

[emu62]

/http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3392096/kurt-the-mann-for-dragons-in-2016/


I believe he was signed for his versatility

 

[watatank]

There was no clear plan for mann so if he doesnt end up in the halves there will still be no plan. he will probably be a backup for 1-7 and leave at the end of the season

 

[Old Timer]

Mann played LC at the Storm so how do people figure he was recruited as a FB?
After the deal was done to get Mann as LC because we didn't have one, Dugan was shifted to RC for rep football.
As a result of Dugan being moved to RC for rep football Mc Fookknuckle then decided to have Mann moved to FB so Dugan could play RC permanently at club level but abandoned the plan after 2 rounds.
If the idea was to have Mann as a FB when he was recruited he would have played there in the Cutters after being dropped but that obviously didn't happen.
Whilst this was all happening we picked up Lafai as well to confuse the matter even further and of course he persisted with Lafai longer at LC than he did with mann at FB.
Mann was purchased as a LC and should have played there from the day he arrived and especially after Lafai was dropped but just as Benji was a 5/8 and never a half Mc Fookknuckle continued to f**k that up as well.
Mann's versatility is only evident as a result of him not being picked as a LC to begin with.
Now some are saying because he is a utility player and he is expendable.
FFS he is a LC who happens to be able to play other positions and may in fact be better in the halves but that doesn't detract from him being a quality LC and better than Lafai.
Neither Aitken, Milne or Dugan are natural LC's.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Mann played LC at the Storm so how do people figure he was recruited as a FB?
After the deal was done to get Mann as LC because we didn't have one, Dugan was shifted to RC for rep football.
As a result of Dugan being moved to RC for rep football Mc Fookknuckle then decided to have Mann moved to FB so Dugan could play RC permanently at club level but abandoned the plan after 2 rounds.
If the idea was to have Mann as a FB when he was recruited he would have played there in the Cutters after being dropped but that obviously didn't happen.
Whilst this was all happening we picked up Lafai as well to confuse the matter even further and of course he persisted with Lafai longer at LC than he did with mann at FB.
Mann was purchased as a LC and should have played there from the day he arrived and especially after Lafai was dropped but just as Benji was a 5/8 and never a half Mc Fookknuckle continued to f**k that up as well.
Mann's versatility is only evident as a result of him not being picked as a LC to begin with.
Now some are saying because he is a utility player and he is expendable.
FFS he is a LC who happens to be able to play other positions and may in fact be better in the halves but that doesn't detract from him being a quality LC and better than Lafai.
Neither Aitken, Milne or Dugan are natural LC's.

He played fullback and 5/8 for the Storm under 20s and Qld under 20s. Played 5/8 for the Sunny coast. He debuted in 1st grade or the Storm at fullback. I think you'll find he was only a left centre at the Storm due to necessity and Mulholland has been quoted by someone on JA a while ago as saying he was recruited for the halves.

 

[Old Timer]

He played fullback and 5/8 for the Storm under 20s and Qld under 20s. Played 5/8 for the Sunny coast. He debuted in 1st grade or the Storm at fullback. I think you'll find he was only a left centre at the Storm due to necessity and Mulholland has been quoted by someone on JA a while ago as saying he was recruited for the halves.

We already had 2 internationals in the halves plus a seasoned 1st grader in Mc Crone.
Understand the history of Mann but he was playing and excelling at LC in the NRL when we announced his signing and at that time we didn't have a LC moving forward.
If he was purchased as a half surely with as bad as Widdop and Marshall and subsequently Mc Crone were all going, Mann would have trialled in the halves in the Cutters and got a shot at some stage in 1st grade.
He didn't go anywhere near the halves until this years 9's and last weeks trial.
So somehow we purchased a player for the halves, played him FB, LC, LW for an entire year in 1st grade and reggies when we had close to, if not the poorest halves combination in the competition.
I know anything is possible especially in our club but I do have trouble with that analysis.

 

[BrissyRedV]

We already had 2 internationals in the halves plus a seasoned 1st grader in Mc Crone.
Understand the history of Mann but he was playing and excelling at LC in the NRL when we announced his signing and at that time we didn't have a LC moving forward.
If he was purchased as a half surely with as bad as Widdop and Marshall and subsequently Mc Crone were all going, Mann would have trialled in the halves in the Cutters and got a shot at some stage in 1st grade.
He didn't go anywhere near the halves until this years 9's and last weeks trial.
So somehow we purchased a player for the halves, played him FB, LC, LW for an entire year in 1st grade and reggies when we had close to, if not the poorest halves combination in the competition.
I know anything is possible especially in our club but I do have trouble with that analysis.

You're trying to rationalize Mary's team selections. That is not possible for someone with a sane mind.

 

[Dragonsteve2]

We already had 2 internationals in the halves plus a seasoned 1st grader in Mc Crone.
Understand the history of Mann but he was playing and excelling at LC in the NRL when we announced his signing and at that time we didn't have a LC moving forward.
If he was purchased as a half surely with as bad as Widdop and Marshall and subsequently Mc Crone were all going, Mann would have trialled in the halves in the Cutters and got a shot at some stage in 1st grade.
He didn't go anywhere near the halves until this years 9's and last weeks trial.
So somehow we purchased a player for the halves, played him FB, LC, LW for an entire year in 1st grade and reggies when we had close to, if not the poorest halves combination in the competition.
I know anything is possible especially in our club but I do have trouble with that analysis.

OT, my memory is that Mann was signed very early in the 2015 season so we didn't yet have McCrone. I remember the post on the forum quoting Mulholland saying Mann was signed for the halves and that he was surprised that Mary had first put him at fullback.The poster had bumped into M'land mid 2016 when he had been at the Raiders for some time, about 8 months after leaving the Dragons. I was very puzzled by this story at that time, just as you are now.

 

[Old Timer]

OT, my memory is that Mann was signed very early in the 2015 season so we didn't yet have McCrone. I remember the post on the forum quoting Mulholland saying Mann was signed for the halves and that he was surprised that Mary had first put him at fullback.The poster had bumped into M'land mid 2016 when he had been at the Raiders for some time, about 8 months after leaving the Dragons. I was very puzzled by this story at that time, just as you are now.

The position may have changed later but this article indicates to me centre was the original intention and whilst it doesn't rule out other positions FB, halves and wing don't get any mention.

MANN REVEALS WHY HE JOINED THE DRAGONS
By Rocco Luca
October 11, 2015

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COMING off his best season to date Kurt Mann will enter 2016 with the pressure of being one of the Dragons’ highest profile recruits. But the kid from Longreach isn’t too worried.

With family by his side who have followed him to Newcastle, onto Melbourne and will now have to travel to Wollongong when he joins St George Illawarra next year, Mann is confident he can be a hit in the Red V.

Having cut his teeth under mastercoach Craig Bellamy, Mann reveals the opportunity to play under former Kangaroos centre Paul McGregor as one too good to refuse.

“The Dragons sort of approached me at the start of the year because they knew I was coming off contract. Eventually I had to make a decision and I made the decision that was best for me. I’m heading to Wollongong,” Mann tells RLW.

“There wasn’t really a lot of factors – just the opportunity to play at a new club. The Dragons, they’re really going forward with what they’re doing. They’ve played some really good footy . . . coached by a centre, ‘Mary’ (Paul McGregor).

“He looks like he knows his stuff. He’ll really help my game, especially if I’m playing in the centres.”

The 22-year-old finished the 2015 season on a high scoring three tries in his last three matches including a sensational double against the Broncos in the final round of the season.

But when asked whether he will find a home in Sydney or take up residence on the south coast, the versatile back certainly didn’t mince his words.

“I’m definitely going to live in Wollongong. Sydney’s too big for me!” the affable youngster admits.

“I’m from Longreach, there’s about 2000 people there.”

 

[dragonssamy61]

You're trying to rationalize Mary's team selections. That is not possible for someone with a sane mind.

BrissyRedV
I think mary just spins around blindfolded a sticks a pin in a football program, and then goes thats were I'll play mann this week.

 

[since77]

Mann played LC at the Storm so how do people figure he was recruited as a FB?

He was playing centre due to his "versatility". Melbourne had Cronk, Green and Slater already playing in the positions Mann would normally fill. If Mann had stayed at the Storm he'd be playing outside Cronk at 6 this year.


Also, from a 2015 article:

The Winton product from central west Queensland was initially signed to the Knights by current Dragons recruitment manager Peter Mulholland.

He’s played 28 first grade games since joining Melbourne in 2014, 20 of them this season.

Mulholland said the 22-year-old will bring some valuable versatility to the Dragons back line.

“Kurt Mann’s gone beyond expectation playing in the centres [for Melbourne],” Mulholland said

“It’s his first voyage into the centres because growing up and when I had him as kid at Newcastle he was a five-eighth-fullback.

‘‘He gives us a versatility that you need in any squad.

‘‘He can play in the centres for us, if Duges is injured he can play fullback, if Gareth Widdop gets injured he can play five-eighth quite easily.”



Mc Gregor obviously didn't read this....

 

[Hills Dragon]

Why Mann? If he can play halves well, that would be great. If not, NSW Cup player. haven't seen enough of Milne yet either.

Mann is an outstanding player who hasn't been properly utilised yet by a very poor coach. He was a fantastic signing, and McGregor should have persisted with him at fullback, or at the very least given him a good run in the centres. If he had persisted with him at fullback, last season might have been a bit better. It shows the quality of the coach that we manage to recruit an outstanding player from a very strong club, give him two games at fullback, then shift him to NSW Cup. Despite all that, he was the top try-scorer in a team that struggled badly to score tries. From what we've seen of Mann in the pre-season, I'd give him first crack at halfback for a few games, and make it clear to him that he's got a few games to prove himself. If the experiment fails, I'd bring in Jai Field for the next experiment.

McGregor persisted with Lafai in the centres for a painfully long time, despite him doing nothing, but punted Mann to the cutters after two games at fullback. I wouldn't let McGregor coach my 8 year old's soccer team.

 

[Old Timer]

77
No doubt he is versatile and that had something to do with his signing but the above article highlights that he would only play other positions if called upon due to injury to those players namely Dugan and Widdop.
If those players were not injured where would Mann, play especially since he was heralded as the marquis signing for 2016?
According to some people in here, in the Cutters evidently waiting for an injury to a first grader.
Laughable logic.

 

[Smack]

Mann reveals the opportunity to play under former Kangaroos centre Paul McGregor as one too good to refuse.

HAHA!

 

[Old Timer]

Mann reveals the opportunity to play under former Kangaroos centre Paul McGregor as one too good to refuse.

HAHA!

Welcome to the madhouse Smack.
Evidently Mary knew more about LW than centre so he put Mann there for 2016.

 

[Walpole]

Mann is an excellent player who who should be among the first picked in our backline. Bellamy (who I'm sure most will agree is a slightly better judge than McGregor) saw him as an NRL centre yet we somehow had him playing on the wing in reserve grade. I'd like to see him given a crack at 5/8 but he bloody well has to be there somewhere and preferably closer to the action than the wing.

As for Aitken, I'm glad to see him stay. Keeping our juniors is the way to build the club going forward. A quality halfback in Ben Hunt surrounded by the likes of young guns Field, Dufty, Mann, Milne, Aitken etc is plenty of cause for optimism. A coach who get them playing at their best will be the last piece of the puzzle.

 

[possm]

I am sure Mann could have made a better impression at fullback if our head coach had done is job properly in the off-season. Surely Mann should have been watched very closely and any deficiencies should have been attended to.

If I remember right, Mann had problems with receiving kicks and returning the ball under pressure. Surely one day a week training to rectify such problems would have taken care of this issue. My guess is that Mary did not even notice this issue until it all went wrong in an NRL game.

 

[Old Timer]

But don't forget we had Quinlan as the back up FB so we had all the bases covered remember?
Same deal as Aitken starting in the Cutters last year absolutely ridiculous.
Just can't wait to see the Rd 1 team hopefully it will truly reflect some real change and above all rational section policy.
If not this place will go into meltdown and then it will be interesting to see what the "patiently waiting" members might say.
Anyway hopefully we get something positive and an enjoyable style of footy and am more than happy to eat crow if we really succeed.

 

[since77]

77
No doubt he is versatile and that had something to do with his signing but the above article highlights that he would only play other positions if called upon due to injury to those players namely Dugan and Widdop.

I would say in hindsight that the article highlights how he has been grossly misused by an incompetent coach.

 

[Glenn01]

I am sure Mann could have made a better impression at fullback if our head coach had done is job properly in the off-season. Surely Mann should have been watched very closely and any deficiencies should have been attended to.

If I remember right, Mann had problems with receiving kicks and returning the ball under pressure. Surely one day a week training to rectify such problems would have taken care of this issue. My guess is that Mary did not even notice this issue until it all went wrong in an NRL game.

I can't understand this thinking at all. At fullback he looked like a downgrade on Gerald Beale. The fact is that Mann simply isn't that good a player. He is okay in a number of positions but not more than an average first grader at best. Based on the 9s I am cautiously optimistic he can provide at least a decent stop-gap measure until Field and Hunt take over but I believe this is his last chance. If he can't make it in the halves I very much doubt he will be with the club next season because he won't get an offer. He will likely be in the ESL.

If Duges leaves and he isn't on much money, he may be kept as a depth player but otherwise Duges, Milne, Aitken and a host of good young outside backs coming through means there won't be room for Mann if he can't make it in the halves.

 

[SBD82]

I can't understand this thinking at all. At fullback he looked like a downgrade on Gerald Beale. The fact is that Mann simply isn't that good a player. He is okay in a number of positions but not more than an average first grader at best. Based on the 9s I am cautiously optimistic he can provide at least a decent stop-gap measure until Field and Hunt take over but I believe this is his last chance. If he can't make it in the halves I very much doubt he will be with the club next season because he won't get an offer. He will likely be in the ESL.

If Duges leaves and he isn't on much money, he may be kept as a depth player but otherwise Duges, Milne, Aitken and a host of good young outside backs coming through means there won't be room for Mann if he can't make it in the halves.

You really do have an unchanging modus operandi vas.

Mann is a player who will be successful anywhere in the back line if coached correctly.

Repeating the same unfounded line over and over will not change that, all it will achieve is victory via attrition.