And finally ... the penny drops

[Jobdog]

Mullen finds a home in pivotal role for Knights

BY ROBERT DILLON
02 Apr, 2012 04:00 AM

IT has taken just two games for Knights coach Wayne Bennett to settle on Jarrod Mullen as his five-eighth.

Having rotated regularly between halfback and pivot since his NRL debut in 2005, Mullen appears set to wear the No.6 jersey permanently, allowing skipper Kurt Gidley to assume the first-receiver duties.

Mullen started the year at halfback but Bennett moved him wider of the ruck in the 20-6 win against Canterbury on March 25, in which he scored a try and collected a host of man-of-the-match awards.

The 24-year-old followed that with another classy display in Friday night’s 34-22 loss to Melbourne, scoring a try and creating two for winger James McManus with pinpoint cross-field kicks.

‘‘I thought Jarrod Mullen was very good,’’ Bennett said.

‘‘He put in a couple of kicks for tries, he penetrated them, worried them all night.

‘‘He scored a great running try ... I don’t think there’s much doubt Mullen has proven to us five-eighth is his position. He was good last week and he was good [against Melbourne].’’

Bennett was equally delighted with the contributions of James McManus, whose form this season has matched that of his more celebrated wing partner, Akuila Uate.

‘‘He was among a host of guys I thought played really well for us,’’ Bennett said.

‘‘He was tremendous.’’

McManus’s two tries gave him four for the season, the most by any Knight.

He carried the ball 109 metres in attack and made four tackles without any lapses.

Like Mullen, McManus is a one-game Origin wonder.

Mullen’s lone interstate appearance was in game one in 2007.

McManus played in the 2009 series opener.

Both players were injured soon after their NSW debuts and have not been required since.

That situation could change soon.

At the least, both appear to be strong contenders for the Country Origin team to play City in Mudgee on April 22.

Though Bennett was happy to tout veteran hooker Danny Buderus as an Origin chance last week, he did not want to speculate on behalf of Mullen and McManus.

‘‘I don’t want to talk about Origin tonight,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a little bit further down the track.’’

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It's not like the vast majority of us have been saying this for what? Four or five years ...

 

[Yosh]

Indeed. We should all take up coaching roles in the nrl!

Personally, i'm just glad mullo is playing well.

 

[Rolla]

How no coach has noticed this until now, yet every spectator has, is one of life's great mysteries.

And thanks for deflecting the Mullen/origin stuff Wayne. I'm starting to get used to him playing well

 

[Jono078]

Damn..

Thank f**k we have Parra this weekend!

 

[Mr Angry]

So does that make Kidley the halfback now?

 

[perverse]

um, didn't the penny drop 2 weeks ago? Bennett definitely made it clear after the Dogs game that Mullo was a 5/8.

as i said then, it's a real testament to Waynes coaching ability that he has sussed this out so early. he would have had everyone at the club telling him Mullos a halfback, he would have had a history of Mullo playing halfback in his face... he doesn't know Mullo as a junior/young footballer like we do... yet in under a month, Wayne worked it out. that's class.

having said that, Bennett likes his "superstar" half to be his 5/8th, at least in recent history. there's a good chance he honestly believed that player was going to be Gidley, until he saw what actually unfolds when you give Gids that responsibility. he may well be surprised at how much latent talent there is bubbling under the surface with Mullen. onward and upward for Mullo, i don't see much stopping him now.

 

[God-King Dean]

I thought this thread was gonna be about George Carmont's return to Newcastle.

 

[Yosh]

If anything, we need a good half to help Mullen do his thing. Watching the storm 5/8th (name evades me... duffy? or is that the winger?) I realized he only had to chime in when he was needed. Cronk and Smith directed the team around the park and allowed the 5/8th to play his game; Run and put in some kicks. Dead set, if we had Hornby, Mullen would be so much more effective!!

 

[Seage]

This is all good and well until someone gets injured, he gets moved to halfback and then the Herald releases another think-piece saying halfback is his natural position and he enjoys getting his hands on the ball more.

Less stories, more just shutting up and playing where you're told.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Due to Rick Stone being the assistant coach, I wonder if Bennett has pulled him aside and asked why he considered Mullen a halfback for so long.

A lot of people on this forum could see Mullen plays the game like a 5/8 rather than a number 7. It wouldn't surprise me if his playing halfback has had an impact on his overall standard of play over the last 5 years. His attributes are his running game and chiming in when he sees a possibility unfolding. His strengths have not been his organisation and ability to control the game.

Is there any wonder he looks stressed out on the field as he's required to play in a position that is unnatural to him?

 

[perverse]

it's pretty obvious why our coaches in the past have wanted Mullen to be a halfback so badly. we needed one... we were hopeless and no chance of luring another first grade quality half here. none were coming through the production line. Gidley was our fullback.

 

[Yosh]

Maybe since Joey was a halfback and Mullo was the next Joey?

 

[Rolla]

it's pretty obvious why our coaches in the past have wanted Mullen to be a halfback so badly. we needed one... we were hopeless and no chance of luring another first grade quality half here. none were coming through the production line. Gidley was our fullback.

Yep. I think it was more a case of get the ball to our best player as much as possible. When you only have one half he has no choice but to try to do everything

 

[Burwood]

it's pretty obvious why our coaches in the past have wanted Mullen to be a halfback so badly. we needed one... we were hopeless and no chance of luring another first grade quality half here. none were coming through the production line. Gidley was our fullback.

This is the only explanation that needs considering. When we had Dureau/Walsh coming through they were halfback and Mullen 5/8. When those two were injured or had left the club who else did we have to steer the team around?

Mullen would have spent the majority of his time at halfback out of necessity. Now we have Gidley (/shudders/) Roberts and Stig (although he is more of a 5/8 as well by the looks of him??) who are more than capable of filling in at halfback in first grade without having to shift Mullen from his preferred position.

 

[Johns Magic]

If Dureau wasn't so pathetic Mullen would have had a long and fruitful career in the 6 jersey by now.

Unfortunately, Dureau just never had the ticker.

 

[Haffa]

If Dureau wasn't so pathetic Mullen would have had a long and fruitful career in the 6 jersey by now.

Unfortunately, Dureau just never had the ticker.

Got to wonder how we'd have faired if we'd have kept Walsh and shipped off Scotty. Walsh is no Johns but he's certainly found his niche at penrith.

 

[perverse]

Got to wonder how we'd have faired if we'd have kept Walsh and shipped off Scotty. Walsh is no Johns but he's certainly found his niche at penrith.

that is an absolute myth. ask any panthers fan how they feel about Walsh. they can't wait for an alternative.

 

[Big Tim]

that is an absolute myth. ask any panthers fan how they feel about Walsh. they can't wait for an alternative.

Beyond that Walsh qualified for the 2006 Flegg final by playing about 2 minutes of "football" in the back half of the season.

We cut him loose because he couldnt get on the field. Right or wrong is hindsight. At the time he wasnt worth the roster spot.

 

[Joker's Wild]

We cut him lose because he couldnt bloody tackle either.

We would have faired no better with Walsh in the #7 jersey and Panthers fans realised quickly just how 1 dimentional he is. I piss myself when anyone mentions him as a NSW Origin possability. He is light years from a Blues jersey

 

[The Showstopper]

Mullo looks like a totally reborn footballer in the 6. He is in superb form as a ball runner.