Anthony Watts - at hooker, in the halves or keeping the bench warm?

[Talanexor]

Where does everyone see Neil Henry putting this kid in 2009. He was shunted around all over the field in 2008, before disappearing from first grade altogether in the latter part of the season.

I'm a big fan of Watts. To anyone who hasn't seen what he can do, watch the Cowboys vs Souths match when JT was out on origin duties. He set up one of the most spectacular tries I've ever seen.

He says he's a halfback who can also play hooker.

I think he's a fantastic hooker who, with a bit of familiarity and confidence, could also be a great halfback.

In 2009 we will have Burns and Nicolau both contending with Watts to partner JT in the halves. We also have Payne, Amos and Gatis competing for the hooker role.

Where should we put Watts? Does he even belong in first grade at all?

My thoughts:

Starting Hooker - ideally in the 80-minute Cam Smith mould, so we can stack the bench with forwards

Bench Hooker - able to provide mid-game impact off the bench, and to cover an injury in the halves (or even fullback)

Halfback - controversial. His style is better suited to an organising halfback than a running 5/8th - I think he would get in JT's way there. Switch JT to 5/8th, on the other hand, could work wonders

Either way, I think this kid is a genuine playmaker and an exciting talent. Re-signing him should be a priority.

 

[elyod138]

Not in the team at all or on the bench as replacement hooker.

He's not good enough for the halves (he has the skill but often makes dodgy decisions and makes a lot of mistakes because of the added pressure).

 

[Phillips]

Nicolau = titans

 

[EvolutionUber]

I'd like to give this a try for acouple of rounds:

1. Bowen
6. Watts
7. JT
9. Payne
14. Burns

Thurston and Watts can switch around and Burns is a tough defender who can cover hooker. Watts can also switch to full back in case of injury then its easy to say put Bowen at wing and tybo in the centres and such.

 

[beave]

i would rather see JT out wider with the 6 on his back and have Watts at 7..........his treatment by Millward this was as expected, that f#$kwit couldn't pick a team if his life depended on it. Graham at fullback was a prime example, he finally puts Henry in the fullback spot for a whole game, and f#$k me whadda ya know, we actually won a game.

 

[Shorty]

Watts is NOT a halfback.
Hopefully Henry will pursue a Burns/Thurston combination or bring a young boy in.

Watts is a hooker nothing else.

I think Watts belongs in first grade and when given the chance he excelled.
It Millward wasn't such a douche to him he would have improved.
I expect him to continue to improve next year and become a vital element in our strike force.

Bowen,Thurston,Watts will be the glue of 2009 which Payne and Webb to a lesser extent.

 

[thehattrickrabbit]

I would have Watts in a heartbeat over Burns.

I would play Watts at five-eighth and JT at Halfback. Watts is a good ball runner imo.

 

[Charlie124]

I would have Watts in a heartbeat over Burns.

I would play Watts at five-eighth and JT at Halfback. Watts is a good ball runner imo.

Agreed, Watts has the makings of an excellent halves partner for Thurston, he's creative enough without being dominant, given a good shot at it i think him and Thursty is our ideal halves combo. Burns has not shown an ounce of what we had hoped for when we signed him, he's ill disciplined (although i do remember some manly fans warning us about that), when given a good run he really hasn't delivered the goods in any way. Maybe Henry and Murphy can work with him in this area but id much rather see Watts have first shot at it.

1. Bowen
2. Williams
3. Graham
4. Tonga
5. Williams

6. Thurston/Burns
7. Burns/Thurston

9. Payne

14. Amos/Burns/Gatis (in this order)

 

[Shorty]

I think you mean Watts instead of Burns? LOL Cause that would contradict your argument...

LOL@Amos he's about as useful as Rovelli.

 

[Talanexor]

Can Burns really offer anything at hooker though? I'd like to give Watts a run in the halves for a while to see if he looks comfortable there. But not if it means we have no other options at hooker.

I honestly hope Neil Henry just puts him somewhere and KEEPS him there for most of the season.

 

[OPS]

i would rather see JT out wider with the 6 on his back and have Watts at 7..........his treatment by Millward this was as expected, that f#$kwit couldn't pick a team if his life depended on it. Graham at fullback was a prime example, he finally puts Henry in the fullback spot for a whole game, and f#$k me whadda ya know, we actually won a game.

Maybe Millward, like me, didnt enjoy Watts game,especially the part where he puts his knees into tryscorers heads.I saw him do it 3 times in 1 game against penrith or parra at Dairy Farmers this year.Millward was probably doing him a favour by dropping him last year,let him get his head straight a bit , he seems to have talent .As a hooker he will have to tackle 50 times a game and thats not easy!!

 

[Dee]

I'm pretty excited with the prospects we have for this season. It's been a while since we've been able to debate the key positions like this. Given the experience in any position in the top grade, I really think Watts has the potential to be anything. He demonstrated some freakish skills in the hooker role last year, it's a pitty he was experimented with the way he was by Millward, thought it put unnecessary pressure on him, resulting in some pretty ill-disciplined play.

Definitely some big positives and negatives with every combination of players in the key positions.

With Watts at 9, Payne is wasted. Dis him all you like, but the bloke is a key to our success. When he's on his game we are so hard to stop. Had a poor season for his own standards, would like to see him bounce back next season.

I'd go with this combo:

6. Thurston
7. Watts
9. Payne

As long as you stick him there and leave him there, I think he'll adapt. Definitely has the potential. Doesn't matter what number you stick on the back of Thurston either.

 

[Shorty]

Yeah but there is no way Thurston is giving up the 7.
We can all say how he is a real 5/8 yada yada but he wants the halfback role and would prefer to play in it.
I do warm to the idea of Watts@6 though,especially as we had the oh so useless Justin Smith in that role but were quite successful with it.

Watts would replace that role very well I feel and I think that could possibly be a dangerous combination.

OPS,Millward was a d*ckhead doing that.
Just how many hotheads get dropped for doing the same thing?
Does Paul Gallen? Does Justin Hodges? Does Billy Slater?
No.
Because even though they can lose their head sometimes they are good players and dropping them would be to the detriment of the team.

 

[malabar]

Good luck Milky, thats the name Roosters flegg players called him when he played down here. Massive talent, great kid, a bit of a temper. You guys are lucky to have him, give him time.

 

[Talanexor]

Hahaha, Justin Smith - he had the talent of a brick. Good riddance.

Opposing teams know the way to beat the Cows is to frustrate Thurston by giving him no room and no time to think. Admittedly, he's just that good that he comes up with a winning play anyway.

With Justin Smith at 5/8th, JT was our only playmaker. throw Watts into the 6 and suddenly thats a LOT of pressure off Thurston.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I like Watts at 6. I originally preferred him as a hooker, but Dee is right - Payne IS wasted if Watts is the starting hooker.

Then again, someone said - Shorty, was it you? - that Watts offers so much more at hooker than Payne does. Which is also a fair argument.

On a side note, what does everyone think of Watts at fullback? He had a couple of games there last season, and went alright. Given that we've lost Mark Henry, who would we move to fullback if Bowen is injured?

I DON'T want Watts to turn into a utility - he needs time to settle into one definite position - but I can't see anyone else stepping into the fullback role. Could Ty or John Williams do it?

 

[Shorty]

Yeah,performance and versatility wise I think Watts is better but I appreciate the leadership qualities that Payne brings to the side.
I realise he does a lot of hard work.

Yeah we need a specialist fullback,we really do this problem needs to be addressed.

 

[malabar]

Yeah,performance and versatility wise I think Watts is better but I appreciate the leadership qualities that Payne brings to the side.
I realise he does a lot of hard work.

Yeah we need a specialist fullback,we really do this problem needs to be addressed.

Shaun Foley is a specialist fullback and has not been re-signed by the Roosters, another massive talent that the Roosters have let slip thru the net. Ex Aust. schoolboy rugby union player, had 4 years at the Roosters, I think only 8 1st grade games but 6 tries in those games, get your scout to look at him, he played with Watts for 2 years in Flegg, I think hes still only 21,

 

[Charlie124]

I think you mean Watts instead of Burns? LOL Cause that would contradict your argument...

LOL@Amos he's about as useful as Rovelli.

Yeah i meant Watts at either 6 or 7, not Burns, my brain farted.

I went for Amos on the bench as i think he is our best interchange hooker option (seeing as i have Watts on the field with Payne, the other option is to have Payne play the 80 minutes (which he could easily do), my only concern there is if there is an injury we would have to shuffle Watts into hooker, thus disrupting the halves.

Amos will at least give away less stupid penalties than Burns.

 

[Talanexor]

Shaun Foley is a specialist fullback and has not been re-signed by the Roosters, another massive talent that the Roosters have let slip thru the net. Ex Aust. schoolboy rugby union player, had 4 years at the Roosters, I think only 8 1st grade games but 6 tries in those games, get your scout to look at him, he played with Watts for 2 years in Flegg, I think hes still only 21,

Shaun Foley would be a good option at fullback - he's a goalkicker too - but I heard a rumour he's going back to union. Can you confirm?

As far as 80 minutes of Payne is concerned, I'm starting to like the idea, provided he recaptures some of his form. If he gets injured, we shuffle Watts into hooker and stick a second-rower into 5/8th. Do you think Justin Smith was there for his (cough) playmaking abilities and superior ball skills?

 

[Shorty]

Yeah but that was a Murray tactic,hell when Henry was here previously Thurston was playing mostly at pivot!

Nah we have plenty of options if Payne is injured.
Watts can go to hooker and Burns can go to pivot
Watts remains at pivot and Amos goes to hooker with a young guy on the bench.

That department appears to be pretty looked after.