As crazy as it sounds.....

[Stagger eel]

His fitness and committment to making 20+ tackles a game would be the only issue.

and that's where Wags has it over him...

 

[caylo]

Grothe is quick but has very slow accelleration off the mark, Fui would be quick over 20meters I would think. He might work as a wide running backrower but I would be worried that he would try and come out of the line to smash a bloke. We all know Eric loves doing that, and in the middle of the feild he still can be a liability in defence

 

[Aenemus]

and that's where Wags has it over him...

But we already have two other players that do what Wags does, better then Wags does in Hindy and Robbo.

I just feel Grothe is too powerful and destructive a player when in form to be playing for Wenty long, but I just fret when he is on the wing (without Ben anyway). As I am sure most of us do.

I nkow he is completely untested in the forwards, but he might make a fist of it if given a shot. Obviously not likely to happen though.

His lack of agility to turn and chase the ball and defence against smaller players will be less of a problem if he is off the wing. There is support.

He would be a good impact player after 20-30mins. Task him with a few big runs, and supporting the other forwards.

Maybe I'm dreaming... haha

 

[caylo]

Aenemus all it takes is one miss tackle (Mateo last weekend) to score a try, grothe would be a disaster in the middle. You do get compressed defence, but often quick movement occur around the middle. One miss tackle will set up a try through the middle (i.e Ennis miss on Fui) but out wide if Eric misses a tackle atleast he has sliding defence to help him.

Also eric will do his out of the big hit attempt, miss the halfback 99 times out 100 and form a grap were he should have been (ala Wagon on Bowen 05). Eric is on 250K and is in bad form, give him week pay and send him on his way... He will get that or more in the UK or RU

 

[Aenemus]

Aenemus all it takes is one miss tackle (Mateo last weekend) to score a try, grothe would be a disaster in the middle. You do get compressed defence, but often quick movement occur around the middle. One miss tackle will set up a try through the middle (i.e Ennis miss on Fui) but out wide if Eric misses a tackle atleast he has sliding defence to help him.

Also eric will do his out of the big hit attempt, miss the halfback 99 times out 100 and form a grap were he should have been (ala Wagon on Bowen 05). Eric is on 250K and is in bad form, give him week pay and send him on his way... He will get that or more in the UK or RU

I honestly don't believe he is a bad tackler, just a bad defender on the wing. There is a massive difference. On the wing it is about reading the game and choosing whether to come in, stay out, etc. I think with less options he would be much better.

If he does have a tendency to rush out in the middle that is simple to drill out of him. When he rushes up on the wing I think it is more because he feels comfortable hitting a player head on, more then having to work against footwork and speed.

Besides not like he would be use as a defensive player, he would be there for impact.

His greatest asset is that he offers the team is alot of go forward when our forwards are tired (from the wing)... I can't see why he can't do this playing from the pack.

I am not saying playing him next week in the forwards, but while he's at Wenty he might as well be tried there. Especially since he is not in our backline now, and unlikely to be once Hayne and Smith return.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Aenemus all it takes is one miss tackle (Mateo last weekend) to score a try, grothe would be a disaster in the middle. You do get compressed defence, but often quick movement occur around the middle. One miss tackle will set up a try through the middle (i.e Ennis miss on Fui) but out wide if Eric misses a tackle atleast he has sliding defence to help him.

Also eric will do his out of the big hit attempt, miss the halfback 99 times out 100 and form a grap were he should have been (ala Wagon on Bowen 05). Eric is on 250K and is in bad form, give him week pay and send him on his way... He will get that or more in the UK or RU

Mateo missed a tackle as a 5/8. They defend on the 'fringes' - ie, in a position where they need to make tackles.
Second rowers defend in numbers - they get up with the other forwards, make the hit, and recycle the 10.

Grothe wouldn't have any troubles with the physical nature of playing 2nd row.
In attack he could hit it up one off the ruck with ease AND be able to make his offloads to someone actually expecting them! (think Burt trailing Grothe up the middle, getting the offload and scooting away).
In defense I'd worry about his fitness - could he actually recycle the 10 over and over again?

AND - does he want to play in the 2nd row?

I think the answer to that question is 'no'. Which probably shows where he's coming from anyway...

If I was Hagan, I'd be talking to the man about making the move, and then putting him in the forwards for Wenty.

If we're paying him 200k a year for the next 3, then we have to play him. And I'd rather he have a crack at the forwards than come back on the wing...

 

[Aenemus]

Mateo missed a tackle as a 5/8. They defend on the 'fringes' - ie, in a position where they need to make tackles.
Second rowers defend in numbers - they get up with the other forwards, make the hit, and recycle the 10.

Grothe wouldn't have any troubles with the physical nature of playing 2nd row.

What I was trying to say.

Wing is alot different defensively then second row. Different requirements of the players.

 

[hineyrulz]

I just don't think he could handle the extra workload, but different sitting out on the wing making a few tackles and coming into dummyhalf and making a few runs.

 

[Parra]

How many tries have you seen Eric Grothe score that no other player would score?

Answer : Plenty.

 

[Bigfella]

How many metres have you seen him make that other players, including our forwards, don't?

Even more.

To let him go with no plan for a replacement would be one further massive mistake.'

Presumably the money would be an unrequested upgrade to Lowrie, Gulavo or Finch.

 

[HevyDevy]

When I read the first line, I thought - WTF? Ron, you're an idiot. :lol:
Then, as I read on, I started to visualise Eric as a second rower, and tbh, I can't see why not.
I reckon he'd go ok tbh, and I think this might be his way back into the top flight.
I'd like any dissenters to give me reasons why he couldn't do it.


Suity

Because second-rowers have to make a lot of decision in defence. It is widely considered to be the most difficult position to defend in because they are the communicators.

 

[oldmancraigy]

How many metres have you seen him make that other players, including our forwards, don't?

Even more.

To let him go with no plan for a replacement would be one further massive mistake.'

Presumably the money would be an unrequested upgrade to Lowrie, Gulavo or Finch.

I think Tautai can make the metres that Grothe did. Plus he doesn't turn the ball over as much...

I'd rather Reddy on the wing than Grothe at this stage. Reddy has shown he's solid under the high ball (Grothe was great great great, easy try when bombed). Plus Reddy runs 'unusual' angles - and is a good finisher close to the line.
He's as bad (if not worse) at tackling - but better to turn and chase.

We'll miss Grothe's metres - but if Inu and Hayne are in the squad, it's well documented that they'll make the runs - and TT is a ferocious runner from dummy half (if required).

But I think you're right about the money- Lowrie and Gulavao are getting short changed here! About time management made a good decision by padding out their deals..

 

[caylo]

Mateo missed a tackle as a 5/8. They defend on the 'fringes' - ie, in a position where they need to make tackles.
Second rowers defend in numbers - they get up with the other forwards, make the hit, and recycle the 10.

That is wrong, 5-8 defend between a backrower and the centre. They do that so the backrowers can make up for the 5-8 inability in defence.
backrower have to cover for other players generally. Mateo was tackling of the left shoulder of a backrower and any backrower could have just as easly been isolated... but that was not the point of the argument

I said all it takes is one miss tackle for a try to be scored, and Mateo's attempt which let Mills score was freash in my mind. Grothe defencive technique is awful, he generally trys to smash the bloke but never really tries to wrap the ball up or anything. I've seen him connect with a bloke and basicly fall off the man with the ball.

Grothe defencivly is a liability because he doesn't communicate well at all, gets hot headed and has awful technique IMO

 

[Ron Jeremy]

So where do u play him? his defense on the wing wont get any better ( it hasn't in 10 years) so where do u put him? i say punt him then if we're not going to do anything about it.

 

[bartman]

I liked the new defensive system we had with our outside threes last week, where the winger, centre and half would swap positions between tackles, meaning that the opposition can never be sure who is lined up where, and will find it harder to isolate particular players.

We were able to do this because we played four outside backs all with significant experience at centre last week. I also believe the fourth man in (a forward) was involved in actively slotting across to the three on the outside should one of them make a tackle and be stranded at marker. There was a lot of talk between the players on each side, and it worked well.

I don't think Grothe would have a problem fitting into such a system, provided he could practice it at training until he was comfortable enough to resume his FG spot. Hopefully Wenty might try a similar thing, and lord knows the TYC side needs to...

As for second row, given the above consideration I'd say no. Centre perhaps, if you're going to shift Eric from the wing at all - which would be happening every few tackles anyway, the way our side lined up in defence last week.

 

[JTB]

I personally would put Grothe on a plane to Wigan.


For those saying we miss Grothe's metres...T Williams made 197m against Canberra....thats double Grothes average this year!!!!!!!!

 

[bartman]

T Williams won't be here next year.

 

[oldmancraigy]

So where do u play him? his defense on the wing wont get any better ( it hasn't in 10 years) so where do u put him? i say punt him then if we're not going to do anything about it.

Agree.

caylo: one miss does the job for sure - but if the guy can't play on the wing, why not try him in the second row for Wenty? What's the worst case scenario? That he's terrible in defense there too? We don't lose anything by trying it!

He's never going to fit anywhere else on the footy field....

 

[Bigfella]

I personally would put Grothe on a plane to Wigan.


For those saying we miss Grothe's metres...T Williams made 197m against Canberra....thats double Grothes average this year!!!!!!!![/quote]

Which is still a bloody good average you know.

And is consistent with his performance over the last couple of years.

 

[BRAD BELLICK]

Grothe to the forwards would be the most stupid move in the history of the game