Corey Norman??

[Crush]

Something doesn't seem to add up IMO, when the club & players have backed Dufty to be the fullback and have denied he's been shopped.
If and when the Norman signing is announced, I'd expect things may hot up with the Widdop rumours & UK offers. Where there's smoke there's usually fire and it's only been left to Gaz Widdop to personally extinguish the blaze.
Mary has been very quiet in voicing any opinion so far. IMO I think the club will release Widdop in 2019 to head to the UK with the usual spin being we felt it was in his best interest to secure his long term future. Time will tell!

Its a real possibility I agree. If we do a straight swap out Widdop for Norman then I'm not all that excited. If we have Widdop, Norman and Hunt in the same run on side I reckon we challenge for the title. Well kinda. Depends on how we line up 2-5.

 

[BLM01]

Norman has to prove himself in our colours before I get excited wth his signing with or without Widdop. If 2018 is an example then I am worried this is a Mary desperation to get an extension and a last shot to try amd get a title this year.
Yes I am PRO Dufty and want him to get a chance to show improvement this year as an excitement machine.
I feel if Dragons write him off too early going for a risk of a perceived successful quick fix we will end up like Parra did...not getting there and now offloading their big underperforming stars and rebuilding again.

 

[WoyD4LWoy]

How $20,000 could derail Corey Norman's move to Dragons
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...norman-s-move-to-dragons-20181215-p50mgr.html

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Widdop can obviously handle playing fullback, question will be, can he handle it for a whole season, will be important as to who will play 2 & 5, with Nene gone we will miss the hit ups and getting us going forward, i can't see Dufty playing wing, imagine 6meters out from our tryline Dufty taking a hit up will probably get pushed into the ingoal area, Pereira looks to have the build/mongrel to move us forward, i can't really comment on the others as i havent seen them play, lots of decisions for Mary and the coaching staff...

 

[Dragonslayer]

Who then plays fullback in 2020 and beyond?

 

[Crush]

Who then plays fullback in 2020 and beyond?

Hopefully Dufty. Lets face it, it is nice to have options.
We may start the season with Widdop at fullback but who knows what will happen with injuries etc.
I agree with Ayios above, its hard to imagine Dufty on the wing. It seems crazy for him to be in ISP though?

 

[possm]

Absolutely incorrect. Why would the club suddenly make this realisation coming off some blatant evidence at how important Widdop is in the halves where he cemented himself as the best 5/8 in the world last year and was amazing the top this year?

If Norman was not coming Widdop would not be fullback, it's a simple as that. It's about prioritising our long term halves pairing as well as the fact that Norman at fullback is just not desirable, whereas Widdop an perform at both

This is all classic confirmation bias. Widdop is the best 5/8 at our club, even with Norman, but Norman is more valuable to us in the halves with a great fullback in Widdop than the other way around.

I don't think it is all so cut and dry. There are good aguments for both sides of this debate. My take is that if it were Hunt moving on and Widdop staying, we would have the perfect halves combination. Hunt is a highly professional player who does his best at 7 each game however, there is a reason he has not cemented the 7 spot at SOO or international level; he is a running half rather than an organising half, he would prefer another player close out a game rather than himself. Norman is an organising half and is very capable in closing out a game. Widdop finds it difficult to close out a game.

So in 2019, I think you will find our halves combination will be Norman and Hunt and no matter what number they ware on their back, it will be Hunt running and looking for opportunities and Norman organising and running the team.

If Norman does end up at the Dragons and it looks likely he will, I predict he will knuckle down and maybe even secure a halves spot in the Qld side. He is the type of player both the Dragons and the Queenslanders are missing in their line-up.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Hopefully Dufty. Lets face it, it is nice to have options.
We may start the season with Widdop at fullback but who knows what will happen with injuries etc.
I agree with Ayios above, its hard to imagine Dufty on the wing. It seems crazy for him to be in ISP though?

Dufty will leave if he's dropped to ISP and probably end up in Canberra.

The talk of Widdop at fullback really concerns me. Yes, he played a game or 2 substituting in the WC and did pretty well , that was 2 yrs ago, and since then he has had a raft of injuries.

I'm not convinced his shoulder is right, and its nothing to do with him being in the rehab group at training, more so with the sudden realisation to play ESL. If there are any lingering doubts about his shoulders then oppisition teams will bomb the crap out of him every game, just watch him get hammered week in week out.

In saying that our supercoach's vision barely only extends 1 day at a time. Him planning beyond that would be far to much i'm afraid.

 

[possm]

Hopefully Dufty. Lets face it, it is nice to have options.
We may start the season with Widdop at fullback but who knows what will happen with injuries etc.
I agree with Ayios above, its hard to imagine Dufty on the wing. It seems crazy for him to be in ISP though?

I have long thought that Dufty may benefit from a stint on the wing in first grade. Any such move would require him to take he first opportunity to step inside rather than hug the sideline when returning the ball.

Dufty has the speed and elusiveness to burn the opposition out wide however, the same problems he is facing right now at fullback are there to be overcome on the wing.

Defence and a fearless attitude to taking the high ball and returning it without fear of being rag dolled or hammered will be challengers he must conquer. The only plus will be he will be on one side of the field rather than having players from both sides challenging him.

 

[Miller was a legend]

I have long thought that Dufty may benefit from a stint on the wing in first grade. Any such move would require him to take he first opportunity to step inside rather than hug the sideline when returning the ball.

Dufty has the speed and elusiveness to burn the opposition out wide however, the same problems he is facing right now at fullback are there to be overcome on the wing.

Defence and a fearless attitude to taking the high ball and returning it without fear of being rag dolled or hammered will be challengers he must conquer. The only plus will be he will be on one side of the field rather than having players from both sides challenging him.

Size does matter. Particularly on the wing.
White men can’t jump, but small white men jump even lower.

I dislike Sharks using Katoa because he will get out leaped by the bigger wingers attacking a kick

Just a thought

 

[possm]

Size does matter. Particularly on the wing.
White men can’t jump, but small white men jump even lower.

I dislike Sharks using Katoa because he will get out leaped by the bigger wingers attacking a kick

Just a thought

Even though I do not agree with your theory about white men, I'd have to say that what ever theory one holds on this applies to both wing and fullback; only at fullback you could have many more adept players contesting the ball e.g. in a planned move, wingers and centres from both sides of the field attacking the ball.

 

[possm]

Dufty will leave if he's dropped to ISP and probably end up in Canberra.

The talk of Widdop at fullback really concerns me. Yes, he played a game or 2 substituting in the WC and did pretty well , that was 2 yrs ago, and since then he has had a raft of injuries.

I'm not convinced his shoulder is right, and its nothing to do with him being in the rehab group at training, more so with the sudden realisation to play ESL. If there are any lingering doubts about his shoulders then oppisition teams will bomb the crap out of him every game, just watch him get hammered week in week out.

In saying that our supercoach's vision barely only extends 1 day at a time. Him planning beyond that would be far to much i'm afraid.

Mary and Millward may be working together on a long term plan which involves the selection of a fullback with size as our fullback.

 

[Dracarys]

If we have Widdop, Norman and Hunt in the same run on side I reckon we challenge for the title.

100%
Look at the current premiers. With 3 genuine playmakers they have options left right and centre (literally) . Anyone have a spare twenty grand to get this cab off the rank?

 

[possm]

100%
Look at the current premiers. With 3 genuine playmakers they have options left right and centre (literally) . Anyone have a spare twenty grand to get this cab off the rank?

Surely we have now improved our ability to attract TPA and so secure Normans contract.

I'd like to see the NRL and player managers given the responsibility of organising TPA and sponsorship under such a scheme be related to a period of time rather than the time at a particular club. Such sponsorship would therefore be transferrable and follow the player from club to club.

 

[Gm5]

I don't think the whole scenario of who's going to play in what position will be as tough as it seems right now. An injury here and there will make everything fall in place

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Surely we have now improved our ability to attract TPA and so secure Normans contract.

I'd like to see the NRL and player managers given the responsibility of organising TPA and sponsorship under such a scheme be related to a period of time rather than the time at a particular club. Such sponsorship would therefore be transferrable and follow the player from club to club.

You do know the club doesn't organise the players TPA, it's up to the manager/player/relative/anyone to organise it, NOT THE CLUB, if the club does then it counts towards the salary cap.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Surely we have now improved our ability to attract TPA and so secure Normans contract.

I'd like to see the NRL and player managers given the responsibility of organising TPA and sponsorship under such a scheme be related to a period of time rather than the time at a particular club. Such sponsorship would therefore be transferrable and follow the player from club to club.

They would be chomping at the bit to have their business associated with Norman

 

[SEAT 1A]

How $20,000 could derail Corey Norman's move to Dragons
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...norman-s-move-to-dragons-20181215-p50mgr.html

I don't get it.

Norman is on 9.4K next year with the Eels however, Eels don't want to pay 20K and still have 400K in their pocket?

 

[dragonssamy61]

If dufty plays wing it will be a fail.
He will leave and I dont blame him.
He is to short for the wing.
Winger nowdays are your main meter returners and he would not be able to average 140meters per game like nene did.
I think pearson my be the answer but it will be a few weeks before that happens

 

[jak]

You do know the club doesn't organise the players TPA, it's up to the manager/player/relative/anyone to organise it, NOT THE CLUB, if the club does then it counts towards the salary cap.

i agree with you and i wished thats how it worked