Daniel Mortimer dropped from Parramatta Eels side for second match running - AND OMG

[mickdo]

Stick him in Wenty and he'll be begging for a release before long

 

[carson]

why haven't we been using that stockpile?

also disagree with peoples' thoughts mortimer would make a good rake. while he has improved this year it isn't enough it seems and he seems to have hit another plateau. he works hard but to suggest a guy that struggles to pass left to right, pass the ball 10m and pass off the ground (as shown last year when he played a bit of dummy half) i think he would struggle. combine that with the fact that he is being rested because he is already struggling with his defensive workload and it pretty much tells you that he won't make a good run at hooker.

i feel for the young bloke but some people's ability won't get them to the top.

Because it's obsolete stock.

 

[NorthShoreEel]

In-form halves pairing Jeff Robson and Casey Maguire were again named.

You towel an under strength Sharks - and you are "In-form" apparently.....

 

[Euphoria85]

dont forget, the knights just lost to the roosters.... this will be a tough ask to do, beat the knights at Ausgrid with the team we have.

although there were promising attacking signs against the sharks, it was the sharks without 5 key personel. if we can do the knights, we may just have a shot at keeping the parra v dragons scoreline respectable

 

[Eels Dude]

dont forget, the knights just lost to the roosters.... this will be a tough ask to do, beat the knights at Ausgrid with the team we have.

although there were promising attacking signs against the sharks, it was the sharks without 5 key personel.

With the exception of Gallen and Snowden, it was the same Sharks side that comprehensively beat the Roosters the previous week. Not that it says much because the Sharks have one of the weaker squads in the competition, but going into last week they'd been way more competetive than we'd been this year.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think we can beat the Dragons.

 

[Gronk]

I think we can beat the Dragons.

Cool, we'll put your house on the Eels.

 

[bartman]

Stick him in Wenty and he'll be begging for a release before long

Here's hoping.

Glad the Herald article says that Robson has his offer from Parra still open. Robson's a much better chance of getting the #6 jersey next to Sandow than Morts. Roberts and Humble I guess are the competition, but they both have to prove themselves at firsts level - as does Morts again now. Surely Robson would believe he has his nose in front to stay in the top 17 with us in some psoition next year....

Which makes me wonder what plans they assured Morts would be part of in the future. No was he'll be first choice at either 6 or 7, and while they still describe him as a "young half" the only way I see him making the bench next year is if he starts to practice at hooker now...

 

[DeanPay98]

We need to take the offer to Robson off the table asap. He is now surplus to requirements for 2012. If we have Mortimer as a back up half for 2012 and 2013 behind Ben Roberts and Sandow, and with Casey McGuire as a half option as well, then why would we need Robson?

We would have Keating, Mitchell and McGuire covering the hooker roles. Plus Humble showed us that he can play 5/8 or hooker last year.

So Robson is now redundant for 2012. That doesn't mean he isn't vital for 2011.

We should allocate Robson's money into the backline.

 

[Stagger eel]

well if you offer robo a 2nd tier contract than he wouldn't be surplus stock, in fact Robo is a better option as a back up half/hooker than the kids in NYC at the moment.

I highly doubt he would take a 2nd tier but I would offer him one anyway.

 

[Eels Dude]

We would have Keating, Mitchell and McGuire covering the hooker roles. Plus Humble showed us that he can play 5/8 or hooker last year.

So Robson is now redundant for 2012. That doesn't mean he isn't vital for 2011.

We should allocate Robson's money into the backline.

Neither Mitchell, Maguire, now Humble are contracted for 2012 at this stage either for the record... so you can't say Robson is redundant based on the fact we have those players next year, when we in fact do not.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Neither Mitchell, Maguire, now Humble are contracted for 2012 at this stage either for the record... so you can't say Robson is redundant based on the fact we have those players next year, when we in fact do not.

I reckon we'll probably throw cheap contracts at all of them and take whoever signs first.

 

[The EELiminator]

i cant believe we still havent signed maguire its even more surprising nobody has tried to poach him yet

 

[Stagger eel]

i cant believe we still havent signed maguire its even more surprising nobody has tried to poach him yet

I think it's because we have some bigger fish to fry, i still think we're atleast 2 big signings away from trying to sign a guy like Maguire..

also, given Wayne bennetts influence on SK, he's probably adopting the same philosaphy of letting a bloke go a year early rather than a year too late.

 

[Eels Dude]

i cant believe we still havent signed maguire its even more surprising nobody has tried to poach him yet

Maybe Maguire hasn't made a decision on whether he wants to play on for another year yet.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

also, given Wayne bennetts influence on SK, he's probably adopting the same philosaphy of letting a bloke go a year early rather than a year too late.

Spot on.

 

[born an eel]

well if you offer robo a 2nd tier contract than he wouldn't be surplus stock, in fact Robo is a better option as a back up half/hooker than the kids in NYC at the moment.

I highly doubt he would take a 2nd tier but I would offer him one anyway.

a second tier contract would be of similar value to a minimum wage contract , so probably wouldn't matter.
case in point, Tim robinson started in our top 25 last year but seemed to drop back with the mid year signings.

 

[Gronk]

Mortimer is no dummy spitter, says uncle Turvey

Greg Prichard

May 28, 2011

Part-timer ... Parramatta No.6 Daniel Mortimer with his skipper, Nathan Hindmarsh. The playmaker wasn't required last week. Photo: Getty Images

STEVE MORTIMER says his nephew Daniel Mortimer will handle the situation he is going through at Parramatta the right way and emerge from it a better player and person.
''He's not a dummy-spitter,'' Bulldogs great Steve told the Herald yesterday. ''He's got the same traits that were bred into his father and uncles, which means he will do everything in his power to make it work at Parramatta. He's a positive person, like my brothers and myself, and he's committed to doing that.''
Mortimer was named at five-eighth in Parramatta's team to play Cronulla last Monday, but ended up being left out as coach Stephen Kearney made tactical changes that included Casey McGuire being shifted from hooker to five-eighth. The Eels went on to beat the Sharks 40-6, and Mortimer didn't play in any grade last weekend.
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Kearney has naturally stuck with the winning side for tonight's game against Newcastle at Ausgrid Stadium. Mortimer wasn't named in any grade this weekend but Kearney yesterday confirmed speculation he would play for Eels feeder club Wentworthville in a NSW Cup game against Auckland today.
The club said it remained committed to Mortimer, who is contracted to the Eels until the end of next season on a $250,000-a-year deal, and that Mortimer remained committed to the club, and Steve Mortimer said he believed that was right on both counts. ''I'm sure that's the case,'' he said. ''I've been in contact with Daniel. I'll be trying to get to his game at Wenty tomorrow, and I'll be catching up with him for a coffee in the next couple of weeks.
''It's only natural he would be disappointed about being dropped but it's how you react to the disappointment that matters. What Daniel is going through now, I went through myself, the same as hundreds of other players have over the years. It happened to me in my first year at Canterbury. I got dropped because I didn't think tackling was important but I realised I was wrong, and I worked at it and got back into first grade a few weeks later.
''The Eels gave Daniel a contract because he's got a set of skills that can help the team win. Now, if he needs to change his game around a bit in the lower grades to fit in with what the coach wants then he will aim to do that because that's the sort of determined person he is. We all go through challenging times in life, and this is just another example. Dealing with this will make Daniel a better player and a better person.''
Parramatta have bought halfback Chris Sandow from South Sydney and five-eighth Ben Roberts from Canterbury for next year. If the Eels kept all their existing halves on top of the new signings, they would obviously be top-heavy in that area, and Kearney admitted there would have to be some shedding when he said: ''We won't be keeping everyone, the salary cap won't allow that.''
Halfback Jeff Robson is coming off contract and tipped to get a deal elsewhere, but when asked if it was his aim for Mortimer to still be at the club next year, Kearney replied: ''That's right, yep.''
The coach then added: ''He's a young half, so it's going to take some time for him but we're committed to him and he's committed to us, and we'll keep working through it. He's a great young lad, and I'm sure he'll be better for the experience.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ncle-turvey-20110527-1f8a2.html#ixzz1Na78vg00

 

[Gronk]

Kearney stands by Mortimer

• From: The Australian
• May 28, 2011 12:00AM

PARRAMATTA coach Stephen Kearney maintains the club will not turn its back on beleaguered young playmaker Daniel Mortimer.

Mortimer was axed for last Monday's game with Cronulla and then watched on from the sidelines as new halves combination Casey McGuire and Jeff Robson guided the Eels to an emphatic 40-6 win.
The 22-year-old will play in the NSW Cup for Wentworthville this weekend instead of going with his teammates to Newcastle, but Kearney insists he still has a future with the club. "We pulled Casey into six and the lads played well on Monday night so it would be difficult to change," Kearney said. "It is a difficult position through the halves in terms of getting it right.
"Daniel is a young half so it is going to take some time, but we have not given him a timeframe, we are committed to him and he is committed to us and we will keep working through it.

Kearney said he'd told Mortimer in private what he expected from him to win back his place, but stressed he would not be axed before his contract expires at the end of next season, despite the arrival of Chris Sandow and Ben Roberts next year.
The New Zealand Test coach also admitted he was pleasantly surprised to have Jarryd Hayne available during the State of Origin series, and hailed the attitude shown by the fullback following his snub by NSW coach Ricky Stuart. "I have been very impressed ... Jarryd has turned up to training with a great attitude, he had a good game on Monday night and did his job well, which he's been doing all season and I expect the same again tomorrow at Newcastle," he said.
"I didn't think I would have him at this time of the season."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/kearney-stands-by-mortimer/story-e6frg7mf-1226064417878

 

[Stagger eel]

I will confirm later on whether or not he's playing for wenty..