Dufty ?

[Frank Facer]

Hopefully Dufty cements his position at full back as for Mann he has the ability to cement his position somewhere in the back line . Now as for Field he was targeted as Duges replacement by our recruitment officer , he might still get his chance there but for me Dufty is a fullback , where they are trying to turn Field into one .

I heard/read that Dufty played most of his juniors in the halves, so he was turned into a fullback too. I think quite a few fullbacks in the NRL would have played in the halves as juniors. Moylan, Lockyer, Barba, are a few that come to mind off the top of my head.

I do agree with you that Dufty now looks to have the fullback position.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

We all accept he is not the defender Duges is at full back

Very few players are

Point is there are very few players who have Dufty's ability in attack.

The fact that we tend to dominate field position and possession in most of the games we contest, makes the Dufty vs Dugan debate a little easier.
Dufty may be a mediocre defender but, as he showed yesterday, he is capable of turning that field position and possession into points.
That is something that Dugan has been unable to do.
So my theory is that we may concede more tries with Dufty at FB but we will score a shit load more ourselves with his involvement.
Yesterday our set plays looked so much more dangerous when Dufty handled the ball.
I am just annoyed that it has taken McGregor 20 rounds to even experiment.

 

[getsmarty]

Dufty puts hand up to fill Dugan void in 2018

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

24 Jul 2017, 2 p.m.

OFF TO A FLYER: Dragons young-gun Matt Dufty scored a try and laid on two others on debut against Manly on Sunday. Picture: AAP

IT’S likely to be a one-off this season, but Dragons young-gun Matt Dufty may have struck the first blow in the battle to replace the departing Josh Dugan in 2018 with a stand-out performance on debut against Manly on Sunday.

Dufty produced a try and two try assists while running for 194 metres and busting 11 tackles in a memorable first NRL start after Dugan was a late scratching with a hamstring injury.

Dugan brought a drawn-out saga surrounding his future to an end prior to State of Origin I, signing with Cronulla on a four-year deal after finding himself at odds with Dragons recruitment chief Ian Millward over his best position.

Millward has indicated the club will look in-house to fill the vacant No.1 in 2018. It will likely pit Dufty in a battle with fellow youngster Jai Field next season, while recently re-signed utility Kurt Mann will also figure.

Coach Paul McGregor confirmed that Dugan will be back for this weekend’s clash with Newcastle but was pleased to see one of the club’s juniors stake a long-term claim.

“We had to replace Duges so it was a good opportunity to give the kid a chance when we had most of our experienced players available,” McGregor said.

“Duft’s works really had at his game in reserve grade and at training to deserve a start. At the moment we’ll just take it week to week but I think [Sunday] was a good sign for him and a good sign for us.”

Dufty, who was only told on Thursday that he would get his first start, described the build-up and the match itself as “a blur.”

“The game from zero to 80 went so quickly and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity Mary gave me,” Dufty said.

“I knew earlier in the week that Duges was in a bit of doubt but I only found out on Thursday he wasn’t going to play and Mary told me he was going to give me a start.

“We a had a day off after he told me so I was feeling pretty good but then I got here for captain’s run and saw the field all marked out and I got really nervous.

“I couldn’t sleep [Saturday] night and I was so nervous when I got here but Duges came up to me and said ‘take a breath, just play your game’ and that really calmed me down and set me on the right path.

“It was a dream start. It wasn’t as big a step up as I thought it was going to be but it was still the hardest and fastest game I’ve ever played. I don’t know if it was adrenaline but I just loved it.”

Dufty admits he does have long-term designs on the club’s No.1 jumper but insisted he didn’t treat Sunday’s clash as an audition.

“It’s not really on my mind yet,” Dufty said.

“When I start focusing on other things outside of footy, like what’s going to happen next year, I tend to lose track of what I’ve got to do in the game.

“Next year it’ll probably be my main goal but Duges is there this year and he’s a world class player.

“I’m just going to learn as much as I can off him. He’s one of the best competitors in the game which is something I really look up to.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4808966/dufty-stakes-claim-with-stand-out-debut/?cs=3713

 

[epDragon62]

Something to consider as well in defence; Dufty will get to the ball much quicker than Duges. Like Slater I think he will put pressure on kickers to keep it away from him and that will work in our favour.

Slater has continuously impressed me with the impact he has on kickers to his team's benefit.

 

[denis preston]

Penshurst RSL have claimed Dufty to be the 3rd Fullback from them to play for the Dragons. Was Tony Quirk & Glenn Burgess the others ?

 

[hermidale1]

Penshurst RSL have claimed Dufty to be the 3rd Fullback from them to play for the Dragons. Was Tony Quirk & Glenn Burgess the others ?

Glenn Burgess yes. Not sure Tony Quirk. Dufty played all his juniors in the halves though. So not really a fullback from that level. Thank Ben Hornby for that change.

 

[Overseas dragon]

The fact that Matt dufty played his early football in the halves, that's the main reason he has a beautiful passing game .add in his speed speed speed .next year with HUNT / WIDDOP/ DUFTY .on the attack look out.

 

[Carlton]

Dufty played great in that game but I think there needs to be some reality attached to it. Manly did not have much of the ball for most of the game which meant he was not tested in defence nor bringing the ball out from the line under pressure.

I thought he looked good in attack but was concerned he wasn't in position in defence on a number of occasions and Manly scored tries that I think would have been stopped with Dugan there. Its great to have attack but it can't be at the expense of defence, you need to be good at both.

I also don't care what Slater or anyone else was like when they were younger, Dufty is his own person and there are aspects of his play that still need work. The best place for this isn't first grade, it's reserves with some cameos in firsts just like this game.

I think he has a lot of potential, give him the space to develop it and don't place undue expectations on him at this stage.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Dufty played great in that game but I think there needs to be some reality attached to it. Manly did not have much of the ball for most of the game which meant he was not tested in defence nor bringing the ball out from the line under pressure.

I thought he looked good in attack but was concerned he wasn't in position in defence on a number of occasions and Manly scored tries that I think would have been stopped with Dugan there. Its great to have attack but it can't be at the expense of defence, you need to be good at both.

I also don't care what Slater or anyone else was like when they were younger, Dufty is his own person and there are aspects of his play that still need work. The best place for this isn't first grade, it's reserves with some cameos in firsts just like this game.

I think he has a lot of potential, give him the space to develop it and don't place undue expectations on him at this stage.

I see what you're saying, and you're right.. Defensively he was caught out a couple of times, but I completely disagree with this idea that he needs to develop further by playing reserve grade with cameo first grade appearances.
Matty isn't going to get the true pace of the game playing in reserves, he will only get that with experience in the top grade. If he is to make it at the highest level, he needs that constant experience in first grade week in week out to get himself used to the flow and physicality. Giving him a game every now and again then throwing him back to reserves every other week is going to shatter his confidence and will cause him to stagnate. It's too sparse, he needs continuity.

 

[giboz71]

I thought he looked good in attack but was concerned he wasn't in position in defence on a number of occasions and Manly scored tries that I think would have been stopped with Dugan there..

Duges may have stopped Jake Turbo's try but that's about it. Host and De Belin didn't cover the inside well enough however.

Walker's try was on Lafai and Nighty. Uate's try, Nighty got outjumped and Lussick's try was poor marker play from Host. Dufty couldn't have done anything with any of those.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

I heard/read that Dufty played most of his juniors in the halves, so he was turned into a fullback too. I think quite a few fullbacks in the NRL would have played in the halves as juniors. Moylan, Lockyer, Barba, are a few that come to mind off the top of my head.

I do agree with you that Dufty now looks to have the fullback position.

Reading McGregor's comments on Dufty after the Manly game, I got the distinct impression that if Dugan is fit, Dufty will go straight back to reserve grade.
I hope I'm wrong because that would be a travesty.

 

[GC Dragon]

I see what you're saying, and you're right.. Defensively he was caught out a couple of times, but I completely disagree with this idea that he needs to develop further by playing reserve grade with cameo first grade appearances.
Matty isn't going to get the true pace of the game playing in reserves, he will only get that with experience in the top grade. If he is to make it at the highest level, he needs that constant experience in first grade week in week out to get himself used to the flow and physicality. Giving him a game every now and again then throwing him back to reserves every other week is going to shatter his confidence and will cause him to stagnate. It's too sparse, he needs continuity.

Totally agree . Dufty will never be the defender that Dugan is but the more first grade he plays the better he will get . I can't remember any of the modern fullbacks coming into first grade as great defenders that tends to come over time . The Illawarra team this year is a bits and pieces team that I feel he is above that level and better away from . Your point about the speed of the game is a excellent one and from this point on he should be let develop his game as a first grader .

There will be those that when he misses a tackle will say " Dugan would have stopped him " and those then when he burns them to score a long range try will say " Dugan couldn't do that " . But in my opinion he could be a 10 year fullback for us and the type of player that will leave a generation of supporters with some great memories . Just don't be to hard on the kid let him find his feet in the top grade and enjoy the ride .

 

[Belta]

Can see what TomRedVRiver is saying, it was the ideal game for Dufty to debut, all the early momentum was with the Dragons..in tough grind out games Dufty could very well be the Villian, but IMO the Dragons to have any chance of featuring deep into the finals they need to be positive in attack and Dugan or Nighty at fullback is anything but that

For mine I'd keep Dufty at fullback....inject Field also...throw caution to the wind..if it doesn't pay off atleast we have gone down swinging...our only hope IMO..can't see it happening though...but after all he did give Dufty a debut, so you never know..doubt it though

 

[Carlton]

Duges may have stopped Jake Turbo's try but that's about it. Host and De Belin didn't cover the inside well enough however.

Walker's try was on Lafai and Nighty. Uate's try, Nighty got outjumped and Lussick's try was poor marker play from Host. Dufty couldn't have done anything with any of those.

I disagree, I believe that Dugan would have been helping, how many times has he helped out at marker close to the line when the defence is scrambling or come across in cover and held up the ball?

The worry for me was not that Dufty didn't complete a tackle, it was that he wasn't in the picture.

 

[Carlton]

I see what you're saying, and you're right.. Defensively he was caught out a couple of times, but I completely disagree with this idea that he needs to develop further by playing reserve grade with cameo first grade appearances.
Matty isn't going to get the true pace of the game playing in reserves, he will only get that with experience in the top grade. If he is to make it at the highest level, he needs that constant experience in first grade week in week out to get himself used to the flow and physicality. Giving him a game every now and again then throwing him back to reserves every other week is going to shatter his confidence and will cause him to stagnate. It's too sparse, he needs continuity.

He has had one game in first grade, how many games did Cameron Munster or Brody Croft have moving back and forth between reserves and first grade? Very few young players (except perhaps wingers) move into first grade and then stay there week in week out.

 

[giboz71]

I disagree, I believe that Dugan would have been helping, how many times has he helped out at marker close to the line when the defence is scrambling or come across in cover and held up the ball?

The worry for me was not that Dufty didn't complete a tackle, it was that he wasn't in the picture.

We can agree to disagree.

What isn't in question is that Dufty had 2 try assists (nearly a 3rd if Lafai holds on to that pass) and 1 try, and 190 odd running metres.

Plus we scored 50 points for the first time in 10 years.

You'd be hard pressed to find a game where Duges had that kind of influence in s single game in the 4 years he's been here.

 

[Carlton]

We can agree to disagree.

What isn't in question is that Dufty had 2 try assists (nearly a 3rd if Lafai holds on to that pass) and 1 try, and 190 odd running metres.

Plus we scored 50 points for the first time in 10 years.

You'd be hard pressed to find a game where Duges had that kind of influence in s single game in the 4 years he's been here.

I'm not trying to run down Dufty, I think he is a really exciting player of the future. He had two try assists but one of those he should have scored himself not risked the pass.

Yes we scored 50 but that was hardly Dufty, he was the beneficiary of the way the team played. Give credit where its due, the forwards outplayed Manly, we had an exorbitant amount of ball and Widdop had a great first half. Whose to say that if the team had performed like that with Dugan playing he wouldn't have scored a couple and saved a couple.

One of the areas I am concerned about with Dufty is bringing the ball out from the line. He hardly had to do any in that game and when he had the ball he was passing for Nene to bring it out, one time he did run he nearly got rag dolled. This area of the game is extremely important especially when yardage is hard to come by.

 

[2010]

I like the idea of Dufty staying at full back and having Field off the bench.
With those two on the field together opposition teams would have to focus their on those two which would allow our forwards to run riot

 

[giboz71]

[QUOTE="Carlton, post: 12354803, member: 46724
Yes we scored 50 but that was hardly Dufty, he was the beneficiary of the way the team played. .[/QUOTE]

Again I disagree.

His touches and high involvement in the first 10-15 mins put Manly on notice that we had a genuine speedster with footwork from FB. I'm guessing they were expecting Nighty to start at FB so they didn't expect this. This had 2 effects:

1. Manly had to spread wider to cover him, opening up our middle (unlike previous rounds where our forwards were facing compressed defences). Vaughan, Ah Mau and Sims had a field day punching up the middle like our early rounds.

2. Lafai and Widdop had acres of room unlike previous rounds. This is because the defence had to watch Dufty sweeping from the back and couldn't jam in (when we have Duges or Nighty there).

End of the day, having a FB with those attributes asked questions from the defence we haven't asked in a very long time.

50 points was the result.

 

[saintm]

I disagree, I believe that Dugan would have been helping, how many times has he helped out at marker close to the line when the defence is scrambling or come across in cover and held up the ball?

The worry for me was not that Dufty didn't complete a tackle, it was that he wasn't in the picture.

He's not SUPERMAN give the kid a break.You better go and watch the game again and tell me which one he could have stopped.He was there for the dummy half try ,Host was the player that got beat.