Dykes to Sharks - This week

[Hollywood Jesus]

Why is it you have to start a new thread every time you have something to say?

what game first has to say is more important than what the rest of us have to say

hehe ;-)

 

[Misty Bee]

Agree re Game Firsts sentiments, but at least Bart came up with a plausible argument, which also makes sense. As for the rest - why bag him for simply having an opinion? Is it because you CAN'T bag the opinion?

Eels dude, you missed/ignored my point. Killer got no ball when Dykes was injured. When Dykes came back for the last few games of 2003, Parra fired.

Thje 'common denominator' theory is flawed. Dykes, as a halfback, didn't make the forwards play like fairies, make stupid selections etc etc.

May I remind you that Dykes, despite being injured for most of the season, is still third in the FRF player of the year - the awards that you lot vote for. Maybe we are just letting an injury prone player go. However, on a reduced contract, I can't see we are better off letting him go, unless we can replace him with someone better.

Michael Witt is not better. Daniel Wagon certainly isn't!!!!!!!!!

 

[GAME FIRST]

If anyone thinks that Dykes was to blame and not our coach fro our substandard attack then you are wrong!
The coach asked Dykes several times to adjust and change his game which Dykes personally said in the papers that he WAS CONFUSED AND DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE COACH WANTED!
This was quoted in big-league.
Our star attacking player made to change his play after nearly 8 years in the top league- his instincts were all set and here comes our coach to try and change his perception of attacking play!! you tell me who is wrong!
Anyway im not saying Dykes played his best but he is the only one that could make a try from creativity which we LACK IN BUCKETLOADS ACCROSS THE FIELD!
So watch Dykes play when he really feels free and comfortable with a coach!!

 

[Freak]

Misty I think you will find that in 2003 Dykes returned to first grade in Round 25 against the Broncos after yet another period on the sideline with that shoulder of his.

The strong run home where we won I think 10 of our last 13 was when Morris was at 5/8 and Witt at half and Megsy at Hooker.

At the end of the day Dykes is a PROVEN non premiership winning 5/8, and like many I would prefer to throw caution to the wind and see either Morris, Witt, or Mateo (Who I think will be our No6 in 2005) given a chance.

Everyone bags Smith for not trying new things and then when he does it gets ridiculed.

He simply cannot win!

 

[True EEL]

exactly, we went well last year when Morris and Witt were in the halves.....

actually when Dykes came back he stuffed everything up a bit and the run ended with the whitwash against Melbourne and then again against Penrith in the impossible win by +28 game at the very end????

how anyone can say the team "fired" when he came back i'll never know????

Dykes can play, but game first and some others made some very good points about the structured style that i have also been saying....he said BS wanted him to change his game and when he said ok.....what and how??? BS said "i don't know.....but just change it can you"??????

I mean what the hell is that??? great coaching strategy there, really shows that he has lots of ideas left in his bag of tricks

Cronulla next year:

6. Dykes
7. Kimmorley

and i bet they play well and form a great combination because they will be "allowed" to play properly and free of inhibition in attack, Kimmorley will organise and Dykes will create a few things on the outside.....

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I'm willing to give a punt on some halves next year in Smith & Witt, but i still think we should buy a Kerian Kerr, might be handy, he's not overly brillant but his organisational & kicking game is faultless.

Dykes will be better if he leaves, why??, because the players have now adapted to a wait to see what dykes does mentality then rather trust their own footy instincts, to much emphasis has been put on Dykes to be the play maker & while it may seem Ok?? it's not!!.....it can back fire very easily after an injury occurs or he happens to have a bad game & there is no one in the side with enough play making experience to take over & complete the job.

 

[The Colonel]

BS said "i don't know.....but just change it can you"??????

Can you provide a link to that? ;-)

 

[True EEL]

but i still think we should buy a Kerian Kerr, might be handy, he's not overly brillant but his organisational & kicking game is faultless.

thats actually not a bad call you know

it could be a big gamble and he could end up being the new Ben Kusto.....but he could actually be alright, he does do the little things ok and plays a little in the style of JT....could be worth a gamble????

 

[True EEL]

BS said "i don't know.....but just change it can you"??????

Can you provide a link to that? ;-)

I can't provide a link, but i have a copy of the Big League from about Round 7 or 8 or so, where he said words to that effect and media personalities brought it up at the time as well and couldn't understand it!!!!!

Dykes was quoted as saying....he wants me to change my style, but didn't really say what he wanted me to do.....maybe i can find the actual quote and post it tomorrow if you like?????

 

[Eelementary]

I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor kicking game" when:

* He won us both Newcastle games

* He set up THAT Grothe try against the Cowboys


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor running game" when:

* He scored that try against Brisbane in round 2

* He scored that try against Newcastle in Newcastle


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor passing game" when:

* He set up Burt's try against Brissie at Parra with a flick out the back



Witt is very good, but very raw.

Dykes is very good, and very experienced.

Who would you take?

 

[Suitman]

I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor kicking game" when:

* He won us both Newcastle games

* He set up THAT Grothe try against the Cowboys


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor running game" when:

* He scored that try against Brisbane in round 2

* He scored that try against Newcastle in Newcastle


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor passing game" when:

* He set up Burt's try against Brissie at Parra with a flick out the back



Witt is very good, but very raw.

Dykes is very good, and very experienced.

Who would you take?

Without doubt, Dykes is the best player in the club that we had to fill the half/five/eighth role. I am sorry he has been let go. That is if it has been confirmed.

If it has, its another shameful decision by our chief purchaser/seller.

Suiity

 

[Eelementary]

I agree.

Whilst with us, he has been hot and cold.

However, as both the Newcastle games indicate, he remains cool under pressure and can win you games.

 

[Suitman]

I agree.

Whilst with us, he has been hot and cold.

However, as both the Newcastle games indicate, he remains cool under pressure and can win you games.

He HAS been hot and cold. But that has been just as much fault of every member of the team. I stand by the fact that his continual sideways running has been made look worse due to the lack of motivated runners running off him.

Round two - perfect example against the Raiders. Just before halftime, McLinden runs across field and has numerous inside and outside runners for him to choose from. His choice of runner scores.
Just after halftime, Dykes tried the same thing and there was absolutely nobody there. He got creamed and lost the ball.

Who looks good when he has the support of his team mates and who looks bad?

It has happened time and time again this season and I'm bloody well sick of it.

Suity

 

[The Colonel]

BS said "i don't know.....but just change it can you"??????

Can you provide a link to that? ;-)

I can't provide a link, but i have a copy of the Big League from about Round 7 or 8 or so, where he said words to that effect and media personalities brought it up at the time as well and couldn't understand it!!!!!

Dykes was quoted as saying....he wants me to change my style, but didn't really say what he wanted me to do.....maybe i can find the actual quote and post it tomorrow if you like?????

No, that will do fine mate.

 

[Eels Dude]

I remember that quote. Dykes said something along the lines of Brian asked him to change his style, which Dykes thought would be hard since he's been playing the same way for ten years and didn't really any other way of playing.

 

[True EEL]

and didn't say what to change it too?????

cook-oo cook-oo????

 

[stuke]

for whatever reason dykes style has not fitted into the team over the last three years. thats plenty of time....something needed to be changed and i'm sure brian smith wasn't going to decide it was his ideas that needed to be changed.

hopefully with the inclusion of riddell next year we can get some spark happening in the forwards, get them on a roll and create some space for the backs. from there we only really need a little bit of direction and someone to provide the ball for the backs to do their thing, similiar to the way david penna played for us.

 

[Utey]

If Dykes is released we have no specialists 5/8's in our ranks.

 

[pazzaeel]

on the other hand...

if dykes stays we have no specialist 5/8's in our ranks

 

[oldmancraigy]

I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor kicking game" when:

* He won us both Newcastle games

* He set up THAT Grothe try against the Cowboys


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor running game" when:

* He scored that try against Brisbane in round 2

* He scored that try against Newcastle in Newcastle


I didn't hear anyone complaining about Dykes' "poor passing game" when:

* He set up Burt's try against Brissie at Parra with a flick out the back



Witt is very good, but very raw.

Dykes is very good, and very experienced.

Who would you take?

Those points make the case AGAINST Dykes so well!

We are paying him big bucks to be the guy that can make plays, and he certainly shows that he can! But the problem is, more often than not, he takes bad options.

Dykes is the guy who shapes to kick last tackle and then runs the ball 40 out from our own line, only to sacrifice the ball meekly to a compressed line in front of him.
Dykes is the guy who kicks across field from broken play when we have a 7-2 overlap screaming to get the ball in hand
Dykes is the guy who angles across field looking for a runner - but ends up dummying to ALL of them and flicking a ball onto the ground for nobody in particular to pick up!
Dykes is the guy who suddenly decides he'll sprint onto the ball because he sees a gap behind the markers - sadly his judgement is wrong and there wasn't really a gap at all...


For everything good Dykes does (and he does do great things), he also does bad things. He'll single-handedly win a game against a good team, but then single-handedly lose a game that we should be winning.

And his kicking game IS NOT as good as Michael Witt - Witt gets the ball away far earlier than Dykes, kicks it further and is far more consistent in finding open spaces - Dykes kicks it to the man, off the side of his boot, too long when he needs a short kick, too short when he needs a short kick and just plain too many times! He has one of the worse kicking games in the league... watch him when he plays again - has a good night every now and then, but more often than not an ordinary game


Good player - but not worth big bucks and not going to bring us consistency!