Eddie's Gone

[perverse]

Are you suggesting a coach the standard of Bennett has selected a poor performing back rower for 3/4 of the season?

Taia
McKinnon
Costigan

The list is long of the players the greatest coach of all time considers not as good as Edwards.

NFI? You may as well be saying that to the Coach, he picked Edwards week in week out.

let's be fair, he values him at 150k a season, which is less than he rated him 12 months ago.

McKinnon is a spring chicken, and blind freddy can see he has more potential that Eddy. Eddy has the superior defence, which gets him the nod at present I would wager.

Eddy is a bloody weird guy, and getting weirder it would seem. Good luck to him, I reckon he's a defensive specialist (which has been missing much of the year) with not many other feathers in his cap aside from a little footwork. He clearly rates a few big hits a year as worth more than 200k... and he's kidding himself. If someone pays him more than that, it's their loss.

The writing is on the wall for his time as a first string first grader, Willie and Snowy would be up front with McKinnon, Scott and House in the back row for next year. We lose very little by losing Eddy... he'd be on the bench at best, and would provide f**k all impact from there anyway.

 

[Rod]

Edwards (along with pretty much our whole team) showed some signs of improvement in the last 6 weeks. It even looked like he'd added a bit of footwork before he'd get to the line.

Not enough for me to miss him though. If he doesn't want the contract, particularly after he rejected a very generous one at Christmas, what can we do? He's not the quality of player you get into a bidding war or deep negotiations with.

 

[Johns Magic]

As I've posted in another thread, I think this opens the door to put Gid's in at lock.
Kind of like a Fitler from the days of old, or Anasta.
Would be a good ball playing forward which we don't have, and he's strong enough and fit enough to handle the defense.

I hope we see Smith in the 13 jersey. The talk is still that we're about to sign him, fingers crossed.

It will be very interesting to see where everyone fits next year if we do get him. I don't want to speculate yet but if or where Gidley and Costigan fit will be things to watch.

 

[Allstar Knights]

Josh Massoud was asked yesterday about Smith and his response was "110% he'll be at Newcastle in 2013" so it's looking very likely.

 

[perverse]

One would think that sees McKinnon drop to the bench then, and Eddy would almost definitely be fringe bench/NSW Cup next year. God knows where we squeeze Gids into all this. My gut tells me Wayne still sees him as our halfback. Personally, it would be Gids at Lock next year for mine... and Hooker the year after... but f**k knows.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Kurt may well play in the 14. Tyrone and Mullen is developing into quite a combination. Tyrone looks more a natural half by the week. Can't drop him until it is warranted. My question is how Wayne sees Kurt's future as skipper. We have a born leader in a number 10 jumper.

 

[Johns Magic]

7. Roberts
8. Snow
9. Gidley
10. Mase
11. Smith
12. Scott
13. Houston

14. Sims
15. Cuthbo
16. McKinnon
17. Buderus

With Gids to shift into backrow for a stint to get Bedsy on for the last 50-60 minutes to lift the defensive intensity. McKinnon spelling Smith...Houston not playing 80...wow that's a mess.

I think the thing for me is that I think it would be a massive backward step to drop Roberts now after persevering through the pain. He is just starting to deliver and is a much better 7 potentially than Gidley.

Costigan hasn't even entered the equation yet either.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Edwards (along with pretty much our whole team) showed some signs of improvement in the last 6 weeks. It even looked like he'd added a bit of footwork before he'd get to the line.

Not enough for me to miss him though. If he doesn't want the contract, particularly after he rejected a very generous one at Christmas, what can we do? He's not the quality of player you get into a bidding war or deep negotiations with.

He's always had it, it's just that it is pretty ineffective when the side is on the backfoot. Now that we are making some metres up the middle he can utilise it against retreating defences.

Eddie never seemed to grow into the player we all wanted or needed him to be. A no nonsense, hard hitting prop forward enforcer. He was always on the smaller size and didnt seem to fill out with age.

Its a shame but if he thinks he is worth more than good luck to him

 

[aqua_duck]

Are you suggesting a coach the standard of Bennett has selected a poor performing back rower for 3/4 of the season?

Taia
McKinnon
Costigan

The list is long of the players the greatest coach of all time considers not as good as Edwards.

NFI? You may as well be saying that to the Coach, he picked Edwards week in week out.

Taia has been abit of a revelation coming off the bench, problem when he was playing on the left fringe was his D was inadequate. McKinnon is a young guy who's been eased in slowly but has shown rep potential, Costigan is a waste of space

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Hmmm, not a great decision for Edwards. I don't know what he expects to be worth on the open market but $150k would probably be pushing his maximum value.

He's not a forward who makes anything even close to 100 metres a game, or a forward capable of throwing a good pass or even getting a few offloads away, and he is hardly a defensive work-horse.

In short he is a guy who has a good tackling technique and at one stage had a bit of a cult status with some big hits he was able to put on. That is all.

As has been said, I really don't think it's a big loss in any way and will just mean we have more to splash out on other recruits (Smith becoming more of an option then).

Good luck to Eddy, I hope for his sake that his gamble pays off. He has definitely given us a few moments for the highlight reel over the last couple of seasons.

 

[Pika]

Edwards has generally been poor for most of the year and isn't alone, either. I'm not questioning Bennett at all mate.

The NFI was to him (a troll) saying how much potential we'd think he has if he re-signed, which simply isn't true because many have been critical of him this year.

Yeah true.

I was a bit of mark with my comments.

 

[Alex28]

Man Eddy has got himself some poor advice - but only on the basis he hasn't got something locked in already. Surely his management would only knock the club back on the basis of a better deal on the table.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I'm amazed that he rejected the offer. I'd be very surprised to see a club sign him for anything over 150K. TBO with what I have seen from him so far, Bennet should have offered him a one year deal worth about 120K. The blokes not worth more than that at this stage.

 

[perverse]

7. Roberts
8. Snow
9. Gidley
10. Mase
11. Smith
12. Scott
13. Houston

14. Sims
15. Cuthbo
16. McKinnon
17. Buderus

With Gids to shift into backrow for a stint to get Bedsy on for the last 50-60 minutes to lift the defensive intensity. McKinnon spelling Smith...Houston not playing 80...wow that's a mess.

I think the thing for me is that I think it would be a massive backward step to drop Roberts now after persevering through the pain. He is just starting to deliver and is a much better 7 potentially than Gidley.

Costigan hasn't even entered the equation yet either.

agree with you on all fronts. it's hard to see how it's all going to go. especially agree that it would be a backward step to drop Roberts at this stage... his confidence is right up there at the moment, and he's looking every bit the first grader. I can't remember a time in recent memory where our spine has operated so smoothly together.

 

[slotmachine]

Lol. Gidley will never play lock or back row.

 

[Burwood]

Didn't Bennett drop Hodges once he signed with the Roosters years back?Will be very interesting whether or not he shows as much faith in him in regards to weekly selection, especially given our position on the ladder.

If Edwards is dropped by Bennett, and he hasn't got a deal lined up for next year, he is going to find it very hard to pick up a contract worth half as much.

And I wonder if it is Edwards backing himself, or his manager getting in his ear and offering perhaps not the best advice?

 

[Johns Magic]

Lol. Gidley will never play lock or back row.

Yeah I think he's absolutely not a backrower. I don't like the idea. But when you've got a hooker, a fullback, two centres and hopefully Roberts at 7 it's hard to see where he's going to fit.

 

[Noname36]

I'm baffled by that decision from Edwards, and it seems the club is too. I'd be very surprised if he didn't already have an offer lined up. I know Gus is a big fan of his so I wouldn't be shocked to see him in Penrith next year.

Next year Gids should alternate the hooking role with Bedsy and be ready to take over the role fulltime the year after.

1. Boyd
6. Mullo
7. Roberts
9. Gids/Bedsy

14. Bedsy/Gids

That's a very good spine.

 

[perverse]

Gidley could easily play Lock without a drama. It would be more of a ballplaying, 5th spine position type of Lock, but he could do it without hassle. a smaller, but more psychotic Glenn Stewart, really. he wouldn't struggle with the defence, or making yards either. I'm not suggesting it's the best use of him... but as JM said, where do you put him? We can't be paying him 400k+ a year to warm the bloody bench.

He has to be our hooker post-Bedsy. it's the only place left for him, and we don't have any other great options. Bennett will have to see it if he hasn't already.

 

[slotmachine]

WAY too small.

It would solve the issue of where to play him though as he'd cop a season ending injury in round 2 every year.

Hooker makes some sense, but again, 40 tackles a game will kill him.