Eddie's Gone

[Noname36]

He should play hooker IMO (either starting or coming from the bench to relieve Bedsy), but I have a feeling he'll be named at #7 come round 1 next year. I've read a few times where Bennett's said that he believes that Gids' best spot is in the halves.

 

[jonno_knights]

I don't think Bennett will muck around shifting his halfback to hooker just to give Tyrone a run each week. not exactly an elegant solution. I prefer JM's solution on the last page with Bedsy coming on from the bench if we're going to go that far into unorthodoxy.

Yeh, thats why I said its Roberts' best case scenario. More than likely Bennett carries Roberts on the bench, and plays him sparingly like he did with Kyle Stanley a fair bit at the Dragons.

 

[Johns Magic]

Honest question Slot: do you think the club will gladly let Roberts go? I can't see him hanging around too long playing NSW Cup given his breakout this year and the demand for halfbacks in the market.

 

[perverse]

Yeh, thats why I said its Roberts' best case scenario. More than likely Bennett carries Roberts on the bench, and plays him sparingly like he did with Kyle Stanley a fair bit at the Dragons.

you could be right, I'm not sure. where did Stanley come onto the field during that period? I just don't like mucking around with your spine mid-game unless it's through injury (or, obviously, hooker interchange).

Honest question Slot: do you think the club will gladly let Roberts go? I can't see him hanging around too long playing NSW Cup given his breakout this year and the demand for halfbacks in the market.

this sums up my concern nicely. halfbacks are a very rare and sought after commodity these days.

 

[eozsmiles]

Gids has a bad shoulder and Wayne won't play him in the forwards I don't think.

Eddy reckons he is an average player or better and got offered way below average money for next year. He no doubt reckons he's a top 17 player and wants the coin to match. Scott, Smith, and Houston meant he wasn't going to get it because he's probably not in the Knights top 17 next year.

Should've signed the original deal, although he probably fancied his chances of cementing a 1st grade spot and the salary cap is rising. And he might have ended up in the Isaac De Gois situation anyway. I think that if Smith and Scott weren't coming then people would be happier to give him time. He is young and the whole squad has struggled during the year. But with a couple of rep players arriving he is surplus. Wouldn't surprise to see him kick on somewhere.

 

[slotmachine]

Honest question Slot: do you think the club will gladly let Roberts go? I can't see him hanging around too long playing NSW Cup given his breakout this year and the demand for halfbacks in the market.

Roberts is signed till the end of 2014, so he's not going anywhere.

 

[perverse]

Yeah, because we're going to keep an unhappy player that has sought a release from his contract. It's good football business to keep unhappy players around the club, especially ones that are playing NSW Cup. What is a contract worth these days, exactly?

 

[Big Tim]

I could see Gus offering Ty the world if he isnt given a fair shot at the 7 jersey next year

We all know he was after Stig at the end of last year. Ty's last few months have made us all forget about anything Stig ever did in a Knights jersey.

With the talent we have at the club now, Gids skill set is best suited to a part-time hooking or backrow position. Again, his weakness is his biggest strength. Versatility.

Jack of all trades, master of none. (I will admit he is a great Fullback, but a certain guy in our team makes that position not a possibility)

This is all assuming Ty keeps his 7 position. I wont be against Gidley being our half next year, but at this stage I am all for young Roberts being given the chance to keep the spot he has earned.

 

[Big Tim]

Also go check out the thread on this in the Sharks forum.

Any chance of a PM with the gist of this thread???

 

[RABK]

Consider this.

Snowden 50-60 minutes
Buderus 50-60 minutes
Mason 35-50 minutes
Scott 70-80 minutes
Smith 60-80 minutes
Houston 80 minutes

Carrying a 4 forward bench isn't going to be economical in 2013 - we simply have too much workrate in the starting pack to give adequate minutes to 4 forwards.

Hence carrying Roberts on the bench to sub Buderus seems like a good and likely idea to me. Gidley to hooker or Roberts to hooker after 25 or so minutes.

 

[slotmachine]

That makes the most sense.

Along with gids off to ESL in a few years .

 

[Silent Knight]

You don't mess around with a spine that works. If it's not broken why fix it? I'm calling it, but if we drop Roberts for Gidley our structure in attack will go backwards.

Our current attack is fluid and dangerous and Roberts has demonstrated he can follow Wayne's game plan to the letter. He doesn't hog the ball and he knows how to link up with the outside backs without crabbing across field looking for holes that don't exist.

Roberts long range kicking game needs some improvement but it's not like Gidleys has ever been that great. Finally Mullen came out and said he's building a really effective halves partnership with Tyrone.

 

[RABK]

then carry Gidley on the bench and forget the fact we are paying him 400k.

 

[Yosh]

It feels like Edwards just slapped the club in the face... This is his hometown club and we offerred him a good deal as well. How many people in Australia make 150/200k a year doing something they love for the club they have supported since they were a kid? No cool... Stupid as well...

At the dragons WB had a fien or priddis on the bench. The old experienced hooker who would take control of the game when things started to get messy etc... Perhaps Gidley to hooker and Bedsy on the bench is the best option. Personally i'm loving tyrone's work at 7. Can take on the line, has a very underrated right to left cut out pass, goal kicking has improved outta sight and puts in 110% in defence. If anyone can tell me what Roberts can't do that Gidley can for like 1/4 of the price, i'm a listening.

 

[rabble]

someone may have touched on it , but roberts may make a better hooker than kids, that's the the only way WB could get kids in just because it's felt he has to. roberts to 14 till kids is gone. where mcmanus gonna end up. canberra ,penrith.?

 

[RABK]

I think some are overating Tyrone based on 3 weeks form - ironically in a thread about a guy who won most of you over on a months form.

He's shown some skill and composure... for three weeks. Let's not over do it, and i'm not even a gidley fan so i have no reason to push for him. A working spine is not made and proved in 3 weeks. That's nothing more than purple patch form until proven otherwise. Let's see how Roberts goes during the next 5 weeks. He could just so easily revert back to the reserve grade standard he set for most the year.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

That makes the most sense.

Along with gids off to ESL in a few years .

You are aware that Gidley has played first grade since he was 18, 12 years ago? And you are aware that he plays the game as uptempo and with as little self preservation as anyone? So surely you must be aware that Gidley will probably be retired in a few years right?

 

[Silent Knight]

Gidley commanded that sort of money during a time when we struggled to attract genuine marquee talent at the club and were forced to settle with journeymen like Ben Rogers, Matt Hilder and Antonio Kaufusi. During that era, Gidley was one of our best in a club that was happy with mediocrity.

We have the coach and we have the capacity to attract marquee talent like Darius Boyd. We shouldn't select our squad based on a price tag. We need to build a squad that is capable of competing with the best in finals series every year. Right now the combinations Wayne has been working on have started to click. The players themselves have come out in the media (like Chris Houston) and said their confidence is building because Wayne has stuck with the same team.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Roberts is playing superbly in the 7 so why would we consider him at hooker? Putting Gidley at seven will kill our width. Kurt plays too direct to be A halfback. He is a ball runner first and a ball player second. Tyrone has a hybrid of both in his game. Tyrone is quick on his feet which makes gap running a real option for him off a good dummy or step as we saw Sunday. Tyrone has as much ability as any half we have had since Joey. He is 20. He will get better. Kurt may have peaked form wise. It is a risk to mess with a good formula.

 

[RABK]

Gidley commanded that sort of money during a time when we struggled to attract genuine marquee talent at the club and were forced to settle with journeymen like Ben Rogers, Matt Hilder and Antonio Kaufusi. During that era, Gidley was one of our best in a club that was happy with mediocrity.

We have the coach and we have the capacity to attract marquee talent like Darius Boyd. We shouldn't select our squad based on a price tag. We need to build a squad that is capable of competing with the best in finals series every year. Right now the combinations Wayne has been working on have started to click. The players themselves have come out in the media (like Chris Houston) and said their confidence is building because Wayne has stuck with the same team.

I wasn't been sarcastic. I meant what i said. Pick Gidley on the bench and forget he is on 400k. Besides, 200 or so of that won't be included in the cap anyway.

It's ironic for so long that the pro Gidley crowd often used what a great clubman he is in their arguments for him - maybe, just maybe he'll have to prove it by giving up the captaincy and playing off the bench.