halves for next year?

[Stagger eel]

I'll make one guarantee to you all and I'm happy for someone to prove me wrong when the time comes.

Morts will figure more prominantly than Humble will next season.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I'll make one guarantee to you all and I'm happy for someone to prove me wrong when the time comes.

Morts will figure more prominantly than Humble will next season.

I agree with you on that one. So many want to throw him to the dogs but he offers more than Humble.

 

[boxhead]

Boxhead, I also believe the coach will stick with Mortimer - but for different reasons. There are people who have stuck their neck out by announcing Mortimer as "the future of Parramatta". A lot of time, money & strategic publicity has been put into this kid. Not only do they want a return on their "investment" (which is understandable) but they do not want to have to admit they were wrong in their eagerness to put so much faith in him.

I sincerely hope, for Mortimer's sake, the gamble (which is really what it is) pays off but from what I have witnessed so far, I think it is a long shot at best. Time will tell.

If I were the coach, I would be starting with 7. Robson (assuming Orford is not signed) and 6. Humble - leaving Mortimer & Murray as the 6 & 7 for Wentworthville, doing their best to put pressure on the NRL halves.

WOE

Mate, what I've realized about your arguments is that I can't really disagree with them. Our opinions are different but you present them very well and you don't resort to Mortimer bashing like some others. Good on you mate
We just have to wait and see, hey?

I'll make one guarantee to you all and I'm happy for someone to prove me wrong when the time comes.

Morts will figure more prominantly than Humble will next season.

Yeah that's the way I see it too, I believe it will definitely be the case also if we do sign Orford.

 

[Wise Old Eel]

Yeah, see, just more Mortimer bashing. Still no examples of what Humble has actually done to prove himself a better player than Mortimer. Just more, 'Oh, Mortimer actually played crap in 2009, even though all evidence is to the contrary'. He played great 2009, he played crap 2010, but in 2009 he wasn't irrelevant.
I respect your opinion that Humble is the better player, but you have yet to back it up with any facts, just Mortimer bashing. And there is no need for silly insults, we're only debating football.

I don't "Mortimer bash", as you put it. I simply have a different view to you. As I have said MANY times, I would love to be proven wrong & see the Eels succeed in 2011 - with Mortimer playing an instrumental part. It is my opinion that he is not up to job. In 2009, he was given free license to inject himself into the action when opportunities (that, in most cases, were presented by others) arose. But in 2010, he was given a more senior role. He was given more responsibility and did not handle it at all.

Humble, on the other hand, excelled in the Qld Cup (not the NRL but a far superior comp than the NSW Cup) and was rated among the best performers in the backs for Wentworthville in 2010. On top of that, the kid played a handful of NRL matches - in a number of different positions - and held his own. He DIDN'T look out of his depth.

I am of the opinion that if Humble was given as much latitude as Mortimer, he would prove himself to be top choice for the 6 jersey. But the whole argument cannot be won (by either side) until he gets a substantial chance to prove himself in his preferred position – as Mortimer has already been given.

And lastly, can you please provide evidence of when I have EVER resorted to insulting people? I simply state my opinion, same as you. No one is saying you have to like it.

WOE

 

[Springs]

I don't "Mortimer bash", as you put it. I simply have a different view to you. As I have said MANY times, I would love to be proven wrong & see the Eels succeed in 2011 - with Mortimer playing an instrumental part. It is my opinion that he is not up to job. In 2009, he was given free license to inject himself into the action when opportunities (that, in most cases, were presented by others) arose. But in 2010, he was given a more senior role. He was given more responsibility and did not handle it at all.

Humble, on the other hand, excelled in the Qld Cup (not the NRL but a far superior comp than the NSW Cup) and was rated among the best performers in the backs for Wentworthville in 2010. On top of that, the kid played a handful of NRL matches - in a number of different positions - and held his own. He DIDN'T look out of his depth.

I am of the opinion that if Humble was given as much latitude as Mortimer, he would prove himself to be top choice for the 6 jersey. But the whole argument cannot be won (by either side) until he gets a substantial chance to prove himself in his preferred position – as Mortimer has already been given.

And lastly, can you please provide evidence of when I have EVER resorted to insulting people? I simply state my opinion, same as you. No one is saying you have to like it.

WOE

I was referring to mrpwnd, not you, sorry for the misunderstanding, I should have made my point clearer.

Your points are valid, you have an opinion, and don't state that it is fact that Humble is great and Mortimer is crap like others do.

This is an example of the Mortimer bashing and insults I was referring to:

You can talk of first grade impact and compare them, albeit unfairly and stupidly so, but the fact stands that we now need more skilled ball players, not fringe first grade support players like Morts.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I wish I could watch a package of Cooper Cronk's game time before he was switched to halfback in 2006. From memory he was nothing special and Mortimer and Humble show just as much potential if not more as that time (pre 2006) in Cronks career as he did.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Cronk wasn't anything special even when switched to half, he just had a good kicking game but they built on that and he developed.

 

[mrpwnd]

I was referring to mrpwnd, not you, sorry for the misunderstanding, I should have made my point clearer.

Your points are valid, you have an opinion, and don't state that it is fact that Humble is great and Mortimer is crap like others do.

This is an example of the Mortimer bashing and insults I was referring to:

What part of my post was an insult?
I made a post and a realistic analysis of Morts based on his 2010 form that atm he isn't suited to a halves role in first grade.
You say his points are valid and yet much of his post largely similar to what I have been trying to point out this whole time.
It's fair game that you dislike me because I don't have a boner for Morts innate potential, but don't single me out just because i'm actively disagreeing with you.

 

[mrpwnd]

Cronk wasn't anything special even when switched to half, he just had a good kicking game but they built on that and he developed.

There you go, he had something.
Morts has neither a decent passing or a kicking game.
For what it's worth he's a great 'support' player, in that case shouldn't we just develop him as a utility player then?

 

[mrpwnd]

Both of you guys are assuming the coach will punt him, saying "Live with it" when in all actuality it is most likely the head coach will stick with Mortimer. So "live with it" - what a stupid line to use.

I vividly remember all of 2009, and I also vividly remember lots of tries that Mortimer set up himself, especially through his short-kicking game. Why that was non-existent this year is beyond me.

He had better improve next year or he is a goner.

Okay a bit of misunderstanding in the way I used 'live with it'.
What I meant by that is ability and skillwise my combination was likely better, thus 'live with it'. Not that I think Kearney will inevitably use that combination. At this point I have absolutely no idea what to assume from our coach.

 

[Springs]

What part of my post was an insult?
I made a post and a realistic analysis of Morts based on his 2010 form that atm he isn't suited to a halves role in first grade.
You say his points are valid and yet much of his post largely similar to what I have been trying to point out this whole time.
It's fair game that you dislike me because I don't have a boner for Morts innate potential, but don't single me out just because i'm actively disagreeing with you.

'Unfairly and stupidly'
You said what I was saying was stupid. Sounds like an insult to me...

 

[lingard]

I agree boss i reckon we're in for a big one in 2011.

I think we`re in for a fairly average 2011, but I can certainly live with that. After the chopping and changing of coaches, boards, etc, it might take another year for us to be trully competitive again. That`s okay. I like following Parramatta when they are underdogs and, unlike some supporters, I really don`t expect to win the premiership every year. That`s not what this whole thing is about.

 

[lingard]

Just to explain, when I say half i means both the halfback and 5-8 as they are a halves pairing(so not just Robson). The grandfinal loss is not Robsons and Mortimers fault, we didn't play the football we were in previous rounds. We didnt promote the football and run Melbourne around with second phase play until the last 20 min and we almost stole the game off them.

The problem is that ad-lib footy is inconsistant, this year it mean we made alot more mistakes. We need a half who can play percentage footy when it is required to grind out wins or get us off the backfoot. Its easy to throw the ball around when your infront or when your behind and its the only option but when the game is in the balance you need someone to stear the team around, Hayne isn't that type of player because he isn't a genuine half even thou he has the skills he doesn't think like one. We need a calming effect in many ways, look what scott prince did against us when they looked down and out. Now im not asking to sign scott prince but Mortimer doesn't strink me as someone who can do this, he is a very ad-lib style of footballer aswell, robson can but doesn't have the skill level (i think he will do if we dont sign Orford thou) and I see Humble as a very smart, percentage play footballer with moments of briliance and that is why i chose him over mortimer.

I.e I dont think a Mortimer-Robson half combo suits our style, I think a Humble-Robson combo would better suit our team or even better a Orford-Humble combo.

I agree, Caylo. It could well have been a coaching error that made Parramatta so conservative in the first half of the Grand Final; or it could have been (as Anderson said) that the team just gave Melbourne too much respect. By the time they realised that Melbourne were beatable, it was too late. (Just).

 

[lingard]

Okay, okay, can someone please explain this to me? I have only seen Humble play in his brief stint in first grade and from that I don't know how he can be seen as a percentage play footballer? Everyone keeps saying how Humble has proved he is a better 6 than Mortimer (which is complete crap) but they never give any examples. In Humble's first game he was solid, did nothing spectacular and held on to the ball instead of throwing it inside and ended up tackled over the sideline. Other moments I remember are two back-up tries in the Sharks and Warriors games and a wayward pass over the touch-in-goal line (which I would hardly call a 'percentage' play).
I think he's a solid young player and should be in the top 17 next year but I haven't really seen all this brilliance that you guys make him out to have. I know some of you have seen him play reserve grade and if you've seen his brilliance there then I understand, but as of now he is yet to show it in first grade.

All I can say, Springs, is strap yourself in and keep watching. Time will tell. If he settles in to the five-eight role like I think he can, I think we can even get away with another year of Robson at half-back.

 

[lingard]

Here's repeating...... the refs had a huge hand in the Eels loss.
They allowed Storm to slow down the Eels play the ball and
the 10 meter was not policed, often was more like 7 or 8 metres.
This nullified the edge the Eels had when they got on a roll.
Yes, Storm were the better team for almost 75% of the game
but the other 25% would still had won the GF for the Eels
had the refs allowed fast play the balls and policed the 10 metres.
Then there was that penalty against Fui when the Eels were on a huge roll in both defence & attack.

Rubbish. If Parramatta had played less conservatively from the start, we could have won that game regardless of any refereeing decisions.

 

[Delboy]

Neither Robson or Morts should be at 7, if we end up with either playing there then we are in for a long unproductive season.

Would even cop Robson at 6 at a pinch, but both of then cannot guide a team as a NRL 7 should, see what happens, have my fingers crossed for another signing.

 

[parra pete]

I recently (about a month ago) spoke to one of his Uncles about Daniel..I asked him how he thought he was going. He said "Fine"..He expects him to get better with experience. "You can't expect him to play like a seasoned campaigner, when he is not. He is also a five-eighth, not a half back."
That's just what he told me...

 

[lingard]

Neither Robson or Morts should be at 7, if we end up with either playing there then we are in for a long unproductive season.

Would even cop Robson at 6 at a pinch, but both of then cannot guide a team as a NRL 7 should, see what happens, have my fingers crossed for another signing.

You`re absolutely right, I think, Dellboy. If we go down the Mortimer/Robson halves path again, we will be doomed. I happen to think Robson is more valuable than Mortimer, but that`s just my opinion. I often thought Robson would make quite a decent defensive five-eight. Perhaps he is too slow for five-eight, but it might be worth a try. Unfortunately, I think we need an attacking five-eight more. A ball-playing, attacking five-eight with a good running game. That leaves Robson out. I think if Robson is to play first grade at all this year, it has to be at half or hooker (or 14).

 

[Stagger eel]

the better 7 we have working inside him combined with the protection from his backrower and centre will see instant improvement..

 

[ParraFan09]

I think we`re in for a fairly average 2011, but I can certainly live with that. After the chopping and changing of coaches, boards, etc, it might take another year for us to be trully competitive again. That`s okay. I like following Parramatta when they are underdogs and, unlike some supporters, I really don`t expect to win the premiership every year. That`s not what this whole thing is about.

I can't agree with that beacuse i believe we have one of the strongest squads in the comp, i happen to believe we will have a big year next year. and if i was SK this is the team i would run with in round1 assuming we sign orford

1. Hayne
2. Burt
3. Reddy
4. Tahu
5. Grothe
6. Mortimer
7. Orford
8. Poore
9. Mcguire
10. Moi Moi
11. Hindmarsh (C)
12. Smith
13. Shackelton

14. Mitchell
15. Manah
16. Horo
17. Webb

That is just my personal opionion know one has to agree with it, but i think its a great side.