Idris to the Panthers

[natheel]

I doubt he is getting more money at Penrith...what else is there?

Fall out with titans players or coaches? Covered up by the "home sick" line

 

[H.H]

Fall out with titans players or coaches? Covered up by the "home sick" line

Bingo.

 

[franklin2323]

The fact Hayne/Inglis are Australia's best centres yet are 1000% better at fb is proof the game lacks elite centres.

You go through sides. Either inconsistent or rubbish.

 

[_Johnsy]

I am just another disgruntled ex - supporter of the Titans.

How very GC of you.

 

[Generalzod]

When he signed with the Titans for $1.8 million over five years in 2011, the Gold Coast were a different team. They had promised to make him a larger-than-life character away from footy, but financial problems stalled that. Gould also heard rumblings about Idris' desire to come back to Sydney to be closer to his family.
I think Personally its a Great Move for Idris for his Career under a Very Good Coach in Cleary, he will get the Best Out of Him. I would not be Suprised to see Idris wearing again the NSW Jumper.

Wasn't part of the deal for moving up to the coast TV or movie deal???

 

[The Eagle]

Whare is 5th behind Lyon, Hodges, Matai and Morris

In 2-3 years only current one from them4 to still be playing will be Morris

There is no new centres, maybe Taufua moves there after Lyon or Matai retires, or both

 

[maple_69]

Add Jennings in there at 3 and I think that's about it.
Realistically though we are fairly weak for centres. Lets take that list and add Idris ajd Tate who are probably next.
Lyon is superb. Question mark given lack of rep football but honestly any one without a finger in their ass knows he would excel there. Hodges is great but rarely on the park. Jennings is spectacular and has really improved his defence but 2 great seasons in 6 years.. Morris very solid, fantastic in Origin 2012 but doesn't have the talent to be as dangerous as lyon/Hodges or Jennings. Matai also consistently good but not amazing, plus has a lot of crap in his game. Whare has one season at centre and it was bloody good. He continues and he's top 3. Idris half a great season last year and some overate performances for the Dogs. Tate has been good for a long time but atm is only that.

In a few years I see it being Jennings, Leilua, Whare, Idris, Gagai/Morris

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The fact Hayne/Inglis are Australia's best centres yet are 1000% better at fb is proof the game lacks elite centres.

You go through sides. Either inconsistent or rubbish.

This is actually an interesting point. I disagree that there are no elite centres, but there is definitely a lack of specialist centres.

All of the skills that make Inglis, Hayne, ect. are the same skills that make them the best fullbacks, 5/8ths, ect. in the world.

The last great specialist centre i can think of was Matt Gidley, but it would be interesting to figure out exactly what skills a specialist centre would need to make that step up from even the inglis and hayne types.

 

[Loudstrat]

The lack of specialisation in backline positions is a growing trend that is becoming alarming. Of all those positions, the three backline positions have more unique skill requirements that any others have - arguable point, I know, but wingers and fullbacks have a unique set of requirements - especially defensively.

I think this is preventing good potential centres getting access to the polish provided by the rep arena.

But look at our Australian rep backs:

ONE POSITION:
HODGES - club and rep centre
JENNINGS - club and rep centre

MIXED POSITONS
SLATER - specialist fullback who played many origins on the wing
TATE - Club centre, rep winger
INGLIS - club fullback, centre or 5/8 - rep centre or winger (and fullback once)
BOYD - club fullback, rep winger
B MORRIS - club and rep winger, sometimes club fullback
J MORRIS - Club winger and centre, rep centre
HAYNE - Club winger initially, club fullback for 5 years - when he was a rep winger and centre

I've left out the spasmodic selections like Uate, Dugan and McManus.

The point being that there has been a long trend of picking the best players, rather than the best in their positions, going back before the Matt Bowen rep years. Specialist wingers being selected in multiple seasons = Brett Morris. Its been a long time since any other specialist wingers have nailed and held onto rep positions. Apart from Uate, Dugan and McManus, David Williams, Nathan Merrit and Hasem El Masri, Do we go back to Eric Grothe Jnr to find a club winger getting a rep gig?

Heres a challenge - before Bmoz, who was the last specialist club winger to play 15 tests on the wing for Australia? It hasnt been done this century - which is now 14 years old

 

[stevenwbird]

The lack of specialisation in backline positions is a growing trend that is becoming alarming. Of all those positions, the three backline positions have more unique skill requirements that any others have - arguable point, I know, but wingers and fullbacks have a unique set of requirements - especially defensively.

I think this is preventing good potential centres getting access to the polish provided by the rep arena.

But look at our Australian rep backs:

ONE POSITION:
HODGES - club and rep centre
JENNINGS - club and rep centre

MIXED POSITONS
SLATER - specialist fullback who played many origins on the wing
TATE - Club centre, rep winger
INGLIS - club fullback, centre or 5/8 - rep centre or winger (and fullback once)
BOYD - club fullback, rep winger
B MORRIS - club and rep winger, sometimes club fullback
J MORRIS - Club winger and centre, rep centre
HAYNE - Club winger initially, club fullback for 5 years - when he was a rep winger and centre

I've left out the spasmodic selections like Uate, Dugan and McManus.

The point being that there has been a long trend of picking the best players, rather than the best in their positions, going back before the Matt Bowen rep years. Specialist wingers being selected in multiple seasons = Brett Morris. Its been a long time since any other specialist wingers have nailed and held onto rep positions. Apart from Uate, Dugan and McManus, David Williams, Nathan Merrit and Hasem El Masri, Do we go back to Eric Grothe Jnr to find a club winger getting a rep gig?

Heres a challenge - before Bmoz, who was the last specialist club winger to play 15 tests on the wing for Australia? It hasnt been done this century - which is now 14 years old

Lote Tuqiri?

 

[Loudstrat]

He only played 5 tests.

 

[POPEYE]

There will come a day when players will be required to be clones of the perfect allrounder, 13 Inglis's would be hard to beat. Too many substitutes are also making the game one dimensional

 

[Doug the Morpork]

The lack of specialisation in backline positions is a growing trend that is becoming alarming. Of all those positions, the three backline positions have more unique skill requirements that any others have - arguable point, I know, but wingers and fullbacks have a unique set of requirements - especially defensively.

I think this is preventing good potential centres getting access to the polish provided by the rep arena.

But look at our Australian rep backs:

ONE POSITION:
HODGES - club and rep centre
JENNINGS - club and rep centre

MIXED POSITONS
SLATER - specialist fullback who played many origins on the wing
TATE - Club centre, rep winger
INGLIS - club fullback, centre or 5/8 - rep centre or winger (and fullback once)
BOYD - club fullback, rep winger
B MORRIS - club and rep winger, sometimes club fullback
J MORRIS - Club winger and centre, rep centre
HAYNE - Club winger initially, club fullback for 5 years - when he was a rep winger and centre

I've left out the spasmodic selections like Uate, Dugan and McManus.

The point being that there has been a long trend of picking the best players, rather than the best in their positions, going back before the Matt Bowen rep years. Specialist wingers being selected in multiple seasons = Brett Morris. Its been a long time since any other specialist wingers have nailed and held onto rep positions. Apart from Uate, Dugan and McManus, David Williams, Nathan Merrit and Hasem El Masri, Do we go back to Eric Grothe Jnr to find a club winger getting a rep gig?

Heres a challenge - before Bmoz, who was the last specialist club winger to play 15 tests on the wing for Australia? It hasnt been done this century - which is now 14 years old

Even though he doesn't play for aussie, Vatuvei is a specialist winger and has never played another position. Played 24 games for the Kiwis with 17 tries and 171 games for the Warriors with 117 tries, so imo qualifies for constant selection at rep level and shows his quality as a club winger.

 

[Tone83]

Hodges has been a FB as well, funny how people forget that, he was fb for the broncos for a while and was very good there. Realistically the broncs should have had him locked in there ever since Karmichael left but they persisted with their new losers while hodges snoozed in the centre position. I think a really good centre by definition can be a really good fullback, and is much more valuable back there, with only the oddest of exceptions. Like maybe Lyon is hard to imagine as a fb, but then who knows.

 

[Loudstrat]

Yeah, I missed that one. One less specialist. The Kiwis seem to do better in that regard.

Wendell Sailor and Brett Morris are the last two specialist wingers to play over 15 tests for Australia. Sailors test debut was 1994 - 20 years ago.

 

[H.H]

Yeah, I missed that one. One less specialist. The Kiwis seem to do better in that regard.

Wendell Sailor and Brett Morris are the last two specialist wingers to play over 15 tests for Australia. Sailors test debut was 1994 - 20 years ago.

Even then it's iffy.

Dell played a reasonable amount of fullback in his earlier days and even some back row. B Moz played some fullback last year.

This is an argument that goes back years. I recall ET being picked on the wing many times in rep footy.

Even players like Boustead and Grothe, who many argue are the best wing combo of the modern era played full back and centre at times in club footy.

 

[Jason Maher]

Did Michael Hancock ever play anywhere other than wing? I know Willie Carne played centre and fullback, and Rod Wishart started off as a centre. Lote Tiquiri played a handful of games at fullback for the donkeys. How many players are genuine specialists in that they've never, ever played a different position though?

 

[stevenwbird]

It may be a testament to how versatile the modern player is. It happens in the forwards as well. A specialist back rower like Gallen and Thaiday can easily be at home in the front row both at club and rep level.

 

[POPEYE]

Did Michael Hancock ever play anywhere other than wing? I know Willie Carne played centre and fullback, and Rod Wishart started off as a centre. Lote Tiquiri played a handful of games at fullback for the donkeys. How many players are genuine specialists in that they've never, ever played a different position though?

You would have to be specific, rep footy might be recordable but a player switching during a game in club footy for one reason or another might disqualify him

 

[Frank_Grimes]

Did Michael Hancock ever play anywhere other than wing?

Played about 25 games at centre, a bit more than that off the bench, and a handful of games in the backrow.