Its that time of year. Your top 17 for 2010 and general discussion for 2010

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Excess baggage to cut.

Lulia.
Wicks.
Tolar.
Ciraldo.

Club needs to make some hard decisions in '10 and get rid of the deadwood who would u guys cull from the from the herd to free up some $$$ for '11.

 

[keeney]

All guys re-signed or extended this year. Why would the club be doing that if they were entertaining getting rid of them. I wouldn't mind having em gone, but that isn't what's going to happen.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Excess baggage to cut.

Lulia.
Wicks.
Tolar.
Ciraldo.

Club needs to make some hard decisions in '10 and get rid of the deadwood who would u guys cull from the from the herd to free up some $$$ for '11.

Tolar signed this year for another 3 years. Wicks is still very young for a prop, so I would be willing to persevere. Ciraldo could prove to be a massive asset if he makes a full recovery from his leg injury. Lulia is solid, but nothing special and I would be happy if we let him go

 

[macavity]

The gids to halves thing is brought up in the article announcing Mcdonnell's msigning. I think it's a real chance. Although we'd lose more than we gain IMO.

care to elaborate?

he gets in the way trying to playmake as is - perhaps if we get him the ball more often he stops thinking he has to make the big play every time he gets it.

 

[Serc]

Interesting train of thought there (can't say I'd thought of it that way before)...but isn't that what we had from 04-06 when he played 5/8? And this was playing outside Johns who could make Matt Parsons look good at 5/8 if he wanted!!!

 

[keeney]

care to elaborate?

he gets in the way trying to playmake as is - perhaps if we get him the ball more often he stops thinking he has to make the big play every time he gets it.

He stifles attack enough from fullback. More touches kills his game, even if he doesn't know it. Even if that happens just as much with his current role from FB, his direction of the team in defense and individual defense is somethign that Mcdonnell can't do. Mcdonnell doesn't make the positive contributions of line joining that Gids does either.

 

[Frederick]

When McDonnell was playing fullback he managed to combine with dodge for some lovely inside balls that put him into the clear...something that I rarely see Gidley do. Kids seems content to receive the ball two or three off the ruck and run it himself, killing many plays in the process

 

[Bring it home Knights]

When McDonnell was playing fullback he managed to combine with dodge for some lovely inside balls that put him into the clear...something that I rarely see Gidley do. Kids seems content to receive the ball two or three off the ruck and run it himself, killing many plays in the process

I agree. It hinders the team more than adding to it. I hope our higherst paid player goes back to what he does best and stops thinking he is a ball player.

 

[Stranger]

TBH Kids is good under the high-ball, but i am one to question his positioning paticularly when the opposition is attacking our try-line. Call me crazy but to me he just doesn't have the positioning set like the better full-backs in the comp.

Im not against moving him from fullback, to me its not his natural position.

 

[keeney]

He does defensively, he was playing like sh*t the end of this year though.

It's the support play of a good FB that Gids doesn't have, and never has had.

 

[macavity]

It's the support play of a good FB that Gids doesn't have, and never has had.

and never will have - and that jr burger has.

I really think kids is our best #7 option. Scary, but if it can be drilled into him that he needs to let mullo and the outside backs see early ball most of the time, and kick strategically it might just work.

kids problem atm is that every time he gets the ball he runs it. so he gets smashed because they know what he is going to do.

if he only runs it 10% of the time they might hang off him a bit more and he should be more effective.

crazy logic but it just might work.

the boy isn't a fantastic kicker, but neither is dodge or mullo. he can defend and is faster than a 3 toed sloth, so has something over scotty. he can pass both ways and fill in at hooker at a pinch, so there is some flexibility there.

perhaps we start with gids at 7 and have him spell ike, with dodge on the bench.

just seems the least-bad option.

 

[Yosh]

I think his running game is his best asset but... He aint no Slater but when he runs the ball quickly around the ruck he causes alot of damage and can draw and offload really good. I think he should try being more a support player instead of midfield playmaker wannabe like he tried so hard this year.

Is there any halfbacks of note coming through the grades?

 

[NS_Sherlock]

and never will have - and that jr burger has.

I really think kids is our best #7 option. Scary, but if it can be drilled into him that he needs to let mullo and the outside backs see early ball most of the time, and kick strategically it might just work.

kids problem atm is that every time he gets the ball he runs it. so he gets smashed because they know what he is going to do.

if he only runs it 10% of the time they might hang off him a bit more and he should be more effective.

crazy logic but it just might work.

the boy isn't a fantastic kicker, but neither is dodge or mullo. he can defend and is faster than a 3 toed sloth, so has something over scotty. he can pass both ways and fill in at hooker at a pinch, so there is some flexibility there.

perhaps we start with gids at 7 and have him spell ike, with dodge on the bench.

just seems the least-bad option.

#7 would be ideal if he could handle it. Lock might suit him but I'd hate to drop anyone for that position. Centre is another option but the same goes.
Now if we could have 14 players then "Rover" would be a good spot for him.

 

[macavity]

#7 would be ideal if he could handle it. Lock might suit him but I'd hate to drop anyone for that position. Centre is another option but the same goes.
Now if we could have 14 players then "Rover" would be a good spot for him.

oodles of backrowers and outside backs.

a lack of quality halves.

I am really hoping dodge (and/or scotty) fire and solve our problem....and mullo pulls his finger out.

just dunno if it will happen.

 

[Johns Magic]

Can't say I agree with any of your logic to Gidley going to halfback.

He's sh*thouse there, and would bring the whole team down with him. I would rather Dureau.

 

[NS_Sherlock]

Can't say I agree with any of your logic to Gidley going to halfback.

He's sh*thouse there, and would bring the whole team down with him. I would rather Dureau.

He has been ithouse when picked there but he plays around there when he moves fwd anyway. I wouldn't see his fwd play change much except for more responsibilty an kicking but we'd get a "real" fullback.

truth is I think hs game goes off whenever he is given a specific role. He seems much better when he can just do what he wants to without indecision. That's something I think he needs to address - get the basics of what position he plays right then let his instinct play after that.

 

[roopy]

Some of Kids best work in the last few years has been at hooker or just dummy half in general play.
The best game of his life was where he played fullback in defence and hooker in attack.
His other great ability is to go for a run against tired players, and he does make some great breaks from nothing.
He needs to bludge at fullback till players are getting tired, then go for some serious runs from dummy half, a few runs out wide - and that's about all - he has no business as a playmaker or kicker in general play - he can do it, but no better than Dodge and half as good as Scotty.

 

[keeney]

He's made like 1 clean break all year. Some people need to get their hands off it. Gids doesn;t know how to not overplay his hand. He'd be even more detrimental to our attack at half. I think we've seen the best of the guy from FB and will continue to see it from there. I'm hoping though that he wasn't just in a purple patch for two years and this is the best we can expect from him now. Becuase plainly, he's been sh*t this year, and besides one game, has absolutely killed our attack.

 

[Johns Magic]

He has been ithouse when picked there but he plays around there when he moves fwd anyway.

And is sh*thouse when he does

I wouldn't see his fwd play change much except for more responsibilty an kicking

Which would be an absolute disaster

but we'd get a "real" fullback.

And abomination of a halfback.

Furthermore, McDonnell isn't a bloke I'd change the makeup of the team for.

Unfortunately I think Kidley has been exposed by opposition coaches and he will never be anything more than a good clubman. His form this year was depressing, and his lack of natural ability was made plain as day.

 

[Serc]

I think his performances, particularly later this season were hampered by a few little injuries...I know he had some problems with his calves around origin, and that rib thing later in the year.

Personally I'm going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt until I see what he does for the first part of next season at a definite 100%. The standards we set for him now are so much higher after the way he played in 2007 and 2008, so it is much easier for him to have a mediocre game.