Jarrod Mullen officially worst seven in the NRL

[NoSchitSherlock]

Thing is you'd think that would have hindered his defence more than anything but he was actually tackling well on Sunday. I guess playing in pain could effect your decision making and clarity of mind.

Explains that very poor missed tackle on Glenn in the Brissy game though

Definitely. Mullen made some poor decisions but so did many in the team. DeGois gave away some atrocious penalties. Stig didn't offer us much and put at least one kick in that was going nowhere. Costigan let us down at times. Mad-dog tried to take it on alone a bit too much ...

I suspected Mullen still wasn't fit when you'd see him slumped over (again) after a tackle. In hindsight maybe he should have been replaced or not in the team to begin with.
Mullen for sure needs to get his head together but given his injuries I reckon he tried as best he could under the circumstances. If he can get over these shoulder problems it might go a long way to helping. He might not get over them and if he doesn't I really think that will be our loss.

 

[RABK]

Get Walsh back. He's brilliant for the Panthers. Has a real go and displays great variety and vision inside the oppositions 40m.

I'd take 68kg Luke Walsh over a roided up 105kg Jarrod Mullen. Walsh has got more creativity in his pinky than Mullen has in his entire body. Walsh tackling with two shoulders is also more effective than Mullen throwing bitch slaps with his plastic shoulders.

If some Panthers fan has uploaded some Panthers highlights go watch it, you'll see Walsh backing himself and playing some great attacking footy. He creates and is involved in a shitload of tries and line breaks for what is overall a nuffy team outside Gordon and Jennings who have both missed most of 2011. What will be missing in the highlights is that he consistently gets his team repeat sets through the use of grubbers or kicking to the corners.

If Bennett used Jarrod as wide running second receiver/distributer than Walsh is the perfect little general to guide us around in the 7 and provide enterprising attack as well as applying pressure.

Again, get Walsh back. If Mullens 2010/2011 highlight video is 3 minutes long than Walsh's is 30 minutes long.

 

[billy2]

Stig has an almost identical skillset to Walsh.
That's why Penrith wanted to buy him.
He is Walsh 2.0 - the version that can actually break a tackle.

Our coach didn't want to go that way, and we probably don't have the players with the skills in the air needed to support that sort of kicking game.

 

[Rod]

Wow that is a lot of love for Walsh. Granted he has a very good, varied attacking kicking game but he's still nothing special, a solid first-grade halfback. The Panthers went well on the back of that last year but teams have since figured them out. The main thing he's got going for him is that he's a pure halfback, which immediately makes him a valuable commodity in today's game. If he had a genuine quality five-eighth alongside him rather than stop-gap solutions like Burns he could go better.

I still think Mullen is probably a better player but problem is we rarely see it. I know that sounds contradictory but, how do I put it, I think Mullen at his best is better than Walsh at his best.

 

[Spot On]

once again you so called knights supporters want to bag your halves...

get over it people JOEY HAS RETIRED......even joey could not have played consistently well over the last three years with the forwards we have had....it an old stoy but so true.......no half can perform well is his forwards dont lay a platform and newcastle forwards have been shite for a long time.....at times when our forwards have gone well we have won and the halves have shone no matter what combo was playing.....stop bagging all the time and show some SUPPORT for your team......any player of our great game who plays even one game of first grade must be a decent player to get there so show some respect and support them.

The pack has been fine this season. Can't complain too much about their performances. I don't think anyone expects Mullo or Stig to be Joey. What supporters do expect is that a bloke with seven years experience in the halves at NRL level might be able to control a game a little better for his team by utilising his skill set on a consistent basis after his pack has done their job.

 

[Rolla]

Stig has an almost identical skillset to Walsh.
That's why Penrith wanted to buy him.
He is Walsh 2.0 - the version that can actually break a tackle.

Our coach didn't want to go that way, and we probably don't have the players with the skills in the air needed to support that sort of kicking game.

It's been a while since i have seen Stig break a tackle, and his kicking game is not as good as walshes. I haven't seen him in an 'organiser' type role yet, so i won't say you are wrong..... but i also haven't seen anything to suggest he could pull it off either.

 

[jonno_knights]

I still think Mullen is probably a better player but problem is we rarely see it. I know that sounds contradictory but, how do I put it, I think Mullen at his best is better than Walsh at his best.

Mullen at his best would put him around the top 5 or so halves in the game. Problem is his best happens about twice a year. His first two games of the season this year were near faultless. The rest of the year he only had a handful of games at the level you'd expect from him.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Mullo's ambitions are too high given his injuries. He has no assertiveness at all and it shows. He has rarely put a rocket up his forwards when needed unlike Joey who ran the show like a puppetmaster.

 

[doggone]

If he needs two shoulder reconstructions, he wont be available till way into next season! The rehabilitation would be a long process!

 

[timka4]

I don't mind when he comes back next year, all I care is that when he comes back he can last for more than 2 games