Chicken_Hunter
Coach
- Messages
- 17,035
Korbin is a bit immature at the moment, but if we had a leadership group I would have him there to develop his leadership skills.
I don't think Mullen's performances have been sub par.
2 injury prone seasons where we've played ok with him there and struggled immensely without him. He excelled in the role in late 2013 so I definitely think he deserves the full time role next year.
Depends on the culture we're looking for. Perhaps Mullen is one of the players who is "just happy to play first grade" He is a mental midget which doesnt endear me to the prospect of him being Captain.
No, but I really do believe Mullen to be a better player than what he has dished up throughout his career. ( yes i know he's never had a decent halves partner and usually played behind a beaten pack ) He's never achieved consistency, and I think that comes through desire.What if he's not one of those players? is there any evidence other than a general comment from a moron like Paul Kent?
No, but I really do believe Mullen to be a better player than what he has dished up throughout his career. ( yes i know he's never had a decent halves partner and usually played behind a beaten pack ) He's never achieved consistency, and I think that comes through desire.
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence"
People's attitudes torwards Mullen continue to astound me a bit. People say he doesn't deserve captaincy because he's been "sub par" but then I have to stop and ask well if he doesn't deserve it then who the hell in the squad does? Yes he hasn't had a good last couple of seasons but the bloke has barely been on the field and even then and previously he was pushing through pain and having 20 injections to get back onto the field when most people were saying that was crazy. Previously to 2014/2015 when the injuries got the better of him pretty much every game we won post-Johns came back to Mullo. People have extremely short memories it seems and I don't think it's a coincidence that the squad falling into a heap in the past two years has coincided with Mullen not being able to get onto the field.
There seems to be this air of hostility torwards the bloke because he didn't "reach his potential" or whatever but then I have to stop and think that the people saying that were fooled by some of the "next Johns" crap...or maybe they think because he was undeservingly picked for NSW as a 20-year-old that he was meant to go on and captain Australia or something. The bottom line is though there is not one other player in the current squad that has given half as much to this club as Mullen has. Add in the fact that it was shown in 2013 that the boys responded positively to him as captain and that it actually helped his game instead of hindering it like it does a lot of players (e.g. Gids) and it's an absolute no brainer in my eyes.
He was given the captaincy in 2013 and he didn't buckle under the pressure of it one bit ... In fact he thrived on it.
I know a bloke that plays in the local comp who knows Mullen and he's told me that he'll be surprised if Mullen can still walk when he's 40. He told me that the amount of injuries the bloke has played through during his career would absolutely shock you. I guess it's easy to look at someone as an outsider who you don't feel has played to their potential and say that they're not trying, don't have the desire, etc. though. I feel it's probably head-in-the-sand stuff though so we can just point blame at his shoulders and not look at the real issues. Not one of our juniors in the post-Johns period has gone onto do what we thought they could. Mullen is the rule not the expection there. We need to work out why that is.
Our club and his injury run ruined what he could have been - he definitely did have a much higher ceiling... but people seem to correlate "didn't quite get there" with "he's completely f**king useless".
Couldn't possibly agree more. It seems like we're in the vast minority these days, though. Mullen has given more to our club - and given us more to cheer about - than any player that has played for us since Johns. Gidley gave us heart, but Mullen has given us heart and ability as an absolute rule when fit... and has given us a lot even when not fit. Our club and his injury run ruined what he could have been - he definitely did have a much higher ceiling... but people seem to correlate "didn't quite get there" with "he's completely f**king useless". He and Gagai are about the only blokes on our team that I'd be legitimately upset to lose... and while it's possible that Brown may have given him a kick up the bum by now (although I doubt it), I can't imagine that Mullen is one of the blokes that is "on notice". There's a long list of blokes deserving of that before Mullo.
Much like every other coach that has coached him in first grade - I think Browns attitude will be more "how can I get the whole 9 yards out of Mullen". His job is half done for him, too - Hodkinson will help here. Continue to build on the pack and put blokes that can catch a ball outside them and you're well on your way to the right formula.
I agree with everything you've said but surely Mullen is second to Bedsy since Joey retired?
Some very god points you mention there . Some of these guys play through injuries we arent even aware of.I know a bloke that plays in the local comp who knows Mullen and he's told me that he'll be surprised if Mullen can still walk when he's 40. He told me that the amount of injuries the bloke has played through during his career would absolutely shock you. I guess it's easy to look at someone as an outsider who you don't feel has played to their potential and say that they're not trying, don't have the desire, etc. though. I feel it's probably head-in-the-sand stuff though so we can just point blame at his shoulders and not look at the real issues. Not one of our juniors in the post-Johns period has gone onto do what we thought they could. Mullen is the rule not the expection there. We need to work out why that is.