Madge The Myth ?

[Magpies Forever]

All good teams build around an effective spine. Ours is, and has been for a long time, made up of 'not sure's'.

Fullback- ever since Tedesco left WT have not really had a 100% certain fullback player, mostly multi role players.

5/8- Reynolds / Marshall mix for a couple of years now, mostly Marshall with Reynolds out for periods of time injured or in reserve. Now Walters in mix too. Marshall should always have been a fill in to help the next, new 5/8 for the club. 2020 season is progressing with no real idea yet on who will be the 2021 5/8 player.

Halfback- has always been Brooks but has holes in his game, can go missing, just cant ever seem to grab a game by the scruff of its neck and own it, nor does he really seem capable of driving the WT team. Where is the understudy to put pressure on his place in the team? Do we ever search for an alternate halfback?

Hooker- Maguire succombed to pressure and played Farah when he shouldn't have in the last game last season. His assumed understudy Liddle has a bad record of injury and in 2020 we are covered by the loan of Grant from Melbourne but where we will be next season is unclear but atleast we have options in Liddle / Simpkins and possibly Grant but I cant see him being allowed to stay by Melbourne.

Forwards- Maguire is changing the forward squad with an emphasis on youth and size.

Backs- our wingers are outclassed in size and enthusiasm by just about every other team. Our centres can hold their own though. We get Momo back next year and with him pretty good goal kicking.

Goal Kicking- reasonable but.....

Tactical kicking- abysmal.

Maguire is changing the squad as he can, WT are still hampered by long term, expensive, not overly useful contracts- Reynolds, Packer, Mbye and even Brooks. End of this season there are some 7 players off contract (a reasonable number in terms of squad turnover), I can only see 1 or 2 of those players getting an extension offer, which leaves room for new faces. Our perennial problem remains having players to want to play here at WT for reasonable money.

Coach- Maguire has till end of 2021 season. I'd still be tempted to offer 2 year extension now to see the remodelled squad and its results.

Just checked - I was wrong WT have 10 players off contract at seasons end- Clark, Eisenhuth, Jennings, Lawrence, Marshall, McIntyre, McQueen, Seyfarth, Smith, Taylor. I reckon only Clark and Seyfarth should get extension offers but I have some residual thoughts about Taylor he is a great defensive sweep but has a few penalties in him per game.

 

[Tigerm]

Just checked - I was wrong WT have 10 players off contract at seasons end- Clark, Eisenhuth, Jennings, Lawrence, Marshall, McIntyre, McQueen, Seyfarth, Smith, Taylor. I reckon only Clark and Seyfarth should get extension offers but I have some residual thoughts about Taylor he is a great defensive sweep but has a few penalties in him per game.

Re: Taylor, agree, especially with the 6 again rule now in play.

Although with no 2nd grade, it makes it hard for them to shine this year.

 

[Tiger05]

I wonder if the game would suit someone like Taylor now. Defensively he is fantastic plus he is a skillful forward.

 

[The Charlatan]

Eisenhuth I would keep on at a reasonable contract also as a fringe first grader. They can't all be power running superstars. Eisenhuth ably covers the middle, and we will good work out of him both on and off the ball.

I believe Doueihi has a future in the halves. I haven't seen enough to suggest that he's going to be a class fullback yet, he has been caught out a few times in covering kicks and in defence, I reckon he would be a great five-eighth. It would be ideal to keep Grant as well but he will want to go back to Melbourne where he's guaranteed a bit of success at least while Bellamy is there. Walters is a reasonable back up but not the answer so we're pinning our hopes to Simpkin or hoping that Liddle manages to string three games together and finally kick on.

I think you can get away with having one average player in your spine. The modern game doesn't allow for it to be your fullback or hooker though.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Eisenhuth I would keep on at a reasonable contract also as a fringe first grader. They can't all be power running superstars. Eisenhuth ably covers the middle, and we will good work out of him both on and off the ball.

I believe Doueihi has a future in the halves. I haven't seen enough to suggest that he's going to be a class fullback yet, he has been caught out a few times in covering kicks and in defence, I reckon he would be a great five-eighth. It would be ideal to keep Grant as well but he will want to go back to Melbourne where he's guaranteed a bit of success at least while Bellamy is there. Walters is a reasonable back up but not the answer so we're pinning our hopes to Simpkin or hoping that Liddle manages to string three games together and finally kick on.

I think you can get away with having one average player in your spine. The modern game doesn't allow for it to be your fullback or hooker though.

If the rumours are true Eisenhuth is off to Cronulla - whether before 3 August or just next season I dont know.

 

[Magpies Forever]

FWIW I'd try to make a play for Nick Meaney at Bulldogs and try and inc Reynolds in some form of swap. Both have next year left in contract and Meaney is stuck behind DWZ as fullback and Reynolds is not really in our long term 5/8 position. We need a fullback and are OK for 5/8 possibles. Meaney is a good specialist fullback and kicks goals too.

 

[The Charlatan]

If the rumours are true Eisenhuth is off to Cronulla - whether before 3 August or just next season I dont know.

Can't do anything about if he makes the decision for us. I think he's a reliable player. Not a world beater by any stretch but he does a job.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Can't do anything about if he makes the decision for us. I think he's a reliable player. Not a world beater by any stretch but he does a job.

Yes, every team needs solid toilers in their squads. We have probably too many and not enough strike forwards.

 

[Tiger Ted]

FWIW I'd try to make a play for Nick Meaney at Bulldogs and try and inc Reynolds in some form of swap. Both have next year left in contract and Meaney is stuck behind DWZ as fullback and Reynolds is not really in our long term 5/8 position. We need a fullback and are OK for 5/8 possibles. Meaney is a good specialist fullback and kicks goals too.

Agree a priority for us is to find a specialist fullback with pace coz AD will b our long term 5/8 & a quality one at that.

Re the no.9 theres no doubt that grant is returning to Melb but I’m not overly concerned coz Liddle (hopefully finally the injury gods look after him)& Simpkin r quality plus I know it’s premature but we have a kid who was in the Balmain sg ball side this yr who is a special no. 9.

 

[gordsy]

Just checked - I was wrong WT have 10 players off contract at seasons end- Clark, Eisenhuth, Jennings, Lawrence, Marshall, McIntyre, McQueen, Seyfarth, Smith, Taylor. I reckon only Clark and Seyfarth should get extension offers but I have some residual thoughts about Taylor he is a great defensive sweep but has a few penalties in him per game.

With the game being quicker now and more about impact, speed, agility and momentum ET can play a role just not in our pack. He's a budget buy David Stagg.

 

[The Rosco]

Re: Taylor . . . I just cant get past the penalties he used to freely give away for holding and slowing the ruck.
Freely give away under the old rules, that is.
He'd be good for 15 set restarts and 2 sin bins per game under the new rules.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Madge picked Packer tonight ...

 

[The unknown]

I think Madge earned his stripes tonight. It’s clear we just don’t have class.. in saying that we probably beat most teams, not including the premiership contenders...

Effort and intensity was definitely there

 

[Tiger05]

Madge picked Packer tonight ...

ET offers a lot more than Packer.

 

[Pezz70]

FWIW I'd try to make a play for Nick Meaney at Bulldogs and try and inc Reynolds in some form of swap. Both have next year left in contract and Meaney is stuck behind DWZ as fullback and Reynolds is not really in our long term 5/8 position. We need a fullback and are OK for 5/8 possibles. Meaney is a good specialist fullback and kicks goals too.

Meaney is not up to NRL week in week out.we’d just be getting more of what we already have.

 

[Mario chalmers]

Just checked - I was wrong WT have 10 players off contract at seasons end- Clark, Eisenhuth, Jennings, Lawrence, Marshall, McIntyre, McQueen, Seyfarth, Smith, Taylor. I reckon only Clark and Seyfarth should get extension offers but I have some residual thoughts about Taylor he is a great defensive sweep but has a few penalties in him per game.

I reckon its worth taking a look at Clark and Seyfarth's stats. They are really poor.

Clark
2 matches
65 mins total
50 tackles
11 runs
88 m gained

Seyfarth
3 matches
48 mins
55 tackles
17 carries
115m

Just no impact with the ball. A good forward gets at least 9-10 m on average per hitup. We have carried soft forwards for too long. No to both IMO

 

[The unknown]

I don’t think I’d resign any of those players if I’m honest.

Seyfarth maybe...he has been on the field when we’ve been on the back foot a lot and done a lot of defense

and McIntyre does deserve a shot imo. Thought he’d get a gig before Seyfarth

 

[Tiger05]

I reckon Seyfarth has been decent. He is a rookie and he hasn't looked out of place.

 

[The Charlatan]

I reckon Seyfarth has been decent. He is a rookie and he hasn't looked out of place.

They are the same player in attack, you'll get f**k all. Clark does more defensive work than Seyfarth.

 

[The unknown]

I reckon Seyfarth has been decent. He is a rookie and he hasn't looked out of place.

He’s just another toiler if I’m honest. Gets smashed in every tackle