Mann

[slippery5]

Need to spare a thought for poor Drew Hutchison. Injured at the start of this season which was his big chance to make his mark on the NRL as a first choice half. Then concerns over his contract because we sign Hunt. Then watching Mcgroan struggle in his position knowing if he could only get fit again he would be straight back into the first team for the finals so he works so hard to get fit only to see our finals chances slip away, and the final kick in the teeth for him ..... enter Kurt Mann with a MOTM performance

Drew I hope your next few years are better because no one deserves that sort of bad luck!

Yes maybe he should try another club, from what we saw of him last year I don't believe he was much better than McCrone, sorry to say. Just my opinion but too slow for halfback.

 

[Frank Facer]

Yes maybe he should try another club, from what we saw of him last year I don't believe he was much better than McCrone, sorry to say. Just my opinion but too slow for halfback.

Slippery, I totally agree with your whole post.

 

[Crush]

And maybe just maybe Mr McGregor hopes Kurt fails so he can drop him and reinstate mcgroan .Kurt Mann playing well is not a good look for Mr du du negative.

Give me a break. You really think that the coach is hoping that the under contract young guy plays badly so that the off contract old guy can slot straight back in? Yes he made a mistake on not playing Mann earlier for McCrone but I am sure he isn't hoping he fails. Get a grip.

 

[Frank Facer]

Give me a break. You really think that the coach is hoping that the under contract young guy plays badly so that the off contract old guy can slot straight back in? Yes he made a mistake on not playing Mann earlier for McCrone but I am sure he isn't hoping he fails. Get a grip.

Yes Mary did make a mistake at the start of the year and it only took him to round 23 to correct his error, that is way too long. Mary persisted with the worst halfback in the comp for 20 games. He also persisted with a fullback who has no passing game, who is slow and cumbersome and who handicapped our attack.

Bye bye Mary. You have shown yourself to be incompetent and very slow to rectify your mistakes.

 

[Como Connection]

100% blacksafake
He is one of the best trainers in the club.
He's alway doing extras along with McInness.
He well like and a good young kid.
I hope he goes well this week against the donkeys.

100%.
This better happen.
CC

 

[Crush]

Yes Mary did make a mistake at the start of the year and it only took him to round 23 to correct his error, that is way too long. Mary persisted with the worst halfback in the comp for 20 games. He also persisted with a fullback who has no passing game, who is slow and cumbersome and who handicapped our attack.

Bye bye Mary. You have shown yourself to be incompetent and very slow to rectify your mistakes.

You have missed the point of my post Frank. I am happy for you to rip into Mary on this but don't you agree that the overseas dragon is being ridiculous by suggesting that the coach would be wishing that Mann failed just to justify his non-selection at halfback in previous rounds?

 

[getsmarty]

Mann grabs chance to steer Dragons finals ship

Mitch Jennings@@Mitch_Jenno

13 Aug 2017, 2:30 p.m.

STEPPING UP: Kurt Mann. Picture: AAP

HE’S been the Dragons’ Mr Fixit throughout their 2017 campaign, but bench utility-cum-halfback Kurt Mann could prove the spark to reignite his side’s finals hopes if his performance against Gold Coast on Saturday is any guide.

Mann was thrust into the play-making hot-seat after regular No. 7 Josh McCrone succumbed to a niggling groin injury, scoring two tries and linking seamlessly with skipper Gareth Widdop as the Dragons re-found their attacking groove.

Coach Paul McGregor offered a succinct “yes” when asked if the 24-year-old had done enough to keep the gig this week against Brisbane, after labeling his side’s first half their best of the season.

“Josh has had groin trouble on both sides for about a month and a half,” McGregor said.

“He couldn’t really run earlier in the week and he was struggling to get through a full 80 minutes so, with Kurt there, we made the change.

“He’s got speed in attack and defence, he’s aggressive and he likes to carry the footy so he’s a running threat as well. He worked hard through the week and his performance was very solid.”

Mann has started four games in the halves this season only to be shifted mid-game to cover injuries and said having a week to prepare was a big confidence-booster.

“Mary [McGregor] told me at the start of the week [that I’d be playing] and that really helped me,” Mann said.

“The last time I played there we were on a short turnaround and I had one training session there and that was my first game with Gaz [Widdop] as well.

I think everyone wants to be in the starting side and that’s what I want to do, I want to be in the starting side. - Kurt Mann

“This time, having a better week at training and being my second game with him, we gelled a bit better.

“I was just trying to help set up his game. When he plays well, we usually win so I was just trying to lay out our points and give him a platform to play off.

“He ended up doing the same thing for me so it worked out well.”

Having played every position in the back-line at some stage this season, Mann said he’d like to nail down the No. 7 jumper in the three games the Dragons have left to push their top eight claims.

“I think everyone wants to be in the starting side and that’s what I want to do, I want to be in the starting side,” Mann said.

“The stuff that’s happened before, no one can control or predict that. That’s out of my hands with injuries and, me being versatile, I’ve ended up getting shifted around.

“That’s my role, it’s what the team needed, but it was definitely good to get 80 minutes out in the halves.”

Brisbane promise to provide a much sterner test of the Dragons finals credentials this week with Mann admitting every match is now must-win for his side.

“We’ve backed ourselves into a corner so we haven’t really given ourselves much option,” Mann said.

“Finals have started for us. Our head’s on the chopping block from now on and that’s the way we’ve got to play.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4851074/cometh-the-mann/?cs=3713

 

[Frank Facer]

You have missed the point of my post Frank. I am happy for you to rip into Mary on this but don't you agree that the overseas dragon is being ridiculous by suggesting that the coach would be wishing that Mann failed just to justify his non-selection at halfback in previous rounds?

Yes I doubt that Mary was wishing that Mann failed to justify his non selection at halfback. Mann could actually save Mary's job now. If we fail to make the semis this year, then Mary will be under even more pressure to hold his job at the end of this year and the beginning of next year, if he is still our coach. I think Doust is going to go all out to sign Bellamy again. I know that Doust wants to sign a big name coach to take the heat of him.

 

[monsterkev]

Unquestionably Mann had a great game on Saturday and showed he had all the skills - run, kick, pass, tackle. Reality is we were up against a side that has very little care factor allowing Mann to essentially run riot on a number of occasions. Even though you can only play the opposition in front of you Brisbane will be a completely different proposition so I hope he can back it up in the context of a much tougher team.
I am not so concerned if he doesn't (he hasn't had much time there). If he does carve it up(regardless of result) then serious questions need to be asked of McGregor persisting with McCrone for so long(I know those questions wont be asked but just wanted to get that off my chest).

You seem to forget he was also our best player against Melbourne at 5/8 when Widdop was injured and set up 3 tries
So 2 full games in the halves and 2 standout performances
Melbourne are a quality team
The rest of the side has to perform against the Broncs otherwise Mann may not have an impact

 

[Life's Good]

You seem to forget he was also our best player against Melbourne at 5/8 when Widdop was injured and set up 3 tries
So 2 full games in the halves and 2 standout performances
Melbourne are a quality team
The rest of the side has to perform against the Broncs otherwise Mann may not have an impact

Correct. I did forget. Further supports that McGregor is a fool for persisting with McCrone.

 

[emu62]

the fact that Mary kept picking McCrone for the last month whilst he is battling a groin injury, pretty much sums up Mary"s coaching. He really has no F##ken idea

 

[RedV Resurgence]

Yes Mary did make a mistake at the start of the year and it only took him to round 23 to correct his error, that is way too long. Mary persisted with the worst halfback in the comp for 20 games. He also persisted with a fullback who has no passing game, who is slow and cumbersome and who handicapped our attack.

Bye bye Mary. You have shown yourself to be incompetent and very slow to rectify your mistakes.

If Mary was a player, would he continue to get picked if it took him 23 weeks to perform? Only if his name was McCrone.

 

[Overseas dragon]

Yes I doubt that Mary was wishing that Mann failed to justify his non selection at halfback. Mann could actually save Mary's job now. If we fail to make the semis this year, then Mary will be under even more pressure to hold his job at the end of this year and the beginning of next year, if he is still our coach. I think Doust is going to go all out to sign Bellamy again. I know that Doust wants to sign a big name coach to take the heat of him.

Ok crush that's just an opinion I could be wrong of course I could.and talking about Doust he could do worse than the recently sacked Titans coach .

 

[Slippery Morris]

the fact that Mary kept picking McCrone for the last month whilst he is battling a groin injury, pretty much sums up Mary"s coaching. He really has no F##ken idea

How scary is that? Mary picked McCrone even though he had a groin injury over Mann for over a month? And the 2 games especially against Souths will probably cost them the season because of his stupidity?

 

[Overseas dragon]

Is it any wonder that the BIG RED V Brand name is now classified in the same league as teams like Newcastle, the. Bullfrogs, and West Tigers. With a guy called Doust pulling the purse strings,and a coach with the vision of Stevie wonder. The brand is a laughing stock .the once very famous club is not so famous now,shame shame ,the pigs trough is alive and well

 

[getsmarty]

Mann determined to show his worth as Dragons' NRL halfback

Tim Barrow@@TheBarrow

23 Aug 2017, 12:08 p.m.

Final chance: Kurt Mann's focus is on helping the Dragons win their last two games. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding


IT’S almost unthinkable.

The Dragons splash out $6 million to sign Ben Hunt when their best halfback solution is right under their nose the whole time.

Yet, as Kurt Mann tries to save St George Illawarra’s season, he’s also trying to prove he deserves a regular starting spot in the team, after shifting from fullback to wing, centre, five-eighth, bench and now No.7 in two seasons in Wollongong.

At the same time, Ben Hunt has been shifted to dummy-half to maximise Wayne Bennett’s attacking options at Brisbane.

Hunt played 56 minutes in the victory over the Dragons on Friday, the best indication yet he can handle the defensive workload playing hooker.

Mann’s biggest test yet comes on Sunday against the NRL’s form halfback, young Penrith playmaker Nathan Cleary, who is the leading pointscorer in the competition. With Matt Dufty emerging as the likely long-term fullback option and Jai Field another potential star, Mann is adamant his best position is at halfback.

“I enjoy playing there, I played in the halves (during) all my junior footy – and a bit of fullback as well,” he said.

“That’s where I enjoy playing and I think it suits me better in the halves than playing in the centres or on the wing. I’m here for another two years, I’m just sort of focussing on this year and the moment.

“We’ve got a big occasion and we need to win.”

Penrith suffered a major blow this week when it was revealed Matt Moylan sustained a hamstring injury in the win over Canberra and will not return until at least the first week of finals.

The Panthers have won seven in a row, with 19-year-old Cleary now shouldering most of the responsibility to lead them around.

“He’s a quality young player, he’s got a good kicking game,” Mann said. “He’s got great game management as well, so I think shutting him down will go a long way to winning the game.”

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4874645/mann-has-half-chance/?cs=3713

 

[2010]

Last year Mann was our leading try scorer playing on the wing.
He could have had that position this year and I am sure he would have made a fist of it.
McDonald has not showed anything special and gets caught out rushing off the line.
Mann should have got his spot

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Ok, wishful thinking here.

But wouldn't it be funny if Mann has a stellar six weeks and takes us all the way to a Grand Final when we just paid $1.2 mill for a halfback when we already had one only he couldn't get a game in his best position.

We get a grand final and McGregor and the board look like Richard Heads.
Win/Win I'd say.

 

[OzDragon]

Honestly, if he keeps up his good form, I'd be tempted to put Hunt at DH and move McInnes on in due time.

 

[Como Connection]

But what about McGregor's tunnel vision.
He really dumb and or stubborn.
Probably both.
What a waste of Mann's talent I say.
CC