Marquee Signings

[Petebix]

I'm for marquee signage so long as its key attribute is to bring down the costs of the associated event

 

[j0nesy]

Home grown talent is whats over rated. People cant argue with history.

I disagree with this. Home grown talent is the most cost effective, at least with regard to the salary cap, way of building a solid squad. Bennett supplemented our weaknesses with decent signings - none were 'marquee' at the time. I remember the negative comments about Weyman (for example). The big question I have is where we are going to find our next half back, the other positions we have covered.

 

[gypsy]

LOL@BBC, obsessed with overnight success.
People complain about there being no loyalty, teams are losing their identity etc etc...
Others are seemingly happy with not knowing if their favourite player will stay or go, and being represented by people who couldn't care less about the place.
Each to their own.

So BBC are you saying we just jump on board the player merry go round like everyone else?
If so, why don't we relocate to Perth?

 

[RedVDave]

Home grown talent in the 2010 GF:

Morris
Gasnier
Cooper
Nightingale
Hornby
Young
Creagh
Merrin
Prior

Definetley not overratted, although the NRL does need to find a way of incorporating clubs getting rewarded for juniors.

 

[Minh]

There's gotta be some salary cap concessions for home grown talent, would make things more interesting.

 

[Breathingfire]

Since we're Boyd bashing I thought I'd give my two bobs worth as well.

1. Should never have won the churchill medal. Hornby IMO!
2. Definitely think his attitude slipped and was most notable with the lack of gusto when running the ball back.
3. The form he showed in 2010 was great but I think opposing sides really started to catch onto his game in 2011. He is good under the high ball and very sound positionally but I don't think he will ever reach the same heights as a ball player ever again. He just runs sideways and throws cut out passes to the wingers. He won't be remembered when he retires. I also hope he gets the shit smacked out of him this year.

 

[Efresh]

Jamie Ainscough was a marquee signing who had a major impact on the Dragon's grand final aspirations.

 

[Bring back choc]

Ahhh. The rose coloured glasses are back.

Godzilla.. Deep down you know I am right. You are just a little sensitive aren't you.

Are you saying of we didn't have Boyd we still would have won the comp?

 

[dragondad]

One easy to overlook because he was a risk, with baggage, was Wendell. He was a big name signing but we didn't know what to expect. He has turned out to be a real asset to the Club after retirement as well.

 

[Minh]

Since we're Boyd bashing I thought I'd give my two bobs worth as well.

1. Should never have won the churchill medal. Hornby IMO!
2. Definitely think his attitude slipped and was most notable with the lack of gusto when running the ball back.
3. The form he showed in 2010 was great but I think opposing sides really started to catch onto his game in 2011. He is good under the high ball and very sound positionally but I don't think he will ever reach the same heights as a ball player ever again. He just runs sideways and throws cut out passes to the wingers. He won't be remembered when he retires. I also hope he gets the shit smacked out of him this year.

That Boyd cut out pass was getting a little too predictable and premeditated, there was at least two occasions I saw last year in pretty big games (one was the eliminator final against the Broncos) where if he had just given a simple pass instead of cut out it would of led to a try.

I hope Pricey can add a lot more variety to our attack, Bennett is a genius but that sweeping play is probably a little out dated or over used, other teams just seemed to have a little more variety than us in attack. We just didnt take any risks in attack so whenever we fell behind on the scoreboard it seemed near impossible to comeback.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Can someone correct me if Im wrong, but have we ever had a marquee half back sign on in the last say 25 years

 

[gypsy]

Can someone correct me if Im wrong, but have we ever had a marquee half back sign on in the last say 25 years

Phil Blake comes to mind, but he was more a utility i think.

 

[gypsy]

Lol@BBC

 

[Breathingfire]

I hope Pricey can add a lot more variety to our attack, Bennett is a genius but that sweeping play is probably a little out dated or over used, other teams just seemed to have a little more variety than us in attack. We just didnt take any risks in attack so whenever we fell behind on the scoreboard it seemed near impossible to comeback.

I agree Minh and you've triggered something of a thought. Maybe the issue is not the sweeping play as such, its more how it is being used or who's using it. You mention the short ball was on at times and yeah I remember thinking that too throughout the year. Its about the option you take when running the play, not the play itself. Once the opposition started working it out, Boyd found it very hard to find a variation or take the right option if the first premeditated option was closed up by the defence. Yeah he tried the odd grubber but it never looked natural and comfortable. My point is, maybe Kyle Stanley being a former 5/8 and experienced ball player will take the right option more often than Boyd? He looks very comfortable slotting into the back line. The question will be the high ball and positional play which Boyd was very good at. Time will tell but I have a lot of faith in Kyle if he can stay injury free.

 

[Drain the Dragon]

Can someone correct me if Im wrong, but have we ever had a marquee half back sign on in the last say 25 years

Steve Slippery Morris was our last big half back signing in 1979. Was already an international when he signed with us.

 

[Minh]

I agree Minh and you've triggered something of a thought. Maybe the issue is not the sweeping play as such, its more how it is being used or who's using it. You mention the short ball was on at times and yeah I remember thinking that too throughout the year. Its about the option you take when running the play, not the play itself. Once the opposition started working it out, Boyd found it very hard to find a variation or take the right option if the first premeditated option was closed up by the defence. Yeah he tried the odd grubber but it never looked natural and comfortable. My point is, maybe Kyle Stanley being a former 5/8 and experienced ball player will take the right option more often than Boyd? He looks very comfortable slotting into the back line. The question will be the high ball and positional play which Boyd was very good at. Time will tell but I have a lot of faith in Kyle if he can stay injury free.

Agreed Boyd was one of the best defensive fullbacks with very safe hands although you would find he does not attack the high ball in the air as vigorously as say Slater in defense therefore he rarely makes errors, leaving the ball to bounce often was quite dangerous.

K. Hunt was much better in his selective passing using that sweeping play, probably better than Boyd in all facets of the game really. I hope like you said Kyle can possess better ball skills and better vision in attack I'm sure this is quite possible. I wonder if Bennett will continue using this pet play as his main attacking weapon at the Knights?

 

[Minh]

Steve Slippery Morris was our last big half back signing in 1979. Was already an international when he signed with us.

Noel Goldthorpe 1992- 1996 he was a good un.

 

[Minh]

We signed former rookie of the year Matt Rodwell too quite a few years back.

 

[Breathingfire]

Agreed Boyd was one of the best defensive fullbacks with very safe hands although you would find he does not attack the high ball in the air as vigorously as say Slater in defense therefore he rarely makes errors, leaving the ball to bounce often was quite dangerous.

He caught the ones that matter. There was a particularly good on in the GF!

K. Hunt was much better in his selective passing using that sweeping play, probably better than Boyd in all facets of the game really.

Yeah, Hunt was a brilliant footballer. A real shame he left the game. He was a much more natural ball player than Boyd. I think Boyd is overrated really. I heard the Big Marn say on weekend detention today that he thinks Boyd is the second best fullback in the game behind Slater. He mustn't have watched a single Manly game last year because Brett Stewart is three or four times the footballer that Boyd is.

I hope like you said Kyle can possess better ball skills and better vision in attack I'm sure this is quite possible. I wonder if Bennett will continue using this pet play as his main attacking weapon at the Knights?

From what i've heard and the highlights i've seen, they are definitely using the sweeper. Wes scored off it in the trials.

 

[gypsy]

This so called sweeper isn't some work of art...its a simple through the hands with either a flat or out the back pass. It worked at the dragons because boyd cooper and morris are exceptional players. The play itself is as simple as it gets...way too much credit found its way to Bennett on this imo
Boyds option taking,.coopers ability to attract 2 defenders and morris speed and finishing ability is why it worked so often.