Matt Dufty re-signs until end of 2019

[possm]

But Slater plays a LOT bigger.

Another example of stats not telling the story, and why so many get it so wrong, so often on here.

I was taught from a very early age that it is easer to safely catch a high ball if you attack the ball with confidence. Wether that is by jumping up to meet the ball of running to grab the ball. I found this advice to be good advice and used it right though my playing career which lasted until I was 33.

 

[gitano]

I was taught from a very early age that it is easer to safely catch a high ball if you attack the ball with confidence. Wether that is by jumping up to meet the ball of running to grab the ball. I found this advice to be good advice and used it right though my playing career which lasted until I was 33.

No doubt. Definitely best to go in balls n all. He just dropped it cold..happens to everyone

 

[BennyV]

He didnt need to jump. Just needed to catch it.

Not gunna crucify him for that mistake. His attack was much better in the first half but didnt seem to do much in the second.

 

[Overseas dragon]

Needed to jump to catch a ball with no pressure? Stopped reading there

Paul sironen the coach of under 20 s state of origin was very complimentary of DUFTY including he was very good under the high ball. Whats happened recently .......

 

[RufusRex]

He dropped one?

 

[pjljmjjj]

But Slater plays a LOT bigger.

Another example of stats not telling the story, and why so many get it so wrong, so often on here.

Yes Slater may play a lot bigger now but what was he like at the same age as dufty - smaller than the average full back and still developing. Lets just give Dufty a fair chance. I am pretty confident he we will continue to improve and will be the full back all saints supporters want

 

[BennyV]

Yes Slater may play a lot bigger now but what was he like at the same age as dufty - smaller than the average full back and still developing. Lets just give Dufty a fair chance. I am pretty confident he we will continue to improve and will be the full back all saints supporters want

By Dufty's age, Slater had already represented QLD through a full SOO series, including being named MoM for one of these...

 

[saintm]

By Dufty's age, Slater had already represented QLD through a full SOO series, including being named MoM for one of these...

He made state of origin in his 2nd year of first grade....having played a full season the previous year.
Dufty is 7 games in.... I'm not saying he will play state of origin but I do think that there is a bunch of knockers on this forum!

 

[hazzbeen]

He made state of origin in his 2nd year of first grade....having played a full season the previous year.
Dufty is 7 games in.... I'm not saying he will play state of origin but I do think that there is a bunch of knockers on this forum!

Give the kid a go we all scream for changes , and when they make one mistake we say he is not up to it . He will make errors along the way but the longer he is playing in the top grade the better he will become . I think he will be ok . We have regular first graders that perform badly and make mistakes but still hold their positions. So lets get behind the changes , with the young blokes at least lets give them a good go in top grade . Sadly though I dont think we will see to many changes regardless of form with Mary coaching ..

 

[Life's Good]

Give the kid a go we all scream for changes , and when they make one mistake we say he is not up to it . He will make errors along the way but the longer he is playing in the top grade the better he will become . I think he will be ok . We have regular first graders that perform badly and make mistakes but still hold their positions. So lets get behind the changes , with the young blokes at least lets give them a good go in top grade . Sadly though I dont think we will see to many changes regardless of form with Mary coaching ..

Well said.

 

[kit66]

Did anyone see barba's tackle in his first game for st Helens ? No reason the Duff can't do that as he certainly looks like he has baulked up.

Someone at work pointed out today that Steve Folkes played at around 80 kilos and his defence was awesome. It's more about technique and passion than it is about size.

 

[Overseas dragon]

Someone at work pointed out today that Steve Folkes played at around 80 kilos and his defence was awesome. It's more about technique and passion than it is about size.

Yes it's not the size of the dog in the fight it's the size of the fight in the dog..........,

 

[O'Sullivan]

I think we have the real deal in this kid. I have been impressed with the fact that he is starting to back up down the middle following Fritz & Co, and the fact that he gave some mouth and attitude to a number of Souths players.

 

[Life's Good]

Someone at work pointed out today that Steve Folkes played at around 80 kilos and his defence was awesome. It's more about technique and passion than it is about size.

To an extent. The reality is the game has shifted towards ‘athletes’ where size is king(an 80kg backrower wouldn’t make FG nowadays). There is room for smaller players(eg. Preston Campbell) that a good coach will help build attack & defence plans around to make the most of the players ability, assuming they have it(I believe Dufty has).

 

[epDragon62]

To an extent. The reality is the game has shifted towards ‘athletes’ where size is king(an 80kg backrower wouldn’t make FG nowadays). There is room for smaller players(eg. Preston Campbell) that a good coach will help build attack & defence plans around to make the most of the players ability, assuming they have it(I believe Dufty has).

I look forward to us having a good coach...

 

[Life's Good]

I look forward to us having a good coach...

Me too.
It’s been a while since ‘good coach’ could apply to us. Mediocre, average, poor, clueless etc. spring to mind.

 

[Crush]

Give the kid a go we all scream for changes , and when they make one mistake we say he is not up to it . He will make errors along the way but the longer he is playing in the top grade the better he will become . I think he will be ok . We have regular first graders that perform badly and make mistakes but still hold their positions. So lets get behind the changes , with the young blokes at least lets give them a good go in top grade . Sadly though I dont think we will see to many changes regardless of form with Mary coaching ..

The forum is a funny place isn't it? Everyone has their favorites and pushes it into the forum. Those who were big Dugan fans will be very quick to jump on Dufty.
Some say Lafai is rocks and diamonds but you gotta take the good with the bad. So he is aloud to throw multiple balls into the crowd yet Dufty can't drop a ball.
Mann can do no wrong because he is the forum favorite. Mainly because Mary has screwed him over but it is funny when Mann makes errors which he sometimes does nobody comments.
Aitken is the whipping boy.
Luciano is a goner, two trials in and its curtains for him.
Nighty makes a rare mistake and he gets attacked but he does something good and its no comment.
I think many on here are easily lead by others and jump on the band wagon. Everyone is saying nighty is too old so maybe its true? Hell yeah why haven't they dropped him! And so the momentum starts.
Anyway back to the topic, Dufty looks to be a great footballer so far and all the hype that he is getting he deserves. How anyone can be critical of him thus far is beyond me. Yes he needs more experience and no he is not billy slater but geez I don't know what more you could want from him at this early stage.

 

[saintm]

The forum is a funny place isn't it? Everyone has their favorites and pushes it into the forum. Those who were big Dugan fans will be very quick to jump on Dufty.
Some say Lafai is rocks and diamonds but you gotta take the good with the bad. So he is aloud to throw multiple balls into the crowd yet Dufty can't drop a ball.
Mann can do no wrong because he is the forum favorite. Mainly because Mary has screwed him over but it is funny when Mann makes errors which he sometimes does nobody comments.
Aitken is the whipping boy.
Luciano is a goner, two trials in and its curtains for him.
Nighty makes a rare mistake and he gets attacked but he does something good and its no comment.
I think many on here are easily lead by others and jump on the band wagon. Everyone is saying nighty is too old so maybe its true? Hell yeah why haven't they dropped him! And so the momentum starts.
Anyway back to the topic, Dufty looks to be a great footballer so far and all the hype that he is getting he deserves. How anyone can be critical of him thus far is beyond me. Yes he needs more experience and no he is not billy slater but geez I don't know what more you could want from him at this early stage.

Great summary
Your right there is quite a few players who have their regular knockers...but lets face we're all Neville nobody's so it's just someone's opinion that counts towards nothing

 

[getsmarty]

Dufty will be better for Sharks test: McGregor

• 
  Mitch Jennings

Local Sport

Matt Dufty in action against Cronulla on Thursday night. Picture: AAP

DRAGONS coach Paul McGregor believes young fullback Matt Dufty will take plenty out of what proved the toughest game of his young NRL career against Cronulla on Thursday night.

Dufty was peppered with bombs in the blustery conditions as Sharks pair Chad Townsend and Matt Moylan sought to test him under the high ball.

He also threw a telling intercept to Sosaia Feki midway through the second half that ultimately saw Jason Nightingale sent to the sin-bin in the scramble that followed.

McGregor welcomed the challenge, saying the 21-year-old will be better for the testing night.

“It was a tough night at the back,” McGregor said.

“It died off a bit in the second half, but that wind was very strong in the first half and they put him under enormous pressure.

“Duft’s nine games into a career so that’s going to be great for him.

“I’m really looking to what he took out of it going into next week against the Titans.”


http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5289004/dufty-better-after-big-lesson/?cs=302

 

[getsmarty]

Matt Dufty shows why he's the new St George Illawarra Dragons No.1 with outstanding performance in 20-16 derby win over Cronulla Sharks

• Local Sport
  
  
  
  I'm No.1: Matt Dufty came through a tough test against Cronulla on Thursday night with flying colours. Picture: Craig Golding/AAP Image
  Most of the talk leading up to Thursday night’s derby between St George Illawarra and Cronulla was about who would play fullback for the Sharks.
  
  But with Valentine Holmes shunted to the wing to accommodate Australian teammate Josh Dugan at the back in the black, white and blue, it was the performance of a diminutive local junior wearing the red V No.1 jersey that has shown there is life after Dugan for St George Illawarra.
  
  Cronulla came with a plan to attack Matt Dufty in the air, through a merciless bombing raid in a swirling breeze from Chad Townsend and Matt Moylan, and on the ground as the Sharks attempted to use Dufty’s lack of size to their advantage.
  
  The test doesn’t get much tougher in the NRL. A local derby in the shire, wearing the red V of their most fierce rivals, with a target on your back.
  
  But Dufty came through his stern examination with flying colours as St George Illawarra launched a brave second half fightback to win 20-16.
  
  “It was probably the toughest NRL game I’ve played so far in my career. To get the win out there was pretty special,” Dufty said.
  
  “That’s my job at the back. It was probably one of the toughest winds and toughest catches I’ve had to make. I thought I handled it pretty well. I missed one but those things happen. It was a tough kick.
  
  “I reckon I’ve caught about 1000, probably more. You just think catch it because the forwards do a tough job. They’ve got their job and I’ve got my job. So just trust myself and back myself to catch it.
  
  “These games aren’t about all the flashy things that come out. It’s more about knowing I had to come out and play tough and get in front of people and make some tackles which I don’t usually have to do. But today the local derby that’s what it’s about. It’s not about the 80 metre runs and the line breaks it’s more about just having the boys’ back and them having your back. Just getting in and doing the dirty things.”
  
  In only his ninth first grade game, the Penshurst RSL junior showed he is one player who fully understands the derby. St George Illawarra and Cronulla, their home grounds at Kogarah and Woolooware separated by only 10 kilometres and the Captain Cook Bridge over the Georges River, is arguably the best suburban derby left in the NRL.
  
  It is an experience Dufty relished for the first time in first grade.
  
  “I’ve never liked Cronulla. It was definitely good to get the win in my first local derby but hopefully it’s the first one of many,” he said.
  
  “I’ve never liked playing [at Shark Park] ever since I was in Harold Matts [under-16s]. Coming here tonight it was probably equal fans out there, I saw heaps of St George fans. That’s what you come and play for, the fans. They love it and you love them coming.”
  
  Dragons coach Paul McGregor praised the performance of his young fullback but stressed there was more to come from the 22-year-old.
  
  “It was a tough night at the back. That wind in the first half was pretty strong. It died off a little bit in the second half. But it was very strong in the first half and they put him under enormous pressure,” McGregor said.
  
  “And Duff’s what, nine games into a career. So it’s going to be great for him. So I’m really looking forward to what he took out of tonight going forward into next week against the Titans in Toowoomba.”
  
  Dugan, the man Dufty replaced at the back for the Dragons, said Dufty would only continue to improve.
  
  “He’s coming along well. He’s a young kid and he’s trying to make a stamp in first grade,” he said.
  
  “He showed his toughness tonight. We had a plan to get a hold of him because he’s a little bit smaller but he handled it well and I thought he had a pretty good game.”
  
  
• http://www.theleader.com.au/story/5288284/dufty-shows-why-hes-the-new-dragons-no1/?cs=1633