Matt Dufty

[SaintPauli]

Dufty needs to catch the bombs. Major flaw in a player who can become one of the games top tier fullbacks.

He must practice bomb taking constanrly

 

[Dragonslayer]

I think the issue here is wether Ramsey will/would make a better fullback. I'm really not that convinced. Of course Ramsey should and needs to he in the team, but I feel wing is his more natural position.

I believe our long term fullback is currently playing SG Ball.

 

[thebigredv]

Dufty needs to catch the bombs. Major flaw in a player who can become one of the games top tier fullbacks.

He must practice bomb taking constanrly

Those were pretty simple drops from memory, albeit a wet night. I mean its a bit different when it is contested. I feel this dropsie and trouble with the high ball may be a flaw that exists in his game eternally. Then again, Ravalawa seems has to improved in this area with some new tactics.

I think there are far less deserving players than Dufty being picked at first grade, but I don't see him being part of a team pressing for a premiership. Love the way he can speed and bust a line, appreciate his ball playing abilities but if you went back and counted, for every try he scores or sets up he probably gives two to the opposition. Those are not great figures.

 

[Wizardman]

I was the original poster of this thread....his defensive plays and bomb catching have not improved at all. He is damn deadly in attack though and by far your biggest threat in the spine. As shit as he is in those defensive areas, I think you have to keep him until a better option comes along.....it is a tough one though as he has the tendency to give the opposition more opportunities than what he creates. Very tough call.

 

[SIR LANCELOT]

I was the original poster of this thread....his defensive plays and bomb catching have not improved at all. He is damn deadly in attack though and by far your biggest threat in the spine. As shit as he is in those defensive areas, I think you have to keep him until a better option comes along.....it is a tough one though as he has the tendency to give the opposition more opportunities than what he creates. Very tough call.

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Good post Wizardman, You nailed it. He was not with it tonight. Seemed that he was in a far away place.Dragons cannot keep him on on his performances. I have always been a fan of his ever since watching him come through Harold Matthews and SG Ball. Matty is not moving forward with his game.I think he has reached his potential. Needs replacing .However who that is does anybody have the answer.

 

[Spazer]

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Matty is not moving forward with his game.I think he has reached his potential. Needs replacing .However who that is does anybody have the answer.

He showed huge improvement last year and will continue to improve, but you need to give him more than one round to do so, he usually starts the season slow anyway. Replacing him after one bad game is something our old coach would do.

 

[rasaint]

Matt Dufty is a player that brings people through the gate. Another sublime try yesterday which lifted the whole team. Good vision by Ben Hunt also to change direction and pass inside. It was interesting to note that the player who congratulated him the most enthusiastically was Cody.

I agree his high ball catching was poor yesterday.

However, I note that we have long discussions about Matt dissecting his game but the gifted one continues to be hidden away with little critique and people simply say ‘ he will play SOO this year’.

Zac kicked for goal xtra well yesterday and I applaud that. Every team needs a good goal kicker. Yet he is not challenging the defence, beaten for speed moving laterally yesterday causing Rava to leave his wing for the overlap in Sharkes scrum move try second half. Does his little jinky side step which is well covered and throws his ‘famous out back pass’ over the side line. I will keep cheering Zac on because he plays in the red v and does give his all each match.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

He showed huge improvement last year and will continue to improve, but you need to give him more than one round to do so, he usually starts the season slow anyway. Replacing him after one bad game is something our old coach would do.

No...our old coach would either persist or move them to another position...he’d persist with dead shits for years (just ask Aitken). Or McFlop would shift good players out of their natural position (just ask poor old Lomax)

 

[BBTB]

Dangerous with the ball but He’s just got to improve at the back, it’s that simple. Plenty of young talent waiting in the wings.

Bring'm on Dufty is absolutely hopless.

 

[Old Timer]

The opposition coaches have worked Dufty out pretty well.

Not much good of kicking long to him despite the weakness of the kick return.

Far better that they kick into the open area between the kicker and Dufty and bring him forward and sideways towards the ball.

That way they get the real chance of him looking at the advancing defenders and knocking it on and even if he catches it cleanly they are on him and can manhandle and rag doll him backwards killing any potential forward momentum.

Good coaches quickly work out how magnify players deficiencies.

 

[kit66]

I keep defending the guy but geez he makes it hard.
They should spend the whole week kicking bombs for him and get some juniors to run at him.
Watching the Sharks game he looks to take his eyes off the ball before he attempts to take it, that could be the problem, that and getting under the ball in time to give himself the best chance.
He should have called for Hunt to leave that ball Cronulla grubbered through, it was his - no communication from him, no confidence from Hunt.

 

[redv13]

Dufty kills me. In 1 breath I love him ( attack ) but in another I hate him ( catching ). There is no excuse whatsoever for dropping a kick directly at him with no pressure applied. If he could sort that issue out quickly then happy days. I don’t want to see him dropped but if these issues continue over the next 6-8 weeks then something has to give

 

[Lovemedragons]

Giving up on Dufty would feel like throwing the baby out with the bath water. He is our leader in try assists by a long way, he has a magic pass in him, he is lightning fast but he is horrible at taking bombs and he is not improving and his fb defence is suspect at best. Develop him into a 6 and see what happens before letting another team do it with him. If he stays at FB he will not succeed, hes had enough chances already.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Dufty is one of those players that whilst at Saints will be rocks and diamonds. But if he ever leaves, will become a superstar and come back to bite us.

 

[Wittenberg]

The bottom line is he always will be rocks and diamonds. Only he could score the try he scored but again only he could be as consistent in dropping balls at the back. Will he win us the odd game...yep, will he contribute to us losing some games....yep. But the bottom line is you have to score points to win games and he scored or had a hand in nearly a third of our tries last year. Ramsay a better fullback? If you looked at our trials and Charity Shield we have potentially a Matt Dufty 2.0. Yes on the little evidence so far Ramsay is better in the air, but his defence is not great and someone needs to tell him he doesn’t have to kick every time he is going to be tackled. And we have got to stop always talking up the next ‘gun’. If you read this forum we have enough young guns to take on Texas. Yes we have good young talent, yes I do think Ramsay will end up being our fullback, but not yet. By the way let’s make a list of our players who make the same types of mistakes each week...I think there might be a few, Rava, Hunt, Kerr, Norman, Fui, Lomax, Merrin.....but everyone of those players can score brilliant tries too can’t they?

 

[Evil Emperor Zurg]

One amazing try. The rest was shit.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

The opposition coaches have worked Dufty out pretty well.

Not much good of kicking long to him despite the weakness of the kick return.

Far better that they kick into the open area between the kicker and Dufty and bring him forward and sideways towards the ball.

That way they get the real chance of him looking at the advancing defenders and knocking it on and even if he catches it cleanly they are on him and can manhandle and rag doll him backwards killing any potential forward momentum.

Good coaches quickly work out how magnify players deficiencies.

I think that part of the problem that Dufty has is that he reads the play poorly- he doesn't seem to read kicks all that well and gets caught out of position -whether its coming on the full or dropping in short- and then he panics.

 

[Maddragon99]

I think that part of the problem that Dufty has is that he reads the play poorly- he doesn't seem to read kicks all that well and gets caught out of position -whether its coming on the full or dropping in short- and then he panics.

I was hoping that Ramsey had put on more size in the offseason he still looks skinny to me. He might not be ready for fullback until next year. I guess the issue is that Dufty has probably already reached his full potential but Ramsey still has so much potential left in him.

I’m predicting Dufty will end up at the Warriors & Ramsey will be the fullback from 2022.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

I was hoping that Ramsey had put on more size in the offseason he still looks skinny to me. He might not be ready for fullback until next year. I guess the issue is that Dufty has probably already reached his full potential but Ramsey still has so much potential left in him.

I’m predicting Dufty will end up at the Warriors & Ramsey will be the fullback from 2022.

Totally agree about Ramsey- I read that he was eating like a horse and was going to end up in the 90Kg plus weight range. Hasn't happened. Has looked a bit shaky under the high ball himself at times however.

 

[mbk78]

I’m predicting Dufty will end up at the Warriors

This for sure and certain.