McKinnon our long term fullback

[spiderdan]

offloading is a skill that can be used anywhere. it isn't really something that's better suited anywhere in particular. finch has a good offload. schifcofske at fullback had a great offload too. hayne's style is better suited to the back so that he can choose when to come in. without meaning any disrespect to burt, hayne has it all over him as a fullback.

i don't think hayne looks comfortable playing in the centres. in my honest opinion, when playing there, he looks like an adequate first grader at best. he plays his best on the wing or fullback. i wouldn't put a player with his ability or income on the wing though.

 

[bartman]

re: hayne - the bloke is a fullback. he may not charge the ball back at absolute top speed (something that karmichael hunt does do but is now critisised for) but he still makes better return metres than most. the bloke also chimes into a backline at the right time as an extra playmaker and has a great offload. his ability and playng style are best suited to fullback not centre and is wasting his potential by being left on the wing.

Needs to show an improvement on his 80 minute defence imo, to be considered a "real" fullback. We've seen him capabale of the occasional good covering tackle at the back - but they are rare compared to the non-effort tackles he has displayed, even when his attack is going well. He can do it, hopefully DA gets the motivation out of him to reach his undoubted potential at fullback, or centre.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Needs to show an improvement on his 80 minute defence imo, to be considered a "real" fullback. We've seen him capabale of the occasional good covering tackle at the back - but they are rare compared to the non-effort tackles he has displayed, even when his attack is going well. He can do it, hopefully DA gets the motivation out of him to reach his undoubted potential at fullback, or centre.

as opposed to Burts defense?:lol: Burt is unbelievably bad in defense, and under the high ball, and returing the ball, and offloading.... i could go on and on.

The only thing Burt is good at is support play and runing it from dummy half. You could argue his kicking game is better then Haynes but from viewing the world cup Hayne has a great boot on him and will only get better, plus he's an SOO player.

 

[strider]

but I thought hayne was a great centre prospect ron? .... or did u get that one wrong? :lol:

 

[Ron Jeremy]

but I thought hayne was a great centre prospect ron? .... or did u get that one wrong? :lol:

You call experimenting with Hayne for 12 games in a new position under a penis coach, outside poor halves and a forward pack of puffs a fail? i dont, it takes players sometimes years ( Tahu) to learn new positions. He did play some great games there too, and he would be a success there if he sorley played there, but his best position is fullback as Burt isn't up to scratch and Hayne could offer us more in attack instead of being isolated at centre, another problem he had whilst there, he was poorly utilised.

 

[TheRam]

We kept the wrong player, Mckinnon should never have been let go for Burt. If we still had him now he would be our fullback and Hayne would never had the balls to ask for the position over Mckinnon.

As it stands now, Burt's last season was his own undoing, thus the young and cocky upstart Hayne understandably was staking his claim, with mixed results.

So far all that has been proven is that he has still got plenty of unfulfilled potential. That he doesn't know what he is doing at centre in both attack & defence, and that he is a brilliant WINGER!!

If Burt can re-capture his 2007 form within the first 5 to 6 weeks of the comp, I would be playing Hayne on the wing, with the view of giving him time during games in the centres.

If Burt ends up sucking lemons big time again, then Hayne gets the FB gig fulltime, and Burt cast out to oblivion.

Sh*t the more we discuss our players and their positions, the more you realize that our team has many unanswered questions and the team has a huge ? over it as a whole.

I mean Burt? Hayne? Inu? Tautai? Grothe? B Smith? K Keating?, and as for Finch, he is the only one without a question mark beside his name only due to the fact that we know what we get with Finch, a blunt attack that will only cloud the capabilities of our backline even further.

And people that's just for starters. There are just as many question marks hanging over the forwards too.

Me thinks the coming season will be interesting and revealing for many. Who will rise and who will fall, I think DA will quickly realise that we need a playmaker(Todd Carney anyone) signing for 2010 if he wishes to get the best out of his players and for the team to play to its full potential.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

The thing is Ram, now that i think about it, most of Burts good 2007 form was the result of Tim Smiths kicking game and our offloads that year. Yeah he done what he had to do, however last year when there was none of that he went awol. Burt simply isn't an NRL calibre fullback, he's just too small, maybe he should try for a spot in the halves or dummy half as he just isn't what we need allround to be an NRL fullback.

 

[TheRam]

I tend to agree with you on Tim Smiths ability to make players like Burt, at times, look better than they are, but can't that be said about any good play maker, thus a huge reason why almost all of our players had below par season last year.

That’s why I am as sure as night follows day, that DA will be addressing that in 2010, or even sooner. I know you can't cop Burt, and at times I feel the same, but he showed in 2007 something that I didn't think he had in him, which was consistent top quality plays.

I also thought that he returned the ball back surprisingly well and beat the first tackler on many occasions, which is why many people here have his back… and of course he is a nice guy. :lol:

But seriously who had a great season in our team last year, except our one and only playmaker who happens to be a lock.

However Jeremy, even if Burt has a decent season this year, I would be offloading him at the end. He has had his time with us, and we need to move on with other options.

 

[yy_cheng]

I've always said it's the mix and blend of the team that is important.

Each player has their strengths and weaknesses and you need to mix other player's strengths to compensate.

A classic example is why do they hide halves in defense. e.g. prince, lockyer, thurston.

The best example is the Lockyer/Carroll combo.

For us it's Grothe needs Benny for his defence.

We need Hindy in the middle to plug up our soft belly. Not out wide to stifle the sparkling backline.

We need someone following Feleti around like a bad smell.

It's all about mixing and blending and sticking to a gameplan and strategy so that we work as a team. Not to work as STARS or individuals and expose our weaknesses.

I think alot expected miracles from Hayne, Inu, et al but them as individuals will not win you a game. You need the teamwork from the halves and the forwards as well.

 

[yy_cheng]

If Burt can re-capture his 2007 form within the first 5 to 6 weeks of the comp, I would be playing Hayne on the wing, with the view of giving him time during games in the centres.

Why should Burt be first choice Fullback. Hayne has it and was playing well at the end of the season.

I think Burt to wenty and he has to sizzle at fullback there on top of Hayne to fail in order for Burt to get a shot.

My Backline would be:

1. Hayne
2. Reddy
3. Inu
4. Smith
5. Grothe
6. KK/Feleti
7. Finch

 

[strider]

You call experimenting with Hayne for 12 games in a new position under a penis coach, outside poor halves and a forward pack of puffs a fail?

no - i call running around mostly lost for half a season and ultimately getting bannished to the wing a fail :lol: ..... but I agree, he offers alot from fullback (when he doesn't play hopscotch on the kick returns) and our best lineup is with him there

 

[strider]

We kept the wrong player, Mckinnon should never have been let go for Burt. If we still had him now he would be our fullback and Hayne would never had the balls to ask for the position over Mckinnon.

.... well thing is, there was MUCH more involved - $$$$$$$$$ .... it wasn't just a case of picking burt over wade - it was a case of picking to keep a couple of players OR wade - would it have been good to lose someone like mateo cos we couldn't offer enough but have wade stay?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

no - i call running around mostly lost for half a season and ultimately getting bannished to the wing a fail :lol: ..... but I agree, he offers alot from fullback (when he doesn't play hopscotch on the kick returns) and our best lineup is with him there

So you believe Hayne was given every chance to succed at centre? you believe he was utilised properly, had time to develop and his teammates done there very best to create chances for him, right!.

I'd rather a hopscotch from the back, then a bloke crabbing his way back to the 10 metre line and then pushed back to the 5metre line;-)

 

[spiderdan]

just out of curiousity how long are hayne and inu signed on with us for?

the reason i ask is:

Gold Coast Titans chase star outside back after Nathan Friend quits club
By Matt Marshall
January 14, 2009

GOLD Coast Titans will formally close the door on foundation hooker Nathan Friend on Wednesday, and they will, instead, alter course and hunt for a high-profile centre for 2010.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24909471-23214,00.html

 

[Eelementary]

He did technically make the transition, but never really really became a "natural" centre for mine. For example I think he remained a rep winger and nothing else in selectors eyes?

Tahu did show the ability to make bursts and break tackles from centre though, something Hayne sadly was not able to emulate in his half-season of attempts in the position.

But how accurate is a representative team in showcasing ability? I mean, several good players get overlooked - to be a tad biased, Glenn Morrison was sensational for us in 2005 and was overlooked for any major rep game. And yet other, lesser players were picked ahead of him.

 

[Bigfella]

I like your post about questionmarks Ram.

Some others for me include:

Mateo lock or 5/8? A lot of people on here are convinced that he is a lock but I would have to say his best form last year was at 5/8. Injury played a part in that - but was that the only thing?

Is Reddy the best fullback of the 3? Even if he's not, is the side better balanced with him there?

Is TT the real deal in first grade? I think the answer is yes but certainly needs polishing.

Is Finch a first grade halfback? I have probably made my mind up on that but he has a lot of attributes that could prove me wrong.

Was everybody in the squad trying as hard as they could last year, on and off the field ...

I don't know the answers to those - but at least I can say I have confidence the new coach will seek answers to them, rather than roll along with the status quo.

 

[Eelementary]

Finch is inconsistent, yes. But he can play - we all saw his second half against the Bulldogs last year, and I for one think his Origin debut was pretty good.

Tautai has a lot of potential. He just needs to concentrate more.

Mateo is a lock, through and through. You need him making metres as a forward as well as chiming in the attack.

My two cents.

 

[Gronk]

I like your post about questionmarks Ram.

Some others for me include:

Mateo lock or 5/8? A lot of people on here are convinced that he is a lock but I would have to say his best form last year was at 5/8. Injury played a part in that - but was that the only thing?

Is Reddy the best fullback of the 3? Even if he's not, is the side better balanced with him there?

Is TT the real deal in first grade? I think the answer is yes but certainly needs polishing.

Is Finch a first grade halfback? I have probably made my mind up on that but he has a lot of attributes that could prove me wrong.

Was everybody in the squad trying as hard as they could last year, on and off the field ...

I don't know the answers to those - but at least I can say I have confidence the new coach will seek answers to them, rather than roll along with the status quo.

Finchy might not be the best 7 in the world, but he's all we've got ATM. I have never thought his criticism was fair considering that he was signed as a 6 to play outside Timmy.

 

[Bigfella]

Maybe - but it became a lot fairer once he was extended for 3 years purely as a halfback.

 

[Bigfella]

In any case I'm not suggesting anyone has the magical answers to these questions, or even that there are definitive answers.

More making the point that in a team with a huge scope for improvement there are plenty of questions to be asked, and that really, Hagan didn't seem to turn his mind to many (if any) of them.