McKinnon our long term fullback

[TheRam]

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

No reason, other then that is what I would be doing if it were up to me. I would give him a go under a new coach as if it were the start of the 2008 season.

My logic is that last year was a total and complete bs of a season due to to many factors, and it would be very difficult for anyone to make a real call on form for anyone really.

It would be a clean slate for everyone from my perspective, and whoever didn't aim up if they were given a fair go, would go.

 

[TheRam]

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.

Exactly Bigfella, I agree with all you have said here, and I didn't even think of Ready at the back. Good point. Fullback is supposed to be his best position. Who knows, he is a player that did improve last year and if he continues he may suprise us all where he ends up.

 

[strider]

:lol:


No it wasn't. It was a matter or him wanting to secure his future with a three year contract, that BS was not willing to give him. Obviously rating others above him. :crazy: The money was not all that significant from what I am led to believe.


As for offering Mateo a contract, don't make me laugh. If you don't know what BS thought of him, then it is time for you my boy to do some catch up reading. :lol:

and 3yrs down the track when wade's money would still be on the books - eating up space that could be offered to keep the likes of mateo/hayne/inu ..... its got nothing to do with BS liking or not liking players - BS's time was coming to an end - wade left in 06, same year as BS .... wade would still be taking up cap room today had he stayed ..... maybe u need to get over your BS fixation :lol:

 

[Eelementary]

The halfback should never be the man doing that dirty work and sacrificing his attacking game to do clean up, though. Finch did last year and we suffered. Whether that was the coach or Finch, we'll see this season I guess. But his track record is far from great...personally I think he's a 6 or 9, and would do very well there with his skill set

Anyway, it's a moot point other than to pass some time in the off season...given we don't have a natural 7 at the club anymore. Thanks Hagan!

I tend to agree. But his team spirit is what propels him to clean up loose balls and whatnot, and that is a positive trait.

 

[Bazal]

I tend to agree. But his team spirit is what propels him to clean up loose balls and whatnot, and that is a positive trait.

I'm not so sure it is positive, and I think the same of Hindy in some ways. I think we saw last year with some of the woeful efforts in cover and other one percenters that sometimes players can treat guys like Finch and Hindy as a safety net. At 7 I'd much rather Finch concentrated on playmaking first and foremost and only cleaned up when he had to. Sure it's great that he and Hindy can do that stuff, but when your halfback and arguably your best player are doing so much off the ball it doesn't leave much in the tank for when they have it IMO...

 

[Stagger eel]

I'm not so sure it is positive, and I think the same of Hindy in some ways. I think we saw last year with some of the woeful efforts in cover and other one percenters that sometimes players can treat guys like Finch and Hindy as a safety net. At 7 I'd much rather Finch concentrated on playmaking first and foremost and only cleaned up when he had to. Sure it's great that he and Hindy can do that stuff, but when your halfback and arguably your best player are doing so much off the ball it doesn't leave much in the tank for when they have it IMO...

I can't believe I'm saying this but in relation to your arguement about Finchy, I agree with you and it's a shame that we're putting our 7 through all this however thanks to Hagan we haven't been able to sure up one of our best 7 prospects in years and it now puts us in a precarious position where our best 7 option will again be the guy who would of probably served us better as a 6, 9 or 14 having Hodko inside him.

In saying that miracles can happen and if the coaching staff can find and crerate something special in Dan Mortimer or Albie Kelly to step up to the big league than our problem could be short lived and that's also including Kris Keating in the squad.

I believe that we're lacking a genuine 7 that can make the step up if he has to and Jeff Robson is definitely not the answer for mine.

 

[The Colonel]

Any of the kids coming through are really all sixes playing in the seven jersey - Kelly, Morts, Keating. Cam Speechley would be a decent prospect at halfback but he is a bit on the small size - he'd give it a red hot go if chosen but he isn't close in the pecking order.

The only other bloke would be TK Amosa or Josh Murray - both of whom are still or elibible for SG Ball.

 

[Stagger eel]

even Amosa is a 6...

I think your right about Morts but I thought he covered that position quite well last year and can make a real fist of it and I think Kelly has the game to be a very good 7 and having seen the development of Sandow last season I can't see why Kelly can't do the same.

 

[TheRam]

and 3yrs down the track when wade's money would still be on the books - eating up space that could be offered to keep the likes of mateo/hayne/inu ..... its got nothing to do with BS liking or not liking players - BS's time was coming to an end - wade left in 06, same year as BS .... wade would still be taking up cap room today had he stayed ..... maybe u need to get over your BS fixation :lol:

What the...No they made the wrong call on who to keep and who to let go. Plain and simple. Keeping Burt instead of McKinnon, what dead set morons.

It's got nothing to do with a fixation on anything other then me trying to not focus on the fact that you don't seem know what your'e talking about. :lol:

Just ask yourself, if say Des Hassler had the choice between the two, who would he pick? ;-)

 

[Bigfella]

Pretty sure it was Taylor's call by then wasn't it?

They offered MCkinnon 2 and he wanted 4 from memory and they decided it was too long and they had other options.

Burt became eligible for partial salary cap exemption as a 10 year player so the decision got made on that basis.

Not as easy as just asking who a coach prefers because you've got to balance the books for a start.

 

[TheRam]

Pretty sure it was Taylor's call by then wasn't it?

They offered MCkinnon 2 and he wanted 4 from memory and they decided it was too long and they had other options.

Burt became eligible for partial salary cap exemption as a 10 year player so the decision got made on that basis.

Not as easy as just asking who a coach prefers because you've got to balance the books for a start.

Fair enough, but I would have got rid of two or three other dead wood players before McKinnon any day.

 

[Eelementary]

I'm not so sure it is positive, and I think the same of Hindy in some ways. I think we saw last year with some of the woeful efforts in cover and other one percenters that sometimes players can treat guys like Finch and Hindy as a safety net. At 7 I'd much rather Finch concentrated on playmaking first and foremost and only cleaned up when he had to. Sure it's great that he and Hindy can do that stuff, but when your halfback and arguably your best player are doing so much off the ball it doesn't leave much in the tank for when they have it IMO...

I agree, and imo it relates directly back to our coaching. Our team has an oner-reliance on Finchy and Hindy to come up with those plays and it's unhealthy.

But how do you tell guys like those two blokes, who have huge hearts, to stop doing what they're doing?

 

[yy_cheng]

You can't. They play what they see in front of them.

The only way to solve this is a punishment system. Have the balls to drop players who are not performing.

If you were at war in a dug out, and guys are slacking off or are knackered, someone will help out alal Finch, Hindy.

 

[strider]

Fair enough, but I would have got rid of two or three other dead wood players before McKinnon any day.

no no no! .... lets not forget the "I am wrong" fixation ... it was all BS! - no difference in salaries! - no long term cap considerations! - just a choice of A or B ffs! :roll:


fullback was the least of our worries since wade left ..... yes he's a great fullback - yes generally better than burt .... but since wade left we've had a year of Burt overachieving, and Hayne much more than capable of stepping in when he went missing - plus the likes of Inu and Reddy more than able to step in if needed .... we are doing ok for fullbacks


plus I don't reckon it would ever have been taylor's (or BS's) call on Wade ... it would have been Hagan and whoever else was doing football management at that point (Zappia? Hill?) ..... taylor was never in a position to make those calls - he just filled in as coach when BS bailed

 

[The Engineers Room]

Any of the kids coming through are really all sixes playing in the seven jersey - Kelly, Morts, Keating. Cam Speechley would be a decent prospect at halfback but he is a bit on the small size - he'd give it a red hot go if chosen but he isn't close in the pecking order.

The only other bloke would be TK Amosa or Josh Murray - both of whom are still or elibible for SG Ball.

What's happened to Justin Hunt?

Shows that letting go Hodgkinson is an even worse decision than Tony Williams but not the same outrage.

 

[Stagger eel]

What's happened to Justin Hunt?

contracted to Balmain/Ryde-Eastwood.

 

[Delboy]

This whole issue goes back to our track history of choice, let's face it one of the worst decisions was hiring a coach who didn't want to be in Sydney. It now feels almost like it was one mans decision to deal with a Grand Final loss under his previous golden one.

With a real lack of knowledge of our system and who was coming through, the Head Coach just took the easy line and re-signed what was in front of him, and I believe did little reference to the junior development staff (probably spoke to Daisy ???what the).

We have to go through a couple of years of pain until as JT colourfully put it , we undo the 18 months of mismanagement, and I think we will see some hard nut decisions made. Hodgko going to the Beagles was a real dumb decision, another player who just wanted the coach to tell him he was needed and in this plans, what a mess last year was as the F3 took precedence over our club.

We need some of the lesser lights to step up, and from what I understand at least they will be fit this year, the new coach was a bit underwhelmed with what he found in that respect.

 

[Bazal]

What's happened to Justin Hunt?

Shows that letting go Hodgkinson is an even worse decision than Tony Williams but not the same outrage.

There was more outrage from many of us....but yeah, not the same uniformity of outrage across the board. Terrible decision to let him go...he should have been as high a priority as Finch, all things considered.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Not that he is young or anything but (can't think of his name - Wenty halfback went to Melbourne) was still a good prospect and after losing Hodgkinson should have been kept. We now have a halfback with little creativity (plenty of heart) but quite frankly little playmaking skill and not much in the way of a backup.

 

[The Engineers Room]

contracted to Balmain/Ryde-Eastwood.

Shame.