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Moses Mbye

Messages
8,480
All part of the culture that Hook is trying to change I think.

Yep I can see that. He has two challenges on his hands in terms of culture.

Behavioural Culture. And Winning Culture.

Mbye could help with Behavioural. Not so sure of the other.

It's a mountain of a task. The only notable example of this being turned around in recent times is the Australian Cricket team after ball tampering. Anyone whos seen the doco "The Test" would know what I mean.

The guys who can turn around a bad behavioral culture are the leaders in a club. The coach - yeah to a certain degree, but its the leaders in the playing group who will play the biggest part. I've said before I think one of the biggest issues with our performance in recent years is the lack of natural leaders in our team. In 2018 we had 3 standouts in Graham, Widdop and De Belin. In 2021..... maybe Hunt now as captain. That's it. Yes De Belin is back but after being through the wringer he has in the last 2 years... he isn't the guy he was.

Mbye could help with leadership but to come to a new club and stamp your authority here wouldn't be easy. James Graham is an absolute force, and played at the highest levels for many years - was a different story for him.
 

blacksafake

First Grade
Messages
8,988
Why then resign players like Fui who disobey the coach's request and have the on field discipline of a toddler??

Sure, sign Moses because he is a great guy with a good clean image. Just don't expect our attack to improve very much because he is just another mediocre first grader.
As far as Fui is concerned you do need players of nrl standard as depth & he imo is.
Hopefully with the addition of players like Mbye he'll be in better company as far as off field goes which may then improve on field. Also now not having Norman, Vaughan etc culture should be better.
Lets hope so anyway.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
Why then resign players like Fui who disobey the coach's request and have the on field discipline of a toddler??

Sure, sign Moses because he is a great guy with a good clean image. Just don't expect our attack to improve very much because he is just another mediocre first grader.

I can see why both would be decent to keep.

Fui, for all his suspensions is one of the few hard nuts we have. I love his aggression, just needs to tinker with his technique. Also, I think he has been targetted ever since the Pap hit that sent the media and PVL into a frenzy.

As for Mbye, he can cover any spot in the spine, and lets be frank, we badly need those areas covered. Dufty gone. Cam Mac, gone. AM, on old legs. Norman, gone. Sloane, unknown to date as to what he can do.

I dont think FUI is on huge coin, and Mbye is subsidised by the Tigpies.
 

denis preston

First Grade
Messages
8,157
I can see why both would be decent to keep.

Fui, for all his suspensions is one of the few hard nuts we have. I love his aggression, just needs to tinker with his technique. Also, I think he has been targetted ever since the Pap hit that sent the media and PVL into a frenzy.

As for Mbye, he can cover any spot in the spine, and lets be frank, we badly need those areas covered. Dufty gone. Cam Mac, gone. AM, on old legs. Norman, gone. Sloane, unknown to date as to what he can do.

I dont think FUI is on huge coin, and Mbye is subsidised by the Tigpies.
It all depends on what chunk retaining Fui & signing Mbye takes out of the cap. If a really good NRL player ( but not representative standard ) is worth 400k I don't think Fui fits that bill as in my opinion he is a fill in first grader at best. Mbye is certainly better and provided he is fit 400k would be about market value but anything more would be paying overs.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,093
It all depends on what chunk retaining Fui & signing Mbye takes out of the cap. If a really good NRL player ( but not representative standard ) is worth 400k I don't think Fui fits that bill as in my opinion he is a fill in first grader at best. Mbye is certainly better and provided he is fit 400k would be about market value but anything more would be paying overs.

Yeah, I get that Denis.

Im only punting here, but I dont think we are paying big money for Fui, and my Mbye endorsement is based on my " assumption" that we are paying half his costs, so yeah circa 400k.

As i posted, I can see the need for Mbye, but as you say, for the right price. My ideal signing would have been Hynes, but sadly we cant attract such talent.

Hook has a massive job ahead.
 

denis preston

First Grade
Messages
8,157
Yeah, I get that Denis.

Im only punting here, but I dont think we are paying big money for Fui, and my Mbye endorsement is based on my " assumption" that we are paying half his costs, so yeah circa 400k.

As i posted, I can see the need for Mbye, but as you say, for the right price. My ideal signing would have been Hynes, but sadly we cant attract such talent.

Hook has a massive job ahead.
Yes Hook does have a big job next year BUT he will do it with:

* Two new very good forwards & if lucky 3 ( if Burgess is fully fit )
* Mbye or another to perform 2nd Hooker & all rounder round with distinction.
* Debellin second season fully game fit.
* The 5 juniors bodies bigger for NRL with others like Cotric to come on.
* Cleaning out of deadwood & resumption of Reserve grade ( because our youth we will get more game experience )
* Some money to spend on a player or two. Not exactly a war chest but enough to take advantage of whats out there particularly a speedy centre and not too overly experienced ( under 30 ) front rower.

There's always presumptions on how certain players will perform and for us so Lomax, Kerr, Blocker & Rav should be in the zenith of there careers, no longer young but seasoned and at at their peak. Align this with Hunt playing more games, no Norman, far less judicatory visits , no BBQ's and half of their games played at home then Hook & Co IMO really has something to work with.
 

Como Connection

First Grade
Messages
5,909
Yes Hook does have a big job next year BUT he will do it with:

* Two new very good forwards & if lucky 3 ( if Burgess is fully fit )
* Mbye or another to perform 2nd Hooker & all rounder round with distinction.
* Debellin second season fully game fit.
* The 5 juniors bodies bigger for NRL with others like Cotric to come on.
* Cleaning out of deadwood & resumption of Reserve grade ( because our youth we will get more game experience )
* Some money to spend on a player or two. Not exactly a war chest but enough to take advantage of whats out there particularly a speedy centre and not too overly experienced ( under 30 ) front rower.

There's always presumptions on how certain players will perform and for us so Lomax, Kerr, Blocker & Rav should be in the zenith of there careers, no longer young but seasoned and at at their peak. Align this with Hunt playing more games, no Norman, far less judicatory visits , no BBQ's and half of their games played at home then Hook & Co IMO really has something to work with.
Plus Bird will be much better next season I'm sure.
CC
 

OneEyedDragon

Juniors
Messages
1,432
Yes Hook does have a big job next year BUT he will do it with:

* Two new very good forwards & if lucky 3 ( if Burgess is fully fit )
* Mbye or another to perform 2nd Hooker & all rounder round with distinction.
* Debellin second season fully game fit.
* The 5 juniors bodies bigger for NRL with others like Cotric to come on.
* Cleaning out of deadwood & resumption of Reserve grade ( because our youth we will get more game experience )
* Some money to spend on a player or two. Not exactly a war chest but enough to take advantage of whats out there particularly a speedy centre and not too overly experienced ( under 30 ) front rower.

There's always presumptions on how certain players will perform and for us so Lomax, Kerr, Blocker & Rav should be in the zenith of there careers, no longer young but seasoned and at at their peak. Align this with Hunt playing more games, no Norman, far less judicatory visits , no BBQ's and half of their games played at home then Hook & Co IMO really has something to work with.
Excellent post! My thoughts and hopes exactly. Thanks.
 

Rob Dragon 1

Juniors
Messages
172
Yes Hook does have a big job next year BUT he will do it with:

* Two new very good forwards & if lucky 3 ( if Burgess is fully fit )
* Mbye or another to perform 2nd Hooker & all rounder round with distinction.
* Debellin second season fully game fit.
* The 5 juniors bodies bigger for NRL with others like Cotric to come on.
* Cleaning out of deadwood & resumption of Reserve grade ( because our youth we will get more game experience )
* Some money to spend on a player or two. Not exactly a war chest but enough to take advantage of whats out there particularly a speedy centre and not too overly experienced ( under 30 ) front rower.

There's always presumptions on how certain players will perform and for us so Lomax, Kerr, Blocker & Rav should be in the zenith of there careers, no longer young but seasoned and at at their peak. Align this with Hunt playing more games, no Norman, far less judicatory visits , no BBQ's and half of their games played at home then Hook & Co IMO really has something to work with.
Agreed Denis; plus the roster starts to get realigned ahead of 2023. There are around 10 players off contract at the end of 2022 and hard decisions will need to be made on many of those. Is Lawrie a legitimate 1st grade prop etc? Tough, hard decisions without sentiment need to be made. I would expect a decent push towards the bottom end of the 8 in 2022 and then to gain momentum ahead of 2023.
 
Messages
3,489
Sure, sign Moses because he is a great guy with a good clean image. Just don't expect our attack to improve very much because he is just another mediocre first grader.
An improved attack is what we most need. Surely you dont buy someone for a clean image. That wont win us footy games. Sounds a bit to me like another knee jerk reaction when we broke the bank to lure Ben Hunt here.
 

Forbes Creek Dragons

First Grade
Messages
5,078
Agreed Denis; plus the roster starts to get realigned ahead of 2023. There are around 10 players off contract at the end of 2022 and hard decisions will need to be made on many of those. Is Lawrie a legitimate 1st grade prop etc? Tough, hard decisions without sentiment need to be made. I would expect a decent push towards the bottom end of the 8 in 2022 and then to gain momentum ahead of 2023.
Lawrie definitely 1st grade material, needs quality around him though. We were dominating until he went off. We just have a terrible clunky slow backline. Imagine having Addo Carr outside Lomax. We have no one besides maybe Dufty/Sloan/Ramsey that could go 100 and we play none of them. Feagai did nothing really, not his fault though nor is it Ramsey’s when he was there getting no ball.
 
Messages
15,386
Mbye is a great club man, he loves the fans, a great human being with little kids.

Hes been angling to get out of wt since he was stripped of the captaincy following a few miserable years and the arrival of “17 minutes” Tamou.

He got to play at 5/8 earlier in the year during an experimental period. The whole side played better for a couple of games and then back to drunken merkinhood. Madge then gave him several more weeks than he should have… but Moses failed to ignite. So he was unceremoniously dumped from the key spot. Doogie stepped back in and is a much better player at much less cost. He is soo in waiting.

We played hard ball with him this season contractually because he is so expensive and kept him anxious right up until last week or so to try to minimise our loss.

He is a good utility and he can tackle ( shock horror these days!) which is really helpful but I also like to think he has plenty of improvement left in him that Madge wasn’t able to bring out in him. Shame really.

He will be very keen to start again and have a go. He’s not a retiree or anything. He might take to Hook and relish the fresh atmosphere.

Hes 28 and still quite powerful.
 
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