No Dureau, who will be general kicker?

[Burwood]

I don't see Smith tinkering with the halves too often this year. He's had the last two years chopping and changing Mullen's partners, and I think he's finally come to the opinion that Walsh and Dureau are better suited as back-up options.

The halves aren't something that you should go changing on a whim in order to suit a specific gameplan. In my opinion you are better served picking your best 1,6,7 & 9 and building your plan around them each week- not the other way round.

 

[roopy]

Stig played a very different game in the Cronulla trial.
He didn't take on the line at all.
He spent the whole game organising the attack from first receiver and putting in quality short kicks.
He really looks like he is working to put plans Joey taught him into effect.

Cronulla didn't put much pressure on him. If he can do all the same things when under pressure he is on the way to being a quality firstgrade halfback.

 

[Karmawave]

Dureau will end up being better than Mullen and will be NSW halfback in a few years if Smith opens his eyes.

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[macavity]

Mac is definately into Butts!

boom... tsh!

had lunch with Butts today actually. he is going to be doing some work with the Crusade

 

[Frederick]

Is he going to get you better seats?

 

[macavity]

no. but he said to tell that skinny b*stard to drink a tall glass of harden the fcuck up.

 

[Frederick]

I'm plenty hard...half titanium, remember?

 

[macavity]

the other half is marshmallow though....

 

[Frederick]

Damn tasty too

 

[Big Tim]

Never mind the signature chasing of Rogers and Taumata.

So Premiership winning Jamie Lyon is a worse 5/8 than new signing Chris Bailey??

Some times "signature chasing" isnt about upgrading, it is about adding depth, or a point of difference. Rogers does that for us.

Rogers has a great ability to play ad-lib footy, which can be diamonds or rocks. From what I have seen from him, he is prone to kicking out on the full, so I think we will suffer if the game comes down to position.

However, if we are expecting to play a gaee with plenty of inside runners and trick plays I think Rogers will suit.

I feel we have halves combinations to execute a game plan depending on the oppostion.




BTW, Houston never played as a natural halfback, he was just named there as we have to name a half back and not 3 backrowers and a lock. Another pointless argument.

The only one that holds any water is the continual "benching", but we have to remember Smith did this plenty with Brad Drew.

 

[BG]

Agreed, and I don't know about you but it annoys the crap out of me.

Oh Antonius, don't even get me started on how much it annoys me!!! :x :lol:

And you guys don't even have to spend all week drilling a team on combinations and a specific game plan. Think how much it annoys opposition coaches. If Smith can get away with it, he should keep doing it.

 

[Karmawave]

And you guys don't even have to spend all week drilling a team on combinations and a specific game plan. Think how much it annoys opposition coaches. If Smith can get away with it, he should keep doing it.

Yeah, while the NRL ( and Knightsbet ) rakes in money from gambling revenues, without any feeling of responsibility of full team disclosure to the punters whatsoever.

Not to mention now Vossy and Rabs promote gambling prices through running commentary because TABSportsbet now is a sponsor of Ch9.

And we wonder why gambling is a problem for some people! :lol:

Im definitely no wowser and love a punt on the horses ( where there is full disclosure and an independent committee overseeing the integrity for punters ), but the situations as it stands with the NRL gambling and team selections is a joke.

If teams were made to name a set team and standby reserves for them in case of injuries and make it public, then at least the NRL would have some integrity for raking in money from mug punters.

Don't get me started on that please. :lol:

 

[Frederick]

And we wonder why gambling is a problem for some people! :lol:

No-one's fault but their own. No-one forces them to gamble

 

[Karmawave]

No-one's fault but their own. No-one forces them to gamble

Surely it doesn't help when a 15 year old kid is sitting in front of Friday Night Football and Rabs is promoting " the Dragons are now at $3.50 for anyone betting in play " constantly throughout the telecast. :lol:

 

[~knights~]

Not to mention now Vossy and Rabs promote gambling prices through running commentary because TABSportsbet now is a sponsor of Ch9.

I noticed that last night :x

 

[Frederick]

Surely it doesn't help when a 15 year old kid is sitting in front of Friday Night Football and Rabs is promoting " the Dragons are now at $3.50 for anyone betting in play " constantly throughout the telecast. :lol:

Then it's up to the parents to inform their child of the risks of gambling

 

[Pika]

Karmas holy crusade against Smith naming an extended bench and the very thin connection with gambling continues.

Its almost a Crusade (no, not the clowns in the crappy seats)

 

[Karmawave]

That's a fairly simple and naive attitude towards it Frederick.


But yeah, my problem isn't as much gambling on the games, but its the fact that the organisations taking money from the gambling ( the NRL, Knights etc ) feel no need to have full disclosure and integrity for the punters in doing so.

There is nothing stopping Smith etc naming his preferred 17, while every team is made to disclose injuries and likelihood of players actually playing. If there is injuries etc that arise, shadow players are named and fully disclosed on Tuesday. It isn't that hard to do.

After all, there's been occasions where coaches ( Smith being one ) have openly exploited the lack of control on this issue by naming a team on Tuesday and training with a team altogether different all week on the training paddock.

I fail to understand how people cannot see how wrong that situation is especially when they are raking in gambling money revenue out of fans...

 

[Karmawave]

Karmas holy crusade against Smith naming an extended bench and the very thin connection with gambling continues.

Its almost a Crusade (no, not the clowns in the crappy seats)

If it was restricted to his extended bench it would be fine! But hey, lets not bring up about Cooper Vuna being named on the wing on Tuesday while he didn't train all week with the team and was never going to play... NOOOOOOOO ;-)

Not just Smith either mind you. All coaches.

Now there's a Knightsbet, Smith should be even more responsible for it though shouldn't he?

But he won't.

Pika do you really think its not wrong doing what he and other coaches do when money is gambled on the games and the NRL and clubs take handouts from it?

 

[Pika]

If a punter chooses to bet on something where he is fully aware of variables in things like team selections, he does so at his own peril.

Its not like its some massive secret that Smith and co vary team selections through the week.

So, we know they pick a token team on Tuesday, we know things will change, then there is the risk of injury. Punters know this will happen. Yet its somehow underhanded that Clubs and NRL profit when some clown takes this info as gospel and puts the house on it?