Parramatta Eels win race for Ben Roberts

[Poupou Escobar]

Even if Anderson was told Mortimer had to play, Robson and Keating still played over 30 games between them.

Why couldn't Humble crack one of their spots?

 

[TheRam]

Pou the jury maybe out on Humble, but only because as others here have rightly pointed out, he hasn't had much of a shot in 1st grade. Where as Mortimer has been given way to much time to prove himself and not delivered at all.

So surely you jest if you think that Humble would be worse than Mortimer...right?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Pou the jury maybe out on Humble, but only because as others here have rightly pointed out, he hasn't had much of a shot in 1st grade.

He obviously hasn't shown enough in his brief appearances in first grade, or at training or even at Wenty to warrant that extended shot.

If he had he surely would have been there. It's not like he's got Jonathan Thurston in front of him.

You don't just give a bloke a shot for nothing. Humble might've been good for Wenty, and I expect he would be because he's incredibly quick, but in first grade you need more than that, especially in the halves.

Where as Mortimer has been given way to much time to prove himself and not delivered at all.

He's been as good as anyone else we've used in the halves. He's also proven he can be highly effective in first grade when he's playing in a competitive team. On top of that he trains well and he does all the one-percenters on the field.

Finally, his kicking game has seriously improved this year and his side of the field has been very composed in attack - he's given Hayne and Loko some time and space with quality set-up work.

So surely you jest if you think that Humble would be worse than Mortimer...right?

He certainly could be.

Mortimer obviously doesn't excel at any facet of the game, other than his workrate and determination, but he is definitely a more complete player than Humble.

So far Humble's a one-trick pony, and he's not powerful enough for that one trick (linebreaking) to be very effective in first grade.

 

[MrT]

Even if Anderson was told Mortimer had to play, Robson and Keating still played over 30 games between them.

Why couldn't Humble crack one of their spots?

We can ask the same question of, why did James Maloney play 1st grade at Parra

 

[Joshuatheeel]

We can ask the same question of, why did James Maloney play 1st grade at Parra

Can I ask the question why it took Anderson 2 years and he still didn't think we needed a change in the halves but Kearney has been with us for 6 months and by round 8 we already have a new halves combination for next year ?

 

[Wise Old Eel]

Actually, the game against Manly was Tom Humble`s first-grade debut. He played five-eight. Mortimer was half-back. Humble showed a lot of composure and a lot of skill; came within inches of scoring a fifty meter try (tackled by Jamie Lyon inches short of the line); showed flair in getting the ball out to our backs (who had been starving with Mortimer at five-eight); defended very well; got pole-axed by Anthony Whatmough, but continued to play on and showed a lot of courage. In his next five first
grade games he was used as a hooker, fullback and winger. As soon as Kris Keating was over his injury, Keating came back into the team and Humble went back to Wenty - where he stayed for the rest of the year. He was never given a chance to grow into the five-eight spot (his specialist position) in first grade. Meanwhile, Daniel - "I think I can" - Mortimer was selected week after week after week, and got worse every game.

:thumb

WOE

 

[Wise Old Eel]

sorry, pou pou, you`re wrong. I think daniel mortimer last year was the worst half/five-eight in the game. So why do you think anderson persisted with him when he could have used a robson/ keating combination or a robson/humble combination or a keating/humble combination or a robson/keating combination?
Either 1. anderson was told he had to select mortimer; or anderson was stupid; or anderson was stubborn.
2. Tom humble was voted the best back at wentworthville last year. Why did he not get more of a look-in at nrl level? Not because of his form, surely. Jonathon wright played a fair amount of first grade, but he was not considered as good as humble at wenty.
3. Tom humble`s obvious talent has been absolutely wasted since he came to parramatta.

1. IMO
2. What more could he do???
3. Tragically

WOE

 

[Eels Dude]

Can I ask the question why it took Anderson 2 years and he still didn't think we needed a change in the halves but Kearney has been with us for 6 months and by round 8 we already have a new halves combination for next year ?

Might have something to do with us making the Grand Final in 2009.

What do you expect him to do? Not re-sign players who helped got us there which would have created a massive uproar. It's not like halve options weren't pursued in 2010.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We can ask the same question of, why did James Maloney play 1st grade at Parra

Because there were better players in front of him. Duh.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Can I ask the question why it took Anderson 2 years and he still didn't think we needed a change in the halves but Kearney has been with us for 6 months and by round 8 we already have a new halves combination for next year ?

I think Anderson knew we needed a change in the halves. There just weren't any halves off contract that were likely to come to the club - I'm not talking the Thurstons of the game; guys like him will never leave their current club for a club that's struggling. We needed to look at the second tier of quality (Sandow, Mullen, Wallace, etc) and we only really got that opportunity this year.

 

[TheRam]

He obviously hasn't shown enough in his brief appearances in first grade, or at training or even at Wenty to warrant that extended shot.

If he had he surely would have been there. It's not like he's got Jonathan Thurston in front of him.

You don't just give a bloke a shot for nothing. Humble might've been good for Wenty, and I expect he would be because he's incredibly quick, but in first grade you need more than that, especially in the halves.



He's been as good as anyone else we've used in the halves. He's also proven he can be highly effective in first grade when he's playing in a competitive team. On top of that he trains well and he does all the one-percenters on the field.

Finally, his kicking game has seriously improved this year and his side of the field has been very composed in attack - he's given Hayne and Loko some time and space with quality set-up work.



He certainly could be.

Mortimer obviously doesn't excel at any facet of the game, other than his workrate and determination, but he is definitely a more complete player than Humble.

So far Humble's a one-trick pony, and he's not powerful enough for that one trick (linebreaking) to be very effective in first grade.

I am certainly not a Humble cheerleader as I have plainly stated that I just don't know until I see him play in the top grade at least for a month or so straight in his preferred position, but...ah voted best back of the year in Wenty Pou. Best back of the year.

Oh and like Robson & Morts have shown that they have...ah what exactly, other then both being a pair of triers?

And no exactly, he doesn't have Jonathan Thurston in front of him, he has a couple of vacuumous(in creativity) individuals, who are just plain talentless pretenders masquerading as NRL standard playmakers.

I think we can take a punt on someone else who was BEST BACK OF THE YEAR in the lower grades, don't you?

 

[Stagger eel]

can i correct you on that RAM..

the 2010 players player went to Ant Mitchell

the coach's award went to Mitch Allgood.

no doubting Humbles talent, but he didn't quite demand selection infront of the 3 blokes infront of him last year, he certainly wasn't as good as he was for the Norther pride the year before.

 

[TheRam]

can i correct you on that RAM..

the 2010 players player went to Ant Mitchell

the coach's award went to Mitch Allgood.

no doubting Humbles talent, but he didn't quite demand selection infront of the 3 blokes infront of him last year, he certainly wasn't as good as he was for the Norther pride the year before.

Yeah sorry Staggs, I went back and found that he was voted 'Best Back' of the year apparently.

 

[Stagger eel]

Actually you are probably right as I excluded the wenty awards which I believe is different to the parramatta awards!

 

[TheRam]

Actually you are probably right as I excluded the wenty awards which I believe is different to the parramatta awards!

Maybe someone else who knows for sure can tell us?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I think we can take a punt on someone else who was BEST BACK OF THE YEAR in the lower grades, don't you?

I'm not sure that it would translate so easily, and obviously neither was Anderson.

Maybe a winger or centre excelling in the lower grades could be assumed to slot straight into first grade and be effective, but playing in the halves in reserve grade is a very different game to first grade, especially the traits required for success.

All through the lower grades you'll see many teams with their halfback or five-eighth as top try-scorer - some guy who is fast with good footwork can regularly score 50 metre tries from first receiver and look like an absolute gun.

But that kind of player will disappear in first grade if he doesn't have any other qualities because defences are so much better.

It's like in American football where the college level is dominated by quarterbacks who can run, yet most of these guys never get drafted because NFL defences won't let them get past the line of scrimmage. The big boys are just far too good, and playmakers need to be more than just fast.

That said, I still think Humble could be the answer, and he could end up being a good first grader for us (or someone else). But the coaching staff would know better than us whether or not he deserves a shot in first grade and they don't need to 'give him an extended run in first grade' or anything like that to know what he would offer to the NRL side.

 

[Stagger eel]

Maybe someone else who knows for sure can tell us?

Ii could quite easily find out...

 

[TheRam]

Ii could quite easily find out...

It's no biggy Staggs. Just making a point with Pou, that no one really knows until Humble is given a fair shot. No matter what we all think and that goes for the coaching staff too, since he is one of these players that is can go either way.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's no biggy Staggs. Just making a point with Pou, that no one really knows until Humble is given a fair shot. No matter what we all think and that goes for the coaching staff too, since he is one of these players that is can go either way.

Well I disagree mate. If you don't know until you give him a 'fair shot' then how do you know with any player?

The club knows what they want from a player at that position (halves) and if Humble's not showing it in the lower grades then he won't show it in first grade.

So far Humble's shown a lot of line breaking ability in the lower grades, but whatever else they want from him they'll be able to see it (or not) before he gets to first grade.

Personally I think Humble looks more like a first grade fullback than a half but like you I haven't seen him at training or known how well he follows a gameplan in reserve grade.

 

[lingard]

Even if Anderson was told Mortimer had to play, Robson and Keating still played over 30 games between them.

Why couldn't Humble crack one of their spots?

It`s an absolute mystery to me, buddy. You tell me.