Picking a New #7

[blacksafake]

Mary won't pick the team. What a great excuse for him.

How on earth can this work?
The coach must have the say in selections, although i kinda like the thought of L plate not having a say.

 

[MattoDragon]

Millward has indicated that we won't be chasing anyone else on the market unless someone becomes available. That means no Carney, Sandow or Hastings.
Ben Hunt however could be a different story. The club should try and poach him from the Broncos for next year. Every other club doesn't seem to have a problem pulling players out of contracts.

Unfortunately, good players won't come to our club. Look at all the knock backs we've had since Super Coach and Millward have been running things. Parramatta are keen on Hunt so I'd say if it was a choice of them and us, he'll be wearing blue and yellow in 2018.
We have a big problem re. recruitment and retention because until the club announces the coach for next year no one will be keen to sign. So if the idiots that run the joint don't announce a coach until late into next season, all the best buys for 2018 will be signed up elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see if Doust and his cronies realise that.

 

[MattoDragon]

A Kurt Mann / Gareth Widdop combination will lead us to the bottom four.

On this occasion I have to disagree with you. I believe due to the unfortunate injury to Hutch, this is the best option. I'm hoping super coach will give it a go. However, I feel certain the idiot will go with McCrone. That, my friend, will lead us to bottom four!

 

[MattoDragon]

Obviously we are not a very good kicking team as was evidenced last year.
If Mann is to be considered as a half and Mc Innes has to also kick which appear to be new skills for them to learn who is the kicking skills coach?

We haven't got any coaches with skills, kicking or any other skills

 

[Pro Dragons]

Unfortunately, good players won't come to our club. Look at all the knock backs we've had since Super Coach and Millward have been running things. Parramatta are keen on Hunt so I'd say if it was a choice of them and us, he'll be wearing blue and yellow in 2018.
We have a big problem re. recruitment and retention because until the club announces the coach for next year no one will be keen to sign. So if the idiots that run the joint don't announce a coach until late into next season, all the best buys for 2018 will be signed up elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see if Doust and his cronies realise that.

You are 100% correct we need McGregor to put the club first, fall on his sword and announce he won't be there in 2018. Then chase the likes of Hasler, Cleary or dare I dream Bellamy otherwise the club's future will continue on it's downhill spiral.

 

[Old Timer]

We haven't got any coaches with skills, kicking or any other skills

Agree 100% with you.

 

[JDHD]

The halves situation is difficult. Nona, Mann, Field and McCrone all bring different things to the table, but Nona and Mann have the highest upside in the short term. They're both explosive and can conjure something from absolutely nothing. We need that.

I'd run Mann at 5/8 and put Widdop at 7. Bellamy originally signed Mann as a 5/8 to play outside Cronk but then Ben Roberts and Blake Green got in the way.

Meanwhile, I think Widdop absolutely has the ability to take ownership of the team and steer them around the park. His kicking game suffered when Benji came on board and if he's given the simple directives to guide the team and let Mann or Nona do the probing, then he can recapture the form he had in 2014/15 where he was playing a more controlling game and strangling teams to death.

 

[MattoDragon]

I was more talking about 2018.

Hutch would have been given a shot this year, but I doubt he would have been the answer. If Mann is given the job in 2017, so be it.

I like Mann, but we ain’t winning a comp with him at 7.

Mate, we ain't going to win a comp with super coach, wouldn't matter who we had in the halves, the spine, whatever. As has been said several times here, you need a bloody good coach and a team that back him

 

[MattoDragon]

The halves situation is difficult. Nona, Mann, Field and McCrone all bring different things to the table, but Nona and Mann have the highest upside in the short term. They're both explosive and can conjure something from absolutely nothing. We need that.

I'd run Mann at 5/8 and put Widdop at 7. Bellamy originally signed Mann as a 5/8 to play outside Cronk but then Ben Roberts and Blake Green got in the way.

Meanwhile, I think Widdop absolutely has the ability to take ownership of the team and steer them around the park. His kicking game suffered when Benji came on board and if he's given the simple directives to guide the team and let Mann or Nona do the probing, then he can recapture the form he had in 2014/15 where he was playing a more controlling game and strangling teams to death.

In total agreement with you

 

[MattoDragon]

Exactly my thoughts mate. It's a different kind of pressure playing in the spine and his short time at FB didn't inspire me with confidence.

Mann at 5/8 playing next to an established 7 (like Hunt) could work though.

"his short time at FB didn't inspire me with confidence" are you serious?
2 games he got to show his worth, two f'ing games. Then the wanka we laughingly call our coach, sent him packing to the Cutters.
But after 10 weeks of injury and the Cutters, how well did he perform for the remainder of the season? 10 tries in 11 games, made numerous try saving tackles, took the ball up strongly, was safe under the high ball and made many a tackle bust. Yes, he played on the wing, but he did enough to prove that mcgregor should have given him more time at FB.
No coach worth his salt gives a kid two games then shafts him. And no fan worth his salt would question a kid's ability after just two games.
Hopefully Mann will partner Widdop in the halves and if the idiot gives them enough time to combine, Mann will prove his all round ability and Widdop will rediscover his 2014/15 form.

 

[giboz71]

"his short time at FB didn't inspire me with confidence" are you serious?
2 games he got to show his worth, two f'ing games. Then the wanka we laughingly call our coach, sent him packing to the Cutters.
But after 10 weeks of injury and the Cutters, how well did he perform for the remainder of the season? 10 tries in 11 games, made numerous try saving tackles, took the ball up strongly, was safe under the high ball and made many a tackle bust. Yes, he played on the wing, but he did enough to prove that mcgregor should have given him more time at FB.
No coach worth his salt gives a kid two games then shafts him. And no fan worth his salt would question a kid's ability after just two games.
Hopefully Mann will partner Widdop in the halves and if the idiot gives them enough time to combine, Mann will prove his all round ability and Widdop will rediscover his 2014/15 form.

As I've said in many threads, I rate Mann. I agree he should be in the 17 somewhere. Left centre is where I'd be putting him and that's where Bellamy saw value in him. He's a pretty good judge yeh? You need so many qualities to make a good 7, leadership, vision. Making a good fist of wing does not mean you should be given the keys to the team.

Have no problems with giving Mann a go at 7, he'll go no worse than McCrone. But if we're actually going to have a surprise package in the halves it is more likely to be Nona than Mann. Whatever happens, it shouldn't distract us from pursuing an established 7 for 2018 (to likely partner Jai Field). Look how a new set of halves worked for the Sharks?

We should follow a similar formula.

 

[MattoDragon]

Hi Jimmy I'm not knocking your opinion but I never thought Widdop was dominant, at Melbourne he was surrounded by dominant players and was a tradesman. I think he played a couple of games when he first came to us that were good in a poor team.

Is Mary a problem? Yes, big time.

But Mary is not solely responsible for how Widdop is playing. My concerns are that I don't see that he has the skills required. In my opinion, when you look at the top 5/8's Maloney, Milford, Austin, Morgan etc. he is nowhere near their abilities.

But have a look at those player's halves partners. If Widdop had Townsend, Hunt, Sezer, JT etc as a half partner he'd look good too.
Ridiculous comparison.
Mary is and will remain the problem, because Widdop is forced to play to a game plan that stifles his natural game.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Maybe Widdop just hasn't fully recovered from his hip injury. Unless he doesn't perform better this season, he should be let go. There should be plenty of salary cap left to sign a quality half next season.

Can someone please explain the automatic assumption that Saints will sign a quality half simply because there's alleged salary cap room for 2018?

We've already witnessed a plethora of good players reject the club because of McGregor and/or Doust.

As demonstrated by Ivan Cleary's decision to remain in coaching 'limbo', this paradigm is set to continue.

 

[st shaneoh]

As I've said in many threads, I rate Mann. I agree he should be in the 17 somewhere. Left centre is where I'd be putting him and that's where Bellamy saw value in him. He's a pretty good judge yeh? You need so many qualities to make a good 7, leadership, vision. Making a good fist of wing does not mean you should be given the keys to the team.

Have no problems with giving Mann a go at 7, he'll go no worse than McCrone. But if we're actually going to have a surprise package in the halves it is more likely to be Nona than Mann. Whatever happens, it shouldn't distract us from pursuing an established 7 for 2018 (to likely partner Jai Field). Look how a new set of halves worked for the Sharks?

We should follow a similar formula.

Left centre instead of Milne or Aitken or Mary's boy tinman

 

[2010]

You are 100% correct we need McGregor to put the club first, fall on his sword and announce he won't be there in 2018. Then chase the likes of Hasler, Cleary or dare I dream Bellamy otherwise the club's future will continue on it's downhill spiral.

Rugby league week reports that doust and hasler's manager have been having talks,so another rumour to start the new year

 

[giboz71]

Left centre instead of Milne or Aitken or Mary's boy tinman

Tough call but I'd go with Mann at left centre to partner Nene with Milne right centre to partner Nighty.

You need to be able to set up your outside men at centre and I think Mann and Milne do that better than Aitken.

 

[giboz71]

Rugby league week reports that doust and hasler's manager have been having talks,so another rumour to start the new year

May explain why JD left as he knew he wasn't likely to get the head coaching gig.

Here's hoping.

 

[MattoDragon]

As I've said in many threads, I rate Mann. I agree he should be in the 17 somewhere. Left centre is where I'd be putting him and that's where Bellamy saw value in him. He's a pretty good judge yeh? You need so many qualities to make a good 7, leadership, vision. Making a good fist of wing does not mean you should be given the keys to the team.

Have no problems with giving Mann a go at 7, he'll go no worse than McCrone. But if we're actually going to have a surprise package in the halves it is more likely to be Nona than Mann. Whatever happens, it shouldn't distract us from pursuing an established 7 for 2018 (to likely partner Jai Field). Look how a new set of halves worked for the Sharks?

We should follow a similar formula.

Agreed, I just feel giving Mann a go is more favourable than sticking with McCrone.
However, I think what we should all be concerned about is how long it will take our incompetent CEO and Board to announce a new coach. If they leave it till towards the end of 2017 season the chances of getting a top notch 7 are remote. Players like to know who the coach is. We keep super coach, we don't get a quality 7. We announce a replacement too late and no quality players will be left on the market.
Doust and his cronies need to have a successor to McGregor signed up and announced by no later than March/April 2017. But when have this mob ever been on the front foot? Hopefully the "Magic 4" are working on it?
This is something I have been worrying about ever since they announced super coach was staying for 2017.

 

[giboz71]

Still have a feeling we're lining up a new coach for 2018. Otherwise, why would JD walk to be Bennett's assistant? Mary was odds on to be the first coach sacked in 2017, so you'd think he would have bided his time here. Unless he had mail that we were already lining up a new coach for 2018 and it wouldn't be him. The rumours about Hasler seemingly won't go away.

New coach for 2018 that can finally land an established 7. Plenty of cap money to spend after a roster overhaul, plenty of juniors coming through, 2018 might just be the year we turn it all around.

 

[MattoDragon]

May explain why JD left as he knew he wasn't likely to get the head coaching gig.

Here's hoping.

Nothing against Hasler, he's obviously a very good coach, but I'd be more impressed if could sign Cleary. I just think he would bring out the best of our juniors coming through and he has a flair for attacking footy.
Like I said earlier, if we are going to sign a new head coach, we need to do it soon. Waiting till late in the season will jeopardise our prospects of signing top line players as they like to know who the coach will be. Let's hope they don't take a wait and see approach.