Como Connection
First Grade
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Nicholls played ok last week, much better than Field.
CC
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Nicholls played ok last week, much better than Field.
Para 1 - That is what these forums are forDon't necessarily agree or disagree with any of that and to be honest, I've only ever seen both those boys as "possibilities" rather than having high hopes for them, but it does pose some interesting questions.
You mention Jai will never be able to run a team in the halves, but, without being given an open book opportunity, will we ever really know? I have very little doubt that in is limited opportunities, he has been playing to Mary's script and that script is a dumbed down "catch, pass, tackle and don't make any mistakes" game plan expected of him. Even to the point if you watched that game closely against the Storm, on numerous occasions he was passing the ball to his centre or edge forward when they had a defender in their face......definitely playing to instructions to simply catch and pass to his outside men. Bellamy picked up on this real quickly and had his defenders rushing up on our outside men and closing them down as he knew they were going to get the ball if it went down that side of the field. A creative player just can't be made to forget what he has spent his whole football life doing. For Mary to take that creative license off him just shows what an absolute amateur he is. Bellamy worked it out in 5 minutes, meanwhile, Mary still thinks it was a master stroke only for Jai to f**k it up.
Even after last weeks game, Blake Lawrie was copping a pasting on here for being a plodder and yet i gave him a couple of points in the Serbs because he appeared to me to be doing everything the coach asked him to do....tackle anything that moves, tuck the ball under the arm and quick play the balls. He did just that and did it with enthusiasm and intent. I understand a lot of people want to see him ball play, get off loads away, develop a step and beat the line etc, but it is blatantly obvious that Mary hasn't given him that script.
Kurt Mann was another who got belted from pillar to post on here, but what Kurt was/is capable of was not in his script when he played for us in the halves. When he was on the wing, his script was to be there to score tries, he did, he was our leading try scorer and only played 2/3rds of the season there. When he played 14, his script was to come on in the middle and just tackle and run the ball, given his size, he did that admirably. But when he played in the halves to cover Widdop, the script was obviously to make your tackles, give early ball to your centres and stay the f**k away from the ball on the last tackle and make sure Hunt gets it. If anyone has watched him at Newcastle this year it is obvious just how much Browny is getting out of him compared to what Mary did.
You also mention that Jai is behind Dufty as a fullback for our club, but again, how do we really know? One bloke has nearly 50 games in the NRL, only ever at fullback, while the other has about half a dozen full games and a handful of 10 minute cameos of which probably none of those have been at fullback. You may very well be right and probably are, but again it's hard to say with conviction when he's never had the opportunity. Even on another thread i saw Jai get called a turnstile, but his tackle efficiency for his 6 games this year is 73% and Matt's is 69%. Not a lot in it sure, but Jai has made 61 tackles in 6 games and Matt has made 58 in 13 games. If Jai is a turnstile then Matt is equally so.
As i said at the start, i've never held high hopes for either of these kids but was just hopeful that they could be brought through the system and maybe go on and make their mark, but i have real concerns for any of our players that are relying on our system to develop them into top shelf NRL players.
Now to stay on topic, if all our Origin boys can back up on the weekend, i reckon we roll the Raiders......having 4 or 5 lads fresh from a camp without Mary and being mentored by some pretty good footy brains and being surrounded by winners will have them primed.....Us by 10....and yes, I've been known to have dilusional moments!
Para matter?
Very insightful post.Don't necessarily agree or disagree with any of that and to be honest, I've only ever seen both those boys as "possibilities" rather than having high hopes for them, but it does pose some interesting questions.
You mention Jai will never be able to run a team in the halves, but, without being given an open book opportunity, will we ever really know? I have very little doubt that in is limited opportunities, he has been playing to Mary's script and that script is a dumbed down "catch, pass, tackle and don't make any mistakes" game plan expected of him. Even to the point if you watched that game closely against the Storm, on numerous occasions he was passing the ball to his centre or edge forward when they had a defender in their face......definitely playing to instructions to simply catch and pass to his outside men. Bellamy picked up on this real quickly and had his defenders rushing up on our outside men and closing them down as he knew they were going to get the ball if it went down that side of the field. A creative player just can't be made to forget what he has spent his whole football life doing. For Mary to take that creative license off him just shows what an absolute amateur he is. Bellamy worked it out in 5 minutes, meanwhile, Mary still thinks it was a master stroke only for Jai to f**k it up.
Even after last weeks game, Blake Lawrie was copping a pasting on here for being a plodder and yet i gave him a couple of points in the Serbs because he appeared to me to be doing everything the coach asked him to do....tackle anything that moves, tuck the ball under the arm and quick play the balls. He did just that and did it with enthusiasm and intent. I understand a lot of people want to see him ball play, get off loads away, develop a step and beat the line etc, but it is blatantly obvious that Mary hasn't given him that script.
Kurt Mann was another who got belted from pillar to post on here, but what Kurt was/is capable of was not in his script when he played for us in the halves. When he was on the wing, his script was to be there to score tries, he did, he was our leading try scorer and only played 2/3rds of the season there. When he played 14, his script was to come on in the middle and just tackle and run the ball, given his size, he did that admirably. But when he played in the halves to cover Widdop, the script was obviously to make your tackles, give early ball to your centres and stay the f**k away from the ball on the last tackle and make sure Hunt gets it. If anyone has watched him at Newcastle this year it is obvious just how much Browny is getting out of him compared to what Mary did.
You also mention that Jai is behind Dufty as a fullback for our club, but again, how do we really know? One bloke has nearly 50 games in the NRL, only ever at fullback, while the other has about half a dozen full games and a handful of 10 minute cameos of which probably none of those have been at fullback. You may very well be right and probably are, but again it's hard to say with conviction when he's never had the opportunity. Even on another thread i saw Jai get called a turnstile, but his tackle efficiency for his 6 games this year is 73% and Matt's is 69%. Not a lot in it sure, but Jai has made 61 tackles in 6 games and Matt has made 58 in 13 games. If Jai is a turnstile then Matt is equally so.
As i said at the start, i've never held high hopes for either of these kids but was just hopeful that they could be brought through the system and maybe go on and make their mark, but i have real concerns for any of our players that are relying on our system to develop them into top shelf NRL players.
Now to stay on topic, if all our Origin boys can back up on the weekend, i reckon we roll the Raiders......having 4 or 5 lads fresh from a camp without Mary and being mentored by some pretty good footy brains and being surrounded by winners will have them primed.....Us by 10....and yes, I've been known to have dilusional moments!
no Muz spelt Parra matter. Your better than that!
Yes I agree, back to the good ol days. Only this time we should have ten players on the bench who must have played at least 40min in reserve grade. Then in NRL, once you come off for any reason, you are replaced by one of the 10 on the bench and you stay off for the rest of the game.
Understand, Nicholls will go fine with Normy.
This policy could enable more young promising players with exposure to first grade. It would also encourage players on the field to give their best because if they are replaced, they know that they are out for the rest of the game.
Me thinks Norman & Nicholls are not a good combo as both not instinctive runners taking the line on.
Wouldn’t mind Nicholls & Field in the halves with Corey in the centres with a roving commission.
Was noted but I am not the coach and my preferences mean nudder
