Rumoured Signings and Even More Crap X

[The EELiminator]

Are you still practising black magic?
Do you have an "all seeing eye"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09KBrn0QH4E

 

[oldmancraigy]

That's why teams don't carry midgets in the 13 jersey.

Watch out for all the Einstein comments about Dallas Johnson being a little bloke. :lol:

[surely if it was that easy to be a 'little lock' then there'd be more than 1 Dallas Johnson???]

 

[Casper The Ghost]

When people say he's a great defender they mean he is a great defender for a little bloke.

Even big hookers like Isaac Luke are spotted by attacking teams. Like all little blokes, Keating is less likely to make handling errors, but he's still not as useful a defender as a bigger forward in that middle third.

That's why teams don't carry midgets in the 13 jersey.

There is an argument for using Keating at lock in a game while the other dummy half (number 14) is on the field, but that's only because Keating is already in the 17 and we may as well get more minutes out of him to give the lock a rest. But starting him at lock will just mean somebody else has to start at hooker, and then who will be fresh to give that merkin a rest?

Are you suggesting Keating at 13 with two other hookers in 9 and 14? With Sandow and Kelly that's far too many little blokes in the 17. It's a stupid idea and I didn't even need to use magic to tell you that. ;-)

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Lets wait and see.
He can play 80 minutes and is mobile. He could easily put on 3 to 6 kilos to play in the backrow.
A few examples
Matthew Keating: DOB: 9/6/1986. Height: 178cm. Weight: 87kg
Dallas Johnson. DOB: 23/11/82; Height: 183 cm Weight: 92 kg
David Stagg. DOB: 18/10/83 Height:183 cm Weight: 95 kg
Paul Taylor. 81 to 89 utility.
Trevor Gillmeister Height: 178cm Weight: 92 kg

 

[Ratchy]

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Lets wait and see.
He can play 80 minutes and is mobile. He could easily put on 3 to 6 kilos to play in the backrow.
A few examples
Matthew Keating: DOB: 9/6/1986. Height: 178cm. Weight: 87kg
Dallas Johnson. DOB: 23/11/82; Height: 183 cm Weight: 92 kg
David Stagg. DOB: 18/10/83 Height:183 cm Weight: 95 kg
Paul Taylor. 81 to 89 utility.
Trevor Gillmeister Height: 178cm Weight: 92 kg

The games moved on from having a backrowers that play in the middle third and can't provide some go forward. Why do you think Stuart replaced Stuart with Terepo or the dogs replaced Stagg with Eastwood.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The games moved on from having a backrowers that play in the middle third and can't provide some go forward. Why do you think Stuart replaced Stuart with Terepo or the dogs replaced Stagg with Eastwood.

Exactly. Some clubs have even been playing an extra prop in the middle for the past few years.

 

[caylo]

The games moved on from having a backrowers that play in the middle third and can't provide some go forward. Why do you think Stuart replaced Stuart with Terepo or the dogs replaced Stagg with Eastwood.

I agree, Gallen is the best example and with mannah playing 60+ min for the last few matches I think Stuart is defiantly looking for middle third domination. With guys like Terepo and Allgood who could play a similar role but better go forward for not much $$ I dont see that role as an option for keating.
I think Keating would make a good honest #13 in the NRL, I don't see him having a stable career in the #9 at any other club tbh. The advantage he has at 13 is his versatility as he would easily fill hooker or halves and could probably also shift to the centres if required mid match.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

The games moved on from having a backrowers that play in the middle third and can't provide some go forward. Why do you think Stuart replaced Stuart with Terepo or the dogs replaced Stagg with Eastwood.

Valid point however we are leaking lots of points and need to improve on our defense which we did last week. Poo Poo correctly pointed out that big forwards can push through MK which I know has happened. Still think that if he trained for the back row and put on some more weight MK could be a very effective tackling machine. Have regularly thought MK would be a better 5/8 than what we've had for the past few years, excluding Hayne but now we've got Norman coming so MK's future is not looking so bright. Even though he's average as an attacking 9 it's still a shame to lose such an excellent, consistent, reliable defender. What a shame Sandow is such a poor defender, his smallness really complicates our options in our top 17 compromising excellent defenders physically built on the smaller size like MK.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

I agree, Gallen is the best example and with mannah playing 60+ min for the last few matches I think Stuart is defiantly looking for middle third domination. With guys like Terepo and Allgood who could play a similar role but better go forward for not much $$ I dont see that role as an option for keating.
I think Keating would make a good honest #13 in the NRL, I don't see him having a stable career in the #9 at any other club tbh. The advantage he has at 13 is his versatility as he would easily fill hooker or halves and could probably also shift to the centres if required mid match.

This

 

[Eelpout]

He is one of the best defensive forwards going around the NRL.
For years to come, we need a strong workhorse in Keating.
Why weaken our squad further by letting him strengthen another club desperate for a brilliant defender?
Cutting of our nose to spite our face?
Still say we put him at lock - the best years as a defender are still in front of him.
Would be a better attacking option for us too if he was at 13.

Whilst I originally too thought it may be a good idea to try Keating in the second row/lock I just cannot see him every making a line break. With his leg drive he couldn't bust a raisin. I say leave him at hooker and eventually have him coming off the bench, whether this be for a junior ie. Pritchard/Vescio or an astute signing for 2015 onwards. Nonetheless we need him for a year. If we need to sign him with incentives/clauses in the clubs favour, so be it.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

Whilst I originally too thought it may be a good idea to try Keating in the second row/lock I just cannot see him every making a line break. With his leg drive he couldn't bust a raisin. I say leave him at hooker and eventually have him coming off the bench, whether this be for a junior ie. Pritchard/Vescio or an astute signing for 2015 onwards. Nonetheless we need him for a year. If we need to sign him with incentives/clauses in the clubs favour, so be it.

Agreed, was thinking if he put on some weight and was trained to play as a 13 we might see some good results out of him for next year. With players like Fraser M and Tanginoa coming through I agree with you that these type of tanks will be much better line breaking 13's down-the-line particularly if they are good defenders which Tanginoa has already demonstrated in bucket loads. You are right, leave MK @ 9 which suits his body type. Wish we could help him improve his speed at the play the ball, etc.

 

[hineyrulz]

Keating to the back row??? Really???

And i thought our backrow added absolutely nothing now, he's very good defensively for a rake different game in the back row. Why try to keep a dead set plodder in the squad who have been nothing more then average his entire career??

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Why try to keep a dead set plodder in the squad who have been nothing more then average his entire career??

What's wrong with average? Every squad needs a few of them to keep prices down.

 

[hineyrulz]

What's wrong with average? Every squad needs a few of them to keep prices down.

So you would play him in the back row to keep him in the squad???? I could put up with him in a hooker rotation with Kaysa for another season until a better option comes onto the market. Or Prichard is ready to play the full 80 which won't be till 2015 at the earliest.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So you would play him in the back row to keep him in the squad????

No I already said he's too small for a genuine back rower. He has zero utility value other than the ability to spend some minutes defending in the back row (while the starting lock has a rest and number 14 is being a mad merkin at dummy half). You couldn't even use him in the halves if one got injured. I suspect Pritchard would be more useful there.

I could put up with him in a hooker rotation with Kaysa for another season until a better option comes onto the market. Or Prichard is ready to play the full 80 which won't be till 2015 at the earliest.

Agreed. I think Keating for one more year is a good idea. There are few more suitable hookers to share the hooking duties with Pritchard, and none on the market.

 

[Bigfella]

Pou there's a massive problem with average at hooker half or fullback.

 

[Someone]

What's wrong with average? Every squad needs a few of them to keep prices down.

You can still have quality cheap footballers. they arent all shit.

 

[hindy111]

MK- Reasons to re-sign, probably come quite cheap.
Also he would be a great hooker if we had a jack rabbit like segyaroo coming on when other team is tired.He could soak up the defense and hard yards for the first 25 mins than unleash kaysa if he can provide that.Mk could return as a defensive lock for 15 mins at end of game

 

[hindy111]

He would be good for peno..they could take advantage of segyaroo's energy and let keating do the dirty work while everyones fresh

 

[Avenger]

I'd swap Keating for Kingston in a heartbeat. Kingston is 30 in a month. Still would offer plenty of value with Pritchard the future. It has worked with Saints and Nathan Fein.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

I would swap Keating for a packet of chips.