Steven Masters to Bunnies?

[Old Timer]

Funnily out of the many, many dragons juniors in recent years who haven’t gone to our top grades, how many are we truly ruing letting go?

Cook? People were glad to see the back of him, he’s only bloomed recently.

Bird? The jury is still out there..

And then when these juniors do get a shot in 1st grade with us and take the inevitable learning curve that comes with it, the same “fans” crucify the players

Eg in recent years Dufty was our saviour when he was in reserves and suddenly he’s no good..

Let’s not forget even someone like Latrell Mitchell had many clangers early on..

I’m tipping Lomax starts copping it on here before the end of next season too..

You are..

As I said before every case should be treated as individual and not because of who succeeded or didn't succeed on prior occasions.
Its a bit like the welfare system do we stop payments to all because some cheat the system or should every case be judged on an individual basis?
Unfortunately some people focus on the cheats and ignore the needy.
We can't ignore any person we invest time in (save behavioural issues) on the basis of "the majority don't make it and neither will you" basis and especially so when Latimore, Allgood, Nicholls, Maranta have been able to wear our jumper and in doing so didn't alter the result of a game or the position on the ladder where we finished.
If the nuffies who are given our jumper (despite being long proven to be ineffectual) did make a difference to results then the arguement re their selection doesn't carry nearly as much weight but when we lose with them making no discernible difference and young people with potential upside are not given their shot and then ultimately leave the club we do have a right to bitch about it without any reference to those that may have gone before them.
Every player on his own merit.

 

[RufusRex]

i totally agree esp on the time to learn ...
Was always positive about giving Rein/Aitken/Dufty time at the start ... was only after about 20-30 games when it was obvious that they were not improving and opposition were onto them that i started questioning - probs a bit earlier with Dufty when it became totally apparant that against top defenses he was f**ked.

We need the courage to not only blood them but more importantly flick them earlier than we do.

That goes for coaches as well.

 

[muzby]

We need the courage to not only blood them but more importantly flick them earlier than we do.

That goes for coaches as well.

Mary will come good.

A stopped clock is still useful twice a day.

 

[RufusRex]

Mary will come good.

A stopped clock is still useful twice a day.

yeah .. but a slow clock is always wrong.

 

[TruSaint]

Going round in circles. The issue here is much more about what we offer as a club. Since bennett left, we have on a downward spiral.

What do players seek ?

Money ( for elite players we have to pay overs due to our position ).
Development ( refer to thread ).
Facilities ( I remember Wayne saying he was glad he didn't see our facilities prior to joining ).
Centralised and real home ground ( half our players share a f**king bus to travel to the Gong ).
Coaching attraction ( unless the money is over the top, who would join us ).

Our whole f**king identity is in tatters.
We will secure an elite player every now and then, but we will pay overs to do so.

Club needs an overhaul. I called this season as a write off 4 weeks ago. In fact prior to seasons start I said we would finish between 8th to 12th. We are not as big as many fans think we are, and we are not a desired option unless its a sweetheart deal.

 

[muzby]

yeah .. but a slow clock is always wrong.

No, eventually it will cycle..

 

[getsmarty]

No, eventually it will cycle..

Correct...but not in Mary's case.............

 

[qld redvee]

Correct Muzby.... You blood these young guys knowing that there will be a learning curve. The way I see it, we don't have the coaching staff to develop their game....

There have been other solid players leave...Whare/linnett etc...Herbert and even Garrick seems to be improving under Hasler...the thing I find frustrating is we replace them with Journeymen or reserve greders without giving them a solid run in first Grade.

Even K.Mann looks better under Brown....I guess it's all a moot argument as the coaching staff have already made up their collective minds as to the pathways of certain players.

Smarty , your 100% correct re our juniours not being given game time to see if they can make it , Remember the good old times where players were rewarded for stand out performances in reserve grade by getting a game or 2 .. we under the present regime have only elevated due to injury. The only games our talented juniors get is usually charity shield or similar where players run on or off willy nilly so they dont get quality time ( look at our failed bench usage ) If we continue to let CC players go untried then we will only replace with our next crop of youngsters who will be deemed by supercoach to be too young and inexperienced and then after years in the wilderness maybe achieve the splinters in the backside from sitting on the bench to accommodate an injury. How do other teams manage to give 18 year olds a game in first grade when we continue with lats allgood and maranta .. Id have given masters a go against the storm after marantas pathetic return to first grade . I only hope that we can stem the tide of mass exodus from the playing ranks unless it is the journeymen who offer nothing rant over have a good weekend and go the mighty dragons

 

[getsmarty]

Smarty , your 100% correct re our juniours not being given game time to see if they can make it , Remember the good old times where players were rewarded for stand out performances in reserve grade by getting a game or 2 .. we under the present regime have only elevated due to injury. The only games our talented juniors get is usually charity shield or similar where players run on or off willy nilly so they dont get quality time ( look at our failed bench usage ) If we continue to let CC players go untried then we will only replace with our next crop of youngsters who will be deemed by supercoach to be too young and inexperienced and then after years in the wilderness maybe achieve the splinters in the backside from sitting on the bench to accommodate an injury. How do other teams manage to give 18 year olds a game in first grade when we continue with lats allgood and maranta .. Id have given masters a go against the storm after marantas pathetic return to first grade . I only hope that we can stem the tide of mass exodus from the playing ranks unless it is the journeymen who offer nothing rant over have a good weekend and go the mighty dragons

Agree ...& well said.

 

[Crush]

and Mary... which you were all for!
Once again, we keep the chaff and p*ss away the wheat.

How's Taane Milne going? Household name yet?

 

[getsmarty]

How's Taane Milne going? Household name yet?

Didn't we sign Taane from the Roosters ?

 

[Como Connection]

Didn't we sign Taane from the Roosters ?

Yes
CC

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

The burning question is why are young players tried at other clubs and mentored and shaped into F Graders and yet at our club, we are unable to do that in any meaningful way?
We can talk about the coaches which is an obvious weakness however, losing players before they even get a chance, speaks volume for our philosophy and culture.
Timm is another looming example as is Masters AND of course Garrick who some posters on here try hard to play down his improvement and success at Manly to mitigate the fact that we didn't give him a chance.
These players did not get a sniff at FG yet, we are quite happy to let them leave.
So the debate should not about whether we dodged a bullet with a departing player but rather, why didn't we give them every chance to succeed before letting them go?
I mean 12th on the ladder and chances of a finals place diminishing, what exactly do we have to lose by blooding our most promising young players?
Makes no sense.

 

[muzby]

what exactly do we have to lose by blooding our most promising young players?

Matches.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Where are the Whisharts ,Rodwells ,Timmins,mary as a player, Johnson, Johnston, Morris, Young.We should have been a super club

 

[muzby]

Where are the Whisharts ,Rodwells ,Timmins,mary as a player, Johnson, Johnston, Morris, Young.We should have been a super club

We sent Rodwell to souffs..

Now THAT is a tragedy..

 

[True_Believer]

TAND of course Garrick who some posters on here try hard to play down his improvement and success at Manly to mitigate the fact that we didn't give him a chance.

Is that what you think I'm doing? I'm not mitigating anything. I don't see Garrick as being of any value - why can't you accept that? I have to accept that you like him as a player, but somehow you can't accept that I saw no value in keeping him. Even to the point where you suggest I'm "playing down" his supposed improvement to mitigate that we didn't give him a chance.

You really are a tool.

 

[RufusRex]

imagine supporting a club where Brett Rodwell is considered a great player.
No wonder some people thing Mary is a good coach .. must be something bad in the water down there

 

[muzby]

imagine supporting a club where Brett Rodwell is considered a great player.
No wonder some people thing Mary is a good coach .. must be something bad in the water down there

Hey man, it was a blade of grass between him and the dragons making the grand final in 92..

 

[RufusRex]

Hey man, it was a blade of grass between him and the dragons making the grand final in 92..

You mean he was almost good enough?