Townsend

[Frenzy.]

You bring Chad up in this debacle of a team and he crashes, what then? He could be ruined for good.

His development is being closely monitored by the coaching staff and they are very, very pleased with his progress. Be assured that the club has a HEAVY focus on local juniors, but you gotta know when to blood em.

NYC are running 5th and NSW Cup 1st. Its probably better for Chad to continue playing in the 20s, steer the boys to a premiership win and step up next year.

Dont forget, during that great era of junior reps for the Sharkies, the team had some success on the board before the players got graded.

So you didn't support Mills' promotion?

 

[Pig Champion]

I spoke to an old school mate of mine whose son plays in the 20's. Maybe Chad might be a chance of being in the 7.30 game. Just hearing things.

 

[SadShark]

Geez I hope when he finally does crack FG, he has an absolute blinder.

He's like our only hope Obi Wan.

 

[Snoop Shark]

Geez I hope when he finally does crack FG, he has an absolute blinder.

He's like our only hope Obi Wan.

I just hope he does his job which I'm sure he will. If our service from dummy half is good enough for Chad to get his kicks away, just sit back and enjoy because it's something our club hasn't seen for many years.

I'm sure Chad will make the most of his chance and I'll even say this kid will be the blues halfback in 2013/14

 

[azzah72]

I thought he had a good game tonight.

I hope they stick with him.

outside backs let us down.

 

[coolumsharkie]

He looks like a half at least and he put on a good try assist with Bakuya.

 

[Pig Champion]

If they drop him back to 20's now I'd say, "Chad, get out of that contract now and look elsewhere".

 

[Dragon Slayer]

He did everything I thought he'd do in his First game of First Grade.

Set up one try with a clever kick.

Looked busy in attack but not dominant.

Put in a few good kicks.

Enthusiastic in defense.

Made a couple of mistakes.


Now he needs to build from that and be more consistent, dominant and reading what's in front of him more.

Positive debut.

 

[Havoc]

Agreed. I don't think it was bad first's debut by any means.

He'll need some positive reinforcement from the coaching staff and should get better once he has a couple of games under his belt and gets a better feel for the players around him.

 

[cb4]

Im very excited for a Townsend/Kelly combo.
Cahd has the kicking game sorted, Albert has the attack sorted.
Wade at lock as a fall back.
With a De Gois/Morris combo next year, and gards at fullback, its a decent spine of attack.

 

[island pro]

Kelly has great promise, but he didn't really show much else earlier this year did he?

 

[Snoop Shark]

Kelly has great promise, but he didn't really show much else earlier this year did he?

I think he showed some great glimpses of his attacking abilities in the games he played. His defence has improved from last year so I have to agree with cb4 on our halves.

 

[Inferno]

I thought it was a solid debut. I hope we stick with him for the next few weeks. I think he and AK have played together before.

6. Kelly
7. Townsend
14. Graham

Some decent playmaking there.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

Yep I agree with the Townsend/ Kelly partnership.

Graham looked even more like a lock forward out there last night.

In defense his mobility would help us quite a bit. He is a solid tackler and some work in the gym building up his upper body he could really kick on as a ball playing lock.

 

[Windy70]

Agreed. I don't think it was bad first's debut by any means.

He'll need some positive reinforcement from the coaching staff and should get better once he has a couple of games under his belt and gets a better feel for the players around him.

Kinda like this vvvv

"I've got a player in Paul Gallen but I haven't got the halves, (players) in key positions." - Flanno Post Bronco game press conference.

Admit it is his first game and I thought he played well enough for the coaching staff to instill some confidence in him publicly. I too am excited about the Kelly / CT combo. Could be just what we have been searching for if given the time to develop.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

i thought he played alright.

he took on the line better than SFP
he kicked better than smith, sfp and wade

he threw some suss passes. but he will learn,. he had the vision to throw em in the first place.

his coach will fill him with confidence after those comments tho.

 

[coolumsharkie]

i thought he played alright.

he took on the line better than SFP
he kicked better than smith, sfp and wade

he threw some suss passes. but he will learn,. he had the vision to throw em in the first place.

his coach will fill him with confidence after those comments tho.

Thats for sure.

 

[Weaponhead]

Kinda like this vvvv

"I've got a player in Paul Gallen but I haven't got the halves, (players) in key positions." - Flanno Post Bronco game press conference.

The quote is a disgrace.

You recruited Wade Graham to play 7 and are now chasing Jeff Robson....... Bloody hell, now wonder we are struggling.

Townsend showed enough to be worth persevering with. He wasn't great but will learn.

The key now is to get a proper development plan in place like a decent business would.
1. Hire a specialist coach (Johns would be ideal) to work one on one with him for two hours a week to teach him to think like an elite halfback.

2. Develop his leadership skills so that he can give orders to blokes Gallen and Snowden and they do what he says.

Halfback is the hardest transition from TC to NRL. Townsend needs to be given a clear plan and have the coaches show some confidence in the kid that he can make it by investing some resources into his development into an elite 7.

Townsends development is one of the most important playing issues we have. If we end up signing Robson to play 7 then it is an admission of defeat. The club needs Townsend to make it so the club needs to put in the resources to make it happen.

 

[Special K]

He should be the 7 until the deadline to play finals in TC. Then let him go back down there and win the comp with his mates and come back to the pre season full of confidence after a bunch of NRL games and a TC finals run under his belt as leader.

Or he can play in these 20 point losses... Either way the club needs to show faith in him because he should be our starting 7 for a very long time.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

The quote is a disgrace.

You recruited Wade Graham to play 7 and are now chasing Jeff Robson....... Bloody hell, now wonder we are struggling.

Townsend showed enough to be worth persevering with. He wasn't great but will learn.

The key now is to get a proper development plan in place like a decent business would.
1. Hire a specialist coach (Johns would be ideal) to work one on one with him for two hours a week to teach him to think like an elite halfback.

2. Develop his leadership skills so that he can give orders to blokes Gallen and Snowden and they do what he says.

Halfback is the hardest transition from TC to NRL. Townsend needs to be given a clear plan and have the coaches show some confidence in the kid that he can make it by investing some resources into his development into an elite 7.

Townsends development is one of the most important playing issues we have. If we end up signing Robson to play 7 then it is an admission of defeat. The club needs Townsend to make it so the club needs to put in the resources to make it happen.

I'm all for this.

What do I hear people say "We can't afford that."

Well I would go as far to say that we use part of our salary cap to facilitate this. How about we don't sign up one or two of other teams cast offs for next year and put the money into one or two specialist coaches for some of the great young talent coming through the Club.

This is a group that thoroughly deserve this treatment.
I think it's time for the Club to think more outside the square and back these young guys in every way possible with more specialist coaching.