Trial vs. Sharks

[Frederick]

Do you think all of those halfbacks were instantly dominant and rep standard players the instant they stepped into first grade? No, they weren't. Stop being a fool.

 

[Karmawave]

Now you have got to be kidding? Pearce over Mullen now? Seriously that will do me..and yes, I did watch Pearce play this year.. He he hasnt done anything special, nothing Mullen hasnt already done..

On Finch, wasnt he a 2nd or 3rd resort because of injuries to Orford and Gower?

And Dureau getting a NSW chance.. who knows? No one knows what will happen in the next few years,

Yep, Pearce over Mullen. In 2 or 3 years, it will be Pearce wearing the NSW number 7, not Mullen. We can re-debate that in 3 or 4 years time. Save this post if you like :lol: For the Roosters to name Pearce as their long term 7, at such a young age in his career, and for people like Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler to say he will be the 7 for Australia - is enough proof for me. They are better judges of talent than you and I. Its not like the Knights are going " ok Dureau is our 7, bar none ". The Roosters have done that with Pearce. Barring injuries he will be selected in front of even Mullen in the next few years.

Finch was 2nd and 3rd choice, absolutely. Its still better than being 10th or 11th choice.

Yeah, who knows, Dureau might get a NSW halfback berth one time.

Let's firstly see if he can play first grade before then hey...

 

[Bicey_18]

Yep, Pearce over Mullen. In 2 or 3 years, it will be Pearce wearing the NSW number 7, not Mullen. We can re-debate that in 3 or 4 years time. Save this post if you like :lol: For the Roosters to name Pearce as their long term 7, at such a young age in his career, and for people like Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler to say he will be the 7 for Australia - is enough proof for me. They are better judges of talent than you and I. Its not like the Knights are going " ok Dureau is our 7, bar none ". The Roosters have done that with Pearce. Barring injuries he will be selected in front of even Mullen in the next few years.

Finch was 2nd and 3rd choice, absolutely. Its still better than being 10th or 11th choice.

Yeah, who knows, Dureau might get a NSW halfback berth one time.

Let's firstly see if he can play first grade before then hey...

You may be right... because Mullen will be wearing the number 6

 

[Karmawave]

Do you think all of those halfbacks were instantly dominant and rep standard players the instant they stepped into first grade? No, they weren't. Stop being a fool.

NO I DONT!

Man, you lose the point. The list was made as a list of " First Grade Standard " players.

Scott Dureau isn't even a certainty to be in our Top 17 players!

It's not like the Knights have said to Dureau " Ok , you are our number 7 and we are building this year around you " like other teams have done with their halfbacks.
The Knights obviously expected that their half was to be Luke Walsh if his contract was anything to go by.

People here need to take off the red and blue glasses for a bit.

 

[Karmawave]

You may be right... because Mullen will be wearing the number 6

Now that would be a 2010 NSW team I'd love to watch. Pearce 7, Mullen 6.

Ideal!

 

[Bicey_18]

Actually I think it will be a combination of

6. Mullen
7. Carney

They are the future NSW Halves imo

 

[roopy]

Dureau was our player of the season in PL and we led that comp for much of the year.
Early in the year he was dropped from the side and Riley Brown given the 7, but he faught his way back and improved all season till Smith was forced to offer him a contract.
At the end of the season he was pretty much man of the match in 2 out of 3 games he played.
One game against the lions we were 12 points down with minutes to go and he made two tries out of nothing, converted them both, and calmly potted a field goal from 45 out to win the game with seconds to go. It was a Johns like performance.
He is 21 and could not possibly do more than he did last year without actually being our firstgrade halfback.

 

[Karmawave]

Roopy you made the point, he is already 21. At 21, many of the players mentioned earlier had either established themselves in first grade, or had such big wraps on them, they were seen to be future stars ( Look at the wraps on Thurston when he was at the Bulldogs as an example of this - even when he was playing RESERVE grade at the Dogs )

I see what you are saying about his dominating PL. You and I both know the big step up from PL to FG. It is difficult to compare anything that happens in PL to a Johns like performance. I've seen blokes do Johns type things playing park football for Lakers Under 21's as well, but it doesn't make them FG

Plus the fact you said yourself that Smith " was forced " to offer him a contract. Its not like other teams were knocking down the door to sign him mate. If Dureau had the sort of ability people here are saying he does, then it would have been him getting chased by other clubs and signing a 3 year deal with the Knights and not Luke Walsh - who was heavily chased by the Bulldogs.

 

[roopy]

Roopy you made the point, he is already 21. At 21, many of the players mentioned earlier had either established themselves in first grade, or had such big wraps on them, they were seen to be future stars ( Look at the wraps on Thurston when he was at the Bulldogs as an example of this - even when he was playing RESERVE grade at the Dogs )

I see what you are saying about his dominating PL. You and I both know the big step up from PL to FG. It is difficult to compare anything that happens in PL to a Johns like performance. I've seen blokes do Johns type things playing park football for Lakers Under 21's as well, but it doesn't make them FG

Plus the fact you said yourself that Smith " was forced " to offer him a contract. Its not like other teams were knocking down the door to sign him mate. If Dureau had the sort of ability people here are saying he does, then it would have been him getting chased by other clubs and signing a 3 year deal with the Knights and not Luke Walsh - who was heavily chased by the Bulldogs.

He won an SG Ball title as a halfback.
He got us to the grandfinal in Flegg as a 5/8.
He took us to the finals as a halfback in PL.
In all cases he was in the best few players in the sides and probably the real brains behind both Mullen and Walsh (they both learnt playmaking by following his lead).
Apart from never making rep sides, he has had the best junior career possible. If people arn't talking about him, they bloody should be.

 

[Karmawave]

Fair enough.

Lets seem him take our first grade team to a Grand Final.

When he does, I'll wear a bright pink shirt with " I LOVE SCOTT DUREAU " on it to every home game for an entire season.

And I'd be more than happy to do so if he turns out to be able to replicate his junior results.

 

[NthKnight]

Roopy you made the point, he is already 21. At 21, many of the players mentioned earlier had either established themselves in first grade, or had such big wraps on them, they were seen to be future stars ( Look at the wraps on Thurston when he was at the Bulldogs as an example of this - even when he was playing RESERVE grade at the Dogs )

I see what you are saying about his dominating PL. You and I both know the big step up from PL to FG. It is difficult to compare anything that happens in PL to a Johns like performance. I've seen blokes do Johns type things playing park football for Lakers Under 21's as well, but it doesn't make them FG

Plus the fact you said yourself that Smith " was forced " to offer him a contract. Its not like other teams were knocking down the door to sign him mate. If Dureau had the sort of ability people here are saying he does, then it would have been him getting chased by other clubs and signing a 3 year deal with the Knights and not Luke Walsh - who was heavily chased by the Bulldogs.

I remember 1 half that didnt make his first grade debut untill around his 21st birthday, I think his name was Mathew Johns ;-). Pretty handy player if I remember correctly.

 

[Big Tim]

Mitchell Pearce played Australian Schoolboys and Junior Kangaroos - has Dureau?

Yep, your right. Anyone who hasnt played Aus. Schoolboys and Junior Kangaroos is a hack and doesnt deserve to be in the game.

Guys like Bill Peden, Matt Johns and Kurt Gidley should be ashamed of themselves!!!

At 21, many of the players mentioned earlier had either established themselves in first grade, or had such big wraps on them, they were seen to be future stars

When in the past 13 years has a Newcastle Knights #7 been looked at as a future star. No one saw past Joey. In terms of establishing themselves..... Hagan would have played Josh Perry in the 7 before he used Reserve Grade (this was ultimately what lead to the fans turning on him)

Walsh and Dureau are both quality players. IMO and many others, Dureau is much better at leading the team around the park, Dureau has a superior kicking game also.....

He has had so much success in the past 3 years that he is due a shot (more than a debut against a GF calibre team)

 

[Bicey_18]

Just saw the highlights of the game and there were some problems in defence... but on the positives, Jarrod Mullen's form and Dureau's ball to Sau, who was very impressive.. he could be a bolter to be in the backline come round 1 imo

 

[Karmawave]

Yep, your right. Anyone who hasnt played Aus. Schoolboys and Junior Kangaroos is a hack and doesnt deserve to be in the game.

Guys like Bill Peden, Matt Johns and Kurt Gidley should be ashamed of themselves!!!



When in the past 13 years has a Newcastle Knights #7 been looked at as a future star. No one saw past Joey. In terms of establishing themselves..... Hagan would have played Josh Perry in the 7 before he used Reserve Grade (this was ultimately what lead to the fans turning on him)

Walsh and Dureau are both quality players. IMO and many others, Dureau is much better at leading the team around the park, Dureau has a superior kicking game also.....

He has had so much success in the past 3 years that he is due a shot (more than a debut against a GF calibre team)

1 . Ah, Peden, M. Johns and K. Gidley were/are all regular first graders? Dureau - he of only 1 first grade game at the age of 21 - barely received a contract.

2. Thats my point, no Newcastle junior for some time apart from Jarrod Mullen has established themselves as a first grade Number 7. The last probably being Brett Kimmorley who had to go elsewhere to ply his trade.

I guess much of this is the hangover from having one of the best players of all time playing in the 7 for the Knights for so long.

I just hope whoever plays in the 7 has a good year, because they are probably the key to any success the Knights have in 2008.


Scott Dureau - over/under 10 first grade games in 2008?

From what I have seen, Brian Smith sees Dureau as a back up plan only. No one can say with any certainty that Dureau has been training over the summer with Smiths support as a legitimate option to play halfback in 2008.

For whatever reason, right or wrong ( because Walshy doesnt give me much confidence either ), but if L. Walsh didn't have so many setbacks over the offseason, we wouldn't even be having this discussion right now.

Smith wanted Walsh/Mullen in the 7and 6 respectively.

 

[~knights~]

highlights from match from nbn news tonight

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=brLL7hGxppI

 

[strewth_mate]

When he does, I'll wear a bright pink shirt with " I LOVE SCOTT DUREAU " on it to every home game for an entire season.

Just don't let single_newy_chick see you with it...

 

[~knights~]

or "randy chicken ",lol

 

[Pika]

Our edges were a disgrace.

That is nowhere near out NRL backline.

Comment on Scotts defence all you like, but the Knights #7 last night missed more tackles than anyone.

 

[Karmawave]

Comment on Scotts defence all you like, but the Knights #7 last night missed more tackles than anyone.

Don't ruin the dream of all Knights fans! :lol:

Didn't you hear? Our barely able to get a Knights contract halfback is going to be a first grade star! ;-)

:sarcasm:

 

[roopy]

Don't ruin the dream of all Knights fans! :lol:

Didn't you hear? Our barely able to get a Knights contract halfback is going to be a first grade star! ;-)

:sarcasm:

not wanting to ruin your dream, but he was talking about the guy with a 7 on his back in firstgrade.