Walsh in Daily Telegraph

[Ranger Jace]

The price of loyalty

By Barry Toohey
June 01, 2007 12:00

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THIS is the little-known rookie Newcastle coach Brian Smith rates as potentially a better halfback than Blues star Jarrod Mullen.
After an injury-plagued start to the season, Luke Walsh 20, is set to make his top-grade debut for the Knights against the Sydney Roosters tomorrow night after Mullen's withdrawal because of a calf injury.
But just how long Walsh remains a Knight is up in the air.
As Smith presides over the biggest player clean-out in the club's history, the one player he desperately wants to keep is being courted by four rival clubs, headed by the Bulldogs and the Sharks.
Despite being viewed as Andrew Johns' long-term halfback replacement, with Mullen seen more as a five-eighth, the Knights are now paying the price for their failure to sign Walsh earlier.
"I suppose we wanted to see him play first grade before we committed to doing anything," Knights acting chief executive Steve Crowe said.
"But he has had some injuries, which has prevented that from happening until now, and unfortunately some things don't fall the way you want them to.
"We are still pretty confident he will stay, even though he has fielded some big offers elsewhere.
"He wants to stay here, which is a big thing, and he knows he will get an opportunity here under Brian. I actually think we are a better than even-money chance of getting something done with him before the end of the week."
But Walsh's manager, Todd Buckingham, said the Knights would have to make up some ground pretty quickly to get a deal done before Walsh made his debut against the Roosters.
"Unless it was to happen tomorrow, which seems a bit unlikely at this stage, we would probably rather wait until next week," Buckingham said.
"We have given the Knights a figure which is a fair bit under what some of the other clubs are offering.
"But their initial offer wasn't crash hot.
"At this stage, all Walshy wants to do is put the injuries behind him and play some good footy."
The Bulldogs were the first rival club to weigh in more than two weeks ago, with an offer in excess of $100,000 a season.
But after Smith wrote in a newspaper column before Origin I, in a pointed reference to Walsh, that "Mullo may not even be the best halfback at the Knights", interest in Walsh has intensified.
The latest club to try to entice him out of Newcastle is the Sharks, who seem more and more likely to lose Brett Kimmorley because of salary cap constraints.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21828301-5006066,00.html

 

[CJKnight]

If the Sharks are chasing him then that must mean they are letting Noddy or Dykes go.

He needs to eat more Whoppers with cheese though, or else he will get mashed in FG.

 

[sneaky_is_here]

so what would be better... bring walsh up into FG or bring kimmorley to the club...?

 

[CJKnight]

Kimmorley would give us better results right now and over the next 3-4 seasons. In fact last time Noddy gave an interview before a Knights vs. Sharks game he seemed to "hint" at the fact he loved playing up at Newcastle. Probably trying to get Smith thinking about an offer.

But With Walsh and Mullen both fairly young, we could win multiple premierships with them in that halves over the next 10 years.

 

[Frederick]

so what would be better... bring walsh up into FG or bring kimmorley to the club...?

Walsh, no question.

 

[macavity]

HANDS OFF....

 

[roopy]

We are in a tricky situation.
Walsh has the skill and the brains and the combination with Mullen and even with others we will see make up our side for the next 10 year (Seu Seu, Snowy, Aku, Cory, Lingy) - so basically he is exactly what we want and need.
The downside is that his body may never be up to firstgrade.

As i said in another thread - the price of a throw of the dice to see if this kid will be the centre of our team or a footnote on history is 100k.

 

[Nuffy]

And its a gamble worth taking, if hes as good as they all think, we are absolutely mad not to give him a try.

 

[macavity]

why wouldn't you give that dice a roll - its not like we are tight on the salary cap.

 

[CJKnight]

at first I was all for buying a halfback like Noddy or Smith. But now I'm starting to think give Walshy a go. If the experiment doesn't work out right away, we still have Mullen.

 

[transporter]

HI,

Luke walsh might be a future star but who does he think he is pushing the club around, sure hes looking at a good deal for his future but if bossing us around & saying Oh I want $100K from now, what kind of club culture do we have there?

If he was a Gidley Buderus Simpson or even a REGULAR first grader well thats different, The newcastle club sells itself, we dont have to beg some reserve grader to stay, You will be coached by the best player ever, If thats not enough good riddance & we'll sign Blake Green from Parra who will run rings around you

Transporter

 

[macavity]

I think Green re-signed with the slipperys

 

[aqua_duck]

"We have given the Knights a figure which is a fair bit under what some of the other clubs are offering.

I'm encouraged by this, if the dogs offer is 100k, we might only have to pay 90k for example, but more over it shows he doesn't really want to leave

 

[Kazaf]

HI,

Luke walsh might be a future star but who does he think he is pushing the club around, sure hes looking at a good deal for his future but if bossing us around & saying Oh I want $100K from now, what kind of club culture do we have there?

If he was a Gidley Buderus Simpson or even a REGULAR first grader well thats different, The newcastle club sells itself, we dont have to beg some reserve grader to stay, You will be coached by the best player ever, If thats not enough good riddance & we'll sign Blake Green from Parra who will run rings around you

Transporter

I think he would be a regular first grader covering halfback, with Mullen at 5/8th.

Who else would be in the halves with Mullen?

 

[KempoKnight]

He seems to be what we need in the halves, mullen has had so much pressure put on him without a competent 5/8 to help him out so lets hope we see mullen and walsh in the halves

 

[roopy]

He seems to be what we need in the halves, mullen has had so much pressure put on him without a competent 5/8 to help him out so lets hope we see mullen and walsh in the halves

As i've said elsewhere - with the Walsh/Mullen combination the sum is greater than the parts.
These guys have played and trained together since the 12s at Wests to the point where they were NSW under 19s halves last season.
Everything one of them has learned about kicking, passing, running angles, etc etc etc - the other guy either learned from standing beside him at training, or picked up when it was used in a game.
I swear that walsh can run at the line throwing dummy after dummy to the left, then do a no look flick pass to the right and Mullen will be running onto it at pace, and they won't have to say a word to each other to know it is on.

In all this let's not forget the 'third musketeer' Scotty Dureau. He can come on and fill in for either one of them without missing a beat.

 

[freeridermx]

i still think Scotty Dureau is a better player then walsh , yes i must say i have not seen a lot of games of them but every time i have Scotty Dureau has been way more impressive . at the same time walsh has not ever played bad that ive seen him play.
but scott has in every game i have seen has been the better of the two.

 

[aqua_duck]

Dureau is also older than both mullen and walsh

 

[RABK]

Mullen looks 5 years older then both Dureau and Walsh.

 

[roopy]

i still think Scotty Dureau is a better player then walsh , yes i must say i have not seen a lot of games of them but every time i have Scotty Dureau has been way more impressive . at the same time walsh has not ever played bad that ive seen him play.
but scott has in every game i have seen has been the better of the two.

i agree - but you and i look to be the only ones.
Scotty can be a shocker in defence though.