Walsh to Replace Mullen

[aqua_duck]

He's only 19, if he's still the same size this time next year though I'd be very disappointed

 

[Frederick]

yes - those are the skinny legs he has broken twice in two seasons - someone told me he spends an extra 20 hours a week in the gym - doesn't show

FTR he didn't break his leg this year - it was ligament damage and a small broken bone in his foot.

 

[roopy]

FTR he didn't break his leg this year - it was ligament damage and a small broken bone in his foot.

yeah - i overstated it - but i have to say i saw him get both injuries and it just looked like simple tackles - nothing spectacular - the one last year he was the tackler and ended up on the bottom of the pile with a broken leg.

 

[macavity]

he should take a year off and raid mad dog's medicine cabinet..... :sarcasm:

 

[Big Tim]

What a great quote....

"NSW selectors think Mullen is the best half in NSW..... I dont know if he is the best at this club"

I agree. Mullen is no doubt a brilliant 7, but if you compare his play at 7 compared to when he wears the 6, he makes himself look woeful.

Walsh is a natural, and size doesnt matter. He would not have made it this fatr if he couldnt play the game.

Thurston is not a big guy, Kimmorley is not a big guy, neither is Gower, Morris, Head, Sherwin etc etc They are all starting halves.

 

[keeney]

Yet they are all around 5-10 kilos heavier than Walsh. Tyrie could play but wasn't big enough...

 

[Ben]

I think he should still get a run in first grade. Smith is willing to give him a run and i think that is a good move. When he gets his seven jersey it is then up to him to show Smith that he can handle the top grade.

 

[keeney]

True enough, buit Tim is trying to validate the lightness of one player with players who are substantially heavier than him. Thought I should draw the line.

 

[Frederick]

Walsh next in Knights' No.7 line

Daniel Lane | May 20, 2007

NSW Origin boom boy Jarrod Mullen's days as Newcastle's halfback are numbered.

The Knights are grooming yet another talented 20-year-old - Luke Walsh - to push Mullen back to his preferred position at five-eighth.

He's already received a public endorsement from Newcastle coach Brian Smith, who described Walsh to a group of schoolchildren during the Knights' pre-season tour of the Queensland outback as one of the most talented young players he'd seen.

He said all Walsh needed to do was bulk up. Talent is not an issue. Walsh (at halfback) and Mullen (five-eighth) were the halves combination for the NSW under-19 squad lasy year after coming through Newcastle West junior teams together. It was suggested that Walsh might play first grade when Andrew Johns struggled with the neck problem that led to his retirement.

The Knights were concerned about the way Mullen at halfback and Kurt Gidley at pivot were gelling. However, any chance he may have had to play first grade was dashed by a leg injury that sidelined him for eight weeks.

While Walsh returned in the premier league match against the Dragons at Wollongong on Friday night, Knights development officer Warren Smiles was reluctant to say too much about the club's latest protege. "He's being assessed," he said.

LINK

 

[aqua_duck]

I was just wondering how big karawana is? Is he big enough to be a lock in the future?

 

[CJKnight]

It's still a big call to move the NSW HALFBACK to 5/8 for his club. I mean, what if he kills it for NSW playing mostly first receiver? And we want to shove him back to 5/8? I don't think so. Mullen is the future of Newcastle and *fingers crossed* NSW too. I doubt that unless he has a series of terrible games, he will not be moving anywhere. Any other halves wanting to crack FG (Walsh, Dureau, Karawana, Bailey) will just have to do so at 5/8 and let Mullen run the team like he has been doing so successfully.

 

[Medievalknight]

We may hav to wait a while longer to see Walshy in first grade tho, according to todays paper he re-injured himself in the loss to Dragons on Friday night

 

[Jobdog]

Am I the only one at the moment who when I think of Walshy I think to myself "injury prone"? There is no doubt that he's a classy player, but he needs to work out a way where he's not getting injured so consistently.

 

[keeney]

@ CJ despite your post being almost nonsensical and containing double negatives that contradict your intention, it is the profound lack of knowledge concerning modern rugby league that continues to set you apart as a poster.

Point being. Mullen was born to wear the #6 on his back, all the breaks he makes and stuff he sets up is generally afforded when being another pass wider of the ruck. The fact that he is good enough to play 7 doesn't mean its his best position. In fact it is only due to the increasing similarities between the two and his skill that he has excelled closer in, and even then you notice the damper on his game.

If we have a natural 7 coming through, to partner our natural 6, why the hell would we keep them out of position, merely because one is playing well despite the disadvantage?

Sure Mullen is the future for Newcastle, and potentially NSW, but that means nothing to what jumper he has to wear on his back. You like every other teen girl out there is concerned about replacing Joey, its not something that requires another #7 necessarily, it is merely ouir lack of genuine playmakers that has made us take this step.

 

[roopy]

One thing that has not been talked about is the value of the combination these kids have going.
They have played together and trained together since the under 12s.
In SG Ball in 2004 i admit it took me a long time to notice how well Mullen was playing - because it looked like Walsh was kicking and passing brilliantly and always finding his man - the thing was the man was nearly always Mullen. The two of them combine as well as the Johns brothers.

 

[TooheysNew]

JD - your banners are well over 20KB mate.

 

[perverse]

@ CJ despite your post being almost nonsensical and containing double negatives that contradict your intention, it is the profound lack of knowledge concerning modern rugby league that continues to set you apart as a poster.

Point being. Mullen was born to wear the #6 on his back, all the breaks he makes and stuff he sets up is generally afforded when being another pass wider of the ruck. The fact that he is good enough to play 7 doesn't mean its his best position. In fact it is only due to the increasing similarities between the two and his skill that he has excelled closer in, and even then you notice the damper on his game.

If we have a natural 7 coming through, to partner our natural 6, why the hell would we keep them out of position, merely because one is playing well despite the disadvantage?

Sure Mullen is the future for Newcastle, and potentially NSW, but that means nothing to what jumper he has to wear on his back. You like every other teen girl out there is concerned about replacing Joey, its not something that requires another #7 necessarily, it is merely ouir lack of genuine playmakers that has made us take this step.

what keeney said. we don't have to replace johns with another johns. mullen is a natural 5/8th and it's very evident when he plays. just because he can cut it in the #7 doesn't mean walsh wont be our future halfback.

good to hear that walsh and mullen combine as well as the johns brothers... but i get the feeling the reason that article was printed is because of ongoing pressure from other clubs (bulldogs at least) to sign walsh. i honestly think we need to keep him.. but wtf is with all these injuries? seriously.. bulk up son. someone get the kid some weight gain 4000.

 

[Frederick]

It's still a big call to move the NSW HALFBACK to 5/8 for his club. I mean, what if he kills it for NSW playing mostly first receiver? And we want to shove him back to 5/8? I don't think so. Mullen is the future of Newcastle and *fingers crossed* NSW too. I doubt that unless he has a series of terrible games, he will not be moving anywhere. Any other halves wanting to crack FG (Walsh, Dureau, Karawana, Bailey) will just have to do so at 5/8 and let Mullen run the team like he has been doing so successfully.

Hmm, yes, I see your point. Joey played at Hooker for NSW, yet the Knights absolutely refused to move him from halfback into his obvious best position as he was the current NSW Hooker. Real c**k up by the Knights there, eh?

Dipsh*t.

 

[Big Tim]

True enough, buit Tim is trying to validate the lightness of one player with players who are substantially heavier than him. Thought I should draw the line.

I never spoke of how much he weighs, I spoke of other "small" halves in the league. I would say that at least 75% of halves would be small when you size them against forwards.

Walsh can play the game. So when Smith gives him his chance lets watch him do what he does. There is no point arguing about size. Being 6'2 105kg and be able to run like the wind doesnt make you a good footballer.

 

[keeney]

But they are still considerably bigger than Walsh, and it seems that boundary of weight is generally the key to succesful NRL playing sizes. I'm not putting the kybosh on the kid, I've never seen him play, but it seems with how injury prone he is, his weight is likely a factor. A factor that will impact more detrimentally at NRL level.

I'll be watching eagerly when he plays, we need another half. But, while being large doesn't make you a good footballer, being too small will discount you regardless of skill.