We have signed Chris Walker

[Eelementary]

Don't be so sure that he won't play in the first 17. He's a Kearney signing so maybe he can see the good in him that you don't. Kearney will play with the style of play & 17 that he thinks will win football games. If that means Walker playing ahead of Burt then our opinions won't come into it.

My opinion though is that the writing is on the wall about Burt. Walker & Atkins will want his spot that he'll have to improve a lot on the rubbish he served up last year.

Fair point.

But this is another good reason for signing Atkins and Walker - people's opinions of them aside, they are established First Grade players. It will certainly push every back we have to be at their best, knowing that if they slacken off, there will be a bloke ready to take his spot.

If it means Burt, Grothe, Tahu, etc. have to train harder and play harder, it will greatly benefit us.

Astute signings, without necessarily being Earth-shattering.

 

[SeftonBoy]

Agreed

 

[parrachilean31]

Is that exciting signing everyone was talking about? Wow not excited

 

[PB]

I think you'll find blokes like Loko, Sio, etc. - who ARE our future - are not yet ready to make the step up. Hence the signing of a more experienced bloke.

I'm no Walker fan, but I'll wait to see how he acts and plays before I lay the boot in. Love him or hate him he's an Eel now. I am a PROUD Parramatta Eels Member and will support him. I understand why people are frustrated but you have to remember that he will not feature prominently in our first 17 unless we are royally screwed.

Eelementry: I agree that the current under 20's are not ready for first grade and I applaud your pride in your team and the unwaivering support you have for them rain, hail or shine, I get that you are proud no matter who is wearing the Blue and Gold, so my question to you, does signing Chris Walker make you even more proud? (and i am not talking about his off field antics - although his lack of loyalty and dis-interest in hard work could be questioned), i am talking about his football ability over the last few years. And are you concerned with the Eels strategy which appears to be to pick up half a dozen scrap heap players and hope one or two work out?

Because with the IC set to get up and running in 2011, it is going to be very soon when the NRL starts putting together a strategy to get back into the interstate markets and cut back the teams in sydney, and when that happens you don't want to be a club who has had two or three bad seasons in a row, or have any sort of run of "off field drama' that could deter fans and corpoprates in the future....

A bit extermeist, i know, but just my thoughts

 

[Joshuatheeel]

If the eels ever get kicked out of the NRL it will be the day league died.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Eelementry: I agree that the current under 20's are not ready for first grade and I applaud your pride in your team and the unwaivering support you have for them rain, hail or shine, I get that you are proud no matter who is wearing the Blue and Gold, so my question to you, does signing Chris Walker make you even more proud? (and i am not talking about his off field antics - although his lack of loyalty and dis-interest in hard work could be questioned), i am talking about his football ability over the last few years. And are you concerned with the Eels strategy which appears to be to pick up half a dozen scrap heap players and hope one or two work out?

Because with the IC set to get up and running in 2011, it is going to be very soon when the NRL starts putting together a strategy to get back into the interstate markets and cut back the teams in sydney, and when that happens you don't want to be a club who has had two or three bad seasons in a row, or have any sort of run of "off field drama' that could deter fans and corpoprates in the future....

A bit extermeist, i know, but just my thoughts

Ok what players that were off-contract this year should we have signed or attempted to sign?

 

[boxhead]

The Eels are far too massive a club to be kicked out. The Eels are the second most watched footy club in any code in Australia, topped only by the Broncos. The NRL will never kick out one of it's oldest clubs that generates so much revenue for them.

On Chris Walker, come on guys, he will wear the blue and gold. That's all that really matters.

 

[Bazal]

Chris Walker will be the first Eels player I refuse to support. I can only speak for myself, but the reason I hate this signing is not ability. He's an absolute merkin of a person and that's all I'll say on the matter

 

[big mean gene]

Ok what players that were off-contract this year should we have signed or attempted to sign?

JONATHAN WRIGHT :crazy:crazy to let him go IMO. Handy centre replacement, still young.

 

[Springs]

The Eels are far too massive a club to be kicked out. The Eels are the second most watched footy club in any code in Australia, topped only by the Broncos. The NRL will never kick out one of it's oldest clubs that generates so much revenue for them.

On Chris Walker, come on guys, he will wear the blue and gold. That's all that really matters.

No it's not...
What if we signed Jeffrey Dahmer, would you support him? What if we signed a badger, would you support that?

Chris Walker is a dickhead. My most hated player. Ever since he walked out on Souths because they lost a few games. And then wanted to join the Roosters. Hard to support an attitude like that.

 

[Eelementary]

Eelementry: I agree that the current under 20's are not ready for first grade and I applaud your pride in your team and the unwaivering support you have for them rain, hail or shine, I get that you are proud no matter who is wearing the Blue and Gold, so my question to you, does signing Chris Walker make you even more proud? (and i am not talking about his off field antics - although his lack of loyalty and dis-interest in hard work could be questioned), i am talking about his football ability over the last few years. And are you concerned with the Eels strategy which appears to be to pick up half a dozen scrap heap players and hope one or two work out?

Because with the IC set to get up and running in 2011, it is going to be very soon when the NRL starts putting together a strategy to get back into the interstate markets and cut back the teams in sydney, and when that happens you don't want to be a club who has had two or three bad seasons in a row, or have any sort of run of "off field drama' that could deter fans and corpoprates in the future....

A bit extermeist, i know, but just my thoughts

Interesting comments.

I doubt Parramatta will ever die - we have a lot of members, sponsors and are just that bloody popular that to kill us off would make the competition suffer greatly IMO.

As for Walker - to be brutally honest I would have rathered we signed someone else (preferably a halfback). But I honestly don't think he will be first picked for our First Grade 17. I honestly think he is there as a depth player only, and will only step in when needed. To that end, a player with Origin and Grand Final experience, personal demons aside, is a shrewd signing. If he can pass off his experience to Loko and Sio and co., we will be sweet.

 

[Eelementary]

No it's not...
What if we signed Jeffrey Dahmer, would you support him? What if we signed a badger, would you support that?

Chris Walker is a dickhead. My most hated player. Ever since he walked out on Souths because they lost a few games. And then wanted to join the Roosters. Hard to support an attitude like that.

What if the moon was actually God? What if cancer could be cured by eating truckloads of chocolate?

What ifs are useless. All they do is aid those sort of arguments - "Oh but what if we signed so and so - would you support him then?"

Fact (1): We did not sign Dahmer.

Fact (2): As stupid as Chris Walker has been in the past, NOTHING he has ever done has been even remotely close to being even one quarter as despicable as what Dahmer did.

Fact (3): Chris Walker is a part of our club now.

I take your point about his attitude, but come on - you've never done/said anything stupid and changed later on? You've never, ever said/done something stupid more than once before learning your lesson and stopping?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

 

[Eelementary]

JONATHAN WRIGHT :crazy:crazy to let him go IMO. Handy centre replacement, still young.

True, but Walker is joining us for a free burger and Coke after games. IF we make a massive splash in the market in 2011 it's because we were able to sign cheap back-ups like Walker. IF we manage to nab, say, Quade Cooper for 2012 and beyond, it will largely be because we were able to sign depth players for such cheap contracts. Would you be so critical of the signing then?

 

[proto]

i dont think its too bad a signing. I honestly thought he played pretty well for the Titans & went to the UK for a bit of cash near the end of his career. We have a guy like Grothe on the wing who continually needs a kick up the arse to be at his best, also we all know Tahu was pretty damn average last year too. having a experienced try scorer breathing down their neck who signed for not much at all is going to make guys like that lift their game then well done.

 

[lingard]

Apparently, Chris Walker has turned himself around, much like Reni Maitua. That's all that matters to me.

I agree, Boxhead.

 

[lingard]

Exactly. Even Atkins was overkill and now we've got Walker?

Well, he`s better than Jarryd Hayne, don`t you think? Walker to fullback, Hayne back to the wing?

 

[Springs]

What if the moon was actually God? What if cancer could be cured by eating truckloads of chocolate?

What ifs are useless. All they do is aid those sort of arguments - "Oh but what if we signed so and so - would you support him then?"

Fact (1): We did not sign Dahmer.

Fact (2): As stupid as Chris Walker has been in the past, NOTHING he has ever done has been even remotely close to being even one quarter as despicable as what Dahmer did.

Fact (3): Chris Walker is a part of our club now.

I take your point about his attitude, but come on - you've never done/said anything stupid and changed later on? You've never, ever said/done something stupid more than once before learning your lesson and stopping?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Hahaha.

My point was Boxy said 'wearing the blue and gold is all that matters' and I disagree. I'm not going to support a player I don't like just because he wears the Eels jersey (although he'll be lucky to this season).

I didn't support Finch when we signed him, and I ain't gonna support Walker.

And I have never walked out on my club just because they were losing, so yes, I am going to cast a stone.

 

[hineyrulz]

Is this the same Johno Wright that copped it deluxe every time he pulled on a Parra jersey???? Now people are whinging he has gone :lol:

 

[carson]

What if the moon was actually God? What if cancer could be cured by eating truckloads of chocolate?

What ifs are useless. All they do is aid those sort of arguments - "Oh but what if we signed so and so - would you support him then?"

Fact (1): We did not sign Dahmer.

Fact (2): As stupid as Chris Walker has been in the past, NOTHING he has ever done has been even remotely close to being even one quarter as despicable as what Dahmer did.

Fact (3): Chris Walker is a part of our club now.

I take your point about his attitude, but come on - you've never done/said anything stupid and changed later on? You've never, ever said/done something stupid more than once before learning your lesson and stopping?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Funnily enough, Jeffrey Dahmer worked in a chocolate factory for Ambrosia chocolates!!

 

[lingard]

Wright would be a top 25 nrl player. I would say he would be worth between the minimum $55k I think and $100k

Walker is a 2nd tier player most likely on something below $25k

Why on earth would anyone put there body through a whole season of training and playing rugby league for $25,000? That can`t be right, surely? I wouldn`t get out of bed every day for $25,000 a year.