We have signed Chris Walker

[Parra Guru]

Grothe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Walker

Pretty sure last season showed how much we missed Guru.

 

[eel01s]

We missed the boat in regards to a no.7 due to a former player telling his story on how our club is run and missed out on that signature.

Very interesting... Can you at least say which No. 7 that was?

*EDIT, NO SPECULATION PLEASE*

 

[Craig Johnston]

Grothe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Walker

Pretty sure last season showed how much we missed Guru.

this.

with orford as an established goalkicker, burt is the winger who should be missing out if someone comes through

 

[eels81236]

We missed the boat in regards to a no.7 due to a former player telling his story on how our club is run and missed out on that signature.

We have signed no doubt two of the best young prospects in NYC regarding the no.7 jersey and the club will further develop them.

Yeah sure we have let the likes of Hokko, KK, Tim Smith and co over the years but they were decisions the coaching staff thought at times didnt warrent a stay with our club.

Look at our NYC from this year, the worst season by far I have ever seen from our development team but we cant expect every year that our young kids will be in the GF.

I dont think we spend enough time with our juniors and Smithy at his time here made sure our juniors where top notch quality but in recent times that care factor on jumior talent is slowly fading.

With regards to Walker's signing, there really isn't much available for 2011.

Ando had upto September to work on getting new stock for 2011 and has failed.

I dont care what some of the regulars on here say about recruitment, I know for a fact that Ando was given full control of recruitment to the NRL squad from the begining of the year and has failed.

That's why Ozzie took it upon himself to do his own recruitment with permission of the baord to source what was available for 2011 but other clubs recruit all times of the year and lock up current members early in the year to put on stop on dragging out negotiations like what we had with Justin Horo.

Rubbish. ;-)

 

[Jodeci]

Rubbish. ;-)

No worries

Thanks

 

[Stagger eel]

We missed the boat in regards to a no.7 due to a former player telling his story on how our club is run and missed out on that signature.

I'm aware of that but the problem

We have signed no doubt two of the best young prospects in NYC regarding the no.7 jersey and the club will further develop them.

Yeah sure we have let the likes of Hokko, KK, Tim Smith and co over the years but they were decisions the coaching staff thought at times didnt warrent a stay with our club..

Tim Smith = Had to leave..

Hokko = Hagan!

KK = DA

Look at our NYC from this year, the worst season by far I have ever seen from our development team but we cant expect every year that our young kids will be in the GF.

I dont think we spend enough time with our juniors and Smithy at his time here made sure our juniors where top notch quality but in recent times that care factor on jumior talent is slowly fading..

I blame the fact that we've shifted Kevin Wise aside to another role and the fact that Grant Jones (Dennis's regime) was retrenched.

With regards to Walker's signing, there really isn't much available for 2011.
.

whilst there are plenty of experts here bagging his signing but under the circumstances who else would you grab at this time of the year on a second tier deal?

 

[PB]

:lol:.

What I keep thinking of with each and every weird and wonderful signing is that everyone said we couldn't win the comp with Kevin Stevens and Bob O'Reilly in our pack back in '81, when we bought them while they were both nearly in wheelchairs.
My point is, I suppose, that maybe a fresh young coach will be able to get form out of these guys that none of us think possible.
That's my optimisic side.
My pessimistic side tells me that we'll be lucky to make top 10.

I think I'll just go and watch cricket for the next two months.

Suity

Suity the difference between 81 and 2011 would be that Stephen Kearney (with all due respect Mr Kearney) is no Jack Gibson.

I admire the blind faith of some supporters on here who see this as a good "depth" signing. Seriously i do, sometimes i wish i had that blind faith.

But Chris Walker was rejected by half a dozen QLD Cup sides! If we were in an injury sitation where we needed a back up winger, surely we would have a 20 year old lower grader/NYC player who coud fill in on the wing an do as good a job as Walker and would be improving for the future?!

 

[Parramatta_Eels]

Wat a long Season next year will be... but i really hope not

What is the club doing! or maybe they will just prove me wrong

 

[Stagger eel]

Suity the difference between 81 and 2011 would be that Stephen Kearney (with all due respect Mr Kearney) is no Jack Gibson.

I admire the blind faith of some supporters on here who see this as a good "depth" signing. Seriously i do, sometimes i wish i had that blind faith.

But Chris Walker was rejected by half a dozen QLD Cup sides! If we were in an injury sitation where we needed a back up winger, surely we would have a 20 year old lower grader/NYC player who coud fill in on the wing an do as good a job as Walker and would be improving for the future?![/QUOTE]

hold on!, you've asked the question i would of thought you'd know the answer PB, the simple answer to me would be the next best available player and as I've said in the last few days I would much rather 10 blokes fight for 1 spot than 2 guys staright out of NYC..

 

[Joshuatheeel]

well the thing is 1 great marquee player might actually make a difference ... chris walker playing for wenty when he's not injured probably won't

i don't really care if walker is wenty's star centre/winger or not .... but its worth a laugh that we can't attract anyone of note, but we can attract a bunch of guys who no one else really wants :lol:

What marquee player did we miss out on?

We chased plenty of halves but they either retired (Barrett / Kimmorely) or we were never a chance (cooper / thurston)

We could have done with a wide running backrower, but the only one off contract was Frank Prictard, and there is no way he is worth $400k. Would rather Mateo and we have some potential in the lower grades with O'Hanlon and Karl.

We don't need a marque front rower as we already have 3 of the best.

Our backs are ok, maybe we could have signed a quality centre, but only two I could think of which were off contract were Inglis who is to expensive for us and Tate who I don't think is an improvement on what we already have. Plus we have some potential in Loko and Sio.

So really we didn't miss out on any marque players. We have focused on signing players with potential and for depth.

 

[Jodeci]

Suity the difference between 81 and 2011 would be that Stephen Kearney (with all due respect Mr Kearney) is no Jack Gibson.

I admire the blind faith of some supporters on here who see this as a good "depth" signing. Seriously i do, sometimes i wish i had that blind faith.

But Chris Walker was rejected by half a dozen QLD Cup sides! If we were in an injury sitation where we needed a back up winger, surely we would have a 20 year old lower grader/NYC player who coud fill in on the wing an do as good a job as Walker and would be improving for the future?![/QUOTE]

hold on!, you've asked the question i would of thought you'd know the answer PB, the simple answer to me would be the next best available player and as I've said in the last few days I would much rather 10 blokes fight for 1 spot than 2 guys staright out of NYC..

I would of signed Michael Lett as another handy winger who in the last two seasons at the Dragons has always come in when Bennett needed him and produced.

I couldn't see anyone from the NYC coming in as there is a lack of depth in our NYC.

Besides Etu and Sio, whoelse do we have?

Walker will be a very handy pick up.

 

[Delboy]

No marquee player moved, the one we chased thought he had a case to get granted a release, he and his manager could not get it through. Was definitely worth a shot.

See what happens from here re a 7, and I don't understand the negativity surrounding Kearney, speak to some players that know him and you will have a different opinion.

 

[btaag]

Build a bridge and get over it nay-sayers. If/When Walker makes massive mistakes, THEN lay the boot in. This long term whinging is getting very annoying. You would think we passed-up on the Morris twins to sign Walker.

Have faith in Kearney and see how we go -sheesh!

 

[Stagger eel]

I would of signed Michael Lett as another handy winger who in the last two seasons at the Dragons has always come in when Bennett needed him and produced.

I couldn't see anyone from the NYC coming in as there is a lack of depth in our NYC.

Besides Etu and Sio, whoelse do we have?

Walker will be a very handy pick up.

the funny thing regarding Etu is he's in our top 25 and has played no where near the amount of top grade footy than Walker has and Etu is 26 next year I believe.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Suity the difference between 81 and 2011 would be that Stephen Kearney (with all due respect Mr Kearney) is no Jack Gibson.

I admire the blind faith of some supporters on here who see this as a good "depth" signing. Seriously i do, sometimes i wish i had that blind faith.

But Chris Walker was rejected by half a dozen QLD Cup sides! If we were in an injury sitation where we needed a back up winger, surely we would have a 20 year old lower grader/NYC player who coud fill in on the wing an do as good a job as Walker and would be improving for the future?!

And happy to be corrected, but positions need to be filled and cap spend. I would rather sign as many players as possible the more the better good for depth and competition.

I can see your point and agree that 20 year would be better then Walker but, the 20 year will be playing toyota cup and walker will be playing NSWcup - this will create competition for spots which is good for the side. For example next year we have Sio moving to NSWcup and Walker also with the side. Both players want to play NRL but first they need to make the NSW cup side so the competition between the two will push them to perform at a higher standard.

If Walker doesn't perfom he will just be dropped to Bundy cup, as has happened before. And this year we had players like Sio and O'hanlon from the toyota cup play NSW cup because of their good form. So signing Walker is not going to prevent any junior from playing NRL if their form is good enough.

 

[PJ Marshal]

can he play halfback is the question

 

[natheel]

I'm going to stay positive! Walker IMO isn't the first guy I'd pick BUT there is obviously a reason as to y Kearney wants him....grothe is injury prone and walker can replace him as a developed first grader and also when hayne is out for origin instead of putting humble back there (I think humble will b in the halves permanentley) walker or Burt could fill the role with either on the wing. IMO a good depth signing will probs play 8-12 games at the most if he is needed.

 

[big mean gene]

So we've signed a fat prop who's been regarded as one of the biggest wastes of talents in modern years.

A bloke who bust busted for drink driving as a 23 year old P plater, who went on to get sacked from one club for continually being late for training and then only a couple of months after joining a new club gets banned for two years for testing positive to coke.

And a guy who was a talent 10 years ago... but has ben with 5 NRL clubs, faced internal discipline for alcohol related incidents, and even walked out on one club several weeks into the season because they were performing poorly.

Aren't these the type of guys just a few years ago we were trying to not associate ourselves with?

Eels dude,

you've hit the nail on the head! I couldn't agree more.
When your club attracts the above undesirables you know you're on the slide BIG TIME. Souffs were & still are notorious for this type of recruiting and they struggle every year.
Furthermore, your club is buying crap but on the other hand failing to retain the promising young Jonathon Wright who's been snapped up by the Dogs, of all damn clubs.
Worrying couple of years IMO for the blue & gold. I wish you success but
don't expect miracles from Kearney straight away.

 

[JoeyJoJo83]

I don't get what all the fuss is about, we are for once going into next season with options.

Webb and Walker may be out of form but they come in with experience and cost us very little, the same could also be said of Reni.

And like Stagger said we are going to have players fighting for position, and I don't think Webb and Walker will be content in playing for Wenty, IMO they are good buys for the amount we have spent on them.

 

[Glenn]

Build a bridge and get over it nay-sayers. If/When Walker makes massive mistakes, THEN lay the boot in. This long term whinging is getting very annoying. You would think we passed-up on the Morris twins to sign Walker.

Have faith in Kearney and see how we go -sheesh!

Amen