Withers signs?

[Kris_man]

What sort of message would that send to Carney if we go after Witt?

my thought exactly
start of the year i though orford - 1 year, give carney another year and then let him take over and let orford go to CC or whatever

but now that smith has been brought in this role no need for witt
a waste of money

"don't sign a proven first grader because it sends a bad message to the young guy/s we have" - if a management had this sort of thinking, i guarantee that it's club will go down the gurgler. can you imagine the Roosters not signing Firman, because they didn't want to "send a bad message" to Soward?? there's a number of reasons why not to have this thinking:
1) regardless of how good the young guy is, it's crucial to have depth in case injury strikes, or even just depth within the 17.
2) signing new players increases competition, and all good clubs have competition for their top spots. let's face it guys, there's a lot of clubs out there with big wraps on their young halves. it's about getting an advantage over the opposition, and Witt would help to do that.
3) the young player might not turn out to be as good as hoped, or at least didn't become good fast enough. if this happens, then you'll be left with no-one.
4) history shows that winning clubs attract the top players, regardless of how much competition there is for a starting spot.

here's a much better way of thinking:
"don't put all your eggs in one basket"

 

[thickos]

I don't think Witt is the priority with Carney in the wings. Witt is only a few years older and I think Carney will get a lot more game time this season anyway. Plus I think he is a better player - he carves up those junior rep games and led the PL team around very well.

Withers on the other hand, as a bench utility/hooker, would be excellent.

I understand where you are coming from though kris. If we start winning everyone will want to play for us.

 

[Raider_69]

Witt is hardly a proven first grade player
the blokes done a sweet f**k all at parra, to me Carney has showed enough with limited time to suggest buying a young outside halfback is not the answer, Carney is the answer IMO and all he needs is a chance to prove it, he is a big game player too, my only issue is with limited time i dont think ive seen him put any kick other than the one that nearly sneared us the dogs victory on his debut.

We have already lost Saword, i dont want to lose yet another young gun half back because we are signing people we dont need. This is also a concern of mine with some other signings of ours... increase the competition fine when you've got a coach that will drop a non performing player, but we dont so i ask the question, whats the point?

 

[legend]

I think with Smith and Macca, we have the depth required to nurture Carney's development.

 

[Raider_69]

i agree

 

[Kris_man]

Witt is hardly a proven first grade player
the blokes done a sweet f**k all at parra, to me Carney has showed enough with limited time to suggest buying a young outside halfback is not the answer, Carney is the answer IMO and all he needs is a chance to prove it, he is a big game player too, my only issue is with limited time i dont think ive seen him put any kick other than the one that nearly sneared us the dogs victory on his debut.

We have already lost Saword, i dont want to lose yet another young gun half back because we are signing people we dont need. This is also a concern of mine with some other signings of ours... increase the competition fine when you've got a coach that will drop a non performing player, but we dont so i ask the question, whats the point?

that's crazy talk. so maybe Witt isn't the answer, but i do believe we need somebody. your plan A is great, Carney plays halfback and guns it. but what if that doesn't work, what's plan B? plan B is: you'd be in the shit. and signing another halfback is not going to cost us Carney, that's just 100% speculation, and when you're signing players, the less speculation the better. anyway, he's signed til 2008, how are we gonna lose him?!
and we didn't lose Soward because we signed someone we didn't need, we just lost him, full stop.

 

[I Bleed Green]

I don't get it. Why all the debate. He hasn't even been RELEASED from Parra yet, let alone any speculation that he's going to come here.

 

[Kris_man]

I don't get it. Why all the debate. He hasn't even been RELEASED from Parra yet, let alone any speculation that he's going to come here.

it's the principle that we're debating: do we need another half with Carney in the ranks?

 

[Raider_69]

I don't get it. Why all the debate. He hasn't even been RELEASED from Parra yet, let alone any speculation that he's going to come here.

it's the principle that we're debating: do we need another half with Carney in the ranks?

the answer: NO!

 

[Edwahu]

I was thinking Witt at 7 and Carney at 6.

Carney was a 5/8th all his junior career and I think it could be his best position. I would rather see Carney getting the ball wider with a bit of space and time to do his thing then see him get caught up with the passing and kicking duties at halfback all game.

 

[greeneyed]

If Witt is the answer.... why are Parra "reportedly" releasing him? And they are a side that finished below us and he couldn't even crack it in their first grade side? So why should we sign him? We have already signed an old hack to "bring on" Carney... now we need to sign another likely under performer in Witt?

 

[Edwahu]

I think Parra expected big things from him. After this season id be happy with a half who had the abillity to pass left and right and kick it more then 20 metres.

 

[Tidus_Raider]

Fact: We have a rising star in Todd Carney. A player that has represented NSW in his age group. A player that has major wraps fom the coaching staff and supporters and a player who is on apparently a healthy salary for someone his age and with his first grade experience.

Fact: We also have Zillman and Dobson who are coming through the ranks. Zillman's wraps are almost as big as Carney's.

Fact: Terry Campese has yet to get a real taste in first grade but he is steadily progressing in PL and has a fine kicking and a developing passing game.

Fact: Mark Mclinden and Jason Smith will be doing their part in the halves next year to ensure that a repeat of this years woeful attack is a distant memory.

Why in the hell would we need to sign Michael Witt. A player who has had a fair crack at first grade and hasn't excelled to the coach's liking. We have unexperienced halves already. We have young halves of the future already. Why do we need to sign another Parramatta reject when we already have Smith, Mclinden, Carney, Zillman and Campese who can all play in the halves.

 

[Edwahu]

Its just my opinion but I reckon Carney, Zillman, Campese, Mclinden and Smith are all better used as 5/8ths or locks. Dobson is a halfback but Witt has 4 years on him.

 

[Kris_man]

ffs guys, FLEGG PLAYERS DONT WIN PREMIERSHIPS!!! zillman "better than carney"??? we dont even know how good carney is!!! dobson, zillman, jay, big woop! that's like saying the Roosters don't need to sign anyone because of their hot Jersey Flegg side. the hard fact is guys, that flegg players leave to other clubs. and excellent flegg players don't necessarily make good, let alone great, first grade players. Just because Parra is releasing Witt (which isnt even official), so what?? i've seen him play, and he's not an under performer. he can tackle, and kick, and pass, which is a lot more than our current mob can do.

 

[Greenblooded]

I'd take anyone with the potential to make us a better team next year. I think Witt would be a good buy, mind you I could rattle off about 20 players I think would be good for us 8)

 

[Raider_69]

We have ridaculed this management for making idiotic buys and wasting our cap money, witt would only further my frustration at such

he is nothing!
he is no more proven then Carney and we already know Carney is exceptional talent, we dont need witt, thats the facts

 

[greeneyed]

Premier League players like Witt don't win premierships either.

 

[Kris_man]

I'd take anyone with the potential to make us a better team next year.

exactly. i think some other people here have forgotten that buying players is a GOOD thing.

 

[Raider_69]

I'd take anyone with the potential to make us a better team next year.

exactly. i think some other people here have forgotten that buying players is a GOOD thing.

and we have brought plenty
we dont need anyone else