Benji Marshall

[Disco]

Worked for Ben Hunt who is also 1 mil a year

Ben Hunt is a woefully out of form player in a woefully out of form team.

Ben Hunt is a player who has never stepped up in clutch moments.

Ben hunt has demonstrated time and time again he is a better dummy half then half.

But sure, Dragons won a game so lets move the current test half to to a position he has never played.

Hey Broncos also moved Isaako into dummy half for the last 10min of of last week, Maybe we give Turbo a spin there too.

We should def model ourselves on the strugglers

 

[The better Robbo]

Ben Hunt is a woefully out of form player in a woefully out of form team.

Ben Hunt is a player who has never stepped up in clutch moments.

Ben hunt has demonstrated time and time again he is a better dummy half then half.

But sure, Dragons won a game so lets move the current test half to to a position he has never played.

Hey Broncos also moved Isaako into dummy half for the last 10min of of last week, Maybe we give Turbo a spin there too.

We should def model ourselves on the strugglers

Um I wasn't suggesting to move Chez at all, just pointing out that he could easily adapt and play hooker at a pinch. As you say even Ben Hunt could make a good fist of it so I'm sure Chez would too. Remember even Andrew Johns was used at hooker for the Blues and he is an immortal and probably the greatest half back ever. And this whole thread was a "what if" discussion anyway so cool your jets

 

[Jabuh]

Ben Hunt is a woefully out of form player in a woefully out of form team.

Ben Hunt is a player who has never stepped up in clutch moments.

Ben hunt has demonstrated time and time again he is a better dummy half then half.

But sure, Dragons won a game so lets move the current test half to to a position he has never played.

Hey Broncos also moved Isaako into dummy half for the last 10min of of last week, Maybe we give Turbo a spin there too.

We should def model ourselves on the strugglers

I started this as a hypothetical and in no way had ben hunt in mind. He's a reserve grader. I was thinking more smith, hodgson etc and if you need manly references, tooves and monaghan. Both were a success at hooker after transitioning from halfback, as was joey johns at origin level (as pointed out by the better robbo.) Joey was the best halfback to ever play the game but he played hooker to make the team stronger. It's just a cheap way to create options and let cherry play eyes up and control the tempo. It's not an insult to him. Canberra and Melbourne's best player is a high paid dummy half. Even Manase was a half and look how he adapted to hooker. Until walker comes of age in the halves we have one option and it's DCE. If it's obvious to me it must be blindingly obvious to opposition coaches. If the current game plan is two settlers in a 6 tackle set and then throw it to cherry for an under pressure kick on the last, I can't see us winning a comp.

 

[Disco]

I started this as a hypothetical and in no way had ben hunt in mind. He's a reserve grader. I was thinking more smith, hodgson etc and if you need manly references, tooves and monaghan. Both were a success at hooker after transitioning from halfback, as was joey johns at origin level (as pointed out by the better robbo.) Joey was the best halfback to ever play the game but he played hooker to make the team stronger. It's just a cheap way to create options and let cherry play eyes up and control the tempo. It's not an insult to him. Canberra and Melbourne's best player is a high paid dummy half. Even Manase was a half and look how he adapted to hooker. Until walker comes of age in the halves we have one option and it's DCE. If it's obvious to me it must be blindingly obvious to opposition coaches. If the current game plan is two settlers in a 6 tackle set and then throw it to cherry for an under pressure kick on the last, I can't see us winning a comp.

I just dont think you weaken one position to strengthen another.
Johns played some hooker at rep level but what your suggesting is akin to the Knights shifting him to hooker....madness imo.
As for Manly examples. Monaghan was a decent half and moved to hooker to accomdate Orford. Toovey was getting older when he moved and I believe it may have been to accommodate Field.

I get your point that it is great to have a creative hooker who can kick, but I moving DCE (even hypothetically) is barking up the wrong tree

 

[Jabuh]

I just dont think you weaken one position to strengthen another.
Johns played some hooker at rep level but what your suggesting is akin to the Knights shifting him to hooker....madness imo.
As for Manly examples. Monaghan was a decent half and moved to hooker to accomdate Orford. Toovey was getting older when he moved and I believe it may have been to accommodate Field.

I get your point that it is great to have a creative hooker who can kick, but I moving DCE (even hypothetically) is barking up the wrong tree

Yeah fair enough. I just reckon a good hooker is the difference and I'm not sold on levi. If we get manase back for next year it's all a moot point anyway I guess.

 

[Disco]

I agree I'd love a Hodgson.

But Manly with Ballin and the Roosters with Friend prove that good crisp service can get the job done provided you have the attacking spark and kicking options elsewhere.

There is no one size fits all.

Also agree that Fainu injury free and hopefully not guilty helps us out

 

[manlyfan76]

Our coach was a test halfback who played at hooker in his later years.

 

[frank stokes]

He's one injury away from the end of his career... if we bought him here for 18 months there is every chance he would be busted for 12 of them... plus it is not just this year that his defense has been ordinary - cleary had him defending at outside centre to allow others to cover him by sliding... I dont want to bag Benji coz he has an excellent kicking game, is an A-grade game manager and is still quick on his feet and dangerous in attack - but it is a no for me...

 

[ManlyArmy]

Option 2, use the money to sign Foran instead.

 

[KNUCKLES]

I reckon you're right and so he should. Tigers aren't showing him much love at the moment though and two years of good coin in the current financial climate might appeal to him

Two years???.. maybe for the rest of the year to see how he goes

 

[MissKate]

It’s a big no for me. Main reasons being:

He’s past his best

He is a tiger through and through, he has and will only play his best footy at the tigers

I have never seen him as a team player, all his ‘brilliance’ is all wrapped up in his head and he doesn’t communicate much of that to his teammates. He has been lucky to pull off half the stuff he does. He is an instinctive player but doesn’t often telegraph that to his teammates, i reckon it would be a tough gig playing in a team with him

 

[The better Robbo]

Option 2, use the money to sign Foran instead.

Now we're talking. What a story that would be, reunited and another premiership

 

[frank stokes]

Now we're talking. What a story that would be, reunited and another premiership

...if we could keep him on the park... nobody else has been able to since he left Brookie...

 

[ricardo]

Would be great karma

 

[Shoe1]

Option 2, use the money to sign Foran instead.

I will be very surprised if this doesn't occur. The kieran forum will be in overdrive soon enough.

He won't get another big contract, and will be looking to go out with a positive ending to his career with a coach that can work with him.

 

[winnyason]

Option 2, use the money to sign Foran instead.

Yeah I like to see it happen actually too, believe he talks to Dce a fair bit.

 

[HoldenV8]

The big problem for anyone signing him is actually having him playing and not out injured. In the 4 and a bit seasons since he left Manly he has managed just 54 NRL games which roughly translates to about 11-12 games per year. When he was with us, his 147 games over 7 years translated to 21 games per year.

Sad to say it but as it stands, Kieran Foran is not good value for money right now.

 

[ricardo]

I quite like DCE and Walks.

 

[BoomStickBarbie]

Benji will be the marquee signing for the New York side.

 

[manlyfan76]

Sign him now.