Garricks performance at centre

[maxta]

All round was pretty happy after the 80 minutes, but there were some signs of his inexperience defensively early, including the Bunnies first try.
I reckon Gaz can tackle pretty well and hold his own and showed that in a good collission closing down the big Souths backrower 10m out creating a lost ball, it's more his positional play that is of concern, but I have much faith will get it right as he is 1 of those 100% effort players and he is a Natural footy player imo.
His attacking game went from unsure to great as the game amped up and he was rewarded with that smart try from a neat DCE kick close to the tryline.
Goalkicking was on point all day including some wider angles so his training is paying off based on that performance.
Keen to hear the opinions on Gaz at centre in this first game of 2024 in a physical fast contest against a definite Top 8 contender.

 

[LeonardCohen]

An edge of Garrick and Saab is lethal. The acceleration will devastate many a defence. It’s also Daly’s dominant side and he can throw some lovely select passes to put those two into space. I think it’ll be a resounding success.

I don’t see Garrick ever being a great defensive centre, even with experience. I just don’t think he is a natural defender. Even the ruck directly before the first Souths try, Garrick was beaten and left clutching by Koloamatangi. He got back on side and was caught ball watching instead of eyeing the runner.

However, Penrith won a premiership with Paul Momirovski, so I don’t think Garrick’s defence will necessarily hold us back from getting where we need to be. Parker is a known defender but would get beaten for speed on his outside on so many occasions. Sure, Garrick will get caught out from time to time, but his attack is that good, it puts him well ahead of other alternatives.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

An edge of Garrick and Saab is lethal. The acceleration will devastate many a defence. It’s also Daly’s dominant side and he can throw some lovely select passes to put those two into space. I think it’ll be a resounding success.

I don’t see Garrick ever being a great defensive centre, even with experience. I just don’t think he is a natural defender. Even the ruck directly before the first Souths try, Garrick was beaten and left clutching by Koloamatangi. He got back on side and was caught ball watching instead of eyeing the runner.

However, Penrith won a premiership with Paul Momirovski, so I don’t think Garrick’s defence will necessarily hold us back from getting where we need to be. Parker is a known defender but would get beaten for speed on his outside on so many occasions. Sure, Garrick will get caught out from time to time, but his attack is that good, it puts him well ahead of other alternatives.

X 2

 

[Sheikheagle]

An edge of Garrick and Saab is lethal. The acceleration will devastate many a defence. It’s also Daly’s dominant side and he can throw some lovely select passes to put those two into space. I think it’ll be a resounding success.

I don’t see Garrick ever being a great defensive centre, even with experience. I just don’t think he is a natural defender. Even the ruck directly before the first Souths try, Garrick was beaten and left clutching by Koloamatangi. He got back on side and was caught ball watching instead of eyeing the runner.

However, Penrith won a premiership with Paul Momirovski, so I don’t think Garrick’s defence will necessarily hold us back from getting where we need to be. Parker is a known defender but would get beaten for speed on his outside on so many occasions. Sure, Garrick will get caught out from time to time, but his attack is that good, it puts him well ahead of other alternatives.

As always Leonard insightful

 

[HoldenV8]

Sunday showed that our defence still needs a lot of work, especially our goal line defence.

But what the game also showed is that with players such as Turbo, DCE, Brooks and Froggy running the plays ... we are looking to be more of an attacking team in 2024 and as a centre, that is where Reuben Garrick with his pace has it over someone like Brad Parker.

Defensively, Garrick is still a winger. He'll take time to adjust being a centre and even then I agree with @LeonardCohen that he'll be adequate at best in defence. But as an attacking player I think he played well enough on Sunday to show that its been the right move to take him off the wing. And while I initially thought that Seibold should move him back to the wing to cover Saab's Grade 2 partial hammy tear (4–6 weeks), in retrospect I'm more in favour of playing Tommy Talau on the wing (sorry Ray fans) and leaving Garrick where he's been training all pre-season.

 

[BOZO]

All round was pretty happy after the 80 minutes, but there were some signs of his inexperience defensively early, including the Bunnies first try.
I reckon Gaz can tackle pretty well and hold his own and showed that in a good collission closing down the big Souths backrower 10m out creating a lost ball, it's more his positional play that is of concern, but I have much faith will get it right as he is 1 of those 100% effort players and he is a Natural footy player imo.
His attacking game went from unsure to great as the game amped up and he was rewarded with that smart try from a neat DCE kick close to the tryline.
Goalkicking was on point all day including some wider angles so his training is paying off based on that performance.
Keen to hear the opinions on Gaz at centre in this first game of 2024 in a physical fast contest against a definite Top 8 contender.

Garrick is a Gun in the Centres
A breath of fresh air compared to the pedestrian centres from the past
The Harper / Parker centre partnership era and the era of our least dynamic centre paring is well and truly over and our coaching staff have acknowledged this by sending Harper to the Eels as a back up centre and Parker transitioned as a back up back rower

 

[BOZO]

Sunday showed that our defence still needs a lot of work, especially our goal line defence.

What Sunday proved to me is Unlike the previous years when we were out paced and out scored and out of the finals
This season we have no slow ducks in the backs and we can go toe to toe with any team and out score them

The moral of the story
If you can not out score the opposition you can not win the came

Garrick the Gun centre in for a Super Manly try and South Sydney out of the Game

 

[BOZO]

I have been blessed a Manly supporter through out our Glorious Premiership Winning years and spoilt with some of the Biggest World class Exciting and dominating backs in the game
And nothing was more deflating than seeing a centre like the Pedestrian and Predictable Parker

Nothing Personal just my Passionate point of view and that is what forums are for

 

[Bloke on the hill]

Garrick ran over 200m.
Finally - after years, Manly looked like they've gone up a gear speed in the backs.

 

[BOZO]

Garrick, Saab & Turbo all ran over 200m in Vegas.
Finally - after years, Manly looked like they've gone up a gear speed in the backs.

Finally the duck era is finally well and truly over
and we have Eagles in our backline that can fly
And What Great Joy it is to watch
Thrill sells
and People like to go and watch a team that thrills

Manly are no longer the sitting ducks

 

[LeonardCohen]

May I also add that Garrick is one of our very best competitors and leaders. Having his voice and actions sit some 10 metres further in from the sideline is helpful. He’s got a bit of the Jamie Lyon scrap and effort in his game, which I like. There can only ever be one Killer but Garrick is clearly very well respected amongst the playing group.

 

[BOZO]

May I also add that Garrick is one of our very best competitors and leaders. Having his voice and actions sit some 10 metres further in from the sideline is helpful. He’s got a bit of the Jamie Lyon scrap and effort in his game, which I like. There can only ever be one Killer but Garrick is clearly very well respected amongst the playing group.

If Jamie Lyon is our Prince Centre then Garrick is our Knight in Shining armour in the centres feathered friend
What a Wonderful player Garrick is and he can be equally dynamic in the centres , Fullback and Wing .
A very exciting and thrilling player that is worth every dollar we pay and go to watch

 

[LeonardCohen]

If Jamie Lyon is our Prince Centre then Garrick is our Knight in Shining armour in the centres feathered friend
What a Wonderful player Garrick is and he can be equally dynamic in the centres , Fullback and Wing .
A very exciting and thrilling player that is worth every dollar we pay and go to watch

His attitude alone makes him one of my favourite players in our squad. I have to be honest, when he first came through, I worried that he was a NSW Cup player with a bit of speed and not much else. Geez, I was wrong. He has developed into the ultimate professional.

 

[BOZO]

Garrick has always had the speed and potential and as you say he has developed well and come a long way and I believe his best years are ahead of him
He has a good image / attitude and I would like to see a bit more of a bastard in him on the field

 

[Ryan]

New centre / wing partnership.
He's only had a few starts at centre
Cream rises to the top

He'll be fine. Just like Paulo..

 

[HoldenV8]

Garrick was a centre growing up in Gerringong and had never played wing or fullback before joining Manly.

He's proved to be a quality winger and a very good backup fullback. And now he's getting the chance to prove his worth in his junior position of centre.

I think he'll own the No.4 jumper.

Fun Fact: In Reuben Garrick's first grade debut with Manly, we lost 4–20 at Leichhardt to the Tigers. Wests halfback that day was reigning Dally M Halfback of the Year Luke Brooks, while on the bench for the Tigers was Josh Aloiai playing his 56th first grade game.

 

[Under the Sticks]

May I also add that Garrick is one of our very best competitors and leaders. Having his voice and actions sit some 10 metres further in from the sideline is helpful. He’s got a bit of the Jamie Lyon scrap and effort in his game, which I like. There can only ever be one Killer but Garrick is clearly very well respected amongst the playing group.

Have we created Killer/Skivi 2.0 with Garrick/Koula ?

 

[eagleron]

Sunday showed that our defence still needs a lot of work, especially our goal line defence.

But what the game also showed is that with players such as Turbo, DCE, Brooks and Froggy running the plays ... we are looking to be more of an attacking team in 2024 and as a centre, that is where Reuben Garrick with his pace has it over someone like Brad Parker.

Defensively, Garrick is still a winger. He'll take time to adjust being a centre and even then I agree with @LeonardCohen that he'll be adequate at best in defence. But as an attacking player I think he played well enough on Sunday to show that its been the right move to take him off the wing. And while I initially thought that Seibold should move him back to the wing to cover Saab's Grade 2 partial hammy tear (4–6 weeks), in retrospect I'm more in favour of playing Tommy Talau on the wing (sorry Ray fans) and leaving Garrick where he's been training all pre-season.

Yes you're right about our goal line defence mate, it's something that's worried me for many seasons now, if Seibs doesn't sort it out there's a lot of sides that will take advantage of it, it's not good enough to be a great attacking side if you're not able to defend any advantage, quite worrying

 

[HoldenV8]

Reuben Garrick's 6/6 goals and his try on Sunday took his first grade points tally to 978 (from 113 games). Obviously this leaves him just 22 points shy of scoring 1000 points for Manly in first grade.

Our other players to get to 1,000 first grade points for the club were:

Graham Eadie - 117 games (1977 vs Newtown @ Brookvale Oval)
Jamie Lyon - 164 games (2013 vs Cronulla @ SFS - Semi-Final)
Bob Batty - 172 games (1970 vs Wests @ Brookvale Oval)
Matthew Ridge - 113 games (1996 vs Roosters @ SFS)

 

[XV-1]

Garrick needs to improve his slide defence and his communication with defenders on either side.
This should come with practice & game time.

Centre is one of the hardest positions defensively - one reason why Parker was chosen for so long - he has good D playing centre against most NRL players, except the real speedsters.

I didn't see Garrick pass once to Saab on Sunday, so hard to say how his left to right passing is.

He should do some sprint training with Saab and Koula as I feel he takes a little time for those legs to get going.

In time, he will be an excellent centre. I just hope we don't get burnt too many times in the next few weeks while he is working it out.