Parker

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

Yes, usually 15 (or now 16) teams miss out in any given year.

The maths is solid. Unless you are the squeals and then it's decades between rides.

 

[Bloke on the hill]

It’s easy to underestimate how important guys like Parker and Croker are to club culture. They are guys who get every last bit of ability out of themselves, set the standards at training, and provide day to day leadership. They absolutely have a place in a 30 man squad - I wouldn’t swap them for a young guy who might have a little more upside.

The problem for Harper, Parker & Croker is that the young guys coming thru have loads more upside.

 

[Sheikheagle]

Bob Fulton & Mal Meninga seem to have made a little difference to their teams results.

Nor killer and Steve Matai

 

[Bloke on the hill]

Manly have had a long list of really great centres over the years.
However, that does not help Parker or Harper's cause when it comes to the fans & their overall ratings of 2023 centres.

 

[Bearfax]

It’s easy to underestimate how important guys like Parker and Croker are to club culture. They are guys who get every last bit of ability out of themselves, set the standards at training, and provide day to day leadership. They absolutely have a place in a 30 man squad - I wouldn’t swap them for a young guy who might have a little more upside.

I would think Parks would drop down a rung to the role Morgan is playing these days - depth 3/4

Still think he'd make a good lock. I know I've said it before and many will think I'm dreaming...probably am...but he has the qualities I think would make him a better lock than centre. He's big for a centre, 6'4", 100 kgs, is a top front on defender, has some speed, and gives 100%. Though he's had concussion issues and copped it from the bigger forwards, as a forward playing wide, he could offer something we haven't had since Menzies. Just a thought. Think the same about Burbo and young Fulton. All three I think are suited for wide running forwards that add an extra dimension (I remember how Coote and McCarthy made such a mess of teams running wide with good speed and toughness as back rowers). Menzies, Coote and McCarthy were actually shorter and lighter than Parker for comparison.

 

[Bearfax]

Still think he'd make a good lock. I know I've said it before and many will think I'm dreaming...probably am...but he has the qualities I think would make him a better lock than centre. He's big for a centre, 6'4", 100 kgs, is a top front on defender, has some speed, and gives 100%. Though he's had concussion issues and copped it from the bigger forwards, as a forward playing wide, he could offer something we haven't had since Menzies. Just a thought. Think the same about Burbo and young Fulton. All three I think are suited for wide running forwards that add an extra dimension (I remember how Coote and McCarthy made such a mess of teams running wide with good speed and toughness as back rowers). Menzies, Coote and McCarthy were actually shorter and lighter than Parker for comparison.

Just as a further point of comparison, one of our toughest and best backrowers in the history of the club was Watmough. He stood 1.83cms tall and weighed 94 Kgs. Parker 1.93 cms and 100 kgs

 

[ElectricEagle]

Just as a further point of comparison, one of our toughest and best backrowers in the history of the club was Watmough. He stood 1.83cms tall and weighed 94 Kgs. Parker 1.93 cms and 100 kgs

Yeah but Watmough was the human version of a staffy. Not the biggest dog out there but just strong, tough, nuggety, and would scrap all day long.

 

[Bearfax]

Yeah but Watmough was the human version of a staffy. Not the biggest dog out there but just strong, tough, nuggety, and would scrap all day long.

You're right. He was a mongrel...thankfully. Parker seems more the nice guy, but he has the size of some of the best backrowers. Having never been tried in that position, he's not had the opportunity to adapt to that role. I'm not for one minute suggesting he'd be an instant success. He's conditioned for the centre role. Would take time but I suspect given the opportunity he would eventually be quite effective at lock. Look what happened to fleet footed Walker given the opportunity of mixing it in the centre of the ruck. He's even smaller at 91 kgs and 1.81 mts.

By the way, not picked up yet, but I've made yet another faux pas referring to metres as centimetres. They'd be mighty small at 1.93 cms as I suggested Parker and 1.83 cms Watmough. I'm getting too old for all this.

 

[mickqld]

We have Koula and we're going to the Tigers to sign a centre. Says it all about the current 2 centres.

 

[Bloke on the hill]

Still think he'd make a good lock. I know I've said it before and many will think I'm dreaming...probably am...but he has the qualities I think would make him a better lock than centre. He's big for a centre, 6'4", 100 kgs, is a top front on defender, has some speed, and gives 100%. Though he's had concussion issues and copped it from the bigger forwards, as a forward playing wide, he could offer something we haven't had since Menzies. Just a thought. Think the same about Burbo and young Fulton. All three I think are suited for wide running forwards that add an extra dimension (I remember how Coote and McCarthy made such a mess of teams running wide with good speed and toughness as back rowers). Menzies, Coote and McCarthy were actually shorter and lighter than Parker for comparison.

In all fairness, you can't compare Menzies, Coote & McCarthy to Parker.

 

[lsz]

Still think he'd make a good lock. I know I've said it before and many will think I'm dreaming...probably am...but he has the qualities I think would make him a better lock than centre. He's big for a centre, 6'4", 100 kgs, is a top front on defender, has some speed, and gives 100%. Though he's had concussion issues and copped it from the bigger forwards, as a forward playing wide, he could offer something we haven't had since Menzies. Just a thought. Think the same about Burbo and young Fulton. All three I think are suited for wide running forwards that add an extra dimension (I remember how Coote and McCarthy made such a mess of teams running wide with good speed and toughness as back rowers). Menzies, Coote and McCarthy were actually shorter and lighter than Parker for comparison.

I guess so but would he make the 17 in that role? Another backup role for him

 

[BOZO]

You're right. He was a mongrel...thankfully. Parker seems more the nice guy, but he has the size of some of the best backrowers.

Parker is a nice passionate Manly guy and has the size of some of the best backrowers
But the best of those backrowers are the best because not of the size of their body because if that was the case all big fellows would make affective back rowers and that is far from this case

The moral of the story ....
What makes affective back rowers and backs for that matter is their dominant speed power and skill within their size whether it is small or large as all great talented and dominant footballers' come in large and small packages

It is not the size of a man but the dynamics within

The diminutive and Dynamic Geoff Toovey picking up and dumping Knights Giantic enforcer Paul Harrogan

 

[Woodsie]

Clubs have a 30 man roster for a reason .... and I doubt that there would be one club out of the 17 that would not have Parker in their squad ...

 

[BOZO]

We have Koula and we're going to the Tigers to sign a centre. Says it all about the current 2 centres.

I have been a proud club member and supporters of our Legendary premiership winning club
And I can say that our current centres are way off the elite class and the benchmark of our winning premiership winning centres

Manly stands for Magnificence and Not mediocre

 

[Ranga]

The problem for Harper, Parker & Croker is that the young guys coming thru have loads more upside.

It’s all just potential at this stage. Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Fletcher Meyers etc seem talents (I have no reference point against other clubs’ young players), but the easy trap is to magnify their potential ability while only magnifying the flaws of the incumbents.

 

[BOZO]

It’s all just potential at this stage. Gordon Chan Kum Tong, Fletcher Meyers etc seem talents (I have no reference point against other clubs’ young players), but the easy trap is to magnify their potential ability while only magnifying the flaws of the incumbents.

We can only get out of the trap from not winning a grand final by upgrading from the inferior incumbents

 

[BOZO]

Every year every club upgrades their playing roster to be more competitive

 

[Bearfax]

In all fairness, you can't compare Menzies, Coote & McCarthy to Parker.

I would suggest conjecturing about such comparisons serves little purpose until you see them in action in those positions. I'm merely suggesting his characteristics suggest he could fit that role well. But until we see him in the role we cant know. I'm certainly not suggesting he is at the Coote, McCarthy, Menzies and Watmough level, for those positions, because I have never seen him playing in that role. I just point to a lighter speedy back like Walker, thriving in a position within the forwards as a No 14. You cant know until you see them in action in that specific role. Otherwise its just opinion based on very limited information. You cant compare because you dont have the examples to make the comparison.

 

[Bearfax]

I guess so but would he make the 17 in that role? Another backup role for him

As I replied to Bloke on the Hill, we cant know until we see him perform in that role. Maybe he wont succeed. But what's the harm in giving it a go? I would suggest ideally that he takes one of the bench positions and bring him on gradually and see if the peg fits. All just conjecture until we see him in action. Who would have thought Noel Cleal, who initially played on the wing and then centre would become second rower of the year twice for example. We can see it in retrospect, but would we have thought that when he first came to Easts. Fulton saw a second rower.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Will be a great depth player who won’t let anyone down when he fills in.

Harper won’t be there.

The new guy and Fletcher Myers will fight it out to partner Koula.

Speed kills in those positions ( sorry to pinch your line @BOZO )

Will be on min money and is probably happy to do that and be a one club player !!