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First time I’ve watched this show. Average. But I was surprised and happy someone like Joey backed DCE to be Captain of Australia in the World Cup. And his reasoning is very good. And he repeated his reasoning with a very strong view point.
So here’s the link. If you want to get straight into it, go to the 28 minute mark approx.

 
First time I’ve watched this show. Average. But I was surprised and happy someone like Joey backed DCE to be Captain of Australia in the World Cup. And his reasoning is very good. And he repeated his reasoning with a very strong view point.
So here’s the link. If you want to get straight into it, go to the 28 minute mark approx.

Interesting. I haven't watched it but I have certainly thought about who is best fit for Kangaro captain and I agree there's a good argument for Daly. The only downside is that Cleary could be frontruner for the halfback spot, whereas Tedesco is a lock at fullback. But for leading the squad overseas and all the other duties of captain, DCE will certainly come unders strong consideration.
 
Then why has he never played six? They get the same money.
Probably because he had a 7 on his back when he made first grade and it would be the end of the world (no, quite literally, the sky may fall) if that number was ever changed to a 6.

Joking aside, I think it may only be recently that 5/8's have started being thrown big money? Munster is one, but it seems there's normally an invisible cieling for how much clubs will pay for a 6 (whereas a 7 is guaranteed big $$ if they show any promise)

I may be wrong but can't think of many recent examples of a five-eighth being prioritised over a 7.

Munster is definitely an opportunistic 5/8, but he blurs the lines between 6 and 7 a bit because he is naturally very involved (even though it is disorganised and sometimes frantic). Also, the storm chose to re-sign Hughes over him, probably because "Munster is just a 5/8" and there seems to be a notion in the sport that 5/8's are replaceable but 7's aren't. I think there's an extent of truth to that but not entirely.

I don't think DCE is naturally very involved and is better in pockets. It has always felt to me that he has been forcing 'halfback' to an extent. To me, his weaknesses are rooted in the attention he recieves, and being first reciever/organising the attack (both inherent to the 7 role he tries to play). His strenghts, however, seem to lean towards opportunistism and finishing plays; which are rooted more in the 6 role. If we had a no-nonsense/basic 7 next to him I think he would play less abrasively and would be able to play more freely (which has always suited him).
 
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To be honest I can’t see how DCE can be captain. If he is picked in the first game and has a shocker, is Mal going to drop the captain and number 7?

I think he might go Teddy as captain and let DCE and Cleary fight out who will wear the number 7. Regardless, it’s only a matter of time before Cleary wears it for the next 10 years.
 
The biggest difference between them is that Cleary has great game awareness, an awareness of how his side is travelling and structuring plays to their strengths. Cleary doesn't put his side under the pump with low percentage plays and you don't see him racing up in the defensive line leaving his outside backs outnumbered. DCE is probably the better athlete but Cleary is the better footballer. If DCE reeled in his risk taking and played more measured and controlled game (like he does in origin) he would be the number one half back in the game but at present he is not.
 
The biggest difference between them is that Cleary has great game awareness, an awareness of how his side is travelling and structuring plays to their strengths. Cleary doesn't put his side under the pump with low percentage plays and you don't see him racing up in the defensive line leaving his outside backs outnumbered. DCE is probably the better athlete but Cleary is the better footballer. If DCE reeled in his risk taking and played more measured and controlled game (like he does in origin) he would be the number one half back in the game but at present he is not.


Thing is TE you're talking about a player in a premiership winning side and topping the comp this year. Of course he's going to look better if the team is functioning effectively around him. DCE was outstanding too in a premiership winning side. But for much of the past 7-8 years he's been carrying a middle tier side or less and this means he has to take a lot more low percentage plays to try to give the side an advantage. Yet he's played 15 tests, 19 SOOs and won a heap of awards. The difference is primarily the team they are playing with, that always makes a player look better when they are winning. The fact that DCE is one of the two half backs being looked at for the Kangaroos, yet played in a side coming 11th, shows how much he is respected.
 
Thing is TE you're talking about a player in a premiership winning side and topping the comp this year. Of course he's going to look better if the team is functioning effectively around him. DCE was outstanding too in a premiership winning side. But for much of the past 7-8 years he's been carrying a middle tier side or less and this means he has to take a lot more low percentage plays to try to give the side an advantage. Yet he's played 15 tests, 19 SOOs and won a heap of awards. The difference is primarily the team they are playing with, that always makes a player look better when they are winning. The fact that DCE is one of the two half backs being looked at for the Kangaroos, yet played in a side coming 11th, shows how much he is respected.
Interestingly Joey Johns on the radio this morning said he expects DCE to be first choice halfback for the Kangaroos.
Cited his performances in Origin and the fact the he's the "incumbent" albeit of two years ago plus with Munster and Grant as the 6 & 9 will weigh heavily.
 
If we're not bringing a bit of grunt to the club, I'd be giving Zac Fulton first crack. I know he's inexperienced and he'd be taking a leap but he showed me enough in his Rorters cameo to suggest he's ready.
Zac Fulton ? Jesus guys. Compare him to Radley, Yeo and many others. Anyways, you guys may get your wish.

We might have Fulton, Condon, Tuilagi, KDL, Sipley, Bullemor, Burbo and many others gracing our top 30 this coming season.
 
Zac Fulton ? Jesus guys. Compare him to Radley, Yeo and many others. Anyways, you guys may get your wish.

We might have Fulton, Condon, Tuilagi, KDL, Sipley, Bullemor, Burbo and many others gracing our top 30 this coming season.
And we turbo back for his normal 5 games before he breaks down.

We use to attract those type of players right now we are the laughing stock of the NRL and are a basket case of a club along with the tigers.

Those players you mentioned in our top 30 is a very weak lineup and is scary to think what it may produce in 2023.
 
Zac Fulton ? Jesus guys. Compare him to Radley, Yeo and many others. Anyways, you guys may get your wish.

We might have Fulton, Condon, Tuilagi, KDL, Sipley, Bullemor, Burbo and many others gracing our top 30 this coming season.
Hey MoD - you're right, there is no comparison to those players you've named and I wouldn't for a second suggest Fulton is at their level at this point. However, I'm just talking about the cards we've been dealt and I think he at least shows that he's willing to get in the face of some of the "tough' blokes and I would be hoping that he shames some of the older players into firing up. But if we have some yet to be unmasked quality players with half his passion coming, more the better.
 
I think there is a group of players coming through, if handled well, who could get us into serious contention with a few additions. In the backs Koula, Weekes, Schuster, Saab, Fainu, Humphries, all still kids but loads of potential. In the forwards Olakau'atu, Paseka, Burbo, Tu'itavake, Sykes, Tong, Fulton all still young and all likely to improve. Manly has the basis with their big three plus Garrick, Aloiai etc to move forward, perhaps not premiership rating in '23 but heading that way in the next two years. Just needs some common sense from the coach and administration.
 
Zac Fulton ? Jesus guys. Compare him to Radley, Yeo and many others. Anyways, you guys may get your wish.

We might have Fulton, Condon, Tuilagi, KDL, Sipley, Bullemor, Burbo and many others gracing our top 30 this coming season.
MOD the negative vibes are sometimes over whelmingly ,,,,,well negative.
Anyways Yeo and Radley were not instant stars, Yeo has built his career consistently over the years to be one the premier forwards in the game and to a lesser extent so as Radley.
My criticism of Des has been he doesn't blood these guys enough ,because he thinks in alot of cases old, reliable, maybe slow and experienced is more chance of getting the job done .I don't agree, but what would I know ,I haven't won any premierships.
Secondly these guys need time to develop and development is best achieved "on the job" i.e. on the field and I think we need to be a little patient with new guys like Fulton ,Weeks ,Condon(if he is coming here ) Burbo Jnr ,even Schu etc .
We can't always be thinking that with new player X on debut because he hasn't scored 2 try's ,set up 3 and saved 4 he is no good and a plodder.
I loved the fact that Fulton in particular did not take a backward step from the games biggest bully and envelope bender JWH, and stood up to that dickhead. I didn't see him missing too many tackles, I would be happy for Fulton to be given a bit more of a go, maybe his energy can rub off on some of the other forwards and fire them up or shame them into using their bigger frames to hurt a few of the opposition.
I just hope that Penn doesn't succeed in managing this club into the ground and that Mestrov is a good enough communicator to convince Penn of the error of his ways and the need to provide certainty for the club over the next 2 years which for me means Des for 23 and 24 or else pay him out now, and start again with a totally new coach and coaching team (but who are you really going to get there, thats another can of worms and pandoras box )
Anyway Go Manly
 
MOD the negative vibes are sometimes over whelmingly ,,,,,well negative.
Anyways Yeo and Radley were not instant stars, Yeo has built his career consistently over the years to be one the premier forwards in the game and to a lesser extent so as Radley.
My criticism of Des has been he doesn't blood these guys enough ,because he thinks in alot of cases old, reliable, maybe slow and experienced is more chance of getting the job done .I don't agree, but what would I know ,I haven't won any premierships.
Secondly these guys need time to develop and development is best achieved "on the job" i.e. on the field and I think we need to be a little patient with new guys like Fulton ,Weeks ,Condon(if he is coming here ) Burbo Jnr ,even Schu etc .
We can't always be thinking that with new player X on debut because he hasn't scored 2 try's ,set up 3 and saved 4 he is no good and a plodder.
I loved the fact that Fulton in particular did not take a backward step from the games biggest bully and envelope bender JWH, and stood up to that dickhead. I didn't see him missing too many tackles, I would be happy for Fulton to be given a bit more of a go, maybe his energy can rub off on some of the other forwards and fire them up or shame them into using their bigger frames to hurt a few of the opposition.
I just hope that Penn doesn't succeed in managing this club into the ground and that Mestrov is a good enough communicator to convince Penn of the error of his ways and the need to provide certainty for the club over the next 2 years which for me means Des for 23 and 24 or else pay him out now, and start again with a totally new coach and coaching team (but who are you really going to get there, thats another can of worms and pandoras box )
Anyway Go Manly

I'm not sure how many lower or junior grade games you watch mate, but he gets pumped in those as well. He most certainly isn't Gift, Watmough, Buhrer or any of those players coming through, because they were clearly a class above the others they played with - hence why they made first grade.

You listed: (Weekes, Schuster)(Burbo)(Fulton, Condon) there mate, and they are vastly different talent and potential wise in my opinion. I placed them in above average, average, and below average there.

Having Fulton in the team as a one off was a novelty, I agree - but that's what it should be. Try putting Condon, Burbo or Fulton in the Panthers line-up. Just not happening. Hey, same can be said now for Condon at The Cowboys.

We as a club and fanbase need to set the bar WAY higher. Even our decent players need to be washed away with quality players, if we want to start beating top 4 or 8 teams. That's players like Croker, Sipley, Tuipulotu (who is actually HORRIBLE - how someone his age had the slowest play the ball in the entire league as a back and at his age at one point, just says how lazy he truly is - he's become a non event. A plod. Like a modern day Taufua, not a Taufua at his best).
 
I did watch quite a few juniors games and Fulton always looked pretty good....Jersey Flegg player of the year no?

Now I'm not saying the kid will be a star as its far too early to tell but what I am saying is IT'S FAR TOO EARLY TO TELL.

He is 21, play 27 minutes in first grade and made 47m (26pcm) and 15 tackles with 1 miss in a game where we were severly undermanned and on a hiding to nothing.

Give him some time before calling him a "novelty".
 

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