The Joel Thompson Thread (Any Off-topic discussion will be deleted)

[nightster]

plus he always wanted to play for Manly .....

 

[Chip and Chase]

Wow, so Joel didn't get the "do what's best for my family memo " ??

 

[BOZO]

Every team needs an enforcer like Sam Burgess that leads from the front and inspires his pack to dominate . I was very vocal on praising our new recruit Thompson as the enforcer and leader that would add steel to our forwards based on what I had seen him do with the dragons .
I expect a lot from our players and I can be a hard judge but I cant see that Joel has hardened our forwards at all . Enforces are supposed to step in and lead from the front when their pack steps out of line .
Joel has signed a lucrative contract for three years and I hope we don't get what he is dishing out so far for the next three years .

 

[Snake]

Every team needs an enforcer like Sam Burgess that leads from the front and inspires his pack to dominate . I was very vocal on praising our new recruit Thompson as the enforcer and leader that would add steel to our forwards based on what I had seen him do with the dragons .
I expect a lot from our players and I can be a hard judge but I cant see that Joel has hardened our forwards at all . Enforces are supposed to step in and lead from the front when their pack steps out of line .
Joel has signed a lucrative contract for three years and I hope we don't get what he is dishing out so far for the next three years .

Don't know about lucrative and a three year deal. More like decent coin and a two year deal. He is not a rep footballer (he has played the odd City-Country match but never for NSW or Australia). He was let go by the Dragons and signed as a good honest first grader. He is also positioned on an edge and he cannot simply run in and bash the middle forwards because he is an "enforcer". He needs to keep his position on the edge and I think he has done a good job of belting whoever runs down that corridor. He forced a mistake last week in the process.

 

[BOZO]

Don't know about lucrative and a three year deal. More like decent coin and a two year deal. He is not a rep footballer (he has played the odd City-Country match) but never for NSW or Australia. He was let go by the Dragons and signed as a good honest first grader. He is also positioned on an edge and he cannot simply run in and bash the middle forwards because he is an "enforcer". He needs to keep his position on the edge and I think he has done a good job of belting whoever runs down that corridor. He forced a mistake last week in the process.

If matai was an outside back and could simply run in and belt prop forwards to inspire and lift his team then so can Joel . That is my view of an enforcer .
I guess we all have different level of expectations and so did Matai and that is what made him one of the greats

 

[Snake]

If matai was an outside back and could simply run in and belt prop forwards to inspire and lift his team then so can Joel . That is my view of an enforcer .
I guess we all have different level of expectations and so did Matai and that is what made him one of the greats

Matai usually belted the edge backrowers and opposing centres, he wasn't defending at prop. I remember he ran in and belted Dave Tyrell but he left his edge exposed in doing so. If it becomes a habit, teams use decoy runners to suck defenders in.

Also, Matai is probably the best pound for pound tackler the game has ever seen. You can wish that for Thompson, but that doesn't mean it will become a reality. They are different players. I wish Lachlan Croker was JT but he isn't.

 

[BOZO]

Matai usually belted the edge backrowers and opposing centres, he wasn't defending at prop. I remember he ran in and belted Dave Tyrell but he left his edge exposed in doing so. If it becomes a habit, teams use decoy runners to suck defenders in.

Also, Matai is probably the best pound for pound tackler the game has ever seen. You can wish that for Thompson, but that doesn't mean it will become a reality. They are different players. I wish Lachlan Croker was JT but he isn't.

I disagree with you and that is what this forum is all about and that is perception .
My view is that when Matai came in and belted front rowers unconscious
He did not only lift his team mates and us supporters he also lifted the grandstand off the ground .

 

[Ryan]

I disagree with you and that is what this forum is all about and that is perception .
My view is that when Matai came in and belted front rowers unconscious
He did not only lift his team mates and us supporters he also lifted the grandstand off the ground .

I agree.

Also, when Thompson was at The Dragons, he was aggressive, angry, explosive, energetic, uptempo, lean, high paced, a threat. Here, he seems to be a toiler. Again (and I said this round one), Winterstein seemed to add more (especially in defense).

Look Woodsie said though, our structures and game plan is different, so maybe it's that that's making him less than average.

Like Bozo said, I thought we were getting a game changer. I see a passive, I've just signed a fresh new big contract player, who is resting on his laurels. I hope he's back to the bench for Frank next week.

 

[Snake]

I disagree with you and that is what this forum is all about and that is perception .
My view is that when Matai came in and belted front rowers unconscious
He did not only lift his team mates and us supporters he also lifted the grandstand off the ground .

I agree that Matai did that, but I don't agree that we should expect the same thing from Thompson. That's like expecting Croker to play like JT.

Matai was special and Thompson is not Matai. Also he never came to the club and paraded himself about as an "enforcer", that is expectation an that you and other fans have placed on him. He is just a human-being going out onto the field to do his best. Sometimes he plays well and sometimes he doesn't have the same impact...most honest first grade footballers fall into the same bracket.

It's strange how many people on this forum seem to think that if only the players had the same intelligence, passion and heart as the supporters, everything would just magically fall into place...that's not reality. If it was, you'd be the same age and have the same physical and footballing capacity as Joel Thompson and we'd be selecting you to play on the left edge for next weekends game...alas we are not.

 

[Loobs]

Don't know about lucrative and a three year deal. More like decent coin and a two year deal. He is not a rep footballer (he has played the odd City-Country match but never for NSW or Australia). He was let go by the Dragons and signed as a good honest first grader. He is also positioned on an edge and he cannot simply run in and bash the middle forwards because he is an "enforcer". He needs to keep his position on the edge and I think he has done a good job of belting whoever runs down that corridor. He forced a mistake last week in the process.

Who the **** ever thought Thompson was an enforcer..? Because he’s tatted up to the ears? He’s always been a back rower that played like a converted centre. He’s there to get through work, not run for 200m a game through the middle and send 5 guys for HIA tests.

 

[mave]

I seriously think that any poster expecting us to replace one of the best ever Manly players (Matai) with like for like performances from someone else, is quite frankly, deluded.

Maria is a once in a generation type player. These people don't simply grow on trees, and if they did, can we fit them in under the cap on the exact year they become available anyway?

We all want endless success, but we need to have reasonable expectations.

 

[BOZO]

I agree that Matai did that, but I don't agree that we should expect the same thing from Thompson. That's like expecting Croker to play like JT.

Matai was special and Thompson is not Matai. Also he never came to the club and paraded himself about as an "enforcer", that is expectation an that you and other fans have placed on him. He is just a human-being going out onto the field to do his best. Sometimes he plays well and sometimes he doesn't have the same impact...most honest first grade footballers fall into the same bracket.

It's strange how many people on this forum seem to think that if only the players had the same intelligence, passion and heart as the supporters, everything would just magically fall into place...that's not reality. If it was, you'd be the same age and have the same physical and footballing capacity as Joel Thompson and we'd be selecting you to play on the left edge for next weekends game...alas we are not.

I am not expecting Croker to play like JT I am just expecting much more quality from him as I am a Manly supporter that is not used to or accepts Mediocre play .
Joel and every player are human beings and most likely very good human beings as well but I am not one for sentiments as there is no place for sacred hearts in the NRL. The NRL its all about winning .
We are not on the same page here feathered friend but the main thing and most important thing is we both love our Manly Sea eagles

 

[BOZO]

I agree.

Also, when Thompson was at The Dragons, he was aggressive, angry, explosive, energetic, uptempo, lean, high paced, a threat. Here, he seems to be a toiler. Again (and I said this round one), Winterstein seemed to add more (especially in defense).

Look Woodsie said though, our structures and game plan is different, so maybe it's that that's making him less than average.

Like Bozo said, I thought we were getting a game changer. I see a passive, I've just signed a fresh new big contract player, who is resting on his laurels. I hope he's back to the bench for Frank next week.

At the end of the day Thompson was seen as a player to make a difference and add value to our pack . So far I don't see any additional value fro Joel .

 

[Kevinward777]

I am not expecting Croker to play like JT I am just expecting much more quality from him as I am a Manly supporter that is not used to or accepts Mediocre play .
Joel and every player are human beings and most likely very good human beings as well but I am not one for sentiments as there is no place for sacred hearts in the NRL. The NRL its all about winning .
We are not on the same page here feathered friend but the main thing and most important thing is we both love our Manly Sea eagles

Did you support Manly during our down periods? (because as good as we’ve always been, I’ve experienced a few of those) As @Snake has already pointed out, comparing players from different eras, who essentially played in different positions, under different coaching structures, and in different sides is delusional. I also have never heard Joel or anyone from the inner sanctum of the club state that he had been signed as our enforcer. We already have Tapau, AFB and potentially Tanginoa who have that role. Joel Thompson was signed for his experience, leadership qualities and ability as a solid first grader. All this other stuff has come from posters such as yourself, and as such should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[mave]

At the end of the day Thompson was seen as a player to make a difference and add to our value pack . So far I don't see any additional value fro Joel .

His defence is not an upgrade on Winterstein?
Attack metres are not an upgrade on Winterstein?
Involvement is not an upgrade in Winterstein?

 

[Kevinward777]

At the end of the day Thompson was seen as a player to make a difference and add to our value pack . So far I don't see any additional value fro Joel .

He hasn’t broken a game apart, but whoever was expecting him to do so hasn’t been paying attention to the structure Baz has been using the last couple of seasons. Joel has been defending well and I’m sure there will be a handful of games where he breaks the defensive line, scores a try and has a great attacking game. Just like he did at the Goons.

 

[BOZO]

Did you support Manly during our down periods? (because as good as we’ve always been, I’ve experienced a few of those) As @Snake has already pointed out, comparing players from different eras, who essentially played in different positions, under different coaching structures, and in different sides is delusional. I also have never heard Joel or anyone from the inner sanctum of the club state that he had been signed as our enforcer. We already have Tapau, AFB and potentially Tanginoa who have that role. Joel Thompson was signed for his experience, leadership qualities and ability as a solid first grader. All this other stuff has come from posters such as yourself, and as such should be taken with a grain of salt.

Did I support Manly during the down periods ?
You make me laugh Kevin .

 

[BOZO]

His defence is not an upgrade on Winterstein?
Attack metres are not an upgrade on Winterstein?
Involvement is not an upgrade in Winterstein?

I havent seen the stats ? What are they ?
I have seen our teams 1 from 3 wins this year

 

[mave]

I have seen the stats ? What are they ?
I have seen our teams 1 from 3 wins this year

If you don't know the stats then how can you declare that you see no additional value from Joel ?

 

[BOZO]

He hasn’t broken a game apart, but whoever was expecting him to do so hasn’t been paying attention to the structure Baz has been using the last couple of seasons. Joel has been defending well and I’m sure there will be a handful of games where he breaks the defensive line, scores a try and has a great attacking game. Just like he did at the Goons.

When he makes a bigger impact and breaks the defensive line and scores a try and turns a game around I will be the first one to congratulate him as I always say it how I see it and It is obvious we all see different things don't we Kevin ?