[Bullseye]

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:34 am  

With young players it’s easy to criticise when you’ve had years watching the game and can see obvious flaws. However you have to make some allowances. These kids are learning on the job and often in the heat of a game you can forget instructions, especially if you’re in a side that’s struggling. Fullback is such an unforgiving position defensively. Especially for a side near the bottom where you have far more to do. I think Walker needs some slack. Sure, he’s mile off NRL standard but the fact that he aspires to play there is a good thing as it should mean he works hard to achieve that standard.

Very few players are the finished article at his age. Most do improve with age and experience. The issue Leeds have is bringing through their kids in the right environment. You want to bring them into a team where they learn good habits and can follow good leaders. A bit like 2002-4 where they had the likes of Connolly, Duneman, McDermott, Furner, Senior. If you bring them into a struggling side then they’ll find it tough, a bit like when Wigan tried to bring in youngsters to a flawed team when the likes of Brown and Robinson were coming through. That generation from Wigan ended up moving to other clubs. You don’t want to repeat the experience with your bunch that are about to come through.

In my view you’re paying the price of poor recruitment in recent years. There aren’t many reliable, experienced leaders in the squad to ease the youngsters in. When people like Peacock, Sinfield and McGuire left they should have been replaced with quality rather than re-distributing the money to younger players of inferior quality and with less potential. Now you’re stuck with a bunch of high earners but poor performers.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:38 am  

chapylad wrote:

Imo Walker has talent and is learning the game behind a poor Leeds team.
He will look better once the team looks better but like others have said he does have a few weaknesses that considering the hype Sky afford on him he should be a world beater which he isn`t.
Whilst he did not want to play scrum half which is where Leeds saw him playing I do think that this might well be his best position.
This would mean Lolohea moving to full back which in attack is no bad thing but in defence I would worry.
Saying all that I thought Lilley was a better option that Myler and that Golding is a better option than Walker.

He does have weaknesses, just like many players do. But it's when you hear nonsense like he can't defend on the line, or isn't taking high balls, where it becomes silly. Just what are these people watching all the time? I understand some only see highlights, so doesn't give everything, but others don't and still come out with it. He is making try saving tackles regularly, and on the line, again done on Thursday last week. He takes high balls continuously, and is now also having to continuously cover the right edge for this also, as Briscoe is incapable of mentally dealing with any form of kick. His support play is absolute first class, and yet somehow someone even has the cheek to say that was a weakness.

There will be times where they will run through him on the line, as has been the case with every one of his team mates this season. There will be times where a high kick swirls in the wind and is difficult to catch, as happens with every full back out there. It seems that rather than be over hyped, as these people tend to spout, it is more a case of he is easily picked at for the slightest error.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:58 pm  

Have a look at the kr game and the tries they scored. I did and he was rubbish. NRL? I can name 25 better fullbacks here, including a whole bunch who don't even play there regularly.

I can only assume he's the same sort of once in a generation player as Jordan baldwinson and daniel smith to name a couple of others you swore blind would be superstars. Let's hope this time you're eventually right.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:31 pm  

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

Have a look at the kr game and the tries they scored. I did and he was rubbish. NRL? I can name 25 better fullbacks here, including a whole bunch who don't even play there regularly.

I can only assume he's the same sort of once in a generation player as Jordan baldwinson and daniel smith to name a couple of others you swore blind would be superstars. Let's hope this time you're eventually right.

I have never in a million years said any of those players were once in a generation players, so stop making up nonsense. I don't believe in this rubbish of once in a generation, as I think there is always players capable but depending on the right development and coaching.

So back to the subject in hand. I did watch Thursday, and I saw clearly him making a miraculous try saving tackle on the line, which you state he can't do. I also saw him fall off a tackle on the line, of which his team mates were also equally to blame for the try scored. I also saw the amount of positive clearing runs he took where his team mates were shy to work, and the amount of kicks he took, which as I stated also included for dealing with situations that your right winger should be.

You can't name 25 better fullbacks, unless you want to talk utter nonsense, based on a silly opinion to back up your agenda. You could certainly name a fair few though, and so could I. He is certainly no Tedesco and never will be, but plenty of poorer players even at their peak have played plenty in the NRL, and lets not kid ourselves not.

Re: New Signings : Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:46 pm  

March 12th 2019 The Biffs Back wrote: I'm not sure that the deal is dead in the water for Cronulla Prop Ava Seumanufagai despite what Peter Smith has written in the Y.E.P and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the deal still came off https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 712925f583 The Biff nailed it

March 12th 2019 The Biffs Back wrote: I'm not sure that the deal is dead in the water for Cronulla Prop Ava Seumanufagai despite what Peter Smith has written in the Y.E.P and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the deal still came off https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 712925f583 The Biff nailed it

Re: New Signings : Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:29 pm  

The Biffs Back wrote:

March 12th 2019
The Biff nailed it

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:29 am  

Sorry I was wrong - there are more than 25 better fullbacks today in the NRL:

Darius Boyd, Jamayne Isaako, Anthony Milford (Broncos); Ben Hampton, Jordan Kahu, Michael Morgan (Cowboys); Gareth Widdopp, Corey Norman, Matt Dufty (St George); Moses Mbye, Corey Thompson (yep him) (Wests); Will Hopoate, Nick Meaney (Canterbury); Dylan Edwards, DWZ (Penrith); Clint Gutherson, Bevan French (Parramatta); Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Kurt Mann (Newcastle); CNK, Jack Wighton (Canberra); Alex Johnson, Greg Inglis (Souths); James Tedesco, Brett Morris (Roosters); RTS, Peta Hiku (Warriors); Tom Trbojevic (Manly); Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Scott Drinkwater (Storm). Then there are the currently "indisposed" NRL fullbacks - Val Holmes, Ben Barba and Hayne.

Fullback is a really bad position to argue relative quality vs the NRL. I would absolutely love it if Walker becomes as good as the bottom half of the above list, let alone the very top. And I also hope that if he does its with Leeds.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:31 am  

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

Sorry I was wrong - there are more than 25 better fullbacks today in the NRL:

Darius Boyd, Jamayne Isaako, Anthony Milford (Broncos); Ben Hampton, Jordan Kahu, Michael Morgan (Cowboys); Gareth Widdopp, Corey Norman, Matt Dufty (St George); Moses Mbye, Corey Thompson (yep him) (Wests); Will Hopoate, Nick Meaney (Canterbury); Dylan Edwards, DWZ (Penrith); Clint Gutherson, Bevan French (Parramatta); Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Kurt Mann (Newcastle); CNK, Jack Wighton (Canberra); Alex Johnson, Greg Inglis (Souths); James Tedesco, Brett Morris (Roosters); RTS, Peta Hiku (Warriors); Tom Trbojevic (Manly); Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Scott Drinkwater (Storm). Then there are the currently "indisposed" NRL fullbacks - Val Holmes, Ben Barba and Hayne.

Fullback is a really bad position to argue relative quality vs the NRL. I would absolutely love it if Walker becomes as good as the bottom half of the above list, let alone the very top. And I also hope that if he does its with Leeds.

This is spot on.

The same is also true for George Williams and NRL halfbacks.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:47 am  

krisleeds wrote:

This is spot on.

The same is also true for George Williams and NRL halfbacks.

Also true of John Bateman and NRL back rowers....
Oh hang on lads doing pretty well.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V2 : Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:13 am  

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

Sorry I was wrong - there are more than 25 better fullbacks today in the NRL:

Darius Boyd, Jamayne Isaako, Anthony Milford (Broncos); Ben Hampton, Jordan Kahu, Michael Morgan (Cowboys); Gareth Widdopp, Corey Norman, Matt Dufty (St George); Moses Mbye, Corey Thompson (yep him) (Wests); Will Hopoate, Nick Meaney (Canterbury); Dylan Edwards, DWZ (Penrith); Clint Gutherson, Bevan French (Parramatta); Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Kurt Mann (Newcastle); CNK, Jack Wighton (Canberra); Alex Johnson, Greg Inglis (Souths); James Tedesco, Brett Morris (Roosters); RTS, Peta Hiku (Warriors); Tom Trbojevic (Manly); Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Scott Drinkwater (Storm). Then there are the currently "indisposed" NRL fullbacks - Val Holmes, Ben Barba and Hayne.

Fullback is a really bad position to argue relative quality vs the NRL. I would absolutely love it if Walker becomes as good as the bottom half of the above list, let alone the very top. And I also hope that if he does its with Leeds.

No, you were wrong with this post.