Guys,
I could write a novel on this topic.
Bottom line is we chased some pipe dreams to sign a top notch 7 and guess what, we came up short. We tried and trust me when i say that JT was signed with us and changed his mind. I was gob smacked when i seen that he had changed his mind because that was contrary to the build up of events that had transpired with his promise to be wearing the Blue & Gold in 2011 and onwards. That's ok we will just have to give him a reason to get another shoulder reconstruction when we play him.
Look, everyone keeps searching for the magic answer in the halves and nobody believes we can win the premiership without a quality 7. Whilst i agree to some extent i would say we need a great leader and someone in the halves to control the team, that being a 6 or 7. St George won with Hornby at 7 because they play like a team and are a well oiled and drilled machine. We need to take note and Kearney has and will get us on that track.
Time for Haynesy to step into the 6 jersey and take our team to new heights. Kearney believes in Morts so he should get first go at 7 and just continue working on that combination. With Hayne next to Morts he should have all the time in the world to make decisions as all eyes will be on Haynes running game.
I can make many more points for why this move needs to take place but the punch line is we have the best talented player in the game who can control our destiny ala Benji Marshall so time to flick the switch.
Maybe we are and Kearney has this in store anyway.................................
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He plays like a 6 anyway when in attack kicks on last etc. we actually need our forwards do abit more and a 7 to control the game. Haynes the best fullback in the game in my opinion, leave him there. Gotta produce a 7 and have morts do what he did in 09 at 6.
Brad Arthur made Cooper Cronk the player he is when they got him fom QLD cup. He was his mentor as the backs coach ,hence the reason whay Kearney brought him with him, Cronk fired from his first season in 06.
I believe he should mentor Humble, Murray or even Breust as the next Cronk. You dont know what happens in sport we could all be surprised this year like with Morts in 09.
PS. I gotta feeling A.Mitchell will shine this year too.
I don't feel confident with Robson / Mortimer and then you've got all the dramas with Brad Murray. JH is now an accomplised ball player like Benji - he is not only extremely fast aswell, but has a great kicking game and of course hard to stop.
I think Hayne and Mortimer could work, providing the forwards do their job and give them the space they need. I wouldn't mind seeing Burt go back to fullback and Walker put on the wing.
Does anyone have any more info on Atkins? What position did he play his junior footy because he might be able to slot into fullback as well
Your right, these guy's Walker and Burt are excellent support runners. I would be really surprised if SK didn't go with this.
It seems to make sense.
If for example, they have a good line on the fact that they have someone locked up for 2012 (aka Cooper Quade) then you might not consider it, but the reality is that it about a hundred times easier to sign a fullback than it is a playmaker.
Make no mistake, 2011 would be bumpy as Jarryd got used to running the show but you only have to look at Darren Lockyer to see that with their skills, five-eighth is the position you want them to play.
If we go forward with the side as it looks now, Jarryd will get hunted every game. Opposition defences will eye-ball him in every match because they know where he goes, is likely where Parramatta will attack. They will be extra vigilant on kick chase to give him no space. At least at six, we can structure our attack around him and use his runners to keep defences in two minds.
All this said, as mentioned, it's a mute argument unless the coach and the player wants it to happen.
Given our fruitless established half off season chase, I think that Jarryd's kicking game from 6 cannot be ignored - he needs to be our first string 6th option kick tactic, and someone needs to be behind him defensively for any charge downs that occur
Im all for hayne at five-eight his skills are quite similar to lockyer so i could see him making the same transition but my question would be will he want to play five-eight. If he plays fullback he is pretty much guaranteed a origin spot but at five eight he has his work cut out for him to be picked in front of carney.
If we are going to build towards something special in the next few years, Haynesy is the man to run the show so why not run with Hayne at 6 and get him used to the role.
He should get all year not 8 rounds and seeya later etc..........the guy can be a better 6 than Carney & Benji IMO so why wait.....................Great FB yes but even greater at 6 with a solid 7 and finishers all around him.
You only have to look at what he has done for the team when he takes control of the game but what people are missing from 2010 is that when Hayne took on second receiver in a play he was missing from the line outside of him because he had pushed the under perorming 6 & or 7 out of the way to take the line on and we were 1 man down every time in attack. Put Burt or Humble in that line with everyone else in the backs and i am sure Haynesy will din you.
Watching Carney & Benji carving it up last year was great to watch but also frustrating because Hayne can do more. I am not saying straight away because he needs time to fit the mold but he will be better than all of them and i think the greatest 6 to play the game. The greates FB will not win you the comp, end of story and having invested a lot of money into him as our future he needs to be our leader and from FB that will be negated whereas 6 you have free reign.............
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