John Eel, one of our more astute posters asked a question about Charlie Guymer, a young edge forward who was on the Reserves bench in the Flegg elimination final and who played U/18 SOO this year. We have so many good young edge forwards in that side, he could only make the bench.
This was going to be my reply but I felt maybe the discussion should get more overview from the site, think back over the years of centres that became forwards and vice versa. Also I dont see enough of these young forwards being in Brisbane so I would appreciate the views of the guys that watch and know them better than me.
I don't know enough of him (Charlie Guymer) to judge him John, but he is very highly regarded. Again here is an edge forward in a team that is starting to get top heavy with same...... now I understand he has been experimented with in the centres as well and I really think we should be pushing this ..., we are short of class centres so why should we not be pushing this angle.....the centre position is now like an edge forward, lets look at Bradman Best, don't tell me he wont end up in the forwards, very good as a centre for a few years yet, notwithstanding. The fellow from Cronulla is built like a brick shithouse, most of your centres these days are forwards.....we have some good ones coming through, there is a kid in that Flegg team, I think his name is William Lat (?) comes from North Qld where he is a junior super hero, he is also a edge style forward. If these blokes can be adapted to the centres (think Niukure as an example) then we are going to get stronger across the park and using the Gibson theory of the best 13 get picked and we find a position for them later (17 now).
Look at the Penrith team they have developed depth across the park and that is where we need to head. Players like Simmonsson, Parker, our current winger (name escape's me) Dunster etc are just depth players.....Penrith do not carry those players unless they have injuries.....any ball playing forward should be capable of being a hooker, halves and fullbacks are the elites along with 3 good front rowers.....build that and they will come....premierships that is, seems that's what everyone is wetting there pants over then (its not my obsession), get the process right and premierships will happen.
Just figure out how you keep the players or create the shadows for the ones you know you are going to lose if you win premierships.
Replies
Look at the 2 best sides this year and I don't think Tago, Crichton, Farnsworth or Staggs would be very good edge forwards. Add Origin centres Val Holmes, The Hammer, Mitchell, Turbo then Roosters Manu and you see the best centres need to have pace and attacking skills. Bradman best is big but also has speed and skill which is under rated. Centres need to have speed, agility and skills most edge forwards don't have and it is exactly what parra lack in our backline.
Not to mention defending at centre is one of hardest positions with current block plays and fullbacks playing out the back. The winger relies on the centre and if he doesn't have faith in them will make rash decisions like trying stop play them selves by rushing in or standing to close to the centre leaving his opposite number unmarked out wide. Sounds familiar, where have I seen this?
Edge forwards can do well in centres but elite game breaking centre is a specialist position. It used to be where the star backline player would play but sides moved away from that as fullbacks became ball players as well as runners support player and wingers needed to make 150-200m a game as well as just score tries to be classified elite.
Teams are trying to get too clever changing players positions but where it has worked has been with elite players, not average or good players. Yes some players can have utility value for when injuries happen but clubs need to look at what skills they want in each position and base their recruitment on this.
Once you have specialist positions locked down you then train them to fill a gap if needed.
Actually Tago was a back rower coming through the grades
Thanks for that Jack, I didn't know that!
Didn't know that, but looking at centres now, he wouldn't be 1 you would imagine transition to back row.
If a player has speed and skill for centre and the switch is done early enough in career yes switch them, but too many teams not just the eels are trying to transition players to positions that don't suit. Part of it is managers trying get player in a position that pays more even if not suited then clubs not having the balls to stand up to the managers or player demands.
BA likes big players front loading but that is useless if they don't have speed or heart to go with it. Sivo is example of big strong player BA likes but he has no heart to run hard. Rest of our backline don't have speed especially our centres, though they are all reasonable doing the odd hit up when needed due to size. We need to recognise this and develop players with these attributes to improve our squad
Gene Miles.
With Talagi and R. Penisini in Flegg, I doubt we'd shift Guylmer there. And given Guylmer is still a teenager, he's got time to develop into an NRL player, given our top 3 backrowers all turn 30 next year.
BA the collision chaser seriously needs to chase some players with speed and the ability to beat people with footwork.
I fear the biggest problem at the Eels at the moment is BA and those above him genuinely feel we're close to the top of the comp and 2023 was an anomoly because of games missed and a tough draw. Neither helped us but we dont have the defence to compete with the top 2 in the big games and our edges desperately need some speed and defensive know how.
haven't heard you talk about BA for a while Snottie, good to see nothing has changed?
I still feel we didn't develop Bevan French properly. When you look at how Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has developed, there's still room for the speedy, lightweight back and French could have been that for us. Fast, good footwork and a natural try-scorer. Instead we hung him out to dry.
Although I think some of it was on French. He seemed unwilling to take the hard charges and do the grunt work which needs to be done at NRL level.
Super eel I always defended Bevan while playing with us he was attacked on here about being rag dolled over sideline,in my view B A never gave him a chance the backline rowers running too sideways and Bevan had no where to go ,I think B A had a lot to do for hi not working out with us .
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