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In a bleak opening 5 weeks he's been a real standout for me, you can tell he's put a lot of work into his dummy half play. He's got a lot more deception around the ruck, has always played good eyes up footy and knows when to run but in defence he's an absolute machine, there was a ball and all try saver he made middle of the way through that first half that was just a thing of beauty. He's comfortably our best hooker, he doesn't move back to lock when Brandon Smith gets back for mine, Brandon Smith can play the utility role.
The moment that sums up his value this year for mine was against the Panthers, we were up by 12 with 5 minutes to go, Foketi in the bin and Panthers have stripped us for numbers and the winger is going to run in an easy try but Watson (with minutes to go in a game where he'll complete a game high 49 tackles) just keeps moving and forces him to put the ball down out wide. Cleary misses the kick so we maintain an important 8 point lead, 2 minutes later Penrith are forced to take a penalty kick to get the difference to 6 instead of having the last 3 minute pressuring our goal line we get to kick it back off to them and force them to go 100 to win it.
This is the moment I'm talking about: https://youtu.be/vlQOHG4Ismk?si=yi67rn_C67QRc0pH&t=554
Now watch the difference in this play 1 week later when he was out injured, down by 2, if we could've forced a missed conversion by keeping it out wide we remain within a converted try instead he's some how allowed to run it all the way under the sticks: https://youtu.be/AU46OVezcmQ?si=vhLtGgYzQROfhTDE&t=230
Happy 150 games Connor, you deserved better tonight. True clubman.
The moment that sums up his value this year for mine was against the Panthers, we were up by 12 with 5 minutes to go, Foketi in the bin and Panthers have stripped us for numbers and the winger is going to run in an easy try but Watson (with minutes to go in a game where he'll complete a game high 49 tackles) just keeps moving and forces him to put the ball down out wide. Cleary misses the kick so we maintain an important 8 point lead, 2 minutes later Penrith are forced to take a penalty kick to get the difference to 6 instead of having the last 3 minute pressuring our goal line we get to kick it back off to them and force them to go 100 to win it.
This is the moment I'm talking about: https://youtu.be/vlQOHG4Ismk?si=yi67rn_C67QRc0pH&t=554
Now watch the difference in this play 1 week later when he was out injured, down by 2, if we could've forced a missed conversion by keeping it out wide we remain within a converted try instead he's some how allowed to run it all the way under the sticks: https://youtu.be/AU46OVezcmQ?si=vhLtGgYzQROfhTDE&t=230
Happy 150 games Connor, you deserved better tonight. True clubman.
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