Pearce gets Laurie's approval

[Guest]

Based on what? All the hype you've been reading this off-season?
This hype has us all fired up for Mitchell this season.

Seems to be settled off the field. Clearly he and Smith fell out. With better ball control from our forwards, Pearce will have more opportuties to shine, he will benefit from having a running 5/8 outside him and we will have a structure in attack this year which we did not have last season.

[Guest]

Seems to be settled off the field. Clearly he and Smith fell out. With better ball control from our forwards, Pearce will have more opportuties to shine, he will benefit from having a running 5/8 outside him and we will have a structure in attack this year which we did not have last season.

It's not just better ball control he needs from the forwards. He needs them to get a roll on and consistently making meters.
Thurston is a gifted footballer who doesn't need a dominant forward pack to succeed. In recent times you have had Fittler, Johns and Lockyear, all of the same ilk. Never needed a dominant pack but had the ability to manipulate a game.
Pearce isn't in that class, not many are, not Adam Reynolds, Josh Reynolds or DCE or Foran. Put any of them behind our pack over the last 2 yrs and do you think any of them could have done better then Pearce?
All those blokes mentioned played behind a dominant forward pack.
Our forwards have to step up and be consistently laying a good platform for Junior to work off

[Guest]

I'd say that Gronk and Thurston are over-rated on those grounds.

Thurston can't win games alone like Carney can. The Cowboys have never won a premiership let alone gotten to a GF with him (and they've had talent/geography on their side!!!)

LOL settle down, I just dont think he is as good as people make him out to be, I would not go calling him a gronk, that's a pretty low blow. Plus it is not his fault, he never claimed himself to be a superstar, we gave him that title. But he is a good solid 7, just not a superstar. I hope he can lift this year with the extra strike power & prove me wrong.

[ism22]

It's not just better ball control he needs from the forwards. He needs them to get a roll on and consistently making meters.
Thurston is a gifted footballer who doesn't need a dominant forward pack to succeed. In recent times you have had Fittler, Johns and Lockyear, all of the same ilk. Never needed a dominant pack but had the ability to manipulate a game.
Pearce isn't in that class, not many are, not Adam Reynolds, Josh Reynolds or DCE or Foran. Put any of them behind our pack over the last 2 yrs and do you think any of them could have done better then Pearce?
All those blokes mentioned played behind a dominant forward pack.
Our forwards have to step up and be consistently laying a good platform for Junior to work off

My guess is that the DCE/Reynolds/(Gronk) style halves would be struggling for first grade spots if they didn't have the luxury of a dominant team/forward pack.

Hayne took the show away and nabbed the Dally M but to be fair... Mortimer brought the Eels of all teams to the GF completely against the odds. He's in the same class as all of the above halves IMO... (and those who have read my rambles will know that I rate him, that's no insult!)

In recent years, Todd Carney and Mortimer/Hayne are the only players who I have seen single handedly guide teams to GFs through their play making abilities.

TBH the Storm and Manly don't really have known/dominant halves... neither does QLD really!! IMO Maloney and Pearce are at least as good as Gronk and whoever (Brett Finch signed with the Storm I saw!)

[Guest]

My guess is that the DCE/Reynolds/(Gronk) style halves would be struggling for first grade spots if they didn't have the luxury of a dominant team/forward pack.

Hayne took the show away and nabbed the Dally M but to be fair... Mortimer brought the Eels of all teams to the GF completely against the odds. He's in the same class as all of the above halves IMO... (and those who have read my rambles will know that I rate him, that's no insult!)

In recent years, Todd Carney and Mortimer/Hayne are the only players who I have seen single handedly guide teams to GFs through their play making abilities.

TBH the Storm and Manly don't really have known/dominant halves... neither does QLD really!! IMO Maloney and Pearce are at least as good as Gronk and whoever (Brett Finch signed with the Storm I saw!)

I agree with everything but the Mortimer part.
It wasn't so much his play making ability that shone that year, it was his ability to put himself in the right spot with his support play.

[Guest]

"I don't know....." shoud be Daley's catch cry, because apart from knowing how to play RL he is a dumb "f$%k" that is almost dumb enough to play for souths.

Saying that, this thread goes to show how effing stupid some of you sanctimonious DFs are.Pearce has all the talent in the world, the "real" experts know this. But the fact is he has been on the grog so much over the last few years he hasn't done anything with it.

Now we have Robbo, someone that wont put up with the crap. He has stopped the crap (to a certain level) Robbo approved the contract.

IF he doesn't produce it will be bye bye.

[Guest]

"I don't know....." shoud be Daley's catch cry, because apart from knowing how to play RL he is a dumb "f$%k" that is almost dumb enough to play for souths.

Saying that, this thread goes to show how effing stupid some of you sanctimonious DFs are.Pearce has all the talent in the world, the "real" experts know this. But the fact is he has been on the grog so much over the last few years he hasn't done anything with it.

Now we have Robbo, someone that wont put up with the crap. He has stopped the crap (to a certain level) Robbo approved the contract.

IF he doesn't produce it will be bye bye.

Think it is more of a case where people are fed up with the hype rather then being sanctimonious .

[TDK]

It's not just better ball control he needs from the forwards. He needs them to get a roll on and consistently making meters.
Thurston is a gifted footballer who doesn't need a dominant forward pack to succeed. In recent times you have had Fittler, Johns and Lockyear, all of the same ilk. Never needed a dominant pack but had the ability to manipulate a game.
Pearce isn't in that class, not many are, not Adam Reynolds, Josh Reynolds or DCE or Foran. Put any of them behind our pack over the last 2 yrs and do you think any of them could have done better then Pearce?
All those blokes mentioned played behind a dominant forward pack.
Our forwards have to step up and be consistently laying a good platform for Junior to work off

A half needs a forward pack and a good 5/8, Reynolds played well because his pack and Sutton had a good year, Pearce played his best footy with Carney and a good pack. If you look at Thurston, his best games are with QLD, especially when playing halfback with Lockyer at 5/8, when playing for the cowboys he hasn't set the word alight because he hasn't had a good halves partner. Pearce will have a good year because, yes, he has a good pack plus Maloney at 5/8 to take some pressure off him.

[Guest]

pearce will have a good year. a consistently good year. he has always been good, he has never been great.
he's always been there abouts in terms of the dally m, and the one time he has played with a decent half, he made the grand final.

[Guest]

A half needs a forward pack and a good 5/8, Reynolds played well because his pack and Sutton had a good year, Pearce played his best footy with Carney and a good pack. If you look at Thurston, his best games are with QLD, especially when playing halfback with Lockyer at 5/8, when playing for the cowboys he hasn't set the word alight because he hasn't had a good halves partner. Pearce will have a good year because, yes, he has a good pack plus Maloney at 5/8 to take some pressure off him.

Sorry to knit pick but if JT hasn't set the world alight with the cowboys how do explain the dally awards?

[TDK]

Sorry to knit pick but if JT hasn't set the world alight with the cowboys how do explain the dally awards?

He happens to be the best player in their team by a mile, the point is that JT is a rare player however if he had Todd Carney or Cooper Cronk along side him, Cowboys would of won a comp by now or made a few more GF.

[milanja]

Sorry to knit pick but if JT hasn't set the world alight with the cowboys how do explain the dally awards?

freddy won no motm awards for nsw and no dally m, but captained series wins, won two grand finals and played in 4 more, winning or not winning awards is not always a true reflection of a player.

[Guest]

He happens to be the best player in their team by a mile, the point is that JT is a rare player however if he had Todd Carney or Cooper Cronk along side him, Cowboys would of won a comp by now or made a few more GF.

I made that point in an earlier post. I agree JT is one of the few very special halves like Lockyear Freddy and Joey.
My point is Junior is not in there class but people seem to think he is. He is in the top 4 halves in the comp in my opinion.

[TDK]

I made that point in an earlier post. I agree JT is one of the few very special halves like Lockyear Freddy and Joey.
My point is Junior is not in there class but people seem to think he is. He is in the top 4 halves in the comp in my opinion.

I feel sorry for jnr, he has all the talent, tough, can tackle, can kick, can run to the line and pass before and after the line but, what he has been missing during his tenure at our club, is a coach, a good coach. I think you will see the best from jnr this season, he could be anything with a little focus and luck.

[Guest]

I feel sorry for jnr, he has all the talent, tough, can tackle, can kick, can run to the line and pass before and after the line but, what he has been missing during his tenure at our club, is a coach, a good coach. I think you will see the best from jnr this season, he could be anything with a little focus and luck.

True.
People seem to forget he was never a halfback in his junior footy. The bloke debut so young in a unfamiliar position. I think he will shine under Robbo and the added bonus of Maloney, Jennings and SBW to work with. If Friend can take some pressure too then I see Junior dominating a heap of games