Tweet
Carney to be another Gidley
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225817657437
By James Phelps From: The Sunday Telegraph January 09, 2010 11:18PM
New fullback ... Brian Smith is planning to slot new recruit Todd Carney (centre) into the fullback posiiton for 2010. Photograph: Gregg Porteous Source: The Sunday Telegraph
ROOSTERS coach Brian Smith believes former Canberra Raiders bad boy Todd Carney can be his new Kurt Gidley as he prepares to make the first major gamble at his new club.
With the NRL trials less than a month away, the former Country five-eighth will start the season at fullback, pushing former Test No. 1 Anthony Minichiello to the wing. That will allow Smith to keep Braith Anasta and Mitchell Pearce in the halves.
Following another week of controversy for Carney, Smith last week unveiled his new role for the star recruit, before predicting Anasta and Pearce would become one of the most formidable halves pairings in the NRL.
"We tossed up playing Toddy at No. 1 right from the start and he is willing to give it a crack," Smith said. "He played a little bit as a junior but he has played no senior football there.
"He has a lot of attributes that a good fullback needs and if he can master that position it will give us a great balance. And it keeps the halfback pairing of Anasta and Pearce together, and I think they have been as good as any in the competition."
Smith also said he would not be taking a hard-line approach with Carney, who is facing disciplinary action for allegedly burning a friend's trousers with a flaming aerosol can while in Airlie Beach on New Year's Eve.
"From what I've seen of him, he's one of those fellows that is the life of the party," Smith said. "He's always going to be full-on entertainment and he is a really likeable character. He has really settled in well with everyone and we all enjoy his company.
"He has some real issues which he is dealing with, but if he gets on top of them then the world is his oyster. I don't think it's my role to (get out the stick). Todd is aware of the situation and he is a full-grown man. He knows where he is at and he is getting some good advice from the right people and I think that he will develop as a man as the season goes on."
The Roosters have just completed a major cleanout, with 10 players moving on after a shocking season 2009 that saw them claim the wooden spoon. With five new players, including Carney and former Test prop Jason Ryles, Smith is predicting a quick turnaround for the club he was employed to save.
In his biggest decision since quitting the Knights, Smith will give Carney an unrestricted playmaking licence from fullback. "He will be a free agent," Smith said. "He can work within a system but also has that individual flair which can make things happen. He will bob up where he sees fit and it is something Kurt (Gidley) did well for us at Newcastle.
"Todd is a bit more of a halfback-based player than Kurt, but they can play a similar role." Smith hopes the bold gamble will help the injury-plagued Minichiello prolong his career. "There was a bit of that in the thinking," Smith said. "But I just think Mini will become an outstanding winger. I watched him play there last year and he was just about the best player on the field."
Smith will call on the club's senior players to set a platform for the team, which has been stripped to the bone. During a meeting with Smith late last year, Anasta, Pearce, Minichiello, Nate Myles and Sam Perrett asked him to overhaul team structures and plays used in 2009.
"We had a bit of a chat with the players in what way they felt was the best to go and they wanted a bit of a fresh approach with play calls because they felt it was a good opportunity to refresh themselves," Smith said.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225817657437
By James Phelps From: The Sunday Telegraph January 09, 2010 11:18PM
New fullback ... Brian Smith is planning to slot new recruit Todd Carney (centre) into the fullback posiiton for 2010. Photograph: Gregg Porteous Source: The Sunday Telegraph
ROOSTERS coach Brian Smith believes former Canberra Raiders bad boy Todd Carney can be his new Kurt Gidley as he prepares to make the first major gamble at his new club.
With the NRL trials less than a month away, the former Country five-eighth will start the season at fullback, pushing former Test No. 1 Anthony Minichiello to the wing. That will allow Smith to keep Braith Anasta and Mitchell Pearce in the halves.
Following another week of controversy for Carney, Smith last week unveiled his new role for the star recruit, before predicting Anasta and Pearce would become one of the most formidable halves pairings in the NRL.
"We tossed up playing Toddy at No. 1 right from the start and he is willing to give it a crack," Smith said. "He played a little bit as a junior but he has played no senior football there.
"He has a lot of attributes that a good fullback needs and if he can master that position it will give us a great balance. And it keeps the halfback pairing of Anasta and Pearce together, and I think they have been as good as any in the competition."
Smith also said he would not be taking a hard-line approach with Carney, who is facing disciplinary action for allegedly burning a friend's trousers with a flaming aerosol can while in Airlie Beach on New Year's Eve.
"From what I've seen of him, he's one of those fellows that is the life of the party," Smith said. "He's always going to be full-on entertainment and he is a really likeable character. He has really settled in well with everyone and we all enjoy his company.
"He has some real issues which he is dealing with, but if he gets on top of them then the world is his oyster. I don't think it's my role to (get out the stick). Todd is aware of the situation and he is a full-grown man. He knows where he is at and he is getting some good advice from the right people and I think that he will develop as a man as the season goes on."
The Roosters have just completed a major cleanout, with 10 players moving on after a shocking season 2009 that saw them claim the wooden spoon. With five new players, including Carney and former Test prop Jason Ryles, Smith is predicting a quick turnaround for the club he was employed to save.
In his biggest decision since quitting the Knights, Smith will give Carney an unrestricted playmaking licence from fullback. "He will be a free agent," Smith said. "He can work within a system but also has that individual flair which can make things happen. He will bob up where he sees fit and it is something Kurt (Gidley) did well for us at Newcastle.
"Todd is a bit more of a halfback-based player than Kurt, but they can play a similar role." Smith hopes the bold gamble will help the injury-plagued Minichiello prolong his career. "There was a bit of that in the thinking," Smith said. "But I just think Mini will become an outstanding winger. I watched him play there last year and he was just about the best player on the field."
Smith will call on the club's senior players to set a platform for the team, which has been stripped to the bone. During a meeting with Smith late last year, Anasta, Pearce, Minichiello, Nate Myles and Sam Perrett asked him to overhaul team structures and plays used in 2009.
"We had a bit of a chat with the players in what way they felt was the best to go and they wanted a bit of a fresh approach with play calls because they felt it was a good opportunity to refresh themselves," Smith said.
..Oh I am so confused....
Comment