Should Mini retire?

[Guest]

Sure Mini did a lot of great things and he was a crucial part of our team from 2000 to present but at the same time he has always been a bit on the slow side when it comes to wingers/fullbacks and he's always good for a few errors a game. He will always be fondly remembered but as far as a fullback goes I still reckon Diamond was better, as was Fairfax and when comparing Mini to other wingers well I rate him behind Mullins, Boustead, Fahey and Schubert.

[Guest]

Sure Mini did a lot of great things and he was a crucial part of our team from 2000 to present but at the same time he has always been a bit on the slow side when it comes to wingers/fullbacks and he's always good for a few errors a game. He will always be fondly remembered but as far as a fullback goes I still reckon Diamond was better, as was Fairfax and when comparing Mini to other wingers well I rate him behind Mullins, Boustead, Fahey and Schubert.

I fully agree with that.

I also rate mullins as a better fullback during his time at the raiders.

As for luke phillips, I will always remember two great peices of play from him - his heroics in the 2000 grand final was sensational in a beaten side, his coming from nowhere to save a try right on the halftime siren in the 02 grand final when the warriors kicked through and he put his body on the line to save what looked a certain try was an important play at that stage of the game for mine.

[Guest]

Can you go and watch that video I posted, the player you portray isn't on there, the player voted by the club as the centurion team as fullback is. Unfortunately you only see the player as he is today and to me that is a shame....

I havent looked at that clip and I dont need to look at it.

I can make up a short video clip of some of the good plays that even a useless player like finch did during his career too, that doesnt make finch a good player.

once again, i am not saying that mini was not a good player, he was a very good player, but he is not the god that some fans made him out to be. personally i think he like many of our players were made to look better than what they actually were during to freddy's greatness.

[supermario]

personally i think he like many of our players were made to look better than what they actually were during to freddy's greatness.

Yes true, freddy did make alot of ordinary players look good, but Mini's game at fullback, Pre Injury was the best in the league.

You have to remember, fullback is a lonely position and alot of the work is done on your own or linking with the wings. Support play is also king as a fullback, and while we see it all the time now with the likes of Slater, Boyd and Brett Stewart, you could say that mini lead the charge with that style of play in the early to mid 2000's

There are things in Mini's game that fittler could not help with that made mini the Rep player and golden boot player that he was.

If you put mini in another team in the early to mid 2000's, i think we would have seen the same speed, skill and tenacity that he brought to the roosters at that time and the insuing selections in the rep sides.

I Don't think we can put Mini in the same basket as finch, being one of those players that looked good along side freddy.

Mini had too much class, skill and pride in his own game.

[Vasco]

Should have retired at the end of last season.

[stsae]

Diamond was a very good footballer.

Mini was a very good athlete, who happened to play football.

Both had their strengths and weaknesses. When used correctly both were great assets.

Trouble is when an athlete gets old and brittle its almost impossible for them to regain what they once had. Old footballers get around using their brains and their expierence.

Its a young mans game now. Sadly there is little room left for old hard heads. Its why we badly need to restructure the game with 3 grades in all clubs. Of course spending money on the structure of the game, that doesnt offer a skim, wont occur with its current rulers.

IMO Mini shouldnt have been re-signed for this year. We wouldve been much better off keeping Fitzy, whom I believe left at the right time anyway.

[ism22]

Personally i think he like many of our players were made to look better than what they actually were during to freddy's greatness.

But he was gun at rep. level as well...

[stsae]

But he was gun at rep. level as well...

A very good athlete will always look good outside very good footballers, which Mini had with Freddo at club level and in Rep footy.

I think the point is Mini is only a match winner when the team around him fires and when hes 100% fit and healthy.

He simply isnt able to do what he did physically anymore.

Looking at that youtube link Minis defence was interesting. He rarely ever made good defensive reads or was in the right place at the right time. What he used was his speed to round up players whod broken the line.

Watching him trying to attack now is sad really. He looks like a 70kg rookie getting hammered each time he goes near the footy. His passing game is atrocious. He cant tackle cos he lacks the speed to force the opposition into making an error.

[stephenj]

sorry mini, go to italian union asap so you can retire after a world cup, leave it any longer and youl lose whats left! but froir the sake of margo and liz get married first!

[ism22]

A very good athlete will always look good outside very good footballers, which Mini had with Freddo at club level and in Rep footy.

I think the point is Mini is only a match winner when the team around him fires and when hes 100% fit and healthy.

He simply isnt able to do what he did physically anymore.

Looking at that youtube link Minis defence was interesting. He rarely ever made good defensive reads or was in the right place at the right time. What he used was his speed to round up players whod broken the line.

Watching him trying to attack now is sad really. He looks like a 70kg rookie getting hammered each time he goes near the footy. His passing game is atrocious. He cant tackle cos he lacks the speed to force the opposition into making an error.

I agree with pretty well everything you said there... great summary.
God help Mini's current passing game! Not sure how many times I've seen him drop the ball forward on our first tackle when we've just been given 6 more within 40m of the opposition tryline. To me the fact it goes forward when he drops it shows he's not even squaring his body up properly for catching/passing.

I wonder how history will treat guys like Jarryd Hayne and Darius Boyd... tonight maybe we'll get a glimpse as they'll be challenging each other on the wing. I consider both as heavily over-rated (along with Soward.)

Off-topic, but I'd love to see Boyd/Soward play without Costigan, Creagh, Priddis and Weyman (or other forwards of that calibre)... I'd bet slotting the pair into the Roosters in place of Carney/Anasta would hurt us if anything. Hayne instead of Carney... I'm guessing he'd be just as useless. It's a lot harder to look good as a fullback when your team's defending 65% of the time and you're taking lots of bombs close to the tryline you're defending.

Meh enough speculation regarding things that will never happen

[Guest]

I agree with pretty well everything you said there... great summary.
God help Mini's current passing game! Not sure how many times I've seen him drop the ball forward on our first tackle when we've just been given 6 more within 40m of the opposition tryline. To me the fact it goes forward when he drops it shows he's not even squaring his body up properly for catching/passing.

I wonder how history will treat guys like Jarryd Hayne and Darius Boyd... tonight maybe we'll get a glimpse as they'll be challenging each other on the wing. I consider both as heavily over-rated (along with Soward.)

Off-topic, but I'd love to see Boyd/Soward play without Costigan, Creagh, Priddis and Weyman (or other forwards of that calibre)... I'd bet slotting the pair into the Roosters in place of Carney/Anasta would hurt us if anything. Hayne instead of Carney... I'm guessing he'd be just as useless. It's a lot harder to look good as a fullback when your team's defending 65% of the time and you're taking lots of bombs close to the tryline you're defending.

Meh enough speculation regarding things that will never happen

Carney's a half or 5/8, not a fullback

Hayne and Boyd are light years in front of any outside back we have at the club

[Cockadoodledoo]

Diamond was a very good footballer.

Mini was a very good athlete, who happened to play football.

Both had their strengths and weaknesses. When used correctly both were great assets.

Trouble is when an athlete gets old and brittle its almost impossible for them to regain what they once had. Old footballers get around using their brains and their expierence.

Its a young mans game now. Sadly there is little room left for old hard heads. Its why we badly need to restructure the game with 3 grades in all clubs. Of course spending money on the structure of the game, that doesnt offer a skim, wont occur with its current rulers.

IMO Mini shouldnt have been re-signed for this year. We wouldve been much better off keeping Fitzy, whom I believe left at the right time anyway.

Never a truer word written here... He was a fantastic athlete with great instincts.. Now his body is broken down and his footballing ability is being shown up. He didn't develop at all any playmaking skills and without strength and pace has nothing else sadly... Guys like Hayne and Boyd you can see have improved significantly that part of their game in the past couple years.. Sadly Mini didn't..

[Guest]

Carney's a half or 5/8, not a fullback

Hayne and Boyd are light years in front of any outside back we have at the club

Carney really didn't take the game by the scruff of the neck in the last 2 games at half. I always saw him as a 5/8, but his games at fullback have been his best so far this year.

[BUDDY]

Carney's a half or 5/8, not a fullback

Hayne and Boyd are light years in front of any outside back we have at the club

Did someone just fart?

[Guest]

I agree with pretty well everything you said there... great summary.
God help Mini's current passing game! Not sure how many times I've seen him drop the ball forward on our first tackle when we've just been given 6 more within 40m of the opposition tryline. To me the fact it goes forward when he drops it shows he's not even squaring his body up properly for catching/passing.

I wonder how history will treat guys like Jarryd Hayne and Darius Boyd... tonight maybe we'll get a glimpse as they'll be challenging each other on the wing. I consider both as heavily over-rated (along with Soward.)

Off-topic, but I'd love to see Boyd/Soward play without Costigan, Creagh, Priddis and Weyman (or other forwards of that calibre)... I'd bet slotting the pair into the Roosters in place of Carney/Anasta would hurt us if anything. Hayne instead of Carney... I'm guessing he'd be just as useless. It's a lot harder to look good as a fullback when your team's defending 65% of the time and you're taking lots of bombs close to the tryline you're defending.

Meh enough speculation regarding things that will never happen

you're joking right?

parramatta have absolutely nothing and hayne carries that team

and boyd in a team with non existent halves pretty much sets up every try they score

carney is a great player and would definatly be in my team but if either of them, or dugan were at the roosters carney wouldnt be wearing the number 1, number 6 for sure