Walker dropped

[Lydon]

Murmurs already starting out of the SMH through Michael Chammas that Walker and his family are having issues with the playing style Cronk is directing..

Apparently their has been a disagreement hence why he has possibly been dropped,take from it what you will..

[Tennessee Tornado]

Watching the last two weeks it was clear that Walker was rattled by the mistakes he made. He couldn’t bounce back in either game.

He’s a 20 year old kid and a couple of weeks off will do him the world of good.

When Latrell came back from his spell in reserves he was in a much better frame of mind and I believe Robbo is playing the same card.

Sanmy will be back in a couple of weeks raring to go with a much clearer head.

[Maxy Walker]

Murmurs already starting out of the SMH through Michael Chammas that Walker and his family are having issues with the playing style Cronk is directing..

Apparently their has been a disagreement hence why he has possibly been dropped,take from it what you will..

Interesting. Starting an argument with Cronk doesn’t sound like a very good career move of it’s true.

[HunchoRooster]

Cronk is one of my all-time favourites but should we be coaching Sam to be the next Cronk? I feel like Coops re-defined the halfback role over the last 10 years and as a result we have got a bunch of Cronk clones that turn into robotic block playmakers that go on to fail and do nothing in the NRL.

Cronk had so much more than block plays in his locker but what made him so great are the intangibles that you can't teach e.g. positioning, game awareness, toughness, leadership. You can't really teach those traits, they are attitude based.

[Lydon]

Interesting. Starting an argument with Cronk doesn’t sound like a very good career move of it’s true.

Yes true Maxy..

Strange indeed considering one of the main reasons Sammy came to Easts was to be mentored by Cronk!

Hopefully just a baseless rumour

[milanja]

Cronk is one of my all-time favourites but should we be coaching Sam to be the next Cronk? I feel like Coops re-defined the halfback role over the last 10 years and as a result we have got a bunch of Cronk clones that turn into robotic block playmakers that go on to fail and do nothing in the NRL.

Cronk had so much more than block plays in his locker but what made him so great are the intangibles that you can't teach e.g. positioning, game awareness, toughness, leadership. You can't really teach those traits, they are attitude based.

Agree, walker has natural flair, trying to force him to become a Cronk style player will hamper him because instinct is hard to break.

he could head home to qld quicker than expected.

might be time to nab wighton before he is a rabbit.

[Qld Chook]

I love Walker and disagreed strongly with his demotion but I am starting to come around with this hopefully short-term decision.

Two small body halves is not ideal and getting Manu more ball is always a good thing. I don’t agree with Walker being the casualty but someone had to and Keary has more runs on the board.

In saying this, I want Walker to be a career Rooster so I really hope that no rift is created by this.

I do worry about our lack of general play kickers now and goal kicking but I’m keen to see the boys rip in.

Fingers crossed Walker is on the bench instead of Hutcho..

[BillyBonkers]

Murmurs already starting out of the SMH through Michael Chammas that Walker and his family are having issues with the playing style Cronk is directing..

Apparently their has been a disagreement hence why he has possibly been dropped,take from it what you will..

Yep thats it, tell a naturally gifted young half back he's doing it all wrong, maybe Victor could give a little encouraging advice.

[HunchoRooster]

Agree, walker has natural flair, trying to force him to become a Cronk style player will hamper him because instinct is hard to break.

he could head home to qld quicker than expected.

might be time to nab wighton before he is a rabbit.

I think Wighton is even more off the cuff player than Walker, just bigger and more potent running threat. He's a hard no from me.

Interesting to see where he would fit it at that mob. Centre? Can't see him usurping the halves.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

get Cronk out of the picture, great player, but nothing similar to Walker.
I can see Walker really trying to please Cronk, and putting a lot of pressure on himself.
Cronk analyses the shiit out of everything, Walker is off the cuff.

[HunchoRooster]

Wouldn't be surprised if we just blow the tactics book up again and offer Cleary or DCE 1.4mil a season (with a 900k per annum car sponsorship job at Randwick BMW on top). Robbo's style. Can say how Sam wasn't cutting it and that we needed him to play Roosters footy.

[milanja]

I think Wighton is even more off the cuff player than Walker, just bigger and more potent running threat. He's a hard no from me.

Interesting to see where he would fit it at that mob. Centre? Can't see him usurping the halves.

Might be a succession plan for Cody who will be 35 when his contract expires in 2025.

[King Salvo]

It's a fine line with team playing styles

The Roosters play the so called power game which can mean certain players are starved of the ball - i.e Manu is at times like a shag on a rock waiting for the ball so moving him closer to the action was a logical decision to make - not sure what happened to this roving role plan though.

Anyway

A certain team playing style may not suit certain players at a point in time of their development phase as a player - It is certainly not logical to change a teams playing style so it suit's one players playing style though especially when the player has flaws in their game/playing style that require remedial action.

Walker will learn from this demotion and thus be able to work on his game and will come back a better player.

The Doom and Gloomsters on here don't like the decision but it had to be made for the betterment of the team and for Walker's benefit long term as a player.

[HunchoRooster]

It's a fine line with team playing styles

The Roosters play the so called power game which can mean certain players are starved of the ball - i.e Manu is at times like a shag on a rock waiting for the ball so moving him closer to the action was a logical decision to make - not sure what happened to this roving role plan though.

Anyway

A certain team playing style may not suit certain players at a point in time of their development phase as a player - It is certainly not logical to change a teams playing style so it suit's one players playing style though especially when the player has flaws in their game/playing style that require remedial action.

Walker will learn from this demotion and thus be able to work on his game and will come back a better player.

The Doom and Gloomsters on here don't like the decision but it had to be made for the betterment of the team and for Walker's benefit long term as a player.

Lets put the animosities aside for 5 mins and discuss this... I am genuinely intrigued at the school of thought that it will be for Sam's benefit long-term.

If Kez and Manu absolutely kill it, Kez becomes the ball playing lynchpin again and kicks us around the park, Joey is electric and a revelation at 6... how does Walker get back in the side? Is he meant to improve playing NSW Cup for another 2 years until Keary retires? I can't see how that will improve him. We don't have a loan system like other codes. He wouldn't really have any benefit playing off the bench. Obviously if the Roosters carve up with JS/LK combo for the rest of the season, I doubt Walker's development will be at the forefront of everyone's minds.

[Easts75]

get Cronk out of the picture, great player, but nothing similar to Walker.
I can see Walker really trying to please Cronk, and putting a lot of pressure on himself.
Cronk analyses the shiit out of everything, Walker is off the cuff.

Agree.

Cronks style worked for us but we have lost so many players from 18/19 and the game has changed