Is Walker a half or 5/8th long term

[A Country Member]

I’ve been having crazy thoughts. How about Radley at half?

It would strengthen our edge and keep him out of middle where he gets into trouble. His ball play is half like but haven’t seen too many kicks. It would never happen but worse things have been floated on here.

[Inflictor]

I’ve been having crazy thoughts. How about Radley at half?

It would strengthen our edge and keep him out of middle where he gets into trouble. His ball play is half like but haven’t seen too many kicks. It would never happen but worse things have been floated on here.

I think you are 100% correct.

You are going crazy ffs.

[ism22]

I think the only difference is that #7 is SUPPOSEDLY the 'boss half'. The one who calls all the shots and leads everybody around the park.

Not sure what this comes from but I suggest maybe either:

- Joey Johns being an arrogant pr!ck who thinks he's the best of all time.

- Oldschool scrum-half (i.e. HB touches the ball first after a scrum to set things up) & fly-half (5/8 links up with the forwards) sorta proponents. I never know which 'side' each half SUPPOSEDLY plays, but from this one might assume that HB plays the blind side and 5/8 plays the open side? Then we get all ooooh... aaaaah... when the hooker (or whoever happens to be there... FB... a centre... WHOEVER) is first receiver. IMO this kinda talk really does assume you're doing a set play off a scrum, your team's on the far left hand side of the field and you're setting yourself up for 5 tackles & a bomb. Which might work better than some of the confusing shyte we're seeing BTW!

REALITY
- I don't think it matters who touches the ball first off a scrum / ruck / penalty...etc. Yes in theory they'll be the one deciding what play we're doing but that also assumes you're doing textbook set plays without a livewire (or two... or three) in there who have licenses to play ad-lib footy.

- Our captain's a fullback and VC's either a 5/8 or a prop so go figure! Hughes can argue Munster's his biatch. Cronk can argue Smiddy and Slater were his little biatches. It goes on and on (in analysts' / pundits' minds, not players' minds)... WHO CARES?!?!?

- Right now I suspect Robbo's decision is VERY specific to Walker's form and the kinda footy he wants to see. I'd say Walker's probably lost his confidence to run the ball because he's thinking too much about how to kick/pass it. Having Manu at 5/8 simplifies it all in the short-term so that we can beat a team where the only big threat is Ben Hunt. Robbo's willing to bet that having a simpler kicking/passing game with more courageous running from the 5/8 will defeat Ben Hunt. Meanwhile, Walker can regain his confidence in reserve-grade... without having to play against Ben Hunt (or Cam Munster... or Hynes).

[MCMLXVI]

5/8th is greater than a 1/2, yet 7 is greater than 6.

Sam should stay as our halfback for many years to come. All talk about him here is only conjecture, and without knowing all of the facts I would have rested the Irishman instead. In my opinion he is not being demoted in order to repair something specific, but instead being demoted to keep him away from a walk-on in firsts for a short while. In other words, he's not being punished, he's being held back in order to build within him a hunger/desire that Robbo feels is missing. Could also mean that he has a minor injury. Could also mean that Robbo is playing with smoke and mirrors. Could also mean almost anything.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I think you are 100% correct.

You are going crazy ffs.

Haha ...yep.

Thats why hes a count,ry member. Not a footy coach.

Too many wontons spoil the broth.

[rented tracksuit]

f

We won't win it this year. It's all about next year!

The only thing that's keeping Anthony Griffin employed with the Dragons is Ben Hunts contract. The potential for Hunt to be our 7 next season is real!!!!!!!!!

Good luck with next year.

Parra loves looking forward to next year.

I will start looking forward to next year after this year.

[rented tracksuit]

I’ve been having crazy thoughts. How about Radley at half?

It would strengthen our edge and keep him out of middle where he gets into trouble. His ball play is half like but haven’t seen too many kicks. It would never happen but worse things have been floated on here.

Stop drinking un pasteurised milk.

[Bates]

JFC, Lamb is a handy 5/8th. I’m sure we will see him playing in the NRL again.

I like O’Sullivan. It’s a shame we let him go!

[Bates]

Good luck with next year.

Parra loves looking forward to next year.

I will start looking forward to next year after this year.

Patience mate.

[rented tracksuit]

Patience mate.

Exactly why you shouldn't be writing this year off bud.

[Bates]

Exactly why you shouldn't be writing this year off bud.

That's called optimism and there's nothing wrong with that.

Go Easts!

[Water boy]

He is a dolphin long term. Genius supercoach can not develop players but is trying to turn an off the cuff dynamic hb into a robotic Cronk, and we will lose him, and he will be another Latrell who will school us every time he plays us.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

He is a dolphin long term. Genius supercoach can not develop players but is trying to turn an off the cuff dynamic hb into a robotic Cronk, and we will lose him, and he will be another Latrell who will school us every time he plays us.

I hope you are wrong, but I fear you may be right. It would be such a shame if we lose him, hopefully this experiment lasts less than 2 weeks.
Obviously they are trying to help him have better judgement on when and where to pull the trigger and go ad lib, and hopefully he is mature enough to accept that.
I just don't get why they had to embarrass the kid by dropping him, he's not going to learn anything in reserve grade so it's obviously a form of punishment for what they perceive as a resistance to change.
Like.... do it our way or do it in reserves.
I don't like it.
Cronk has the points on the board obviously,
but only as a PLAYER,
not as a COACH.
The more I see of him being given some kind of guru status in commentary and podcasts, and like some special consultant the more I get the impression he would over analyse many things, maybe to the point of having a reverse effect.
It's a fine line, I hope we get it right.

[Water boy]

I hope you are wrong, but I fear you may be right. It would be such a shame if we lose him, hopefully this experiment lasts less than 2 weeks.
Obviously they are trying to help him have better judgement on when and where to pull the trigger and go ad lib, and hopefully he is mature enough to accept that.
I just don't get why they had to embarrass the kid by dropping him, he's not going to learn anything in reserve grade so it's obviously a form of punishment for what they perceive as a resistance to change.
Like.... do it our way or do it in reserves.
I don't like it.
Cronk has the points on the board obviously,
but only as a PLAYER,
not as a COACH.
The more I see of him being given some kind of guru status in commentary and podcasts, and like some special consultant the more I get the impression he would over analyse many things, maybe to the point of having a reverse effect.
It's a fine line, I hope we get it right.

It seems odd to call a half who has won so many premierships overrated, but he is the most overrated halfback in history. Very little natural skill and ability compared to the likes of Stewart and Johns, he is a totally manufactured robotic role player who benefitted from being in a great team with a real supercoach. It seems modern coaches outsource actual coaching to others, but Cronk is the wrong man to mentor the kid. Throw the cheque book at Joey, even Noddy would be more beneficial for the kid, anyone but Mr overanalyses.

[King Salvo]

What are his current flaws?

Last season I would’ve said his defence and long range kicking game. Tbh I thought both have drastically improved this season.

You have answered your question in a roundabout way

Walker- Defence

2022- 15.72 tackles per match - 3.28 missed tackles per match
2023 - 23 tackles per match - 2.83 missed tackles per match

After Round 5 - 22 tackles per match - 1.5 missed tackles per match - Round 6 vs Sharks - 30 tackles and 8 missed tackles

Dolphins - 18 tackles and 5 missed tackles
Warriors - 25 tackles and 0 missed tackles
Souths - 14 tackles and 1 missed tackles
Parramatta - 27 tackles and 0 missed tackles
Storm - 23 tackles and 3 missed tackles
Sharks - 30 tackles and 8 missed tackles

Walker is doing more D so far this season on average than 2022 - Teams are Targeting him in D and will continue to do so - He has improved though and of course will need to keep improving as there is no where to hide on a NRL playing field.

Walker - Kicking Metres

2022 - Average 197.40 metres per game
2023 - Average 360.40 metres per game

Keary - Kicking Metres

2022 - 259.51 metres per game
2023 - 139.97 metres per game

Walker looks to be the main kicker now based on current and previous year stats compared to Keary's

Walker - Running Metres -2023

Dolphins - 135 metres
Warriors - 110 metres
Souths - 47 metres
Eels - 28 metres
Storm - 35 metres
Sharks - 31 metres

Walker in 2022 averaged 68 running metres per game - In 2023 he is averaging 64 metres - Dolphins and Warriors games certainly inflated this average - average for the other 4 games is 35.25 running metres per game which one assumes came under scrutiny from the coaching staff

I think it's pretty clear what Coach Robinson is alluding to in the following statement

"I want him to run our system completely in reserve grade and free himself to find parts of his game that he has always had. I wanted him to go and rediscover that. The path to freedom is playing through your system"

Walker needs to adapt to the game situation - when defending concentrate on his D and when the Roosters have the ball concentrate on his offense game. Basically don't overthink or forget what your role is with or without the ball.

Of course it's hard to know what a player is thinking but possibly in the back of his mind he is still thinking about his D which is affecting the offense part of his game - Overthinking

Bit like a Winger or Fullback who drops the first one of those spiralling/floating kicks.

What is their mind set for the second of such kicks - do they have clear thoughts and are concentrating on just catching the ball or are they thinking about the first kick they dropped and thus put additional and unnecessary pressure on themselves.

You often hear commentators say when a player drops a second kick that they were thinking about the first kick they dropped.

Sport of any kind is not the arena to have negative thoughts or overthink possible scenarios as it will affect the athletes performance