2018 halves combination

People are forgetting that Pierce and Watson played in the halves together at the Roosters. We know what happened, the Roosters lacked direction and fifth tackle options weren't great
 
It depends on 2 things 1 whether Brown will stick to his word as far as Watson starting at 5/8 (which he has said he will)and 2 the fact that Brown has said he wants a running 5/8 which Watson is and Lamb isn't ....BUT if it doesn't work then Lamb will be 5/8 quick smart ...I don't expect Watson to be the next big thing just a good running 5/8 that works well with his 1/2 , backs and f/back ....
 
Billy said:
For the last 15 years or so I've seen literally hundreds of imports get hyped up by fans when we sign them, and maybe 1 in 10 live up to the hype.
I can see nothing in Watson's resume to suggest he is the next big thing, just waiting for his big break.
He just looks like a kid who hasn't been able to nail down a regular position yet.
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And for the last 125 years you have been talking up how great juniors are.
Yet we haven’t produced a decent one for 95 years.
 
I’m kinda getting the vibe that most on here are acting like lamb is the second coming of Andrew Johns...
We all realize that no one outside of Newcastle has half as many wraps on him as we do. The kid showed decent promise in a few games last year I get that, but the hype us knights fans are giving him is too much.
Some are even saying they’d rather have him in the side then Pearce!
 
All this arguing back & forth is probably doing harm to the expectations of Watson now. He's getting set up to be crucified as the devil by the local brigade if he doesn't kill it straight away. Just as people have been urging to give Lamb & Ponga time, we should also afford Watson that chance. Most people are not advertising him as the next big thing but due to circumstances, he will be first choice 6, so provided we aren't losing 4 or 5 games in a row, he should be allowed to grow his game over the entirety of the season with the knowledge that he will get better as time goes on.
 
Joshhh said:
All this arguing back & forth is probably doing harm to the expectations of Watson now. He's getting set up to be crucified as the devil by the local brigade if he doesn't kill it straight away. Just as people have been urging to give Lamb & Ponga time, we should also afford Watson that chance. Most people are not advertising him as the next big thing but due to circumstances, he will be first choice 6, so provided we aren't losing 4 or 5 games in a row, he should be allowed to grow his game over the entirety of the season with the knowledge that he will get better as time goes on.
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No one has anything against Watson.
He is what he is.
A young fringe player who wants to be better.
Good luck to him.
He'll need it, because he has a younger, better player nipping at his heals already.
 
slotmachine said:
Yeah, he'd be the closest. 10 games for NSW and Aus is a fair effort.

Not really a Newcastle local though :lol:
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Yeah local enough to play ALL his junior footy here. Counts for something I guess. We produce rep players in our catchment so to speak. So I guess you can call them locals. Just never played grade for newcastle as such.
 
slotmachine said:
Haven't produced a legit rep player since kidley and he debuted 16 years ago. But the locals will save us.
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This is strikingly true, and a concern. It's a concern because if we can't rely on organic talent them it stands as true that our only avenue to success is recruitment. And it seems no coincidence that our most promising season in 20 years comes off the back of our best recruitment drive in the club's history
 
LEVR said:
People are forgetting that Pierce and Watson played in the halves together at the Roosters. We know what happened, the Roosters lacked direction and fifth tackle options weren't great
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Didnt Keary play 5/8 all year? Watson played utility/hooker/fullback more then halves.

Mind you, i feel Pearce does lack solid 5th tackle options, its usually a bomb anywhere in the opposition half. Doesnt seem to have that "ball on a string" type medium-long range kicking game Mullen had when in form, where he could get repeat sets frequently from 20-40m out.
 
All the Tinkler money spent on juniors means we currently have our best crop of juniors ever.
I used to be able to name all the players who made NSW or Australian sides from our juniors because there were maybe 2 or 3 a year.
In 2016 there were something like 14 or 16 in the 16s, 18s, 20s and schoolboys sides - and I've forgotten half of them already.
This year we had a few less, but still too many to remember.
 
LEVR said:
This is strikingly true, and a concern. It's a concern because if we can't rely on organic talent them it stands as true that our only avenue to success is recruitment. And it seems no coincidence that our most promising season in 20 years comes off the back of our best recruitment drive in the club's history
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It's been a long history of signing duds & persisting with average juniors or juniors not living up to hype. However I'm of the belief that many players don't make it because they aren't in the right place & vice versa. Many juniors don't develop when thrown into a bad side while successful teams just seem to have juniors come through & slip into the team seamlessly, killing it from day dot. I think the key is to recruit a core of good players & fill in the gaps with promising juniors, the good players around them gives them their best chance at developing into first-graders. The jury is still out for 2018, time will tell if this was a good recruitment year or just another in our long list of failures.
 
Billy said:
No one has anything against Watson.
He is what he is.
A young fringe player who wants to be better.
Good luck to him.
He'll need it, because he has a younger, better player nipping at his heals already.
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Not sure what makes Watson a “fringe player”. I’m confident he would make most NRL teams top 17, at least as a utility off the bench. Some clubs he’d probably start at fullback/five-eighth/hooker too.
 
Billy just can't accept some one has come in over the top of his love children Lamb and Cogger. Watson is far more credentialed than either and all the talk in the world won't change our starting line up with Pearce at 7 and Watson at 6!
 
member 2299 said:
Billy just can't accept some one has come in over the top of his love children Lamb and Cogger. Watson is far more credentialed than either and all the talk in the world won't change our starting line up with Pearce at 7 and Watson at 6!
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I have a realistic view of Watson.
all the "grass is greener" brigade who buy into hype about every signing will spend all next season talking about how this one or that one isn't living up to their expectations, and i'll be thinking, just like every signing, ever.
People focus on every nitpicking fault they can see in the players we are very familiar with, and judge them far too harshly, and players who are coming in from other clubs are judged on only their positives or highlight reels.
As always happens, it will become clear that all the signings were let go by other clubs for a reason, and aren't all the brilliant and unappreciated prospects you all think they are, and even though most of you will continue to talk them down, guys like Sione, Lamb, etc will be very competitive.

I suppose I should just find it amusing to watch you all build up your hopes, just to have them dashed when reality hits the fan when these guys get on the field.
 
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