NRL Round 23 - Knights Vs Panthers - 6:00pm Friday 8th August - McDonald Jones Stadium

Brodie Jones got 7 tackle breaks in cup.
He averages less than 1 a game in firsts this year.
We should give him gastro every week.
As I said earlier, he did the best run I've ever seen him do in the short minutes I watched - probably 3 tackle breaks in that 1 run.
 
jamesgould said:
I mean, we saw our inexperienced centres get really badly exposed yesterday. We just suddenly throw out a load of experience because they're not here next year and put a bunch of kids in, I don't think the result is going to be wonderful. Surely it's better our young talent comes into a stable successful team, and because they've actually earned their place in first grade?

Can only think Arthur, for example, isn't getting a run because he doesn't look ready and needs more time in NSW Cup. He's only 20 and hooker is one of the most physical positions on the field.
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I still think Arthur will develop quicker with long minutes in reserve grade rather than a short stint in firsts. I think the raiders are actually doing Owen Pattie a bit of a disservice this year if they ever see him as an 80 minute hooker. Having said that, Sticky doesn't seem to favour long minutes for his 9.
 
Owey said:
I still think Arthur will develop quicker with long minutes in reserve grade rather than a short stint in firsts. I think the raiders are actually doing Owen Pattie a bit of a disservice this year if they ever see him as an 80 minute hooker. Having said that, Sticky doesn't seem to favour long minutes for his 9.
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I can see that. It’s a fair point.

I’m a bit nervous about next years 9. Crossland looks better at 13. If he is there, we have Arthur and maybe Gamble (didn’t he play some 9 at broncos?).
I’m worried if we expect Arthur to play big minutes next year in his rookie season.
I’m curious if a taste of the speed and physicality of NRL could help fine tune his motivation and training over the pre-season to have a better understanding of what is coming.


Put bluntly, if we can’t trust him with 30 minutes at the end of a lost season, do we need to be looking for a starting hooker for 2026?
 
Owey said:
Did Simi's performance yesterday give anyone pause for thought that our really talented youngsters should be given a bit longer to actually develop?
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Not really. It’s easy to look good in a team leading the comp against a side with a lot of rookies. I think in general players need to be given longer to develop but it’s hard when rival clubs are signing juniors really early.
 
Owey said:
Did Simi's performance yesterday give anyone pause for thought that our really talented youngsters should be given a bit longer to actually develop?
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He’s been great for them. Always seemed a bit odd to release him but retain the likes of Jones/Croker, to me. Not having a dig at them at all, but just the ceilings seemed a bit different.
 
Owey said:
Did Simi's performance yesterday give anyone pause for thought that our really talented youngsters should be given a bit longer to actually develop?
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He was here for 5 years so we definitely gave him time to develop.
 
Owey said:
Did Simi's performance yesterday give anyone pause for thought that our really talented youngsters should be given a bit longer to actually develop?
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Simi always had the raw athletic talent and enough footy IQ that he was going to make a decent player- we really mismanaged his development by not letting him settle in a position.

I actually think AOB has a decent enough track record in developing players overall - but guys who show utility potential is an area that he's consistently made poor decisions with. Watson/Mann/Sasagi are all examples of players who were thrust between positions - admittedly at times it was needed for team balance but it certainly didn't allow them to flourish as players in their own right.

I'll go on record as saying I believe Riley Jones is another example of this phenomenon - kid with bona fide first-grade athletic talent and enough footy IQ that he can play in the spine, routinely shuffled between positions with seemingly no long-term plan for development. Will wait and see what the Sharks can make of him.
 
Billy said:
Jones played left second row and the play by play record says he wasn't replaced till the 71st minute.

I'd say he is being groomed to play Lucas's position for the rest of the year, but McEwen might have the jump on him.
Manuleleua was moved to the right side for the first time this year I think.
I don't think O'Brien wants to play McEwen for too long minutes, even though he seems to handle it, because he is a teenager after all.
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I'd be really disappointed if McEwen lost the starting edge spot for the rest of the season.

Jones has been really disappointing this year. Over the last few years he threatened to develop into a dependable bench forward who would routinely make all his tackles, get a quick PTB and maybe even bust a tackle or two to provide impact off the bench - a good squad member. This season he's provided practically no impact off the bench at all and has been an okay defender.

Jermaine is comparatively as impactful as anyone in our side already - relishes contact on both sides of the ball, runs quality lines on the edge, had a couple of big kick pressure plays to rush Fogarty which allowed Greg to take uncontested catches, and showed his skillset with the kick to force a dropout.

At 27, Jones has had 6 seasons and 87 games in first-grade - ample opportunity to show something more. Appreciating the value of not running McEwen into the ground with 80 minutes per game, I'd much sooner see us spell him with Manuleleua for 15-20mins rather than bring Jones back into the side. That Hetherington/Jones/Cant bench spot usually only gets 15-20 minutes anyway so Manuleleua wouldn't be required for more than that. Leo can earn his money by copping big minutes in the middle while we trial these other bench rotations.
 
Billy said:
Brodie Jones got 7 tackle breaks in cup.
He averages less than 1 a game in firsts this year.
We should give him gastro every week.
As I said earlier, he did the best run I've ever seen him do in the short minutes I watched - probably 3 tackle breaks in that 1 run.
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Problem with brodie is he needs to learn just to run harder. His quick, his got footwork but gee he hits the line like a tissue.
 
Beatell said:
I think thats been a lot of the general comments with not wanting to budge on Gags offer, we need these kids in years to come. If we cant afford to keep them some other team will.
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Yep that's it. Our fans blow up at us for our junior forwards and backs rocking up elsewhere and killing it, but also say it's malpractice to not keep over $800K on the books for a 34 and 35 year old forward & outside back next year.

I guess here is the point where you can question the impact of the Dylan Brown deal, but I don't think it can be disputed when we sign Gagai back for $500K in 2022, that necessarily means a top 30 spot which would have gone to a young pathways guy is taken up by Dane. About $1.2 million on your two centres has a flow on effect.
 
Think Jones is a better 2nd row than Prop where he has been used as Prop starting or bench due to our shortage of good strong ones.
If he ends up in Cup because others are better then we will have a strong pack/bench
 
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