The Halfback Conundrum

Which potential halfback, available from November 1, should the club make the #1 priority?

  • Ben Hunt

    Votes: 7 11.9%

  • Braydon Trindall

    Votes: 8 13.6%

  • Jonah Pezet

    Votes: 27 45.8%

  • Sam Walker

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Daniel Atkinson

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Lachlan Ilias

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • None of the above - Stick by Jack Cogger and continue to nurture kids currently in the system

    Votes: 6 10.2%

  • Other (comment with their name)

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Ronald Volkman

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Toby Sexton

    Votes: 3 5.1%
  • Total voters
    59
Supposedly we are looking at Wishart.
Would that be to play in the halves with Brown?

I can't see him leaving Melbourne without a guaranteed spot in a teams starting 13.
 
To be honest I think the plan is pretty obvious that we are looking at tyran wishart to play 9 and Arthur on the bench.

Reminds me of the storm style of play to have heaps of running threats. When you get a role on it's to hard to stop. But basically we need Sharpe or brown to really try to develop a decent long kicking game.

1. Ponga
6. Brown
7. Sharpe
9. Wishart

14. Arthur
 
Problem with signing wishart is he is a better 7 than cogger so he will end up there instead of hooker which is what they want him for.
 
I refuse to believe that Brown will be playing 7 next year. I just don't buy it.

If Wishart comes to Newcastle he'll be playing 7. If for no other reason than there isnt a better 7 available, whereas, there are a few 9s bouncing around who are better than what Matt Arthur is likely to offer us.

Assuming Crossland isnt asked to slot back into 9 while we find the ideal 9
 
Les Misérables said:
I refuse to believe that Brown will be playing 7 next year. I just don't buy it.

If Wishart comes to Newcastle he'll be playing 7. If for no other reason than there isnt a better 7 available, whereas, there are a few 9s bouncing around who are better than what Matt Arthur is likely to offer us.

Assuming Crossland isnt asked to slot back into 9 while we find the ideal 9
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Not being rude here so don't take me the wrong way

But I think this mentality above will change and would have changed this year if we continued to play like we did in that mid season run (albeit short) before Sharpe/KP/Best/Lucas got injured

That form was quite impressive along with the defensive resolve, we held the ball and when we spread the ball we either made great meters or attacking plays. I still think if we had one of Sharpe or KP we would have won more games than lost to finish the year.

It's about having a hybrid attacking gameplan, that kind of sounds like what the Walker bros have wanted to do, except Knights have a strong mentality on defence as well, which you have too, because with using the ball so much you create errors, so you have to defend it.

The question is, if O'Brien is gone for 26 as is speculated is the hybrid plan still the same that they had for Brown with the new coach?
From what as reported last night, Green is involved in recruiting the next coach, most likely going over the attacking game plan with Sharpe/Brown/KP/Best/Gags/Lucas/Young as your attacking weapons. With that much strike a high energy attack will certainly yield points.

The less structure to the attack almost the better, with a coach who is on board with that and able to evolve it with gameplans and create set plays with it. The new coach needs to buy in on that plan and also evolve it.
The new forward pack will help immensly too, Having depth and impact there will help prevent injury crisis.

Apparently Green and McDermott want to stay on as assistants, I think the club knows they have a real opportunity with Sharpe showing how incredibly dangerous he is and having KP there too and then Dyl Brown's speed and ball play too, there is a real opportunity. It's why in the end they probably went all in on Brown and not a conventional halfback like Sexton.
 
Hi again

Reports from England that Jake Arthur could be moving over to Hull FC to join Will Pryce.

Is he any good? His NSW Cup stats look a bit mad
 
Chaister said:
The club couldn’t make it clearer that the halves next year will be Brown and Sharpe. The only way that changes is if a new coach comes in that wants to go in a different direction.
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If the current coach stays, he'll give this 1-2 games and then put Cogger back in.
 
Tim said:
If the current coach stays, he'll give this 1-2 games and then put Cogger back in.
Click to expand...

Doubt it. Prior to his injury AOB has been happy to persist with Sharpe this year and no way they’re not going to play Brown given how much money he’s on.

My feeling is Cogger isn’t that popular with the powers that be but keeps getting lucky due to injury.
 
Chaister said:
The club couldn’t make it clearer that the halves next year will be Brown and Sharpe. The only way that changes is if a new coach comes in that wants to go in a different direction.
Click to expand...

I think it's a case of people not wanting to accept it because it feels pretty unlikely to work.

My prediction is that the attack will score more points simply because Brown has more talent than whoever we've been rolling out this year, but it will still be a a mess and in the long term Sharpe ends up at fullback and Brown at 6.
 
slotmachine said:
I think it's a case of people not wanting to accept it because it feels pretty unlikely to work.

My prediction is that the attack will score more points simply because Brown has more talent than whoever we've been rolling out this year, but it will still be a a mess and in the long term Sharpe ends up at fullback and Brown at 6.
Click to expand...

The way I see it is that a Brown and Sharpe halves pairing can work if we’re well coached in attack, but I’ve seen literally nothing from AOB or Green (2 most likely to be head coach next year) to suggest they could formulate a style or game plans to have all the moving parts working.

People, especially ex players that played in a different generation like Joey get so hung up on the idea of needing a traditional game managing halfback, but if you’re well coached they’re basically a surplus to need in the modern game. Your game management is down through your coaching and systems. That’s why the good coaches like Bellamy and now Ciraldo have gone down the path of just wanting the most talented players they can get in the side, even if none are traditional 7s. Squad wise that’s what we’re going for next year too, but I just don’t think we have enough innovation in the coaches box (whether that’s AOB or Green) to find a way to incorporate the talents of Ponga, Brown and Sharpe together.
 
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