Originally Posted by
kickit2gordon
I don't know how you get that that is the statement Henry is making from Srama being asked to move on after one week of preseason training. It would've been a much stronger message to make after 8 - 10 weeks of everyone having been given a shot to really prove themselves. For me, the timing of it just seems like Henry likes Falloon more, which is the opposite of 'perform or move on.' I'm not butt hurt about it though. I get that there are a number of unseen factors that need to be weighed up to make the decision to cut a guy - many of which we just aren't privy to. If he's not the future of the club, may as well move him on and figure out who is .... just beats me how anyone can think that person is Falloon.
Agree to disagree about Falloon I guess DB, terrible being a relative term. A+ for effort in defense, but ball in hand, he has got to be bottom tier NRL wide. It will be interesting to see how he plays under a different coach, because it seemed to me like a large reason for our predictable, slow, boring and ineffective play last season came down to his lack of speed, footwork, creativity or vision around the ruck. The way he'd kill momentum with a slow 'dart' out of dummy half only to be held up for ages letting the defense get back onside and line-up, or how he'd telegraph who he'd be passing to or where he'd be running, the way he'd move away from the defensive line before passing, instead of towards it almost instinctively... the forward passes and dive over attempts. I don't know how to quantify terrible i suppose, but I just don't think he was effective when we had possession. Which says alot about our season considering he won the Broughton medal.
As for Morts, I flat out couldn't disagree more. Who cares where he wants to play? It's about what is best for the team. He is a better hooker than he is a halfback right now, and he is even more valuable as a bench hooker, providing back-up for an injury in the halves - maybe he isn't happy with that, but it is what it is. I'm pretty sure Dave Taylor would be our half-back if we started letting players dictate what position they play in. At the end of the day, Cartwright brought him here as we were thin in the halves. Mortimer himself took the gamble to try and make the 7 his own, but more importantly, to get off the bench and establish himself as a starting NRL player. Cartwright is no longer the coach, Mortimer had a great opportunity to show what he could do at 7 and went ok, but now the landscape has shifted and he may still have an opportunity to claim a starting jersey in the 9, if Henry goes another way in the halves (which he will by mid season imo). He'll play wherever the coach tells him to, because that's footy. If not, he'll walk - no big loss anyway.
This is where I'm at as well mup23. While I have my preferences and opinions, I'm absolutely stoked about the fresh start, and am 100% behind Henry and co. I'm a Mead > Hoffman guy, I really liked Kelly and I rate Srama as well - but like you say, I'm super keen to see how the changes pan out, even if i personally disagree with some of them. We needed change, we asked for change, we're getting change. Bring it on.