Opinion Skelton

[cuzza]

I hope we don't loose this guy. Will be even better after another season.

 

[KLil]

I hope we don't loose this guy. Will be even better after another season.

I would rather lose JAC than lose Skelton and Wilso.

 

[The DoggFather]

I have a bad feeling he will end up at Roosters...

 

[Grunthos]

I reckon Skelton could be a ready-made stand-in for Kikau if need be...

 

[Yougra]

Skelton could be our "Brian To'o" style winger making 200 metres per game, and would be even harder than To'o to stop close to the tryline

He really is becoming too good for NSW Cup and I hope he stays with us and gets his chance

Addo Carr is now 28?? and he is starting to lose pace each year, and with all due respect, without his pace he doesn't have much else.

JAC at the moment is a luxury at the end of a good backline, but with Skelton you get a real asset to the team in go forward. I don't know if all the talk about his defence is true, but surely he can be coached to become a solid defender

I think a big decision will be coming up whether to re-sign JAC, or not re-sign him and open the spot up for Skelton

 

[Phalangist]

Skelton could be our "Brian To'o" style winger making 200 metres per game, and would be even harder than To'o to stop close to the tryline

He really is becoming too good for NSW Cup and I hope he stays with us and gets his chance

Addo Carr is now 28?? and he is starting to lose pace each year, and with all due respect, without his pace he doesn't have much else.

JAC at the moment is a luxury at the end of a good backline, but with Skelton you get a real asset to the team in go forward. I don't know if all the talk about his defence is true, but surely he can be coached to become a solid defender

I think a big decision will be coming up whether to re-sign JAC, or not re-sign him and open the spot up for Skelton

They would be silly to re sign jac. The guy is playing well outside xerri but he relies on his pace and he ain’t getting younger. I would be surprised if Skelton is happy to wait that long and not only that every time there has been an opportunity ciraldo plays Wilson anyway.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

All 3 are good enough to start for us but are being misused by their current teams.

Do they play long minutes and maintain lightning quick line speed over that time? If not they won't work in our system

 

[wendog33]

They would be silly to re sign jac. The guy is playing well outside xerri but he relies on his pace and he ain’t getting younger. I would be surprised if Skelton is happy so wait that long and not only that every time there has been an opportunity ciraldo plays Wilson anyway.

True. Be good if CC developed Skelton into a genuine sensation and proved he can also produce exciting attacking players as well as brilliant defensive players. See what happens but Bulldogs should be keeping Helter.

 

[axeman23]

Skelton/Wilson/Taaffe for Wiremu Greig/Emre Guler/Mathew Croker.

Any one of those 3 backs for one of those props would help our team.

Skelton or Wilson player swap for Benjamin Te Kura or Willison? I can dream...

 

[lovemachine]

Skelton and Wilson on the wing outside him. Wilson has JAC speed. Upgrade the combination now before someone snaps them both up. Trust me I'm a smart guy I can see this combination working well just like bbq sauceeeeeee and Vegemite cheese toasties.

 

[Freakzilla]

Do they play long minutes and maintain lightning quick line speed over that time? If not they won't work in our system

Our players didn’t work in the system last season also. It’s a system that some players have to get use too with time.

 

[GA45]

Skelton could be our "Brian To'o" style winger making 200 metres per game, and would be even harder than To'o to stop close to the tryline

He really is becoming too good for NSW Cup and I hope he stays with us and gets his chance

Addo Carr is now 28?? and he is starting to lose pace each year, and with all due respect, without his pace he doesn't have much else.

JAC at the moment is a luxury at the end of a good backline, but with Skelton you get a real asset to the team in go forward. I don't know if all the talk about his defence is true, but surely he can be coached to become a solid defender

I think a big decision will be coming up whether to re-sign JAC, or not re-sign him and open the spot up for Skelton

Yeah let’s get rid of our one SOO- Australian rep for an unknown 26 yr old who’s doing really well in the NSW Cup.

If Skelton is such a great player why can’t he beat out Blake Wilson ?

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Our players didn’t work in the system last season also. It’s a system that some players have to get use too with time.

Perhaps, though I suspect that the players that didn't work are the ones that are gone. Quick line speed relies on "line" as well as speed. Now that it is working it is unlikely CC is going to bring anyone in unless he is satisfied they can keep up with the current squad (if not push it even further). He is also clearly not one to want more then one big bopper on the bench.

I'm looking forward to seeing our clash against the Raiders almost more than Friday night against Panthers. Panthers game will compare similar systems, which will be fun, but the following round is going to be Ricky's big boppers against Cameron's fast line speed, going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Looking at last weeks squads, we didn't have a single big bopper on the bench, Curran at 104kg was our heaviest, and he comes off the bench to do workhorse work. Canberra had Papalii (119kg), Mariota (107kg), and Mooney (106kg), all heavier than anyone on our bench.

 

[King Gus]

Skelton will eventually play second row

 

[Freakzilla]

Perhaps, though I suspect that the players that didn't work are the ones that are gone. Quick line speed relies on "line" as well as speed. Now that it is working it is unlikely CC is going to bring anyone in unless he is satisfied they can keep up with the current squad (if not push it even further). He is also clearly not one to want more then one big bopper on the bench.

I'm looking forward to seeing our clash against the Raiders almost more than Friday night against Panthers. Panthers game will compare similar systems, which will be fun, but the following round is going to be Ricky's big boppers against Cameron's fast line speed, going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Looking at last weeks squads, we didn't have a single big bopper on the bench, Curran at 104kg was our heaviest, and he comes off the bench to do workhorse work. Canberra had Papalii (119kg), Mariota (107kg), and Mooney (106kg), all heavier than anyone on our bench.

He isn't picking more than 1 prop on the bench because the other options right now are trash. We are never going to win the title with King, Curran & Hughes as our only props in the top 17.

Also the players that are playing good for us now were playing crap last season. They had to get use to the system also.

 

[Big_Kahunas]

As a club building for the future, you need to balance culture, experience and resilience with raw talent and ability. We do need to learn from our previous mistakes though.

For example, in 2015 we let go of both Cook and Ennis to get Michael Licahaa, which in hindsight, was the beginning of the demise of our great club for the next decade. Lichaa had all the credentials representing junior State and Country but didn't really have the performances in first grade to date and hence, we could all safely say - that was the wrong decision.

So the learning from this is that they must be able to show that their raw ability and talent translates to first grade. If we could have time again, it may have been better to keep both Ennis and Cook, with Ennis guiding Cook in his craft with then Cook taking over at the back half of the year.

I think Skelton showed that his ability does translate to first grade last year against the two grand finalists - Broncos (181 ARM, 2 tackle busts and 0 missed tackles ) and Penrith (197 ARM, 9 tackle busts, 1 Missed tackle).

That being said, learning from our past, Fox provides the experience to help guide Skelton so they keep developing on an upward travectory during the year.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

He isn't picking more than 1 prop on the bench because the other options right now are trash. We are never going to win the title with King, Curran & Hughes as our only props in the top 17.

Also the players that are playing good for us now were playing crap last season. They had to get use to the system also.

The system depends on the team being a real team, in the true meaning of the word. I recall many times last season a player like Mahoney being well ahead of the line and getting stranded in defense, or making an ineffective tackle and there being no one there to back him up. Players from 2023 who remained in our current squad and who are part of the current team who are League leaders for line speed and least metres conceded WERE doing it last season, but there were too many of their "team" mates who weren't, which is why we kept leaking points. Clearly the forwards have the biggest impact on how well our line speed is doing. Last seasons forwards who are no longer here is a considerable list: Waddell, Okunbor, Edwards, RFM, TPJ (perhaps the worst at buying into the system), Davey, Topine, Brown, Thompson, Pele. Some of them were gone before 2023 even ended. In their place we have gotten (either as new contracts or promotion from juniors) Curran, Mann, Hayward, Hughes (played 71 minutes in 2023, so I'm not counting him in that season), Salmon, and blokes like Turpin and Farmersilly have chimed in for a few games each and matched the line speed. I'd be inclined to include Hutchison in that list, he has made more tackles so far this season than Kiks or Hughes in the same amount of games, and it isn't unusual to see him first man in on tackles, so he seems to be engaging in our line speed system really well.

The only middles who were much a part of things in 2023 that are present in 2024 are Mahoney, King, Preston, Kiks (only played 9 games in 2023), and Morrin (played 13 games in 2023). That is it. Sutton is still in the squad, will be interesting to see what happens to him when he is back from injury. I'm picking he plays reserves for a few weeks at least, and comes in because of injury or suspension.

 

[Freakzilla]

The system depends on the team being a real team, in the true meaning of the word. I recall many times last season a player like Mahoney being well ahead of the line and getting stranded in defense, or making an ineffective tackle and there being no one there to back him up. Players from 2023 who remained in our current squad and who are part of the current team who are League leaders for line speed and least metres conceded WERE doing it last season, but there were too many of their "team" mates who weren't, which is why we kept leaking points. Clearly the forwards have the biggest impact on how well our line speed is doing. Last seasons forwards who are no longer here is a considerable list: Waddell, Okunbor, Edwards, RFM, TPJ (perhaps the worst at buying into the system), Davey, Topine, Brown, Thompson, Pele. Some of them were gone before 2023 even ended. In their place we have gotten (either as new contracts or promotion from juniors) Curran, Mann, Hayward, Hughes (played 71 minutes in 2023, so I'm not counting him in that season), Salmon, and blokes like Turpin and Farmersilly have chimed in for a few games each and matched the line speed. I'd be inclined to include Hutchison in that list, he has made more tackles so far this season than Kiks or Hughes in the same amount of games, and it isn't unusual to see him first man in on tackles, so he seems to be engaging in our line speed system really well.

The only middles who were much a part of things in 2023 that are present in 2024 are Mahoney, King, Preston, Kiks (only played 9 games in 2023), and Morrin (played 13 games in 2023). That is it. Sutton is still in the squad, will be interesting to see what happens to him when he is back from injury. I'm picking he plays reserves for a few weeks at least, and comes in because of injury or suspension.

Preston & Kiks aren't middles.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Preston & Kiks aren't middles.

If they don't commit to our line speed system than it falls apart, for the purpose of this discussion feel free to swap out my use of the word "middles" with "key line speed contributors".

 

[Freakzilla]

If they don't commit to our line speed system than it falls apart, for the purpose of this discussion feel free to swap out my use of the word "middles" with "key line speed contributors".

You've just changed the convo now. We were only talking about middles.

Also your idealogy that players that aren't doing what we do now at their current clubs means they can't adapt to our style is crazy. They aren't doing it at their club because they aren't being asked too.

Also you can't win the comp without a top 5-7 prop in the game. We don't have one currently.

Mooney would help our team way more than Morrin does.