I think the problem is he gets the ball with defence right up on him ( hello Scotty/Dan ). Poor bugger then has to bash and barge his way. Give him a bit of room to wind up and move and he’ll be sweet as apples
Recruitment & Retention 2027
- Thread starter jodragon40
- Start date
Watson is fast, but I'm not sure he is that fast (36.9). At last year's magic round he was clocked by the "Telstra Tracker" just behind Phoenix Crossland (32.9) as the second fastest 9. New signing Luke Metcalf was the fastest 7, and Toby Couchman (32.58) was the fastest prop.
For the full season, Metcalf was the fastest half, Couchman the fastest prop, and Jacob Liddle the fastest hooker.
Check this out:
Weekes races to front as speedsters light up Magic Round
Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes has emerged as the fastest man in the NRL this year as the sport's speedsters prepare to put on a show throughout Magic Round.
www.nrl.com
Dave03
SGI NSW Cup
Watson is fast, but I'm not sure he is that fast (36.9). At last year's magic round he was clocked by the "Telstra Tracker" just behind Phoenix Crossland (32.9) as the second fastest 9. New signing Luke Metcalf was the fastest 7, and Toby Couchman (32.58) was the fastest prop.
For the full season, Metcalf was the fastest half, Couchman the fastest prop, and Jacob Liddle the fastest hooker.
Check this out:
Weekes races to front as speedsters light up Magic Round
Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes has emerged as the fastest man in the NRL this year as the sport's speedsters prepare to put on a show throughout Magic Round.
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We've gone from the slowest team to one of the fastest, we just need a good coach to take advantage of our players strengths!
Even this year, with Cook and Liddle. Push up the middle on fast rucks. Not rocket science.
Hi Dragons.
Andrew Webster did a presser, spoke very highly of Luke and said the team were all supporting him. There is no falling out with the club the coach nor the squad (Webster doesn't do dramas). Webster has said from before this even kicked off that the Tanah Boyd situation is hard on Luke and that Luke has done nothing wrong.
I think he will go well for your mob. Last year he was a bit of a fish out of water playing as a 7. but he obviously took off as soon as he found his rhythm. He is very much an eye's up attacking half with a good linking instinct with his backrower (he and Capewell were on fire as a pairing last season, Kurt seemed to find some magic fountain of youth running off Metcalf).
Obviously the injury thing is always in the head lines, but for some perspective: The Warriors 'nursed' him through multiple injuries and he fully recovered every time (that blows the made up rumor about a chronic hamstring disease process out of the water) and if you are still in doubt about his Hamstrings, the bloke just returned to full fitness after a matter of weeks from his current injury.
He could do with some luck though, there is no doubt about that, surely he is due? And another thing about a long time in rehab, the rest of his body has been spared the constant grind and thrashing of a long NRL career.
I am happy he is going to the Dragons, I am going to be really excited to watch next season (or sooner if our clubs decide to let Luke shift early, that is always a possibility).
Andrew Webster did a presser, spoke very highly of Luke and said the team were all supporting him. There is no falling out with the club the coach nor the squad (Webster doesn't do dramas). Webster has said from before this even kicked off that the Tanah Boyd situation is hard on Luke and that Luke has done nothing wrong.
I think he will go well for your mob. Last year he was a bit of a fish out of water playing as a 7. but he obviously took off as soon as he found his rhythm. He is very much an eye's up attacking half with a good linking instinct with his backrower (he and Capewell were on fire as a pairing last season, Kurt seemed to find some magic fountain of youth running off Metcalf).
Obviously the injury thing is always in the head lines, but for some perspective: The Warriors 'nursed' him through multiple injuries and he fully recovered every time (that blows the made up rumor about a chronic hamstring disease process out of the water) and if you are still in doubt about his Hamstrings, the bloke just returned to full fitness after a matter of weeks from his current injury.
He could do with some luck though, there is no doubt about that, surely he is due? And another thing about a long time in rehab, the rest of his body has been spared the constant grind and thrashing of a long NRL career.
I am happy he is going to the Dragons, I am going to be really excited to watch next season (or sooner if our clubs decide to let Luke shift early, that is always a possibility).
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Dragon David
SGI NSW Cup
Thanks Mt Smart for your post. We are looking forward to having Luke line up with the Dragons. He is an exceptional player as far as I am concerned and good that Webster spoke highly of him.
Tanah is a great player and he does look the goods for the Warriors.
Cheers DD
No problemo.
Yeah last year our fans were down on Tanah, and none would have swapped these two. Our playing style is uber structured (äs most will know Webster is ex Penrith) and in that regard Boyd fits.
But right up until Luke's minor injury the vast majority of supporters were dreaming of a Boyd Metcalf combination (so the form of Chanel Harris Tavita CHT is also a big factor in all of this which gets overlooked by media).
Metcalf has gone from being the chosen future star halfback, to battling for a spot at six, to then battling for a spot at all. And this has happened through no fault of his own, and it has unfolded uncharacteristically fast. I mean no one could have predicted that two Journey men halves would have opened the Season putting forty points on the Roosters and Raiders, in fact most Warriors fans were predicting two wins from six during the infamous round six phase, and pinning their hopes on Luke's return after that to dig us out of a hole.
There are a lot of positives about this signing by the Dragons. For one thing Metcalf was being offered more than the 900k the Warriors ended up settling around (taking into account these are estimates, however this is a pretty solid estimate worked out by a number of Warrior boffin train spotters based off comments made by our CEO, but I won't bore you with that break down other than to say that Sydney clubs last year were rumored to be offering between one million [lowest offer] and 1.2 million tops).
As I say, in brief, the nine hundred K comes about via comments by CEO Cameron George to the media at the time when pressed on why the Warriors hadn't announced an extension with Metcalf being offered over a million dollars to leave. George said to the effect that 'we can't match those offers but we think we are pretty close to that level and Luke will be happy with what we have to offer when he is ready". He also noted that the Warriors were not placing any pressure on Luke to sign, they were supporting his testing the market (the Warriors are a special case when it comes to signing Australian players, they go out of their way to not obstruct players that change their mind about living in New Zealand, it was one of the clever culture shifts at the club to attract more Imports, Mitch Barnett of course while desperately being wanted....has been given the red carpet treatment both ways, in and out of the Warriors club, the same was true for Dylan Walker, he was helped to get resettled with the Eels, no questions asked). PNG could learn a thing or two there.
Bear in mind the highest paid player at the Warriors at that time was James Fisher Harris (estimated fairly sensibly around the 850k mark) and the Warriors acknowledged Metcalf's extension made him our marquee player moving forward.
Assuming Metcalf regains form, then you could say, that at 900k he was less expensive than had the Dragons signed him last year during his peak bidding period on the NRL market.
Is he worth it? Well we all have a strong sense that if he gets some luck with his health that yes, he is a worth every cent because he is a game winner. A player with genuine Xfactor, and a very marketable face in the code. As well as being known as a student of the game (he watches tape on everyone, lives the sport, true story, his team mates tease him about it).
And last words....well you wouldn't say Metcalf's motivating driver is money, or he would have left the Warriors last season and taken significantly more money to play in his home town.
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Dragons4me
SGI Junior League
Thankyou for your comments. Always preferable to read sensible and rationable commentary irrespective of which team a player plays for over simple "he's shit" etc etc. You're welcome on here any time in my opinion.
Edward
SGI NSW Cup
The Daily Telegraph is reporting Metcalf is on 850K. That is really not much for anything more than a decent halfback these days. This is a bit of a long-shot but how would this team go? A good mix of youth and experience, speed and power, skill and hard work.
- Drinkwater
- Jesse Williams
- Holmes
- Heidke
- Sami
- Atkinson
- Metcalf
- Koloamatangi
- Liddle
- T. Couchman
- Egan
- Halangahu
- Stewart
- Watson
- R. Couchman
- Leilua
- Hutchinson
- Reed
- Buchanan
jodragon40
Staff
Very interesting and what makes all this easier is because its typewritten and not spoken because gee its sometimes hard to understand what kiwis are saying........
only joking. Cheers mate
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Been saying that since he tore up the Kiwis for the Junior Kangaroos David. If my marbles are spot on he had a hand in most of the tries in the thrashing. I said at the time this guy is a future Kangaroo, so what happened in the interim, unable to handle the pressure of expectation most likely. Affects people in all sports. Seems he has come out the other side and is now in career best form..
RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
Internal retention/upgrades are back on Tim Watsford's agenda, with evidently extending Luce a priority. Pleases me. Couchies need to also be on our CEO's top list.
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RedVHeartbeat
SGI NSW Cup
I'd also like Jake to be playing Firsts, but isnt he still 19 perhaps 20 now. That is very young for a forward in the NRL cauldron. Surely another Ressies yr is in his and the clubs best interest Then again will that suit him or will he feel unwanted and want out like LPT did...
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Dragsters
SGI Junior League
Wow!Watson is fast, but I'm not sure he is that fast (36.9). At last year's magic round he was clocked by the "Telstra Tracker" just behind Phoenix Crossland (32.9) as the second fastest 9. New signing Luke Metcalf was the fastest 7, and Toby Couchman (32.58) was the fastest prop.
For the full season, Metcalf was the fastest half, Couchman the fastest prop, and Jacob Liddle the fastest hooker.
Check this out:
Weekes races to front as speedsters light up Magic Round
Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes has emerged as the fastest man in the NRL this year as the sport's speedsters prepare to put on a show throughout Magic Round.
View attachment 1131
View attachment 1134View attachment 1132View attachment 1133
If we were to nab the rumoured Watson and my preference of Averillo, that would give us 5 out of the top 9 NRL players for those positions!
That's a big change!
Speed, speed and more speed, indeed...
RedVictory
SGI Jersey Flegg
Averillo has re-signed with Redcliffe
Mug Fan
SGI NSW Cup
Mat Feagai confirmed 3 years Castleford
ItsCamxron
SGI Junior League
Chris Sassine (broke the Drinkwater news before anyone else including journos, also broke the Watson news this morning) went live on TikTok this morning and brought up some interesting points that I'd thought I'd summarise here for you all:
Watson is a done deal
Club is keen on Farnworth and he believes its 80% done
Suli, Holmes and Gutho all set to leave - Gutho to join coaching staff
Club are after 3-4 more signings after Watson - Farnworth, another outside back and a forward
10 players to leave the club - Sua, Cook, Feagai, Flanno, Suli, Gutho, Holmes, Lawrie, Guler and Sloan
Believes Metcalfe will link up with us in Rd13 this year
Hornby is locked in to be the HC for next year - not DY
Halangahu himself is not annoyed and does not want to leave, but his father is ruffling some feathers with his sons lack of game time
Safe to say that the club are moving in the right direction. Whether they're doing it as a smokescreen for bad results, or a genuine turn for the better, we'll see.
Watson is a done deal
Club is keen on Farnworth and he believes its 80% done
Suli, Holmes and Gutho all set to leave - Gutho to join coaching staff
Club are after 3-4 more signings after Watson - Farnworth, another outside back and a forward
10 players to leave the club - Sua, Cook, Feagai, Flanno, Suli, Gutho, Holmes, Lawrie, Guler and Sloan
Believes Metcalfe will link up with us in Rd13 this year
Hornby is locked in to be the HC for next year - not DY
Halangahu himself is not annoyed and does not want to leave, but his father is ruffling some feathers with his sons lack of game time
Safe to say that the club are moving in the right direction. Whether they're doing it as a smokescreen for bad results, or a genuine turn for the better, we'll see.
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GCRV
SGI NSW Cup
Can't agree with signing a forward. Lock up the Couchman's and spend the money on outside backs.
ItsCamxron
SGI Junior League
He did mention that the Couchmans are set to extend. I think we're looking at second rowers, coz Caryannis mentioned it in his article this morning that we're looking at: Hudson Young, Jacob Preston, Dylan Lucas, Briton Nikora,Teig Wilton, Jordan Riki and Liam Martin.
Morgan
SGI NSW Cup
Luciano?
Hope it's not Hornby. I've really come to like the idea of the Roosters assistant coach Cheika.