PLAYER Billy Walters

[Mustafur]

Because his father is coach? You've already admitted he's a shithouse 14.

you still going on with this shit?

 

[theshed]

Sounds like Macca: never made an error, but rarely added anything.

He’s not entirely unlike Macca. His passing style and the way he moves on the field is reminiscent of Harry Grant but without any of the dynamism.

I’m rewatching some Falcons games in the background while I’m working and I have to admit something about his passing is mesmerising to watch. The guy is a passing robot. 0 margin of error, every pass identical to the last but no urgency. It’s satisfying to watch like those “how things are made” factory videos on YouTube.

Not a bad kicking game either.

I really can’t get a read on what I feel about him.

 

[McHunt]

you still going on with this shit?

You mean am I still joining in conversations about our one problem position? Here's the current situation, of which everyone agrees:

1. Hooker is our weakest position. We currently have 2 pretty good QLD Cup level hookers on the books, plus a promising junior who might still be a year away. We're all excited about Smoothy - including me - even though he was ranked 6 at the Storm in his position. We're hoping he's an upgrade on Turpin.
2. 14 and hooker appear to be the same thing. Kevvie has them both play 40 minutes at dummy half.
3. 29 positions filled on the roster. 1 position left.
4. Billy remains unsigned.
5. Whoever fills that 30th position should be a high NRL standard 9 who can play 81 minutes, or a special 14, the kind who can bust the game apart and wreak havoc in the last 15 minutes.
6. Billy is neither of the above. He's a solid, if unremarkable, fill-in, who would not get more than a couple of games a season at any other club. Tyrone Roberts, Albert Kelly, Tyson Gamble and Te Maire Martin were better halves. We let them go.
7. If Billy is signed he will "have a mortgage on 14," play 40 minutes every game, and offer little beyond the most basic requirements.

The bit that's triggering you is:

1. This bloke we haven't extended yet, who will "have a mortgage" on the position we most need upgraded also happens to be the coach's son, and that's one fucking great car crash of conflict of interest waiting to happen.

Also remind us all why Kevvie's brother was sacked (urged to resign)?

 

[Mr Fourex]

you still going on with this shit?

...it appears so.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Paix.

With that said, I wouldn't be shocked if Billy has a mortgage on that 14 with Paix/Smoothy duking it out for 9.

Thoughts on Mozer Pete?

2023 will be too early for him.....?

 

[Mustafur]

You mean am I still joining in conversations about our one problem position? Here's the current situation, of which everyone agrees:

1. Hooker is our weakest position. We currently have 2 pretty good QLD Cup level hookers on the books, plus a promising junior who might still be a year away. We're all excited about Smoothy - including me - even though he was ranked 6 at the Storm in his position. We're hoping he's an upgrade on Turpin.
2. 14 and hooker appear to be the same thing. Kevvie has them both play 40 minutes at dummy half.
3. 29 positions filled on the roster. 1 position left.
4. Billy remains unsigned.
5. Whoever fills that 30th position should be a high NRL standard 9 who can play 81 minutes, or a special 14, the kind who can bust the game apart and wreak havoc in the last 15 minutes.
6. Billy is neither of the above. He's a solid, if unremarkable, fill-in, who would not get more than a couple of games a season at any other club. Tyrone Roberts, Albert Kelly, Tyson Gamble and Te Maire Martin were better halves. We let them go.
7. If Billy is signed he will "have a mortgage on 14," play 40 minutes every game, and offer little beyond the most basic requirements.

The bit that's triggering you is:

1. This bloke we haven't extended yet, who will "have a mortgage" on the position we most need upgraded also happens to be the coach's son, and that's one fucking great car crash of conflict of interest waiting to happen.

Also remind us all why Kevvie's brother was sacked (urged to resign)?

Getting a high level NRL hooker when other teams will not let go of them and there is very few of them is a dream.

Smoothy should be our first choice option now anyway.

Don't know how many times it needs to be said but Turpin was our first choice coming into the start of the season, he declined and ceased to be so but he was still on our cap and took a squad spot so we had to wait till the end of the season to solve that, he has now gone and we signed another option.

The other Qcup options I cant speak on but is there any proof that they would even be an improvement, without it being a case of they haven't played for us yet so they are automatically better?

 

[theshed]

Getting a high level NRL hooker when other teams will not let go of them and there is very few of them is a dream.

Not to mention we have Signed Smoothy who should be our first choice Hooker now.

Don't know how many times it needs to be said but Turpin was our first choice coming into the start of the season, he declined and ceased to be so but he was still on our cap and took a squad spot so we had to wait till the end of the season to solve that, he has now gone and we signed another option.

Turpin was not our first choice hooker? Where have you made this up from?

Other teams won’t let go of them yet B Smith, Api, Hodgson, Reed, and Varellis are all moving club next season? That’s 4 of the games best hookers of the last 5 years, all on the move.

I’m all for people pushing back on guys ragging on the Walters family, fair enough but it’s not a good sign when you have to resort to making things up to do so.

 

[Mustafur]

Turpin was not our first choice hooker? Where have you made this up from?

Other teams won’t let go of them yet B Smith, Api, Hodgson, Reed, and Varellis are all moving club next season? That’s 4 of the games best hookers of the last 5 years, all on the move.

I’m all for people pushing back on guys ragging on the Walters family, fair enough but it’s not a good sign when you have to resort to making things up to do so.

Turpin was our first choice hooker, given he started in that role and was the highest paid hooker in our top 30, if he is still there you can't magically click your fingers and replace that because you have a cap and squad space to deal with.

 

[Mustafur]

Turpin was not our first choice hooker? Where have you made this up from?

Other teams won’t let go of them yet B Smith, Api, Hodgson, Reed, and Varellis are all moving club next season? That’s 4 of the games best hookers of the last 5 years, all on the move.

I’m all for people pushing back on guys ragging on the Walters family, fair enough but it’s not a good sign when you have to resort to making things up to do so.

Pretty sure we pursued Smith, no word on Api(judging by the fact he went to Tigers it's surely money we would have no shot at), and Hodgson has past it and is coming off back to back ACLs, Mahoney was the real one we missed but I don't know the cap situation, Dogs paid 600k a season for him If we couldn't offload turpin at the time then we would of had no hope.

 

[theshed]

Turpin was our first choice hooker, given he started in that role and was the highest paid hooker in our top 30, if he is still there you can't magically click your fingers and replace that because you have a cap and squad space to deal with.

Just because he’s paid the most doesn’t make him first choice. Your second post is a decent argument - I have no issues with that view but to say clubs weren’t letting go of hooked wasn’t truthful.

 

[Mustafur]

Just because he’s paid the most doesn’t make him first choice. Your second post is a decent argument - I have no issues with that view but to say clubs weren’t letting go of hooked wasn’t truthful.

So our first choice Hooker was someone who barely started at 9 the last few years and or a player who started in the halves?

It was Turpin, he was our first choice, not only that in the first round we didn't even have a bench Hooker.

Paix was not level with Turpin in the pecking order going into this season and Billy wasn't either, otherwise he would of been 9 and Tyson or Mam would of done the role in the halves Billy was going to do.

 

[theshed]

So our first choice Hooker was someone who barely started at 9 the last few years and or a player who started in the halves?

It was Turpin, he was our first choice, not only that in the first round we didn't even have a bench Hooker.

Paix was not level with Turpin in the pecking order going into this season and Billy wasn't either, otherwise he would of been 9 and Tyson or Mam would of done the role in the halves Billy was going to do.

Turpin was hooker because Kev was nostalgic and wanted his depth bench utility son to wear his old number.

 

[Mustafur]

Turpin was hooker because Kev was nostalgic and wanted his depth bench utility son to wear his old number.

 

[BroncsFan]

Turpin was hooker because Kev was nostalgic and wanted his depth bench utility son to wear his old number.

My memory was that Paix looked the standout hooker from the trials but had covid?? going into round 1.

Reynolds also had covid going into round 1... maybe Gamble as well??

Kelly was the preferred 6 next to Reynolds heading into the season

So a lot of the spine players were unavailable heading into round 1 ... Walters was last man standing for 6 at that point

 

[Foordy]

I would be following another team.

now i am begging for Billy to start at 9 ... please baby jesus make it happen

 

[Foordy]

Getting a high level NRL hooker when other teams will not let go of them and there is very few of them is a dream.

Smoothy should be our first choice option now anyway.

Don't know how many times it needs to be said but Turpin was our first choice coming into the start of the season, he declined and ceased to be so but he was still on our cap and took a squad spot so we had to wait till the end of the season to solve that, he has now gone and we signed another option.

The other Qcup options I cant speak on but is there any proof that they would even be an improvement, without it being a case of they haven't played for us yet so they are automatically better?

in 2023 there will be 17 teams in the comp ... maybe 6 of them will have a high level NRL hooker.

which is why the Smoothy signing was a smart strategy

 

[theshed]

My memory was that Paix looked the standout hooker from the trials but had covid?? going into round 1.

Reynolds also had covid going into round 1... maybe Gamble as well??

Kelly was the preferred 6 next to Reynolds heading into the season

So a lot of the spine players were unavailable heading into round 1 ... Walters was last man standing for 6 at that point

Yeah sorry, that one was just a bad joke from me

 

[1910]

People are selling Smoothy short- he's dynamic in his play out of dummy half- he doesn't make a lot of breaks but he plays a lot out of DH.

Few plays from this year that stand out.

Hunters- Falcons play the ball on the right hand side, Smoothy jumps out and looks around sums it up and kicks for centre Anderson to catch and score far out on the left- I'd bet most hookers fizz it to get it out there not kick.

Hunters again- 40m out one marker straight, one sort of floating doing who knows what- jumps out to the right comes back in front of the first marker; Hunters line is a shambles- grubbers past the A defender Polselli jumps on it and draws the fullback to give it back to Smoothy to score under the posts.

Norths- jumps out and draws the Devils' defence across watching him just turns Vaalepu under to score.

Norths- 6-6 20 seconds until half time kicks a field goal. Second half Norths start much better and score first up 12-7 goes to dummy half Moseley on the ground so green light play needed-Ahearn in the line on his own, Smoothy takes him on and dominates him out of the way.

Cutters- In conditions that you wouldn't even think about going outside-signals right, knowing full well he's coming left and knows the Cutters haven't moved up so comes back to the left and throws a nice little under pass to Atkinson to crash over.

Week two of the finals against Tweed- played 83 minutes in the middle made 52 tackles and kicked 4/4 with the fourth winning the game- that can't be underestimated for a forward to kick goals when they're gassed is high quality. I said it was one of the great hooker finals performances.

Falcons 24-0 down-goes to dummy half and simply throws a nice ball to Gibbons to crash over and give them a positive at HT if they don't score that try and go to HT at 0 who knows what happens.

24-6 shapes right and Tweed get up so changes it and swings round throws it to Johns on the right- Tweed haven't moved up on that side thinking the ball was going away from them Falcons score in the right corner and

Overlooked or not known he finished second on the points table too with 151 points along way behind Rogers but still second at 79%.

He touched the ball more than anyone else in the competition this season- given it's essentially his first year of ISC that's a big impact. The top three are hookers and he beat Politoni by 278 times and Pat's one of the best hookers easily.