Matt Gillett appreciation thread

[lynx000]

Can I ask this question? Where has Gillett been and why was he not on someone's radar before this? It just baffles me that someone with his obvious skills and talent did not get a break with a NRL club well before this? Anybody able to enlighten me?

 

[jeremydt]

Can I ask this question? Where has Gillett been and why was he not on someone's radar before this? It just baffles me that someone with his obvious skills and talent did not get a break with a NRL club well before this? Anybody able to enlighten me?

^this

I can't believe how quickly he's gone from zero-to-hero.

 

[Alec]

The selection process for Australia is a joke anyway. If a player shows form in only the last 8 weeks of the season, and his team makes the grand final, he'll be in the Australian side (coughDavidWilliamsBrettWhiteRyanHoffmancough).

 

[Big Pete]

He was a fairly big deal in the Queensland Cup last year.

Before then he was a major underachiever who wasn't all that serious about his footy.

 

[lynx000]

Ahh thanks BP, that explains it, because I would have thought that if was displaying the type of skills and play he has this year he would have been making the juniour rep teams and would have come under notice.

 

[Flutterby]

The selection process for Australia is a joke anyway. If a player shows form in only the last 8 weeks of the season, and his team makes the grand final, he'll be in the Australian side (coughDavidWilliamsBrettWhiteRyanHoffmanJarrydHaynecough).

 

[BroncoMatt]

He was a fairly big deal in the Queensland Cup last year.

Before then he was a major underachiever who wasn't all that serious about his footy.

Yep. He has always been on the radar of clubs but their had been a big question mark over his commiment and maturity. Don't forget he was on the Broncos U20s books in 2008.

I heard an interview with him on the local radio station before the start of the year and he spoke about how the death of his mate Todd Parnell had made him "grow up" and start taking his football serious.

"I realised Playing Footy sure beats digging holes in the sun for a living" was the quote he used [icon_lol1.

 

[Kraven27]

Can I ask this question? Where has Gillett been and why was he not on someone's radar before this? It just baffles me that someone with his obvious skills and talent did not get a break with a NRL club well before this? Anybody able to enlighten me?

Mark Murray said at the start of the year that Gillett will be the best back rower in the NRL in 2-3 years.. He have even said that last year when he was coaching him..

 

[rnabokov]

Let's play this bloke at lock next year where he belongs. Let's stop pussyfooting or we'll lose him.

Let's start working out plays with Gillett around the scrum base, and

Let's get Tunza in to refine his tackling and attitude.

Let's get Gillett to be the next Brad Clyde.

Other clubs throw their young guns in at the deep end early. We should do the same with this bloke.

Imagine our attacking potency with Inglis and Hodges in the backs, and Gillett and T'eo in the middle and out wide!!!

Imagine the bone crunching defence!

 

[Jeba]

As far as next year goes, happy to keep the current back row the way it is and have Gillett as the bench back rower, Glenn the utility and 2 props. We've signed Gillett for 3 years anyway so not the time yet to be worried about losing him.

 

[Coxy]

As far as next year goes, happy to keep the current back row the way it is and have Gillett as the bench back rower, Glenn the utility and 2 props. We've signed Gillett for 3 years anyway so not the time yet to be worried about losing him.

+1

Though I'd be monitoring how effective Parker and Thaiday are in their respective roles. As well as how effective Tronc and Hannant are up front as the starting front row.

I wouldn't rule out the idea of Thaiday playing as a wide running prop (similar to how Setu was used earlier this year), Parker as a middle flogging back rower, and have Te'o and Gillett right and left side respectively.

 

[Je$ter]

Can I ask this question? Where has Gillett been and why was he not on someone's radar before this? It just baffles me that someone with his obvious skills and talent did not get a break with a NRL club well before this? Anybody able to enlighten me?

Not everyone is a Macauley Culkin. Some people don't play their best footy till they are 21+, and it is often these ones who make better players because they've obviously put in the hard yards to still be good enough to get a look in. Many child stars rely on their talent and that only gets you so far.

 

[rnabokov]

I don't believe this!

The benders of bananas are soooo conservative!

Throw him in there NOW. Get it happening. What is it with you lot?

We haven't had a proper lock since Tunza (and maybe Harrison). We need a lock. A real and proper lock, not a pretend lock like Parker (good back rower and all that ...)

He's 22. Blood him in his best possie. Let's go for it. Take the plunge.

Hayne is 22.

Lockyer was 20 when he was our FB.

Sure, Gillett's slower to bloom than Locky but keeping him in nappies is just retarded.

 

[Jeba]

Why put Te'o on the bench though?

 

[rnabokov]

I dunno. Teo is absolutely destructive in the back row when he plays most of 80 minutes. Gillett offers some very clever football though when he's out there for most of the game too. It's a tough one, but I think at the moment Teo is the better option. I'd rather start with guys like Teo and Thaiday for the first 20-30 minutes. They are more intense, more aggression.

Don't get me wrong, Gillett is very good defensibly, he's a great ball player, he can sniff out a break pretty easily...but I don't see the harm on having him on the bench and coming on just before halftime.

Of course T'eo is the better option. As is Gillett at lock. We need his ball playing skills/off-loads, footwork and great speed working in with Lockyer and Wallace.

Parker should be on the bench. I just bowed to the sentimentality for Parker in these forums.

Yeah yeah I know, he's a good back rower blah blah, and everyone here loves him, but I'll have a starting back row of Gillett, T'eo and Thaiday anyday.

Kemp can kick the goals.

 

[Jeba]

Kemp would wanna be a good boot if he is landing goals from Langlands Park.

rna, I just don't understand where the panic comes from. We have already locked Gillett up for the next 3 years, we aren't going to lose him. And also, playing off the bench doesn't mean you're not as good as the others. In fact, impact from the bench is extremely important in the modern game. Gillett provides much better impact than Parker, and whilst he could do just as well as Parker in the starting 13, the fact is Parker does a damn good job doing what he does and we gain a lot more with him at lock and Gillett on the bench.

Same sort of formula as we had in 2006 - the bench utility (McGuire, now Glenn), the bench back rower (Parker, now Gillett), and 2 front rowers (Hannant and Carlaw).

And yes before you point out the obvious, yes Parker was on the bench back then, but these days he is not the sort of player to provide impact from the bench. He is best served on the field for the entire 80 minutes.

Whether that be at lock or not, is certainly debatable. But he has certainly earned a starting spot.

 

[Porthoz]

I dunno. Teo is absolutely destructive in the back row when he plays most of 80 minutes. Gillett offers some very clever football though when he's out there for most of the game too. It's a tough one, but I think at the moment Teo is the better option. I'd rather start with guys like Teo and Thaiday for the first 20-30 minutes. They are more intense, more aggression.

Don't get me wrong, Gillett is very good defensibly, he's a great ball player, he can sniff out a break pretty easily...but I don't see the harm on having him on the bench and coming on just before halftime.

Of course T'eo is the better option. As is Gillett at lock. We need his ball playing skills/off-loads, footwork and great speed working in with Lockyer and Wallace.

Parker should be on the bench. I just bowed to the sentimentality for Parker in these forums.

Yeah yeah I know, he's a good back rower blah blah, and everyone here loves him, but I'll have a starting back row of Gillett, T'eo and Thaiday anyday.

Kemp can kick the goals.

If Parker started off the bench, he could probably rotate with the props also. It's not like he hasn't done it before and he would easily compete with our other options. eusa_think

 

[Big Pete]

Depends on trial form but from what I've seen I'd go...

Ben Te'o
Sam Thaiday
Corey Parker

Bench:
Matt Gillett

Not because all those three are way superior, but rather I rate their defence above Gillett's.

Our backrow is going to be bloody impressive again next year. Especially if Glenn is allowed to stay there and Lui, Ahern, Lingwoodock and Spence continue to develop.