RUMOUR McCullough to the Sea Eagles

[Russell Coight]

Matt Ballin could be the next Sea Eagles favourite forced out of Manly

Sea Eagles have money to spend and supposedly want macca.

 

[Super Freak]

We should trade.

McCullough for Ballin.

 

[CaptainHook]

Probably not the worst thing in the world if it happens.

 

[Unbreakable]

Meh.

I really don't think McCullough is very good, nor is he ever going to be a superstar.. but we can't just let him walk next season without having someone better lined up.

Notable Hookers off contract for 2016 (None of which I rate above McCullough):

Matt Ballin
Beau Falloon
Nathan Friend
Cameron King
Matt McIlwrick
Kaysa Pritchard

So yeah, unless Parcell or Jikorima become insanely good within the next 12 months, I don't think we can let McCullough go.

 

[Ari Gold]

Ballin is easily better than McCullough, and at 31 he is a great age. Can offer a couple of good years whilst one of younger hookers develop or we can find a better one.

 

[Kimlo]

Please, make him an offer he can't refuse. I'd gladly take a straight swap for Ballin, he's easily got 2-3 years in him and is proven premiership quality, and that would give us plenty of time to find a replacement. Only issue is I've heard he runs a PT business on the side so I'm not sure he'd be willing to lose that to come to Brisbane and I'm sure he'll have a few clubs in Sydney interested. He's a class player, I rank him far ahead of McCullough.

 

[Anonymous person]

Fingers crossed!

We should've gone hard out after Jake Friend or Nathan Peats IMO. Should've kept Granville too. McCullough will forever go down as the worst long term 1st choice hooker in the NRL.

 

[Kimlo]

Fingers crossed!

We should've gone hard out after Jake Friend or Nathan Peats IMO. Should've kept Granville too. McCullough will forever go down as the worst long term 1st choice hooker in the NRL.

I don't know about worst ever, he's not rubbish, he's just very very average. I would love for someone like Jake Friend or Peats. I was also firmly in the Granville to re-sign camp. It's done now, I just hope Manly take the decision away from us and give McCullough an offer he can't refuse otherwise I fear he'll be 1st choice hooker for us until he retires.

 

[Allo]

Ballin will never come. He hates us with a passion. Unless money talks. In saying that, I want Macca to stay for the the long haul, but yeah he needs to move into 3rd gear permanently and that be his base performance standard. I suppose it comes back to how much defensive work he's doing. It's great he makes 50+ tackles a game, it's an awesome stat, but you don't see Smith or Farah making that many consistently. I guess it comes back to possession and how well we execute sets. He can't do much else but tackle when we don't have the ball for 60% of the game

 

[broncos4life]

If Macca is so shit why would the sea eagles be offering him big money and dumping ballin?

 

[Sproj]

Macca is a good player who is still young but I feel he has stagnated here. If he goes to the Eagles, he might go on to become a superstar that I don't feel he will here because he's too comfortable. I'm not against this at all because while he is great defensively, he is extremely flawed in his most important role of service speed and accuracy.

 

[Mister Wright]

I knew I would regret reading this thread. The guy is our long term captain. I doubt the club will let him go. Give him a few more months under Bennett and we will see a very good player mature and become a whole lot better.

 

[Harry Sack]

I knew I would regret reading this thread. The guy is our long term captain. I doubt the club will let him go. Give him a few more months under Bennett and we will see a very good player mature and become a whole lot better.

Hunt IMO.

 

[Unbreakable]

Yeah our captain after Hodges is probably Hunt or maybe Glenn if he keeps improving year-by-year.

 

[Alec]

If Macca is so shit why would the sea eagles be offering him big money and dumping ballin?

Eagles have been slowly falling apart since Hasler left, they are desperate.

As for Ballin, I don't know about him. He's a tier below guys like Friend and Segeyaro nowdays, and certainly multiple tiers below Smith.

The one advantage is he wouldn't be here long if we signed him, so we can still hunt for a new hooker.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

@mattballin9: I have personally spoken to Joe Kelly this morning and there is NO TRUTH to this ridiculous article!
http://t.co/Q10QE9wvr9

 

[Anonymous person]

Ballin will never come. He hates us with a passion. Unless money talks. In saying that, I want Macca to stay for the the long haul, but yeah he needs to move into 3rd gear permanently and that be his base performance standard. I suppose it comes back to how much defensive work he's doing. It's great he makes 50+ tackles a game, it's an awesome stat, but you don't see Smith or Farah making that many consistently. I guess it comes back to possession and how well we execute sets. He can't do much else but tackle when we don't have the ball for 60% of the game

Smith/farah/luke have regularly posted 50+ tackles while still playing 80 minutes.

I knew I would regret reading this thread. The guy is our long term captain. I doubt the club will let him go. Give him a few more months under Bennett and we will see a very good player mature and become a whole lot better.

Like Mullen, uate, Snowden, etc did? I remember Mullen was going to be the best player in the NRL after a few weeks with Bennett. Uate went from Australian winger to being dropped. He killed it last night under rick stone though.

 

[broncos4life]

Smith/farah/luke have regularly posted 50+ tackles while still playing 80 minutes.



Like Mullen, uate, Snowden, etc did? I remember Mullen was going to be the best player in the NRL after a few weeks with Bennett. Uate went from Australian winger to being dropped. He killed it last night under rick stone though.

Luke? Do you mean Isaac Luke?!? Because there is no way he has regularly posted 50+ tackles, no way on earth. Maybe over two consequetive games?