[Official] Smith re-signs with the Storm

This season is his big year IMO. He has to be our dominant playmaker. He should be guiding the team around now. Our whole year depends on him because our game will most likely be based around our forwards.
 
Alec said:
How long are you "McCullough will come good...in the future" fans are willing to give him?
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This year is his last chance. It's the first chance he'll have without having to defer to the more 'senior' spine player(s) for direction. And his first for a long-term crack with his combination with Hunt. Make or break year for both of them, I don't know how many more times it needs to be said.
 
McCullough will stand up this year. We don't know what the team dynamics are. What kind of person Wallace was. Who knows what Wallace was demanding of McCullough? We know Wallace liked to get his hands on the ball towards the end of sets and he is pretty limited as a playmaker and he is more senior than McCullough.

McCullough is now the senior member of the halves/hooker and should demand to run the team. We know he works well with Hunt. I don't think it's any coincidence that at the end of the season when Hunt was preffered to Wallace we saw a much better McCullough and for a three game stretch Cowboys-Dragons we saw some great creative play from both Macca & Hunt.

It's really unfair to critisise McCullough as having played 100+ games and shown no improvement. He hasn't been the senior player. He (and Hunt) are now the players that will be making the decisions and the buck will stop with them. I think early on, we may see some mistakes, but I think we will see a lot of creativity. It will reap benefits in the long run.
 
I really hope you're right mate, but I doubt they'll set the world on fire without a creative coach to take them to the next level. I trust Hook's leadership, but I don't think he's the man for the job, or has anyone in house to do it. He needs an assistant like a Locky, Walters, or indeed Smith, to get the best out of our spine.
 
Id like to at least give him the first part of the year and only because of his huge improvement at the end of last year. If he doesn't step up then i would consider chasing smith. If he plays like the last few games last year then there would be much better ways to spend that money
 
Before last year, did people even rate Jake Friend? A lot can happen in a year, and I still maintain that Macca looked a lot slicker with Ben Hunt at halfback in the back end of 2013. They just seemed to gel better, and I think they can take their combination to the next level playing consistently together this year.
 
Rhys van Beurden said:
Before last year, did people even rate Jake Friend? A lot can happen in a year, and I still maintain that Macca looked a lot slicker with Ben Hunt at halfback in the back end of 2013. They just seemed to gel better, and I think they can take their combination to the next level playing consistently together this year.
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I think a lot of people rated his ability as a footballer, just not his maturity. He was a bit of a trouble maker, but it looks like he has really turned his life around outside of football and it has helped him become the player he is now.
 
man, macca will have a good year. i think he will combine well with the likes of hunt & milford.

the worst thing we did for players like alex glenn and macca was strip norman of the 5/8th role. I've said this before. 2012 Glenn was one of the leading try-scoring 2nd row forwards. 2013, he lost all claim to the side IMO.

Just watch this video:



Macca doing chips and grubbers to a well communicated Norman. I think Norman & Hunt would have been great together but now we will be getting a massive upgrade with Milford. On that, I think they should give 5/8 to Kahu. I think his style is that similar to Milford's and which we can build a tighter spine for next year in advanced. Easier transition. I don't really rate Strasser...I think Cullen was a better player last year. Stradder plays too similar from what I've seen to the way Hunt plays. Doubt how well they'll work together as a pairing. He will make a good backup if Kahu gets struck down by injury.
 
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Brent81 said:
Which players (who are actually available) should it be spent on. Remembering DCE and Friend are NOT available.
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Off-hand I can't think of anyone, but I doubt many thought Ben Barba would be lining up for us at the start of Round 1, 2014 on the 27th of January 2013 either...

Point is, if we spend that money on Smith, we can't then spend it on the DCE's or the Friend's of future years SHOULD they become available.

We're going to need a decent right centre soon. We will likely be looking for a new lock within a few years, maybe a new prop or two and maybe a half if Hunt doesn't pan out.

We may also lose the a player or two over the next few years (especially if we go like busteds again in 2014 - Thaiday being a strong possibility from all reports, depending on when his contract is up) so we may be looking for a high profile second-rower as well...
 
Sea Eagles love their Cherry | NRL | Zero Tackle

Can we now stop the "I'd rather spend the money on DCE" meme.

He's going to stay at Manly until at least the end of next year, if not longer. They'll throw money, the captaincy and everything else at him to make him stay.

Getting Smith isn't going to cost you DCE (indeed, having the Qld captain might give us our only bargaining chip).
 
Marty Deutschmann said:
man, macca will have a good year. i think he will combine well with the likes of hunt & milford.

the worst thing we did for players like alex glenn and macca was strip norman of the 5/8th role. I've said this before. 2012 Glenn was one of the leading try-scoring 2nd row forwards. 2013, he lost all claim to the side IMO.

Just watch this video:



Macca doing chips and grubbers to a well communicated Norman. I think Norman & Hunt would have been great together but now we will be getting a massive upgrade with Milford. On that, I think they should give 5/8 to Kahu. I think his style is that similar to Milford's and which we can build a tighter spine for next year in advanced. Easier transition. I don't really rate Strasser...I think Cullen was a better player last year. Stradder plays too similar from what I've seen to the way Hunt plays. Doubt how well they'll work together as a pairing. He will make a good backup if Kahu gets struck down by injury.
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Cause it wasn't Norman's fault that we played like a busted backside in the back end of 2012 and during the games when he was 5/8 in 2013 right?

Norman just ain't as good as we hoped he would be.
 
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Brent81 said:
Sea Eagles love their Cherry | NRL | Zero Tackle

Can we now stop the "I'd rather spend the money on DCE" meme.

He's going to stay at Manly until at least the end of next year, if not longer. They'll throw money, the captaincy and everything else at him to make him stay.

Getting Smith isn't going to cost you DCE (indeed, having the Qld captain might give us our only bargaining chip).
Click to expand...

Problem is Smith doesn't want to leave the storm
 
Brent81 said:
Sea Eagles love their Cherry | NRL | Zero Tackle

Can we now stop the "I'd rather spend the money on DCE" meme.

He's going to stay at Manly until at least the end of next year, if not longer. They'll throw money, the captaincy and everything else at him to make him stay.

Getting Smith isn't going to cost you DCE (indeed, having the Qld captain might give us our only bargaining chip).
Click to expand...

AJiFaTL.jpg
 
Brent81 said:
Cause it wasn't Norman's fault that we played like a busted backside in the back end of 2012 and during the games when he was 5/8 in 2013 right?

Norman just ain't as good as we hoped he would be.
Click to expand...

Let's see a highlight reel of his poor, hog-the-ball options. Better yet, his laziness in defence!
 
broncos4life said:
Problem is Smith doesn't want to leave the storm
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That might be so, but ignoring the opportunity to chase Smith because of DCE sets up a false dichotomy.

Personally, I reckon you could get both because when DCE become available:

1. Hodges will be retiring;

2. Hunt will probably be gone;

3. One of Thaiday, Glenn, Gillett will be gone;

4. Hoffman will be gone.

That gives you enough to get both I reckon.
 
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