PLAYER Reece Walsh

whykickamoocow said:
I hear this all the time and think it’s bullshit. Just curious, how did he change the game for fullbacks
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Have a check of the top try scorers in league and tell me how many are fullbacks? How many were before Slater?

Before Slater they caught kicks, ran back and made two tackles- they were safe. They weren't a weapon.

It's like wicket keepers pre Gilchrist- take your four catches and get 34 runs.

Eadie was the fullback of the 1970's won four comps- Slater scored 120 more tries than him. Jack and Belcher 60 tries and 69 tries.
 
1910 said:
Have a check of the top try scorers in league and tell me how many are fullbacks? How many were before Slater?

Before Slater they caught kicks, ran back and made two tackles- they were safe. They weren't a weapon.

It's like wicket keepers pre Gilchrist- take your four catches and get 34 runs.

Eadie was the fullback of the 1970's won four comps- Slater scored 120 more tries than him. Jack and Belcher 60 tries and 69 tries.
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Bingo.

Unless you're under 17 years old, if you genuinely have to ask about Slater, Rugby League might just not be the sport for you.
 
kman said:
I've supported Walsh 100% the bad reviews and everything he's receiving is incrediblely harsh.
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I disagree. He's playing like shit. He deserves the criticism he's copping right now.

I'm just not surprised by it. His floor and ceiling have consistently been a long way apart. He's a mortal remember.

He's not Lockyer, he's not Slater, at least not yet, and perhaps not ever, but until such time, if indeed it ever comes, we have to make peace with the rocks as well as the diamonds.

5 years ago Dylan Edwards was an error-ridden potato getting dropped to NSW Cup. Give it time.
 
1910 said:
Have a check of the top try scorers in league and tell me how many are fullbacks? How many were before Slater?

Before Slater they caught kicks, ran back and made two tackles- they were safe. They weren't a weapon.

It's like wicket keepers pre Gilchrist- take your four catches and get 34 runs.

Eadie was the fullback of the 1970's won four comps- Slater scored 120 more tries than him. Jack and Belcher 60 tries and 69 tries.
Click to expand...
They weren't a weapon? Brett Mullins, Brett Stewart, and Darren bloody lockyer weren't weapons at fullback? I didnt see them play but the fact they are immortals tells you even Clive churchill and Langlands were "weapons" at fullback a LONG LONG time before slater "invented" it.
Slater is a great, no doubt, but this recent romanticising of him being the only possible choice of a greatest fullback of all time is complete BS.

C Smith is an immortal, lockyer is as well (the golden maroon generation have said on multiple occasions he was the one they looked upto and was the leader of the start of it and if he doesn't leave FB slater doesn't even get a look in at all), slater will be but there are a lot more ahead of him in my eyes.
 
Lockysillegitimatechild said:
They weren't a weapon? Brett Mullins, Brett Stewart, and Darren bloody lockyer weren't weapons at fullback? I didnt see them play but the fact they are immortals tells you even Clive churchill and Langlands were "weapons" at fullback a LONG LONG time before slater "invented" it.
Slater is a great, no doubt, but this recent romanticising of him being the only possible choice of a greatest fullback of all time is complete BS.

C Smith is an immortal, lockyer is as well (the golden maroon generation have said on multiple occasions he was the one they looked upto and was the leader of the start of it and if he doesn't leave FB slater doesn't even get a look in at all), slater will be but there are a lot more ahead of him in my eyes.
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I didn't say he was the best ever- you failed to address anything I said.
 
He addressed quite a bit, you’re just choosing one little tit bit of his comment. Mullins try scoring ratio is on par with Slater, Lockyer hands down was a better ball player and kicker. If Lockyer doesn’t move to 5/8 Slater wouldn’t have got a look in at fullback for Qld or Australia until 2012.
 
Langlands 75 tries
Churchill 13 tries!
Lockyer 74 tries
Mullins 81 tries
Slater 184 tries at fullback

Try scoring isn't everything but it shows how the role changed and yes, I believe Slater played a big part in that.
 
Renegade said:
The problem is rocks and diamonds will only get you so far in the end. If he wants to evolve to the next level, he needs to learn when to press the go button and when to hold fire. Slater was the same really, and no one ever said get rid, people just said, yeah he needs to be a bit safer at the back. It's why Hunt got picked over him in the early days.

No one would say Edwards is mediocre for example, but he doesn't go for highlight plays. Just plays consistent, smart, safe football that puts his team on the front foot. No reason Walsh cannot play the same way.
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I have little doubt Walsh will evolve to the next level ... It just takes a bit of time and consistency. Remember Walsh is onto his 4th coach in his short career, and he is also getting used to 2 new members in the spine.

At the same age, Billy Slater was also rocks and diamonds ... And he had Bellamy as his coach for his entire NRL career.

Oh and on Edward, if you go back 4 years and very few people would have considered him anything but mediocre at best
 
1910 said:
Have a check of the top try scorers in league and tell me how many are fullbacks? How many were before Slater?

Before Slater they caught kicks, ran back and made two tackles- they were safe. They weren't a weapon.

It's like wicket keepers pre Gilchrist- take your four catches and get 34 runs.

Eadie was the fullback of the 1970's won four comps- Slater scored 120 more tries than him. Jack and Belcher 60 tries and 69 tries.
Click to expand...
Ah yes back in the day when Lockyer was just catching the ball and running it back... and then Khunt upped the game by catching the ball and running it back even harder... and Darius was just catching the ball and running it back to get his Clive Churchill in 2010.

It wasn't until Billy stopped throwing the ball into the 3rd row and learnt how to finish off simple 3v2's created by Cronk did people think that maybe fullbacks should do some ball playing as well.

I will give credit that Billy Slater upped the game defensively for fullbacks... although Darius and Bennett were the ones bringing the fullback into the defensive line... but Lockyer changed the game when he effectively became a 3rd half at fullback.
 
whykickamoocow said:
So he was good at finishing other people’s work. I’d take Lockyer at fullback over Slater any day of the week.
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You'd take one Immortal who changed the game for Fullback's, over another potential Immortal who also changed the game for Fullback's.

Better stop the press for that headline.

FYI, one being incredible doesn't take away from the other being a different kind of incredible too.
 
Foordy said:
I have little doubt Walsh will evolve to the next level ... It just takes a bit of time and consistency. Remember Walsh is onto his 4th coach in his short career, and he is also getting used to 2 new members in the spine.

At the same age, Billy Slater was also rocks and diamonds ... And he had Bellamy as his coach for his entire NRL career.

Oh and on Edward, if you go back 4 years and very few people would have considered him anything but mediocre at best
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Being completely honest, 5-6 years ago Edwards was outright shit.
 
Edwards just had a patch where his hands went and he couldn't catch. Before and after that weird period he was good/great.
 
Foordy said:
I have little doubt Walsh will evolve to the next level ... It just takes a bit of time and consistency. Remember Walsh is onto his 4th coach in his short career, and he is also getting used to 2 new members in the spine.

At the same age, Billy Slater was also rocks and diamonds ... And he had Bellamy as his coach for his entire NRL career.

Oh and on Edward, if you go back 4 years and very few people would have considered him anything but mediocre at best
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Sure, I don't think anyone expects it to be fixed tomorrow, but commentary is warranted and it's upto him to show he can go to the next level.

It's between the ears that's the problem.
 
Fernando said:
Edwards just had a patch where his hands went and he couldn't catch. Before and after that weird period he was good/great.
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Prior to that period where he was dropped he was about mediocre. Would hardly have called him good. If he'd been a Tiger instead of a Panther at the time he'd possibly have been lucky to make it back to First Grade.

Since that period he's obviously come on leaps and bounds though.
 
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