Xavier Coates: The Next Big Thing?

Foordy said:
we just did that
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I think Ryan was a great defender and tough as all get up. I think he will improve our player's one on one defence if he works individually with them, but is he able to coach a team's defensive structure in the NRL? I'm not too sure.
 
Jedhead said:
I think Ryan was a great defender and tough as all get up. I think he will improve our player's one on one defence if he works individually with them, but is he able to coach a team's defensive structure in the NRL? I'm not too sure.
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He's only there two days a week, he is a consultant not on staff- as such. He's more one on one but he is doing a bit of defensive structure.
 
I tell you what, if they can keep this side together AND show patience AND the players show loyalty, all the building blocks are there already, they just need someone to guide them and fill in the question marks in the side:

1. Niu/Walsh
2. Coates/??
3. Staggs
4. Coates/Farnworth/??
5. Farnworth/??
6. Dearden
7. ??/Croft/Paix
8. Flegler
9. ??/Paix
10. Haas
11. Fifita
12. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki/??
13. Carrigan

14. ??/Paix
15. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki
16. ??/Lodge
17. ??/Oates

The building blocks are all there, the glaring issues though are the partner for Dearden and the 9 and they are two so, so important positions.
 
Sproj said:
I tell you what, if they can keep this side together AND show patience AND the players show loyalty, all the building blocks are there already, they just need someone to guide them and fill in the question marks in the side:

1. Niu/Walsh
2. Coates/??
3. Staggs
4. Coates/Farnworth/??
5. Farnworth/??
6. Dearden
7. ??/Croft/Paix
8. Flegler
9. ??/Paix
10. Haas
11. Fifita
12. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki/??
13. Carrigan

14. ??/Paix
15. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki
16. ??/Lodge
17. ??/Oates

The building blocks are all there, the glaring issues though are the partner for Dearden and the 9 and they are two so, so important positions.
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Can we get a list of all the halves and hookers off contract at the same times as Boyd and Milford from someone in the know? Cheers.
 
Jake Friend is worth a look I reckon if we want to go hard early. Experience and premierships under his belt and coming out of the Roosters system. I'm not seeing any halves that I would be picking over Dearden and Croft
 
I bleed Maroon said:
Jake Friend is worth a look I reckon if we want to go hard early. Experience and premierships under his belt and coming out of the Roosters system. I'm not seeing any halves that I would be picking over Dearden and Croft
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Friend is basically a slightly upgraded version of Macca although on a likely much bigger contract ... pass

although, i'm sure the Roosters would love us to take him off their hands
 
Foordy said:
Friend is basically a slightly upgraded version of Macca although on a likely much bigger contract ... pass

although, i'm sure the Roosters would love us to take him off their hands
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I agree. As I said last night I think we can persist with Turps until at least 2022 when Grant is off contract (provided Smith doesn't squeeze him out earlier), and hopefully by then we'll have a better idea if he is more than hype.
 
I bleed Maroon said:
I agree. As I said last night I think we can persist with Turps until at least 2022 when Grant is off contract (provided Smith doesn't squeeze him out earlier), and hopefully by then we'll have a better idea if he is more than hype.
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isn't Grant available in 2021 IF Cam Smith plays on?
 
Smith could play on but I don't think he will. He has any one of a million jobs available should he retire.
 
JAHHW said:
I’m no expert, but with respect to kicking, wasn’t he in some Man U development squad?

Which reminds me of Denan Kemp, who was good at soccer but not Man U development squad good, and how he had that freakish ability to soccer a league ball along the ground to score that cracker of a try.

Get to it, Herbie.
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No disrepect to Herbie, but at the age he would have been with Manchester United, they would have literally have had hundreds and hundreds of kids in their system. They tend to thin out the numbers when they go into a clubs u18's sides. Its not that big a deal in the scheme of things. Just sounds good when they mention it on TV.
 
Wolfie said:
No disrepect to Herbie, but at the age he would have been with Manchester United, they would have literally have had hundreds and hundreds of kids in their system. They tend to thin out the numbers when they go into a clubs u18's sides. Its not that big a deal in the scheme of things. Just sounds good when they mention it on TV.
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I don’t know, so I can’t argue either way.

What I do know is that they have to select those hundreds of kids out of hundreds of thousands.

So I imagine it would stand to reason that a relatively small percentage of kids are selected because, at that age, most kids are better at picking their nose than kicking a ball?
 
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JAHHW said:
I don’t know, so I can’t argue either way.

What I do know is that they have to select those hundreds of kids out of hundreds of thousands.

So I imagine it would stand to reason that a relatively small percentage of kids are selected because, at that age, most kids are better at picking their nose than kicking a ball?
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Its probably not those kind of figures. The academies generally can only pick up players from their local areas ( although if they have a Cat 1 academy they can pick from other areas ). United are in the North west of England, so they are competing with Liverpool, Everton and Man City, plus to a lesser extent, Blackburn, Oldham, Blackpool, Burnley and Bolton. They do have plenty of competition for players. The bigger clubs tend to just sign up any player that shows even a moderate amount of ability to their academies, so its not unusual for clubs to have hundreds of players on their books up until the age of 16, where they take up a 2 year scholarship and cull the numbers down to 25 players iirc.

Having a look into it anyway, he was only there until he was about 12 years old so he wouldnt have been anywhere near the stage a club like United would have been seriously looking at him. Most English kids who play football would be associated with some club at his age.
 
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Sproj said:
I tell you what, if they can keep this side together AND show patience AND the players show loyalty, all the building blocks are there already, they just need someone to guide them and fill in the question marks in the side:

1. Niu/Walsh
2. Coates/??
3. Staggs
4. Coates/Farnworth/??
5. Farnworth/??
6. Dearden
7. ??/Croft/Paix
8. Flegler
9. ??/Paix
10. Haas
11. Fifita
12. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki/??
13. Carrigan

14. ??/Paix
15. TPJ/Bullemor/Riki
16. ??/Lodge
17. ??/Oates

The building blocks are all there, the glaring issues though are the partner for Dearden and the 9 and they are two so, so important positions.
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? Herbie for future FB ?
 
I bleed Maroon said:
I agree. As I said last night I think we can persist with Turps until at least 2022 when Grant is off contract (provided Smith doesn't squeeze him out earlier), and hopefully by then we'll have a better idea if he is more than hype.
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There is no grey area with Grant, he either comes off contract after this year if Smith plays on, or he's staying at Melbourne and he's as good as re-signed long term.

The only hope is Smith retiring, there is no third outcome.
 
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