DCE confirms career call for 2026

[ism22]

Welcome DCE.
Why would he retire? Body is feeling good, still loves the game, still playing at a high enough level to make rep games such as State Of Origin.

Agreed. He has the fitness / brain to keep up with the game at Origin level and he's not injury prone. Why stop?

IMO we're gonna see more of this as the game becomes more professional. There's a reason why guys who smoked, drank daily, did far less training (plus conditioning work) and didn't have full-time medical teams used to retire before 30. No the game wasn't harder!!! More scrappy and violent? Sure. Today's game is a different kettle though.

[HDTONE]

Somehow we get dragged in and talked about as a maybe landing spot for Galvin....like WTF

All's I know is where he goes Dogs, Parra they better treat him good lest he have a massive dummy spit

[HunchoRooster]

I admit I’ve never liked him much. I hate the way he milks and dives for penalties for both Manly and Queensland. Off the field he’s well spoken and seems a good person. My main concern is his age. He’ll be 37 next year and I think we should be focusing on our young talent coming through. Yes we haven’t been icing games at times this year, but our main man has been out with an ACL. He’s been building his game over the past few seasons and if he was in the team we probably would have won those games. I think it’s a big risk outlaying all that money to a 37 year old, however great a player he’s been.

Don’t disagree with any of this. Fair points mate.

[HunchoRooster]

Comparing DCE to Townsend is ludicrously dumb. Townsend was signed mid last year to be the backup to Walker and Smith and the only reason he got game time this year was because of Walker's injury, nobody had outcry to that signing because he wasn't supposed to play. DCE is coming in on $1m a year expecting to win us a comp when he hasn't done shit with Manly in well over a decade and that was when they had a stacked team that already had years of success long before he got in to the team.

You’re right it is very silly to compare Townsend to DCE. Which is why I didn’t do that in my original post. I stated that some of the opinions, reactions and comments from some on here are more befitting of someone like Townsend. (I.e over the hill, past it, bog average for a decade, etc) As opposed to a current Origin captain, a player with over 20 tests for Australia and someone who has consistently been amongst the best 4 of 5 halfbacks of his era.

I will say I do find it funny that the clamouring and outcry for Hugo Savala and our young guns was nowhere to be seen (for the most part) when Townsend was signed. Hugo should’ve been no 7 from Rd1 in the absence of Sam. All of a sudden though, signing a rep level halfback for a year would derail all of Hugo’s future potential and prosperity at the club.

[SamKerrSimp]

Agreed. He has the fitness / brain to keep up with the game at Origin level and he's not injury prone. Why stop?

IMO we're gonna see more of this as the game becomes more professional. There's a reason why guys who smoked, drank daily, did far less training (plus conditioning work) and didn't have full-time medical teams used to retire before 30. No the game wasn't harder!!! More scrappy and violent? Sure. Today's game is a different kettle though.

54 players have played 300+ first grade rugby league matches in the NSWRL/ARL/NRL comp and only 2 of them reached the milestone before the NRL was formed in 1998 and 39 of them started their careers in 1998 or after we are long past the "when the game gets more professional" stage.

[MKCS]

Comparing DCE to Townsend is ludicrously dumb. Townsend was signed mid last year to be the backup to Walker and Smith and the only reason he got game time this year was because of Walker's injury, nobody had outcry to that signing because he wasn't supposed to play. DCE is coming in on $1m a year expecting to win us a comp when he hasn't done shit with Manly in well over a decade and that was when they had a stacked team that already had years of success long before he got in to the team.

He hasn't done anything with Manly in the 7-8 years because aside from the Trboevic brothers the team has had mostly average first graders. If DCE was the halfback of the Panthers, Storm or even the Roosters he would've won many more comps because those teams are so well rounded. Hell, if Tom Trbojevic could've stayed on the field consistently Manly might've snagged another premiership at one point or another.

DCE isn't coming here to play with average first graders, if we recruit nobody else for next season he'll be in a team with 6 current Origin players (Not including himself), a NZ international, an English international, the former Australian/NSW captain, former Australian international Rugby Union player, one of the best halves prospects in the comp and quite a few rising stars.

[SamKerrSimp]

I rest my case: https://www.nrl.com/draw/pacific-cha...aroos-v-kiwis/ he was also the halfback when Australia lost a test match to Tonga who had a spine of Will Hopoate, Lolohea, Staggs and Havili.

Funny how Tom Turbo can drag the same team on his back to a preliminary final but all the excuses come out for DCE who needs great players around him but failed in Origin last year.

I remember when the "he needs great players around him" was the major criticism of Mitchell Pearce now it's the reassurance for signing a $1m halfback who hasn't done anything at club level for over a decade.

[Steakface]

I have no regrets with SBW and Cronk helping us win three premierships.

That is very flawed logic though.

Cronk had 2 premierships under his belt + was Australia & QLD's first choice halfback (keeping DCE well down the pecking order).
He was also 35 when he joined the Roosters, whereas DCE would be 37 when joining us.

SBW it could be argued was the most naturally gifted second rower to ever play the game, and was about 28 when he joined us.

Although a brilliant player, DCE is not in the same class as a Cronk or an SBW in terms or being able to influence a game, yet he'll be commanding similar money, and doing it at a more advanced age, and bringing a reputation as being a little divisive in terms of team harmony.

Whether DCE could repeat their feats is highly speculatory, yet you seem to equate big name = premiership.

Does not work like that.

For the record, I am not anti-DCE. I think he is a very good player. I simply believe he is not at all right for us, or where we are at, and I believe I'd be vindicated on that view if he came to the club.

[dice]

That is very flawed logic though.

Cronk had 2 premierships under his belt + was Australia & QLD's first choice halfback (keeping DCE well down the pecking order).
He was also 35 when he joined the Roosters, whereas DCE would be 37 when joining us.

SBW it could be argued was the most naturally gifted second rower to ever play the game, and was about 28 when he joined us.

Although a brilliant player, DCE is not in the same class as a Cronk or an SBW in terms or being able to influence a game, yet he'll be commanding similar money, and doing it at a more advanced age, and bringing a reputation as being a little divisive in terms of team harmony.

Whether DCE could repeat their feats is highly speculatory, yet you seem to equate big name = premiership.

Does not work like that.

For the record, I am not anti-DCE. I think he is a very good player. I simply believe he is not at all right for us, or where we are at, and I believe I'd be vindicated on that view if he came to the club.

Where did I say DCE at same level as SBW and Cronk? My response was to the general comment "sick of mercenaries". It is like there have been no mercenaries who have won premierships.

Even if the $1m figure is to be believed despite it being much higher than what Manly were offering, DCE and Cronk are not on similar money in the context of a 26% salary cap increase.

[Mickie Lane]

Its a big gamble signing DCE but the people that matter at the Chooks feel we need an older experienced SOO, Australian & premiership winning halfback so Im happy if the club signs him.
Personally I rate & like DCE & I think he'll be good for us.

[MKCS]

I rest my case: https://www.nrl.com/draw/pacific-cha...aroos-v-kiwis/ he was also the halfback when Australia lost a test match to Tonga who had a spine of Will Hopoate, Lolohea, Staggs and Havili.

Funny how Tom Turbo can drag the same team on his back to a preliminary final but all the excuses come out for DCE who needs great players around him but failed in Origin last year.

I remember when the "he needs great players around him" was the major criticism of Mitchell Pearce now it's the reassurance for signing a $1m halfback who hasn't done anything at club level for over a decade.

Out of the 21 games he's played for Australia he's lost 5, you've picked the 2 worst ones to try and discredit the guy and in your actual linked example his stats are pretty good for a team that got done by 30. 28 tackles, 1 miss, 3 tackle breaks, 10 kicks for 309 metres, no errors, no penalties given away etc. Compare him to Munster who made 22 tackles, missed 6, made 2 tackle breaks, made 6 kicks for 131 metres and gave away 3 penalties. I guess next we'll be hearing how Munster is no good because he was clearly outplayed by DCE in this game as were Ben Hunt and Harry Grant, they must be no good also.

In the 2021 season where Tom Trbojevic allegedly dragged Manly to a prelim we saw DCE score 9 tries, dish 27 try assists, make 536 tackles for a tackle efficiency rate of over 90% and average 85 running metres a game. Not sure this is a great argument, man.

[nayfo]

Out of the 21 games he's played for Australia he's lost 5, you've picked the 2 worst ones to try and discredit the guy and in your actual linked example his stats are pretty good for a team that got done by 30. 28 tackles, 1 miss, 3 tackle breaks, 10 kicks for 309 metres, no errors, no penalties given away etc. Compare him to Munster who made 22 tackles, missed 6, made 2 tackle breaks, made 6 kicks for 131 metres and gave away 3 penalties. I guess next we'll be hearing how Munster is no good because he was clearly outplayed by DCE in this game as were Ben Hunt and Harry Grant, they must be no good also.

In the 2021 season where Tom Trbojevic allegedly dragged Manly to a prelim we saw DCE score 9 tries, dish 27 try assists, make 536 tackles for a tackle efficiency rate of over 90% and average 85 running metres a game. Not sure this is a great argument, man.

Stop making so much sense mate.

DCE will be great for us if we do eventually sign him.

[Lydon]

DCE in our system and the quality of players he will have around him will be a scary proposition for any side we face next year,as opposed to the DCE playing for a mid level Manly side most of his career..

He will flourish behind our pack and combine well with Sam Walker as well as providing a lot of space for our outside backs!

I’m sure DCE and the Club are well aware of that hence why he will be a Rooster next year!

[Dearintheheadlights]

DCE in our system and the quality of players he will have around him will be a scary proposition for any side we face next year,as opposed to the DCE playing for a mid level Manly side most of his career..

He will flourish behind our pack and combine well with Sam Walker as well as providing a lot of space for our outside backs!

I’m sure DCE and the Club are well aware of that hence why he will be a Rooster next year!

The team that DCE has been playing in has some pretty handy players as well and he hasn't been able to win a GF with them for a long time.

[nayfo]

The team that DCE has been playing in has some pretty handy players as well and he hasn't been able to win a GF with them for a long time.

I look forward to hearing what else you have to say on the matter……oh wait, you’re banned! lol