Hutchison and Keary to start next year - Soward

[Snapn1]

Walker over Hutchinson any day!! Keary will be the upgraded version on Hutchinson an walker a wayyyyy better Lam

[ROC181]

Unless he can learn to tackle I’ll happily drive him
there. Can’t get away with only knowing how to play half the game.

Walkers tackling technique is copy book style. Around the legs just as good as Teddy but sometimes you need to go higher especially on the try line and thats where you need strength. Sititlis technique is atrocious and he's one of the worst in the comp and he only relies on strength. I'd like Sitili to get some more weight on him to be as devastating as Koloamatangi or Olakauatu from manly.

I'm sure Walker will reach puberty next year and will be ripped after resting his shoulder unless he gets it treated in the break.

Hutch needs to lose the puppy fat and get those legs pumping. Maybe Nick could get Usain Bolt to coach him over the break. Yah Man!

[Rooster_6]

I think Hutch is quite clearly well ahead of Walker in Robbo's pecking order atm.

He's much bigger and stronger defensively.

Disagree, this is just how Robinson brings through his young players. He did it with the likes of Joey Manu when he dropped him at the back end of the season meaning he didnt play in the finals series and Latrell Mithcell when he shifted him onto the wing at the back end of his first season.

You only have to listen to Trent Robinson speak to hear how highly he rates and regards Sam Walker.

Walker is special, Robbo is just managing him. He's Keary's partner next year don't be fooled.

[Rooster_6]

Unless he can learn to tackle I’ll happily drive him
there. Can’t get away with only knowing how to play half the game.

Take a drive to the mental asylum, you're talking crazy.

[Easts75]

Soward won a comp playing in the halves and he never learnt how to tackle

[Lydon]

Disagree, this is just how Robinson brings through his young players. He did it with the likes of Joey Manu when he dropped him at the back end of the season meaning he didnt play in the finals series and Latrell Mithcell when he shifted him onto the wing at the back end of his first season.

You only have to listen to Trent Robinson speak to hear how highly he rates and regards Sam Walker.

Walker is special, Robbo is just managing him. He's Keary's partner next year don't be fooled.

Perfectly said!

[Chookies74]

loved Hutch effort this yr, esp that last minute against Titans, trying so hard to get across field as was totally spent.
However, with Keary and Victor ballplaying, this will free up Walker so I'd expect him to be at 7.
Also, with Watson on bench, I can't see Trent also carrying Walker there for 20-30 min cameos, so he'll either start or not be in the 17.

[BraveTheWorld]

I haven't really seen any issues with Walker's tackling technique. The issue for him is that he would have to be the smallest and probably weakest player in the comp, on the whole. His arms are like string.
He seems to tackle quite well when he manages to actually make good contact. I've got no doubt he'll be a perfectly good defender by the end of next year or so, but I don't necessarily think Walker being in the halves with Keary for Round 1 next year is a fait accompli. There is probably a world where Watson even plays a bit of 6 and Keary 7 for the start of next year.

Who knows, but I know I'm definitely excited about 2022 and 2023. I'm very confident that, injuries permitting, we'll be a big force next year.
This year had a very similar feel to '16, except this time the club was stronger and didn't capitulate.
That year was hard too, but also incredibly valuable.

[OMR]

I agree with this versatility. He actually reminds me a lot of Aubo even though I can’t recall how much time in the halves Aubo played.

He did start a GF in the 7 jersey LOL

[rented tracksuit]

He did start a GF in the 7 jersey LOL

Exactly but there wasnt much else!

[The Corner Post]

Keary and Hutch would be my halves pairing.
Walkers the future and I'd expect him to play a good amount of first grade next season. He can use the off season and reduced workload to bulk up and probably repair those shoulders.
I'd have Watson at 14 for sure. He can provide good cover and/or an impact at the right time.
Even with 6,7 and 14 taken, I can still see Walker getting game time through injuries (fingers crossed we don't have too many) and Origin.

[Rooster_6]

Soward won a comp playing in the halves and he never learnt how to tackle

Jonathon Thurston is fairly discussed as being one of the GOATS of the game and he never learnt how to tackle. I already rate Walker a better defender than Thurston.

[Rooster_6]

I haven't really seen any issues with Walker's tackling technique. The issue for him is that he would have to be the smallest and probably weakest player in the comp, on the whole. His arms are like string.
He seems to tackle quite well when he manages to actually make good contact. I've got no doubt he'll be a perfectly good defender by the end of next year or so, but I don't necessarily think Walker being in the halves with Keary for Round 1 next year is a fait accompli. There is probably a world where Watson even plays a bit of 6 and Keary 7 for the start of next year.

Who knows, but I know I'm definitely excited about 2022 and 2023. I'm very confident that, injuries permitting, we'll be a big force next year.
This year had a very similar feel to '16, except this time the club was stronger and didn't capitulate.
That year was hard too, but also incredibly valuable.

I don't see any reason why Robinson wouldn't start Walker from Round 1. I get the argument of letting him fine tune his game in reserve grade and then bleed him in after a month or two but Robinson seems to rate what he see's in his training sessions more highly than he does reserve grade.

Maybe the argument is to let Keary settle back in without having to focus on building a combo with Walker... You know what you'll get from Hutchinson, he'll kick on last and have 20-30 touches again. The interesting dynamic will be the distribution of touches between Keary, Teddy and Walker. All 3 are high involvement, on the ball players. Sometimes you just need that support player to balance it out, Keary is comfortably our best organiser so he must be on the ball more than anyone else.

[Tommy Smith]

Disagree, this is just how Robinson brings through his young players. He did it with the likes of Joey Manu when he dropped him at the back end of the season meaning he didnt play in the finals series and Latrell Mithcell when he shifted him onto the wing at the back end of his first season.

You only have to listen to Trent Robinson speak to hear how highly he rates and regards Sam Walker.

Walker is special, Robbo is just managing him. He's Keary's partner next year don't be fooled.

I think this is an over simplified viewpoint.

Of course Sam Walker is a better prospect than Drew Hutchison and will be far better player long term.

But Sam Walker is still only 19. And he'll only be 19 when next season starts. He still needs a couple of years physical maturity before he's ready for the rigours of first grade rugby league and has the size and strength to handle the defensive workload.

As of now he's a huge defensive liability. And no way is he close to Thurston defensively yet. Certainly when compared to a 19yr old JT but not a prime JT who was quite solid.

And just on JT, at the time of the 2004 GF he was 21 years old and yet he was STILL only a bench utility. He was almost 22 by the time of his first full season of NRL footy.

And he's a great comparison because he would have been just as tiny as Walker, who is now being targeted by much bigger players.

It is grossly unfair on Sam Walker to expect him as a tiny 19yr old to do what even JT needed a few years more to accomplish - namely being ready for the week to week rigours of NRL footy.

I'm sure Robbo even uses JT as a comparison when talking to Walker and his dad; who went on to play over 300 games and play into his mid 30s which Sam can also do.

But as of now I think Hutch is the better fit. A much bigger body who will look a lot better next year besides Keary who I still rate as the best creative half in the game.

Anyway Walker will still get a dozen games I'm sure due to injuries and rests. And even a few off the bench.

But as for what's best for both Walker and the team; that is Hutch to start week 1 imo.

[ROC181]

One thing people forget is that Sam started the year already with a shoulder injury and throughout the season he didnt shirk from tackling. He was given a new role at the end of the season because Robbo was looking after him for the long run.

The other thing is that he’s been playing with older players at Ipswich and while he might be 19-20 yo in 22’, he is a more experienced 20yo than most players his age.

We all hope his shoulder problem is fixed by 2022.