DCE on debut

[BigCok007]

Goodness me. Where do I start?

"It was only a trial". Sure. But regardless, if you watched the game, he could not have been less impressive. Looked a yard slow on every play with the ball. Had that kick charged down. Because he was a yard slow. Looked like he was running in quicksand. Running crossfield.

Sam showed who the boss is with that little period of game owning dominance. DCE is no longer capable of anything like that.

If that's all DCE has, he won't be in first grade by Round 3. Hugo will replace him. Even if it's not by Round 3, it's inevitable.

He doesn’t have to be. He has to bring Sammy along. He will provide a solid foil for Sammy at critical points in games.

DCE will provide us immense value, but it might not be with flashy plays rather the unlocked potential he could create for others.

Also, combinations take time and being in a system as long as him it’s going to be pretty jarring to go the roosters way. lm really looking forward to how we grow into the season

[Hawkeye]

Hugo > Souffs

I agree ...Hugo is greater than Souffs !

[Chook2]

DCE has yet to debut.

He will be an astute signing.

This team for a few years has played a mercurial and unpredictable brand of footy that too often misfired against good teams who knew they simply had to complete their sets, kick long and wait for us to self-implode.

Look at the Sharks semi. An absolute catastrophe. A disasterclass exhibition of how to be the more talented team but somehow pull a defeat out of your ass.

Walker was the worst offender.

So this team desperately needs an experienced leader to pull the strings and add a calming presence.

I am very confident he will be an excellent signing and he will prove it early in the season. Maybe even on his actual debut.

As an added bonus, he's the greatest exponent of the field goal of all time. Walker is excellent too. Having two world class field goal kickers left and right of the ruck will be a major weapon and just might win us a huge finals game or two.

Yes we got found out last year without a game manager
he takes pressure off Teddy at times to play his own game and less captaincy discretions
allows Walker to play his natural eyes up footy knowing DCE will be the steady steering the ship half

give them time, remember 2018 we were 3 from 6 and everyone wrote us off saying Teddy and Cronk were a waste of time

[caz]

i thought dce's performance didn't ring alarm bells. no doubt a charge down isn't ideal but it's not a hanging offence - he didn't kick the ball out on the full twice like moses. he made passes before a couple of errors but he was looking to create stuff and it will take a while for everyone to get used to him.
his age and whether or not he's still got it is obviously an issue but let's wait and see. not all halves have been nippy. joey johns wasn't.

[roosterchook]

I saw his last few games with Manly. Very shoddy defense let in a lot of tries more a liability than an asset. Always preferred Hugo because of his long kicks and defense. He always got us out of trouble and into good positional play. DCE against eels just kept kicking high giving easy catches with no pressure.

["gaz"]

Way to early to tell.
Playing his first game in a new team, in new position with a new role.
I imagine he just wanted to feel his way into the side without disruption.

DCE, Hugo and Rodwell all natural halfbacks being asked to play No.6

[Avalon Rooster]

This is very correct. Cronk took 3 months before he started to fit in- although im not expecting DCE to make the same sort of impact. Thats why its only a 1 year contract at half the price he was getting at Manly.


I am very nervous about the Broncos having Haas off their books, doubled with Reynolds retiring. They are going to have a huge amount of cap space to have a crack at Sam Walker. Got to lock him up now. If we lose him its going to set us back years. Someone ring Uncle Nick and get an update on where it all stands!

this also concerns me.

[Avalon Rooster]

Sammy looks like he's bigger around the quads and glutes.

It can't hurt I guess.

he looks bigger all round I thought, which is a good sign. hopefully he can keep that burst of acceleration.

[Mickie Lane]

I don’t know why people think that Sammy is in the Broncos plans.
They have a great 5/8 in Mam & they have signed Pezet to take over from next year on a multi year contract.

[Bates]

Way to early to tell.
Playing his first game in a new team, in new position with a new role.
I imagine he just wanted to feel his way into the side without disruption.

DCE, Hugo and Rodwell all natural halfbacks being asked to play No.6

Rodwell has played loads of footy at five-eighth. His running game is exceptional!

I'd love to see him paired up with Sammy one day. It would be dynamic imo!

[Bates]

I don’t know why people think that Sammy is in the Broncos plans.
They have a great 5/8 in Mam & they have signed Pezet to take over from next year on a multi year contract.

The only player moving south if we don't show him $500k a year worth of love will be Hugo > Souffs

[Mickie Lane]

The only player moving south if we don't show him $500k a year worth of love will be Hugo > Souffs

They don’t need him because Ashton Ward will be playing halfback for them, he’s good & he’s got heaps of ticker.
If Souths stay fit they’re going to have a good year.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Im not saying your wrong mate, im just getting the feeling dce might be sneaky good for us and walker and savala.

Again its all opinion, i could be totally wrong , so could you, well see soon.

I think dce is happy to be 2f and just play his role , kick well , get quality ball to toia, mark, smith and teddy and we will be fine .

And if he is a bust , damn lucky we got savala.

All fair points mate and well said. I could be totally wrong too. I hope I am wrong about DCE, and he proves to be a great signing. Or at least a pretty good signing. I hope I'm not wrong about Hugo. Hope I'm not wrong about Sam.

The way things usually work out, there'll be injuries, Sam will play Origin if we're winning (could Hugo too?)

It's a long season. Likely all 3 will play a role. Maybe not a bad problem to have.

[SamKerrSimp]

He didn't play like James Maloney in 2013 that's for sure.

[Schooner]

We have to wait and see how the team are going after a few NRL games. Our trial form wasnt too good. In the first game Hugo led the way but they were ordinary when he and the other experienced players went off. In game 2 we attacked well on the back of Sam but our middle defence was poor. It got worse again when the Sam went off and the younger players came on. DCE can no longer play well under that pressure. He will only come good if the players around him are playing better. Rather than improving their game he will rely on them to help his game.