News ‘Super sub’: Cameron Ciraldo explains why Connor Tracey won the fullback spot and how he plans on unleashing Blake Taaffe

D0GMATIC

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Kudos to Ciro for sticking with Tracey

this super sub experiment better work better than starting Turpin at lock
Earn a spot, you deserve a spot !! Competition drives competition . . . For the first time, in a long time . . .We are sharpening steel with steel now ! weak links shall be cast away !!!! . . . . RIP AND TEAR DOGS !!!!!
 

Dogzzz of War

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I think Tracey proved last week that he provides the team more at fullback than Taffe

CC is just giving Taffe an opportunity to prove he can provide the team with some value off the bench….. and if he can’t I reckon he will go back to NSW cup.
 

Bulldog1966

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My view is as a substitute Taaffe can play 1, 2, 5, 6 or 7, he's plenty fast enough to play wing, obviously can play fullback and 1/2 which is not a lot different to 5/8 anyway. If a centre gets injured Burton can step in there and Taaffe plays 5/8. That makes him pretty versatile and with HIA's in play a back on the bench is a solid idea.


Always a Bulldog
Ohhh TT you're comments will upset some of our burgeoning kennel "coaches" LOL
Fwiw I agree with you.Of course he isn't a big guy so doesn't make the grade as a hit up mule but he isn't playing 14 for that anyway.
Deserves a fg gig imo with the improvement he made at fb in his last 2/3 games.
How this works well for us will be left to the coach(Gus apparently).
 

bcmf

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My prediction is CC is easing Taffe into the no. 7 - you heard it hear first folks lol
Yep. I think that’s the play. Hutch starts, absorbs the damage early then taffe slots in and hutch moves to the middle.
 

bcmf

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My view is as a substitute Taaffe can play 1, 2, 5, 6 or 7, he's plenty fast enough to play wing, obviously can play fullback and 1/2 which is not a lot different to 5/8 anyway. If a centre gets injured Burton can step in there and Taaffe plays 5/8. That makes him pretty versatile and with HIA's in play a back on the bench is a solid idea.


Always a Bulldog
He’s too shakey under the high ball to be a winger. You’re asking for trouble. Imo he’s a spine replacement. He could fill in at 9 if reed went down or hutch could go 9 and taafe 7, in that scenario
 

blue & white blood

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Pure kennel gold suggesting Taafe at halfback. Never played an NRL game there (or very few).

Can he even defend in the front line ??

Does he have a kicking game apart from one off the shin on Good Friday ?

Go back and watch the highlights from last year when Rajab got his ass handed to him as a spot defender.

No use setting up 2 tries if you concede 4
Well, we will never know unless he gets a go at 7, what's the point of having a halfback (play maker) just to defend which is all Hutch is offering at the moment and not very well I might add, it's not going do you much good in tight games as we've already seen against the storm and souths, if we had a proper attacking half, we could be in the top eight and you can't say Taffe can't defend as he did pretty well playing FB, he also has the speed to cover defend which he proved when he tackled Domnic Yong in full flight and Bungled him in to touch, unfortunately Hutch does not have that much speed we have nothing to lose and everything to gain so I say to CC give Taffe or Sexton a go.
 

kmr07

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He’s too shakey under the high ball to be a winger. You’re asking for trouble. Imo he’s a spine replacement. He could fill in at 9 if reed went down or hutch could go 9 and taafe 7, in that scenario
And he will get outjumped every time. Can you imagine Taaffe competing for a bomb with say Daniel Tupou or Xavier Coates? Lol
 

Freakzilla

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Having all 3 of Taaffe, Hayward & Morrin on the bench is a terrible decision.
 

Papa Joe

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Having all 3 of Taaffe, Hayward & Morrin on the bench is a terrible decision.
We know CC has changed the run on on side in every round this year 1 hour prior to kick off from what he named earlier in the week. I expect nothing different this week, and the team will change as it always has.

My guess is that Hayward comes out for another middle forward - preferably king, Curran goes back to the bench and at some stage Taaffe will replace Hutchinson at 7 and Hutch goes to lock.
 

Berries

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Ohh how silly was Gus signing utilities ?. . . :tearsofjoy: . . . Write an article about that, If ever you sobre up rothfield, you fuckwit !!
Almost every player in the NRL is a utility with the ones thekennel are claiming
Or maybe he knew all along but was easing him back from injury?
I’ll tell you again. Even a week too long was a week too long :(
 

TwinTurbo

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And he will get outjumped every time. Can you imagine Taaffe competing for a bomb with say Daniel Tupou or Xavier Coates? Lol
Shoot, I missed it, when did Tupou and Coates move to the Knights?


Always a Bulldog
 

Benno Bulldog

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According to your measure (at least 30 games), having only played 25 NRL games at fullback, Taaffe is not qualified to play fullback either.

For the record Taaffe has played 17 NSW Cup Games in the halves which is exactly the same number as he played at fullback. Of his 37 NRL games, a 3rd, 12 games have been off the bench filling in at multiple positions.

According to your measure (at least 30 games), with 17 games at fullback Tracey is not qualified to play fullback either.

FWIW the Taaffe Burton SOO games were Under 20's, in July 2019 so not yet 5 years ago. Only a couple of months more then Xerri hadn't played any RL at all.



Always a Bulldog
Agree im in the taffe to half camp. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Of course it is a risk to play taffe in the halves, but less of a risk than most think. We played Kyle in the halves, and we are at the cusp of a really good side with few tweaks full credit CC doing great job.
 

kmr07

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Shoot, I missed it, when did Tupou and Coates move to the Knights?


Always a Bulldog
Lol. So you want to select Taaffe to play on the wing against the knights and then drop him when we play against Storm or Roosters? Wake up, this is the NRL not Playstation
 

D- voice

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Hutch only concedes. Has he set any up? Legit question I can't remember him setting one up
CC knows what every player offers, I believe he deliberately selected better defensive players even if they were just slightly better in order to fix our defensive issues first.
After 6 weeks in the season it looks like we are ready to start getting our attack in order knowing our defence is !
It seems like Taaffe is on the bench in order to blend him in at 7,
Also seems CC is playing it safe by not chucking him in the deep end avoiding the possibility of ruining all the good work that had been achieved,
Incidentally,
While complaining about Hutch as a 7 we are overlooking a bigger problem, The Centre is yet to become a 5/8 :(
 

The DoggFather

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CC knows what every player offers, I believe he deliberately selected better defensive players even if they were just slightly better in order to fix our defensive issues first.
After 6 weeks in the season it looks like we are ready to start getting our attack in order knowing our defence is !
It seems like Taaffe is on the bench in order to blend him in at 7,
Also seems CC is playing it safe by not chucking him in the deep end avoiding the possibility of ruining all the good work that had been achieved,
Incidentally,
While complaining about Hutch as a 7 we are overlooking a bigger problem, The Centre is yet to become a 5/8 :(
He can't develop when the HB has NFI how to be a HB.

If not Taffee then Sexton deserves a decent crack. I just don't want CC to repeat another Perham prolonged dud experiment.
 

TwinTurbo

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Lol. So you want to select Taaffe to play on the wing against the knights and then drop him when we play against Storm or Roosters? Wake up, this is the NRL not Playstation
Please feel free to post up where I said I wanted Taaffe to play on the wing.


Always a Bulldog
 
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