Declan Casey debut

[Dogs Life]

It was an unfortunate debut. A gamble taken by the coaching staff that didn’t pay off.
Declan has potential and will have to lick his wounds and focus on the positives. He is a young man and wasn’t ready to take the step.
He will return and he will be better for the experience. I expect them to blood 3 or 4 more juniors in preparation for 2023/24.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Well in that case I retract my finger pointing on the coaches. Just a shame he had to debut in a poor game like that.

Would need to now prove he has very good handling skills on lower grades to get another chance. May not happen but good luck to him.

We didn't really have any other options with Okunbor and Lumelume being just as bad, Alamoti injured and Burns returning from injury. I probably would've have Toia ahead of him though but he has been in and out of the team injured recently but played this week. I saw this coming from Casey though, he's absolute rubbish.

 

[Longtimedog]

What’s the latest on Tui Katoa? He impressed me on how much he improved each week when he was last in the first grade team

Playing for Mounties but still contracted to us. I believe we have to supply Mounties 5 players or something like that as part of the partnership.

 

[D0GMATIC]

If he see's a replay of that game,He will knock himself out again

 

[diddly]

Huh? So which one is it then?

We didn't really have any other options with Okunbor and Lumelume being just as bad, Alamoti injured and Burns returning from injury. I probably would've have Toia ahead of him though but he has been in and out of the team injured recently but played this week. I saw this coming from Casey though, he's absolute rubbish.

Im not judging Casey on yesterdays performance but on the more than dozen times iv seen him play since 2019 - occasionally he shows a glimpse of brilliance but generally its a mistake after mistake and poor defence.

 

[Longtimedog]

Declan Casey has had issues with his catching over the past 2 seasons. Particularly in the trial against the Sharks last year and the first game against Newcastle in NSW Cup last year. He was playing fullback most of the time.
This year ad a centre and winger he had improved a lot and been fairly decent most games. Unfortunately he blew his chance and shouldn’t play NRL until such time as he shows he has rectified his handling issues. Unfortunately Knockonbur and Lume Lume are as bad or even worse.
Knockonbur’s career as a winger should end. Time to try him as a back rower and teach him to use his shoulders to tackle.

 

[B-Town Lad]

Playing for Mounties but still contracted to us. I believe we have to supply Mounties 5 players or something like that as part of the partnership.

Thanks for the info. Maybe we can supply them with Declan and recall Tui

 

[Hulk76]

Braidon Burns back on the wing to add some size and someone tall to kick to, and Kiraz to centre. Hope Declan is alright, but that was a train wreck to watch.

 

[proudtobeabulldog]

Cant help but feel sorry for the kid. Once he dropped the first one his confidence was low and it was downhill from there

 

[Gene Krupa]

Did Gus or Harry debut him?

They will be blaming each other.

 

[JUNKYARD DOGS]

I thought Burns was average in the reserve grade game yesterday.
How long is Allen out for, he’s turned a corner which is good to see. Hopefully the injuries stay to a minimum.

 

[Phalangist]

St.declans pray for him!

 

[Bob dog]

Hope the guys ok, was off the pace in the water logged but went ok in the trial, gotta start somewhere.

 

[kmr07]

I thought Burns was average in the reserve grade game yesterday.
How long is Allen out for, he’s turned a corner which is good to see. Hopefully the injuries stay to a minimum.

Burns is actually a decent back up. He’s not the fastest but he has good hands and knows how to put his winger away. Yesterday in NSW cup he got Okunbor away a few times (but Okunbor either got chased down or dropped the ball)

 

[senshidog]

Burns straight into centre next game inside of Kiraz. Will be a decent edge that way.

Casey was way out of his depth, but with other injuries (or returns from injury only this week) was always next to debut.

Unfortunately conditions were not kind to him, and that'll dent his confidence. This is something Tim Mannah in NSW Cup mentioned the other week when the other commentator queried why Jackson Topine wasn't in first grade. He mentioned you should never debut a player when a teams on a losing run because its not a good environment to debut them in.

With 2 wins only, on a dry track the call might have been a safe one, but in torrential conditions, it was only ever going to end badly.

That said was impressed with Averillo yesterday not dropping a single ball.

 

[AlzzBulldog]

We didn't really have any other options with Okunbor and Lumelume being just as bad, Alamoti injured and Burns returning from injury. I probably would've have Toia ahead of him though but he has been in and out of the team injured recently but played this week. I saw this coming from Casey though, he's absolute rubbish.

Should’ve chose lume lume just cause he has size…. But anyone coming in yesterday was on a hiding to nothing with the conditions

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Should’ve chose lume lume just cause he has size…. But anyone coming in yesterday was on a hiding to nothing with the conditions

Lumelume is terrible though...I don't know why we signed him and said it at the time, surely there were better options available than him?

 

[dogsballs]

It seems a pattern with us always having trouble finding two top class wingers, has been a problem for a long time well before this season.

 

[cookieman909]

It seems a pattern with us always having trouble finding two top class wingers, has been a problem for a long time well before this season.

If only we kept that other young bloke we had last year, what was his name? Cotric? Still makes no sense to me why we sold him, I know people say salary cap, but we didn’t need cap space for this season. Dumb decision.

 

[Mackdoggies]

Lumelume is terrible though...I don't know why we signed him and said it at the time, surely there were better options available than him?

Has no impact on us. He isn’t top 30 so he’s not taking up cap space.