New recruit Nick Meaney can help lead Bulldogs to bright future

[Blue&whiteAxe]

Since 1998 (22 GF's) only 3 fullbacks (Slater x 2, Inglis and Boyd) have won the Clive Churchill Medal (ie; lead their side to victory) whereas 8 x Forwards and 10 x Halves have won it. FFS the Cowboys won it in 2015 with Laclan Coote at Fullback, personally I'd have Hopoate over him anyday/everyday. They had Thurston, the "superstar" and good quality solid pack of forwards.

If Meaney is good enough then, as the year progresses, he will push his way into the team, if he isn't then he won't. In the interim Hopoate is the incumbant #1 and I see far worse Fullbacks in the NRL. I'd rate him above Dufty, Thompson, Wighton, Gordon, Edwards, Coote, Mbye and Gutherson.

Go Dogs

Well said! 100% agree.

 

[speedy2460]

He has Meaney I agree at times been bad in defending. But I’m betting that will change,, I like what he gives in attack and his speed will make people take notice. Another young enthusiastic player to add to our team can only be a plus. I imagine his not on big dollars and his Pays choice so looking forward to him having a go.

Good thing about Meaney is that he is still on the way up. Hoppa wont get any better.
It would be good to have some pace at the back.

 

[speedy2460]

Once Meaney puts some size on he will get more confidence in his tackling and will start using his shoulder.
All these keyboard coaches need to give the young bloke a chance..
If you watched the game on the weekend Hopoate is just too slow for fullback.
Whether you like it or not we are in a rebuilding period so give the young blokes a go.

People are jizzing about Hoppa making 140 metres in the test.
He made 20 runs for 140 metres. I think that equates to about 7 metres a run. One run was for 30 metres so his average gain was 5 metres a run.
Thats reserve grade standard.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Hoppa towards the end of the season was playing good football.

He's not a centre (that experiment failed), and as a winger he lacks pace.

 

[GA45]

Hoppa towards the end of the season was playing good football.

He's not a centre (that experiment failed), and as a winger he lacks pace.

Doesn’t matter where you play him you can’t hide his lack of pace. He’s not a consistent quality player at the back because of his lack of pace. We aren’t winning next season so let’s give Meaney a chance.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Doesn’t matter where you play him you can’t hide his lack of pace. He’s not a consistent quality player at the back because of his lack of pace. We aren’t winning next season so let’s give Meaney a chance.

So the only thing that matters with a fullback is how fast he can run? It doesn't mater how many tries he sets up? How many offloads he has? How many bombs he diffuses? How many metres he makes, both pre and post tackle? How many tackles he breaks? How hard he trains? How well he fits in with the rest of the team ? Follows the coaches instructions? Nope,. just how fast he can run, that's all that matters!

The way I look at a fullback has to be package and there are very few that are the complete package, have it all, whereas almost all are deficient in some way/ways. So far I haven't seen it, but if Meaney has more to offer then he can show it, he has to prove that he deserves to be picked and I'm sure he knows that, there's plenty of time, FFS pre season training hasn't even started.

The best Bulldogs team player I ever saw was Terry Lamb and I don't think anyone would claim he was the fastest half around, then or now. But what he offered was compelling, all that mattered was that the pluses outweighed the minuses. Of course, not that Hopoate is Lamb reincarnated.


Go Dogs

 

[Blue&whiteAxe]

So the only thing that matters with a fullback is how fast he can run? It doesn't mater how many tries he sets up? How many offloads he has? How many bombs he diffuses? How many metres he makes, both pre and post tackle? How many tackles he breaks? How hard he trains? How well he fits in with the rest of the team ? Follows the coaches instructions? Nope,. just how fast he can run, that's all that matters!

The way I look at a fullback has to be package and there are very few that are the complete package, have it all, whereas almost all are deficient in some way/ways. So far I haven't seen it, but if Meaney has more to offer then he can show it, he has to prove that he deserves to be picked and I'm sure he knows that, there's plenty of time, FFS pre season training hasn't even started.

The best Bulldogs team player I ever saw was Terry Lamb and I don't think anyone would claim he was the fastest half around, then or now. But what he offered was compelling, all that mattered was that the pluses outweighed the minuses. Of course, not that Hopoate is Lamb reincarnated.


Go Dogs

Well articulated. Got my full vote

 

[GA45]

So the only thing that matters with a fullback is how fast he can run? It doesn't mater how many tries he sets up? How many offloads he has? How many bombs he diffuses? How many metres he makes, both pre and post tackle? How many tackles he breaks? How hard he trains? How well he fits in with the rest of the team ? Follows the coaches instructions? Nope,. just how fast he can run, that's all that matters!

The way I look at a fullback has to be package and there are very few that are the complete package, have it all, whereas almost all are deficient in some way/ways. So far I haven't seen it, but if Meaney has more to offer then he can show it, he has to prove that he deserves to be picked and I'm sure he knows that, there's plenty of time, FFS pre season training hasn't even started.

The best Bulldogs team player I ever saw was Terry Lamb and I don't think anyone would claim he was the fastest half around, then or now. But what he offered was compelling, all that mattered was that the pluses outweighed the minuses. Of course, not that Hopoate is Lamb reincarnated.


Go Dogs

Have you actually watched him at the back ? The way you carry on about him you would think he saves 5 tries a game and sets up just as many while doing more then Billy Slater in between. Open your eyes the guy is average and has been from the very beginning he has one positive and that’s he makes meters so throw him on the wing and be done with it. Hes slow and boring give me someone else anyone will do at the back.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Have you actually watched him at the back ? The way you carry on about him you would think he saves 5 tries a game and sets up just as many while doing more then Billy Slater in between. Open your eyes the guy is average and has been from the very beginning he has one positive and that’s he makes meters so throw him on the wing and be done with it. Hes slow and boring give me someone else anyone will do at the back.

I don't believe that I am carrying on and my eyes are most certainly open. The undeniable fact is we don't have the salary cap space to fit a "better" fullback, they are "expensive". What we have is what we have until some space is freed up and unless something like Foran being granted medical retirement that's going to be the case for 2019, with not much space in 2020.

Personally of the current 16 NRL teams fullbacks I rate Hopoate around mid pack, which in our salary cap situation is pretty damn good. There are other positions where we are much worse off, maybe we should concentrate on fixing those first.

To clarify I don't recall saying that he "saves 5 tries a game" but he does set up more tries than anyone else in our team.

Go Dogs

 

[speedy2460]

Once Meaney puts some size on he will get more confidence in his tackling and will start using his shoulder.
All these keyboard coaches need to give the young bloke a chance..
If you watched the game on the weekend Hopoate is just too slow for fullback.
Whether you like it or not we are in a rebuilding period so give the young blokes a go.

Meaney is 90kgs. How big should a fullback be. If he puts on to much weight he will lose his speed.
He should have a good pre season and slot straight into fullback.

 

[2ndphase]

Meaney is 90kgs. How big should a fullback be. If he puts on to much weight he will lose his speed.
He should have a good pre season and slot straight into fullback.

Putting some muscle through the shoulders is not going to slow him down.
He is tall at 187 cm

 

[TwinTurbo]

Meaney is 90kgs. How big should a fullback be. If he puts on to much weight he will lose his speed.
He should have a good pre season and slot straight into fullback.

Putting some muscle through the shoulders is not going to slow him down.
He is tall at 187 cm

Tedesco is 180 cm and 96 kgs, so at 187 cm Meaney has room to grow.

Go Dogs

 

[Trafford10]

Have you actually watched him at the back ? The way you carry on about him you would think he saves 5 tries a game and sets up just as many while doing more then Billy Slater in between. Open your eyes the guy is average and has been from the very beginning he has one positive and that’s he makes meters so throw him on the wing and be done with it. Hes slow and boring give me someone else anyone will do at the back.

clueless.

 

[dogwhisperer]

Meaney reminds me of a very young Patten.

The kids has the potential to become a really good clubman.
It's really up to him. If he's hungry, persistant, looks after his body, he'll make it.

 

[Heckler]

Meaney reminds me of a very young Patten.

The kids has the potential to become a really good clubman.
It's really up to him. If he's hungry, persistant, looks after his body, he'll make it.

I agree. Fullback would have to be one of the hardest positions to play. He is ticking the right boxes so far. If he can continue and improve on his involvement in his limited career thus far, then its definitely worthwhile investing in him.

 

[GA45]

clueless.

If he’s such a great fullback why when we are shit is no one willing to take him off our hands. He’s overpayed and slow. No one in the nrl wants that on their roster at fullback. Call me clueless all you want but those saying he’s the best thing and is our only option at the back need to wake up.

 

[Bull Terrier]

For me if it’s a choice between Meaney and Hoppa at fullback I would have to go for Meaney.
Hoppa has been tried and tested at fullback and has more negs than positives. Has no pace and his defence is poor. I cannot remember the last time he saved a try for the dogs at fullback or brought the ball back from our end and made more than 10 metres that’s not saying that’s all I expect in a fullback to do but that to me is important. His Positives to me are his safe handling and offloads which are great but that’s all. Meaney on the other hand is a fullback. His defence needs a lot off work which I am sure the dogs will work on but he has speed which we haven’t had at the dogs at fullback and once he finds some combinations in our team he will become an exiting dogs player. I am predicting by the end of the season he will be our top try scorer. He has his critics on here fair enough but what’s important is this guy is young and enthusiastic and will be given his chance.

 

[Ant2611]

For me if it’s a choice between Meaney and Hoppa at fullback I would have to go for Meaney.
Hoppa has been tried and tested at fullback and has more negs than positives. Has no pace and his defence is poor. I cannot remember the last time he saved a try for the dogs at fullback or brought the ball back from our end and made more than 10 metres that’s not saying that’s all I expect in a fullback to do but that to me is important. His Positives to me are his safe handling and offloads which are great but that’s all. Meaney on the other hand is a fullback. His defence needs a lot off work which I am sure the dogs will work on but he has speed which we haven’t had at the dogs at fullback and once he finds some combinations in our team he will become an exiting dogs player. I am predicting by the end of the season he will be our top try scorer. He has his critics on here fair enough but what’s important is this guy is young and enthusiastic and will be given his chance.

And he comes from Ballina

 

[Trafford10]

If he’s such a great fullback why when we are shit is no one willing to take him off our hands. He’s overpayed and slow. No one in the nrl wants that on their roster at fullback. Call me clueless all you want but those saying he’s the best thing and is our only option at the back need to wake up.

Yep as I said clueless, like a teenage girl only interested in looking good. Who will do the hard yards?

When did the club want "someone to take him off out hands"? What the fuck are you talking about? Was Hoppa ever shopped around? No is the answer because if you didn't read the stats posted here on the kennel recently Hoppa would be a walk up start to any 17 in the NRL.

 

[wendog33]

Yep as I said clueless, like a teenage girl only interested in looking good. Who will do the hard yards?

When did the club want "someone to take him off out hands"? What the fuck are you talking about? Was Hoppa ever shopped around? No is the answer because if you didn't read the stats posted here on the kennel recently Hoppa would be a walk up start to any 17 in the NRL.

At fullback? Which teams?