The Burton conundrum

[NPC83]

LOL. What about the other attacking kicks that have led to numerous tries (and the vision required to even know they're on)
In terms of tries, try assists and linebreak assists his stats are decent compared to the other playmakers in the comp....and remember we were playing Desball for the first 10 rounds of the year. Yes he needs to improve but let's not pretend all he does is bombs

Don’t waste your time explaining to some people mate. It’s a very short sighted place at times the old kennel. An no offence intended Craig I just agree with Family guys comments.

 

[soc123_au]

He needs to work out what he is and concentrate on that. This year he was expected to be the savior and he just isn't that player yet.

The comments that his running game is fine because of last year is way off the mark. If for some reason you lose him would you go after Tago as your new 6? Of course not. He was a great runner in the lower grades, but it doesn't always transition into 1st grade.. Last year he was running lines and doing a great job. Luai feeding him with Kiks outside as a threat made it pretty easy. Tago is doing a similar job this year. His strength was adjusting his line as he was getting the ball to find extra space. A skill not really relevant to a 6 more often than not. For you guys to pay him what you will need to and make him a center won't work without decent halves. Your only option is 6, 7 or 1, at least until 2024 depending on who else you sign.

Watching him this year he doesn't go into the line before passing. To be effective in the role he is playing now he needs to aim for something like Foran at his peak. If he could do that he would be worth the coin. Either that or learn the organizing, not sure he has the personality for that.

I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out next year. An offseason with the new coaching staff could be just what he needs. Give him 2 or 3 things to concentrate on doing well and get some other fucker to do something as well. As long he is expected to do it all it wont work.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

He needs to work out what he is and concentrate on that. This year he was expected to be the savior and he just isn't that player yet.

The comments that his running game is fine because of last year is way off the mark. If for some reason you lose him would you go after Tago as your new 6? Of course not. He was a great runner in the lower grades, but it doesn't always transition into 1st grade.. Last year he was running lines and doing a great job. Luai feeding him with Kiks outside as a threat made it pretty easy. Tago is doing a similar job this year. His strength was adjusting his line as he was getting the ball to find extra space. A skill not really relevant to a 6 more often than not. For you guys to pay him what you will need to and make him a center won't work without decent halves. Your only option is 6, 7 or 1, at least until 2024 depending on who else you sign.

Watching him this year he doesn't go into the line before passing. To be effective in the role he is playing now he needs to aim for something like Foran at his peak. If he could do that he would be worth the coin. Either that or learn the organizing, not sure he has the personality for that.

I am looking forward to seeing how it pans out next year. An offseason with the new coaching staff could be just what he needs. Give him 2 or 3 things to concentrate on doing well and get some other fucker to do something as well. As long he is expected to do it all it wont work.

His ballplaying has been absolutely non existent for us, was this the story with him in the lower grades at Penrith or is it more a reflection of where we're at as a club. Personally I think he's better suited to fullback.

 

[Blueandwhiteblood1968]

By all account we’ve made a sizeable offer to retain Matt Burton to be our long term five-eighth for the next five years. Like many others, I’m pleased that we’re locking our future into a bright young player. But there’s still a pressing issue with Burton that I don’t think we know the answer to yet, other than his kicking range (vertically and horizontally) what skill does he do so well that we are basically making him our marquee signing for the next five years.

Before everyone get’s their pitchforks out, I’d hate to lose this kid. He’s literally the most exciting player we’ve had since Ben Barba. His signature presents a bigger problem in my opinion; who do you pair him with? From what we’ve seen this season he doesn’t have the organisational ability to play the seven role and be paired with a Dylan Brown or Cody Walker type player. On the flip side, his running game isn’t on the same level as elite 5/8s such as Walker, Brown, Wighton, Luai and Munster. Is this kid’s left boot really the reason we’re about to give him close to a million dollar a season?

The weird thing is I’d still give it to him. We can’t afford to lose this kid. But I still don’t know who I’d want to be his partner in the halves. Everyone is crying out for a new 7 to organise the team but I’m not convinced of Burton’s ability to run at the defence. If he’s our primary attacking player we’re not gonna be a great attacking team.

And that’s the conundrum. How many halfbacks are there that can organise a team and be the primary attacking threat? Literally none. Maybe Hynes and Hughes but they’re locked up long term. Are we better off throwing Burton at 7 and betting that he can learn to organise a team while we pair him with a player who can be our focal point in attack? The three best 6s off contract next year are Walker, Munster and Brown. The three 7s are Hunt, Brooks and Hastings.

Let me know your opinions.

His defence is fucking woeful also, just saying.

 

[Dogs Of War]

His defence is fucking woeful also, just saying.

That’s on what happen in the off-season. I think fitness and defence work will be all we do this off-season. Not winning the comp next year. But we can fix the basics and get ready for a real tilt in 24.

 

[2144superman]

His ballplaying has been absolutely non existent for us, was this the story with him in the lower grades at Penrith or is it more a reflection of where we're at as a club. Personally I think he's better suited to fullback.

He is not a ball player full stop. The bulldogs should be going all out for Moses so Burton can kick really high on the last tackle and have everyone fanning over it.

 

[Dogtime]

Settle down.

Burto will grow into his skin. Burto was never signed a a hail mary saviour. Ala Forandesgate.

Trust Gus the slug to find a suitable 7 and all the pieces will come together.

Most 6's in the comp would struggle with the likes of Junk and Flanagun partneting ypu in the spine.

What brand of cheap whiskey you drinking? Lots of skin, slugs, junk and Flanaguns puts me off footy a bit.
Burton isn't a 6, so he'd struggle with any 7 I feel. It's just with better players around him his shortcomings would be papered over.
Townsend was very interesting on Fox Footy tonight. A real dedicated rugby league tragic there, who was hand picked by Cows Coach to do a particular job for his side and he's excelling. I hadn't really thought of Townsend as elite until this year. Goes to show we could find a 6 or 7 to do a job for us.
My concern is Ciraldo coming next year, new training drills, new fitness regimes, new defence and attack systems, we won't gel until maybe round 12.....starting all over again ...so tedious, further papering over Burtons shortcomings.

 

[Disposable Hero]

What brand of cheap whiskey you drinking? Lots of skin, slugs, junk and Flanaguns puts me off footy a bit.
Burton isn't a 6, so he'd struggle with any 7 I feel. It's just with better players around him his shortcomings would be papered over.
Townsend was very interesting on Fox Footy tonight. A real dedicated rugby league tragic there, who was hand picked by Cows Coach to do a particular job for his side and he's excelling. I hadn't really thought of Townsend as elite until this year. Goes to show we could find a 6 or 7 to do a job for us.
My concern is Ciraldo coming next year, new training drills, new fitness regimes, new defence and attack systems, we won't gel until maybe round 12.....starting all over again ...so tedious, further papering over Burtons shortcomings.

Lets not mention the weekend drinking.

I agree Burto does not meet the picture of what a 6 is at the moment. They all said JT was too small for NRL. Think of Burto as the saggy baggy elephant. Let him grow and become the shining 6 we all want him to be!

Townsend has been underrated for some years. Even after winning a GF at the sharks? Was not givon the credit due. We will see how the cows go

Townsend would be a huge upgrade on Flanagun and knows how to direct a team around the park. Well he schooled flanagun a couple weeks ago.

Who knows maybe in a few years flanagun could be a townsend2.0?

As for Ciraldo. None of us know what to expect. I believe on this one. Aim low so your genuinely excited when the good things happen!

 

[Menteek]

I think burton is going to really hit his straps with CC next year. Just remember fitness and mentality is two of the biggest cores in a premiership team.
If you have those then you can always count on players stepping up to the spotlight and winning games.

what we have right now with potter is a team that is now emotionally feeling good since baz left and it’s starting to wear off. Having CC come in next year will definitely improve that as it’s a new environment for them having a new coaching structure.

Plus we have most of the team having created good combinations, so brining in reed to the spine definitely allows the boys to have another attacking option.

Forwards are What we are going to struggle for if we don’t sign someone to replace Paul… every game we won or were winning and lost was because our forward pack got the meters and allowed burton and the team to score points

 

[soc123_au]

His ballplaying has been absolutely non existent for us, was this the story with him in the lower grades at Penrith or is it more a reflection of where we're at as a club. Personally I think he's better suited to fullback.

His ball playing was serviceable, but he was more of a threat running or setting others up via a kick. I saw enough to think that he could be an above average ball player given some time. Lots of players look the goods in the lower grades then struggle stepping up though. I still think he will be a gun, it just may not be at 6, or if it is then it's a few years off.

 

[TwinTurbo]

It seems pretty obvious to me that Townsend was recruited by Payton to perform a very important but actually quite small (for a halfback) role in the team and to the strengths of the players around him. He plays very well within the limits that Payton has set for him, looking at his stats simply confirms what is easily observed. For example, forced drop outs are obviously something Payton demanded from him and he has somewhat delivered with 14 in 22 games. Compared to say only 2 tries against 19 try assists and 12 line break assists, obviously the objective is to help others score tries and make breaks not to score them himself. His average running at 50 metres per game is hardly top level, but that's not his job. Similarly, his tackling effectiveness at 87% is not stellar. He does the things that the team needs him to do very well and there is no demand on him to do the things that he doesn't do very well. Payton has him playing to a very simple game plan, where have we heard that before.

If we ask pretty much anyone they would say that Townsend is doing a great job for the Cowboys, which he is, but his role is limited by what he can do, the fact is he is not an all round quality halfback. What is obvious is that Payton has him and the team playing to a plan that suites his talents and skills whilst at the same time doesn't require him to do things that he simply can not do.

Always a Bulldog