The Great Fullback Debate

[deano the p]

No doubt former Penrith flyer Michael Gordon, a player with the experience of a State of Origin match under his belt, was recruited to the Sharks by coach Shane Flanagan with an eye to him playing the fullback position.

Equally adept as a winger and a man also capable playing in the centres, Gordon has made it clear his preference is to play at No 1, while Flanagan has indicated he will get first shot at securing the fullback position during the upcoming trials.

Potentially standing in his way however the elusive Nathan Gardner who missed most of 2012 following an ACL tear to his knee and a subsequent reconstruction. Now recovered and training strongly during the pre-season, Gardner will be out to make Flanagan’s decision a difficult one and would love his trial performances to be good enough to push Gordon away from his favoured spot.

Throw in Matt Wright, who did an outstanding job covering for the injured Gardner last year, Nathan Stapleton another to have played a number of games at the back during his 46-game NRL career, Stewart Mills, an outstanding custodian during his junior days and now over a series of frustrating injuries, not to mention new boy in Beau Ryan who handled the role more than adequately at the Tigers in 2012 when needed in the position and the decision may not be as clear cut as it may seem.

The fullback battle will therefore make for an intriguing battle during the pre-season trial matches over the coming weeks.

In paraphrasing the coach, Flanagan often states he doesn’t so much pick the team as the players select themselves through a combination of training attitude and effort and form on the field. That being said he is throwing down the gauntlet to all with aspirations of running out in the ‘1’ jersey against the Titians on March 10.

http://www.sharks.com.au/news-display/sharks/67459

 

[sharks2010]

My fluff-o-meter just blew up

 

[slide rule]

I'm already at Shark Park drooling.

 

[sharks2010]

I'm already at Shark Park drooling.

Hope you got "the cloth"

 

[SharksMichael]

I was expecting this to be a continuation of the Gardner thread.

 

[sharks2010]

Give it time and it will be

 

[JimBob]

They've also forgotten about another fullback option in Carney.

Don't think it'll happen but if they're going to include Mills and Stapleton as fullback options you may as well throw in Todd.

 

[A.Snowden]

They've also forgotten about another fullback option in Carney.

Don't think it'll happen but if they're going to include Mills and Stapleton as fullback options you may as well throw in Todd.

:inyouget

 

[JimBob]

:inyouget

I'm in no way saying that it'll happen or that it would be a good move.

Just saying that if they're going to include options that just won't happen in Mills and Stapleton they may as well add in all our candidates to make the challenge for our fullback seem bigger.

 

[sharks2010]

They've also forgotten about another fullback option in Carney.

Don't think it'll happen but if they're going to include Mills and Stapleton as fullback options you may as well throw in Todd.

I guess like the rest of the sane people they don't see him as a fullback option

 

[JimBob]

I guess like the rest of the sane people they don't see him as a fullback option

I'd say most sane people also wouldn't consider Mills or Stapleton as a fullback option what with the likes of Gordon, Gardner, M. Wright and Ryan in the team.

 

[sharks2010]

Stapo did ok at fullback
Atleast he made a line break and scored a try which is more then what wright did

 

[JimBob]

Stapo did ok at fullback
Atleast he made a line break and scored a try which is more then what wright did

Wright made plenty of line breaks... it was his lack of ability to score tries from said line breaks which was his problem

 

[SharkShocked]

Wright made plenty of line breaks... it was his lack of ability to score tries from said line breaks which was his problem

Thank Christ someone who watched the games.

 

[deano the p]

I'm already at Shark Park drooling.

:lmao

 

[deano the p]

Wright made plenty of line breaks... it was his lack of ability to score tries from said line breaks which was his problem

Thank Christ someone who watched the games.

We are SAVED there is a bloke who can make a line break but can't score off them! I hear that Gardner bloke is pretty good at both.

 

[SharkShocked]

That would be when Gardner isn't kicking the ball into his own posts?

It just shows that the criticism of Wright should be about his speed / elusiveness rather than his ability to make a break. Because early on last year he made breaks with size not with speed.

Gordon will make breaks with both and be able to capitalise. Without gifting tries to the opposition.

So why again do we want Gardner?

 

[deano the p]

So we have more than one player capable of doing so.

 

[Thresher]

Gardner will play better in a better team, which is something that I think we'll be this year.

It'll take the pressure off, enable him to build some confidence and give him more opportunities in broken play

 

[SharkShocked]

$10 says half way through the year when he hasn't played a game at fullback the bloke is actively looking for another club and we get rumours about it from his management.