Coaching staff don't seem to be too worried about his workload. Would've thought with his preseason you'd give him some more help in the ruck.
He has been well supported! Haven’t you noticed one P Ambrose?
If there's one thing Disco knows, it's talls.Well, as long as they stay injury free. Unlike Pears, Gumby, D Daniher. But when you think what we've got, how Brown and Hartley look, and then at players we've "lost" like Jenkins, Crameri, Ryder, Richards - then yes, he's damn good with the talls.But the one’s you mentioned were all very talented, they just didn’t work out because of injuries, being a flog or weren’t given game time.
Who out of all those had only average talent in your opinion?
I was being tongue in cheek.Of course he couldn’t predict those injuries!
Talls are hard, yet his hit rate is pretty damn good. A lot of the misses are due to injury, or weren’t particularly high picks so always long odds. Guys like Neagle, Still, Johns, Gregory, Lucy all cost 3rd round picks or worse. Cartledge and Lee were the only two second rounders, but both outside the top 25 picks. His “worse” tall picks in terms of high picks would probably be Bolton and Bradley, but both still made 100 games. Bradley was picked in an absolute rubbish draft and was near as good as available, and Bolton I’m not 100% sure Dodorro was in charge (1997 draft, was that Judkins?).
With the top picks, I can’t think of another non-injury failure. Guys like Laycock, Pears, Jacobs, Gumby were all (mostly) failures due to injuries. Ryder, Hurley, Carlisle and J. Daniher were the other top 25 picks he used on talls, and all have been successes.
But with mid-range picks he got players like Hille, Richards, Jacobs, and with later picks he got Hooker, Bellchambers, Jenkins and Crameri. I know that’s over 15+ years, but a rate of one top level tall from mid-late picks every 2-3 drafts (more if not for injuries) isn’t shabby at all.
Dodoro didn’t want Bradley but Sheedy overruled him. Sheeds thought he was going to be a superstar, Jackets wasn’t convinced. Jackets deserves great credit with his next pick - Stanton, who was a super get in what you quite rightly called a rubbish draft.
Interesting, I’ve never even heard a rumour of that. Who did Dodoro want? Because Stanton was (I think) the next actual success out of that draft anyway. Or did he just want to take Stanton earlier?
He wanted Kane Tenace. Another seemingly talented player that didn’t come on. Apparently there was quite an argument over that one.
To be fair, Bradley was probably the better option. Both pretty mediocre.
The same people hanging ■■■■ on Looneyberger were probably howling for Giles to be put into the side last season.
What, you’re saying they are right?
No doubt his tap work has been really good, but I would really love to see him take a mark around the ground. I just dont see him influencing enough marking contests around the ground. Especially the long down the line kick out of the backline. I think he really needs to give us more as a senior player.Not everyone is going to be Todd Goldstein unfortunately.Leuenberger is exceeding all expectations so far.
He did that when he managed to stay on the field!Unless his disposal improves, he’s a liability around the ground. So there are definitely caveats on his performance to date.
The biggest caveat to date, is the date, week 4 of a brand new season, in a brand new club.
The same people hanging ■■■■ on Looneyberger were probably howling for Giles to be put into the side last season.What, you’re saying they are right?
Hmm. Only if you think Giles should have been in the side. I recall hearing he was so far off it we really didn’t have a choice but to use Smack and Ambrose.
To be fair, Bradley was probably the better option. Both pretty mediocre.
Agree! We just played him out of position every time he played in the seniors!
To be fair, Bradley was probably the better option. Both pretty mediocre.Agree! We just played him out of position every time he played in the seniors!
Yeah unfortunately centre half bench never quite came on as a tactical masterstroke
The same people hanging ■■■■ on Looneyberger were probably howling for Giles to be put into the side last season.What, you’re saying they are right?
Hmm. Only if you think Giles should have been in the side. I recall hearing he was so far off it we really didn’t have a choice but to use Smack and Ambrose.
I recall watching him play and him not being so far off it, that we had to ruck Ambrose.
Leuenberger has never been strong overhead, and if anyone had bothered to watch him play over the past decade they would be aware of this. His tap work however is sublime and he is very mobile - could not have expected anything better from him IMO -he has massively boosted our success in extracting the ball from stoppages. Those expecting him to roam around clunking like Stef Martin will be forever disappointed. Great pick-up.
In the event that TBC gets back to his best I would love to see him and Daniher tag team our ruck role. If that’s the case I struggle to see a role for Leuenberger.
In the event that TBC gets back to his best I would love to see him and Daniher tag team our ruck role. If that's the case I struggle to see a role for Leuenberger.
Leuenberger is a much much better ruckman. If we get Watson et al back watch how we smash teams in the middle
Leuenberger and Bellchambers will be our 1 and 2 ruck.
Be interesting to see what happens next year
I dont think you can play daniher/luey/belly/hooker/brown in the one side
You’d think we may go with hooker/brown/daniher as our talls up forward. If you add belly to that mix, or even replace brown with belly it becomes too slow. I really hope brown locks down a forward spot, because we need a athletic mobile mid sized forward like him to compliment hooker and daniher
Somehow he finds himself as a link player through the middle, then gets all funbles McPhee.
Been good to have him though. Looks like a big unit
Bellchambers will be back up to Leuey as main ruck and back up to JD as fwd/ruck IMO
Lacks the tap out ability Leuey has. Lacks the mobility JD has.
I think he’s been great. Actually hits to advantage.
I think he's been great. Actually hits to advantage.
One trick pony though.
I think he's been great. Actually hits to advantage.One trick pony though.
A very effective trick
He must have fired off 4 or 5 handballs in that north game to blokes on the run that actually found their target.
THAT is genuine improvement from week to week.