General Is the Metcalf experience to halves over?

[John Nick]

I forget who said it as just skimmed the whole thread. But Metcalf holding the club ransom for the halfback jersey is certainly an opinion

They obviously have enough trust and or have seen him do stuff at training etc. that they see him hopefully developing into a 7 or they wouldn't be giving him the jersey. Is it translating onto the field at present? Not particularly if we are talking Metcalf alone as a halfback, but we are still winning games with a new halves pairing who only have 100 odd games between them.

The half's market is hot sick atm, and Boyd or TMM are not long term options at least from a rebuild standpoint IMO. Good seasoned stop gap measures that any club would be lucky to be able to call upon no doubt. I'm sure others may see it differently.

If by the end of the season not much has changed and we are 12-14th by all means, but six games in and in the top 8 is peak Warriors forum.

Good segment re guys moving to 7 on Coops & Johns last night.Great insight for those newbies to the position.

 

[Muddogz]

Still undecided on him, particularly around his ability to read the game, but he needs a bit of time to work it out.

He’s got a bigger upside than both Boyd and Martin so he’s worth persevering with for now.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I guess the question is, how long will we persist? Our halves were absolutely exposed against a quality side, painting the picture that these halves will 100% not win us a comp. It’s not the halves fault why we lost on the weekend, there’s a bunch of reasons why, but our halves certainly didn’t help.

Metcalf took the line on, but couldn’t break it (except the final run). He didn’t create anything for others either. He didn’t kick long, he didn’t create opportunities or wrestle back momentum as a good 7 should do when our backs are against the wall.

Metcalfs stats this year:

Tries 3 (60%)
Try assist 2 (40%)
Line break 1 (20%)
Line break assist 2 (40%)

No one in the warriors is in the top 30 for line breaks. Metcalf isn’t In the top 30 for any statistic.

I have backed Metcalf to be that guy, and he may well become that guy, eventually. But are we willing to throw away the 2025 season in the hope of this? Or, do we play him in his natural position of 6 & bring in a traditional 7 in Boyd?

Metcalf is a damaging ball runner, he needs to go back to what works for him, and take the pressure off organising. Boyd loves that shit, and just let Metcalf play. It’s getting to the point where it’s more about ego, “this is my team, im a halfback”. No, you’re one of the most damaging ball runners In the comp who has yet to learn how to direct a team around the park.

We need to back our halves, but for how long?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

But are we willing to throw away the 2025 season in the hope of this?

We are 6th on the ladder. Better than 75% of our season in the last 10 years, but you think we deserve to be higher on the ladder and its our halves holding us back?

 

[Inruin]

We are 6th on the ladder. Better than 75% of our season in the last 10 years, but you think we deserve to be higher on the ladder and its our halves holding us back?

yet you continue to question our second row?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

yet you continue to question our second row?

2nd rowers aren't spine players. They can be swapped in and out with little disruption to the team like props. AFBs meters have easily been absorbed by the team. Also we dont deserve to be higher on the ladder precisely because of things like our crap 2nd row.

We are doing better with Metcalfs 1st year than SJ's last...

 

[Warriorsfan92]

We are 6th on the ladder. Better than 75% of our season in the last 10 years, but you think we deserve to be higher on the ladder and it’s our halves holding us back?

I agree. It’s a Great discussion. I think what the Melbourne game showed was there’s daylight between the best teams & us. We’ve been smashed by the good teams & beaten middle table teams. Hence why I said our halves were exposed. If you look at the tries we’ve scored, Metcalf hasn’t been apart of that.

Essentially I think our halves are serviceable. They can do a job. But can do a job get us into the 8? We’re 6th currently but by this time next week we could drop to 9th if we lose and all the favourites win.

We have the 11th best points differential, and have had a bye, given us an extra 2 points. Without the bye we’d be sitting 9th. After next week, without the bye if we lose (I’m assuming we do), we’d be in the bottom 4.

The free 2 points has given a mirage on how we’re going. We’re a middle of the table side, with a terrible points differential. If the halves aren’t the issue, then who is?

 

[Inruin]

2nd rowers aren't spine players. They can be swapped in and out with little disruption to the team like props. AFBs meters have easily been absorbed by the team. Also we dont deserve to be higher on the ladder precisely because of things like our crap 2nd row.

We are doing better with Metcalfs 1st year than SJ's last...

ah I see... so the team winning thing is only if it suits your argument. Lets see what the difference not having JFH has.

You also are confusing team result with individual performance.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Look at the impact taking Tanah out of the cup side had. He was the only change made to that side & they had their first loss. Te Maire looked mediocre at best without Tanah steering the ship.

 

[Inruin]

Look at the impact taking Tanah out of the cup side had. He was the only change made to that side & they had their first loss. Te Maire looked mediocre at best without Tanah steering the ship.

also no Ale and Afoa in the side versus the defending champs. Forward platform was less to work with.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

The free 2 points has given a mirage on how we’re going. We’re a middle of the table side, with a terrible points differential. If the halves aren’t the issue, then who is?

We have the worst defensive player in the comp at 2nd row as well as the most overpaid, a back up FB on one wing and our 3rd choice centre on the other. I get that CHT and Metcalf arent the best halves combo in the game but are they playing above their experience and pay-packet? I think yes.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

ah I see... so the team winning thing is only if it suits your argument. Lets see what the difference not having JFH has.

You also are confusing team result with individual performance.

What is the collective name for the 1,6,7,9? Notice that no other positions are included in that?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

also no Ale and Afoa in the side versus the defending champs. Forward platform was less to work with.

Ale was injured 2 weeks ago. And bunty isn’t an elite prop. Against a good side yes but they looked directionless

 

[Inruin]

What is the collective name for the 1,6,7,9? Notice that no other positions are included in that?

Doesn't stop people rightfully identifying individual performance. We are doing better than last season where we had a 7 playing on one leg and a busted Tohu. Wow, talk about a low bar.

 

[Inruin]

Ale was injured 2 weeks ago. And bunty isn’t an elite prop. Against a good side yes but they looked directionless

Still two of our best forwards in Cup missing

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Wow, talk about a low bar.

Thats kinda my point, we are improving with the changes that have been made.

 

[Inruin]

Thats kinda my point, we are improving with the changes that have been made.

or in spite of?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

or in spite of?

fair

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Age is just a number in his case, he's still got a lot of improvement left as the sharks held him back once we signed him and missing 30 odd games over two seasons here with injury - without that he'd have the same number of games (in the halves) as CHT who is looking increasingly solid.

Who the fuck else are we going to get anyway? they just signed a double leg amputee as that's who was available.

Cappy should put a contract in front of him now while he's battling a bit, if he has a run of good games the price will only go up.

Some of yous carry on like we should be winning every game - we are in a rebuild, the team got too old last year, and now it has to be corrected, metcalf is part of that correction.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

We’re trying to turn Metcalf into a 7. The comparable running 7s in the comp are:

Hughes
Campbell
Hynes
Cleary
Luai

I’ve done some nerdy analysis, if you’re curious. It will be on the next post. I’ve compared to the top running 7s numbers.