Munster to Fullback in 2019?

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It’s a funny one - in the short term I think the club are better off with him at five-eighth but in the long term I think it’s better off if he plays fullback.

What many people might not have considered though is how much more dangerous he’s going to be as a fullback now.

He’s had a year learning how to play first receiver, set players through gaps and work on a kicking game.

If Munster moves back to fullback he can try all those things with more time and space in his preferred position.
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https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... e960bffef9

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Melbourne Storm’s three-way fullback race heats up
Simon Brunsdon, Fox Sports
13 Feb 2019

There’s a three-way race underway in Melbourne to decide who will be the man to step into Billy Slater’s shoes.

Aspiring Storm fullbacks Jahrome Hughes, Scott Drinkwater, and Ryan Papenhuyzen are locked in a battle for the club’s No.1 jumper, worn most famously by the man many consider the game’s greatest ever custodian.

They boast a total 18 NRL games’ experience between them — the great majority from Hughes — but they are the men Craig Bellamy hopes can fill the void left by Slater’s retirement.

With about a month left to decide on his Round 1 line-up, it’s understood Bellamy genuinely hasn’t landed on a new No.1.

“We’ve got a couple of young fullbacks pushing for that spot with Scott Drinkwater and Ryan Papenhuysen as well,” Hughes said on Wednesday.

“I think it’s competition but it’s good competition. We’re all trying to put our best foot forward for that position.

“It’s open now that Billy’s gone so I’ve just got to keep working hard at my game and hopefully get that spot.

“Obviously that was a goal of mine. I knew it wasn’t going to come easy.”

Hughes’ NRL career to date has been stop-start.

He’s been plagued by injury and his 17 games have been shared across Gold Coast, North Queensland, and Melbourne.

Of his three pre-seasons at the Storm he still hasn’t been able to complete a full one. His first two because of injury, and this current one because of a post-season tour and now the All Stars camp.

It means he has never completed one of Bellamy’s famous pre-season boot camps, said to be one of the toughest pre-season exercises in the NRL.

“I just want to get it out of the way,” he laughs.

But that time spent in rehab may have been a blessing in disguise.

When he arrived at Melbourne at the end of 2016, he found Slater sitting on the bike alongside him in the rehabilitation rooms.

“When I first came down he was injured as well so we spent a lot of time in rehab together which was good,” Hughes said.

“Just to be around him, especially with my injury, just to see how he got through his injury was massive for me and helped me get through mine.

“You can learn so much off him. He’s always teaching. Even when he was playing he was always coaching us.

“He’s still around to get those tips off. He comes back to the club now and then to help out with our attack.

“But if I do ever need anything I’ll just drop him a text and he always gets back to me which is awesome to have.”

Slater is working with AFL club St Kilda since his retirement from rugby league, but will be on hand if Hughes or the other fullback hopefuls need a helping hand.
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yourhero
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Looks like Munster will stay at 6 (right decision IMO).

Hughes appears to have the inside track to the fullback spot but will have to perform well in pre-season and trials to sure it up over Drinkwater.

I'm excited either way.
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I get why but it sucks for Munster that he's too good a 5/8th to go back to the position where he was the best in the league at.

Club has done a poor job in recruiting good halves.
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I think the club put a lot of eggs in the Croft basket and assumed that he would be able to carry a halves partner to play as a second (or third - if you count Smithy) playmaker.
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blazza18 wrote: Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:05 pm I get why but it sucks for Munster that he's too good a 5/8th to go back to the position where he was the best in the league at.

Club has done a poor job in recruiting good halves.
I reckon there is a real lack of quality young halves league wide right now.

If we had unlimited funds, which half would you throw the kitchen sink at? Ponga maybe but he's not proven in the halves yet. Cleary? Maybe. I just don't think there is much out there which is considerably better than Croft and certainly not Munster.
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The lack of quality halves around the league make it even stranger that we've pretty much turned all would be halves into fullbacks in recent times.
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Its the other way around! I reckon they are fullbacks being maybe turned into halves. (Munster, Ponga, J Hughes, Milford, etc etc). I can't think of many examples of halves becoming fullbacks.
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Yes I know there are multiple examples of turning fullbacks to 5/8's arond the league but I'm specifically talking halfback options for us here.

For example Drinkwater was the Australian schoolboys halfback. Signs for us and is playing fullback for Easts. I'm not sure why this happened, I just find it interesting that we've done it considering how strong we are at fullback compared to halfback.
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To blazza's point RE Drinkwater and others: they may have a preference for playing fullback that has stuck with them from their junior days. It may be the case that the most talented younger players gravitate toward playing FB as there is significant patience and maturity required to play in the halves while the FB position allows players to be more flashy and noticeable to prospective scouts. At FB they would also have to do a lot less defending in the middle which would appeal to smaller players who rely more on skill and speed: attributes that would otherwise make them good halves.
Doesn't really explain why they would elect to play FB when there is clearly an easier path to first grade if they play well in the halves. You would think that the clear demand would inform the supply, but it doesn't appear to do so in this case.
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Drinkwater has played plenty of footy in the halves at reserve grade level. Might just be that we're giving him some time at fullback to help his development by playing another position.
Mattpoet
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My feeling is that fullback was the vacant spot in Q Cup and he just starred there. I think the plan was for him to be a half before that. I may be wrong though.
blazza18
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That's probably right, Matt. My feeling on it is if Bellamy wanted him to be in the halves he would've been in the halves.
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yourhero
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https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... ill-burns/

Munster set for six, but fullback fire still burns

Obviously Munster still has a strong preference to play in the 1 but will do his job for the team and play where we need him to. Hopefully he doesn't become bitter over it.
blazza18
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He's doing well to not make this a big deal but it's clear he's not too happy about it imo.
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