Re: Melbournes half backs? : Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:40 am  

jonny the leyther wrote:

Really? I stand corrected then, I didn't think Finch would move to a club where he wouldn't be the starting 7 is all.

He hasn't played 7 for years.

I can't think of one NRL club were he'd be a automatic starter.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:16 am  

Maybe Finch could come off the bench, for a backrow replacement, and play Widdop at 13 or something, other than that....... he's just a replacement, because Smith, Slater, Cronk and Widdop do the full 80 mins, why fix a winning half back partnership?

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:47 pm  

At the Wigan awards dinner last week Finch said he wasn't now in his career where he once was. He is now thinking about his career after "Footy".
He will be back up for the half backs and wouldn't surprise me if he does a bit of coaching with the younger guys too.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:34 pm  

Finch said on Storm TV that he wants to start his coaching career at the Storm. He'll be taking over from Cronk during Origin.

And Widdop isn't quick enough to play fullback. He's a stand-off half for sure, and nowhere else. Possibly a fulcrum.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:03 pm  

OzWelsh wrote:

And Widdop isn't quick enough to play fullback. He's a stand-off half for sure, and nowhere else. Possibly a fulcrum.

Widdop played at full back in the U20s and was originally being trained up to take over from Slater. Has Bellamy's intentions now changed?

If you went to a video uloading site and typed in
STORMS U20 GRAND FINAL _09_.mpg

you'll see him at FB.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:35 pm  

Bellamy has changed his mind over his best position, he more or less said so in a press conference last year.

He's not sharp enough over a short distance, and possibly not naturally strong enough.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:30 pm  

Melbourne poached a kid named Kurt Mann from the Knights NYC team.
Kurt has played for Qld junior sides as a fullback and halfback and was in the Knights under 18s that won a national title in 2011.
He has another year of under 20s, but they poached him with a big contract for a junior and i think he is there as a future playmaker at either 1 or 7 - maybe 2014.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Fri Feb 22, 2013 11:42 am  

Finch has been signed i think just to cover injuries and to replace cronk around origin. also maybe Bellamy just trying to get a ready made coach for when he retires

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:01 pm  

Dutchy the fax fan wrote:

Finch has been signed i think just to cover injuries and to replace cronk around origin. also maybe Bellamy just trying to get a ready made coach for when he retires

I'm not so sure. David Kidlwell is on the coaching staff already for that role. But we'll see.

Re: Melbournes half backs? : Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:15 pm  

I wasn't overly impressed with Widdop in the WCC.