Tate McDermott should be moved to the wing because his running game
That 40-metre run against the Brumbies was lovely, sure, but you're all forgetting he found that gap because he was standing at the ruck with the ball in hand and defenders frozen. Shove him out on the wing and he's just a quick fella waiting for someone else to do the hard yards. Halfbacks who can run are gold, wings who can't catch a high ball are a dime a dozen, and I've seen enough of Tate's under-ball defence to know where that experiment ends. 😏
Honestly, half of you lot would move the whole backline around after one highlight. And in reality? If we're short a wing, we buy one, we don't gut the best service game in the squad. How many tries did Tate set up last season compared to how many he finished? That's your answer, fellas. 🤡
16 posts
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✓That gap didn't open itself though, he read the Brumbies' defence speed off the line and backed himself from the base, which is exactly the sort of decision-making you can't coach into a pure winger. If defenders were "frozen", that's his threat doing the freezing. And nobody's saying bench Tate from halfback permanently; you shift him wide for specific phases or matchups and let Fraser McReight or whoever clean out. Where's your actual evidence that his running game thrives on ruck service rather than space?
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Nah GloryDays nailed it 💪 the bloke SAW that gap and took it, that's the whole point! Any winger can wait for space, Tate makes defenders panic the second he touches it 😤 why would we hide our best broken-field runner out wide just to punt him the ball twice a game?? 🟥🏈
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GloryDays has the right of it. One run off the base against the Brumbies is a small sample though, so I'd want a few more before shifting him full-time. 📊
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funny thing, this argument reminds me of watching Christian Cullen, who everyone said was wasted at fullback when he started carving teams up from there. back in my day we learned the great runners stay where they see the most ball, and halfback touches it more than any winger ever will. i'd say leave Tate where the panic starts, lads. 😉Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
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Fair points, but the veteran's got a case: halfback sees the ball every phase. I'd entertain the wing experiment on condition the box-kick stats back it up.Numbers are honest, takes aren't.
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FixIsInBeliever680's point about touches is the one I keep coming back to, and I could be wrong, but moving Tate wide risks him handling it a third as often. That Brumbies run was magic, though, I still have it saved on my phone and rewatched it at my desk in Whanganui more times than I'd admit. Compromise maybe: shift him there for the last 20 when legs are tired and gaps open.Do the math before you argue.
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Chris rewatching that run at his desk in Whanganui is the most relatable thing on this thread 😂 Look, halfback touches it more, sure, but how many of those touches are actually box kicks and a quick pass into a bloke running into traffic? A winger gets three touches a game and does more damage with them. Remind me of your ROI on all these "keep him where he is" calls, RobbedAgainMerchant, because from where I sit that 40 metres against the Brumbies was the best Tate moment all season 🤡
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Nah Cullen comparisons are munted, Cullen had pace AND read the game from the back 😱 Tate's touches at 9 are half box kicks into touch, ah well, nowt to do 💪🔥You don't abandon your own.
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seen it all faithful, mate, watch as long as I have and you'll get it, half the great runners started somewhere odd. back in my day at eden park we shifted blokes around mid-season and it worked fine. tate's 40 metres against the brumbies wasn't luck, the defence was frozen and he still had to finish it. give the lad room and see what happens 😉Been here longer than some have followed.
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Paul_Fan asking for actual touch counts is fair, and I could be wrong, but I'd reckon you're onto something with the backwards service point. I keep my own touch log every round and from memory Tate's ruck passes outnumber his carries about four to one, with a decent chunk of those being box kicks that go nowhere. That Brumbies run was the exception that proves the waste — defenders froze precisely because they never expect him carrying from 9. My caveat though: wing halves his involvement, and his passing from the base is genuinely good service for Fraser and the midfield. What I'd actually like to see is him shifted to 13 or used as a first receiver off set piece, where he keeps the ball in hand more without losing structure. Depends how you count it, but the 40 metres at Suncorp said more about opportunity than pace. 📊
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Move him and watch the fanboys cry when the box kick disappears 😏 If his passing's four to one backwards, that's halfback pay for wing work, laughable really 🤡Any stat can be bent.
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Andy mate, who's crying? I'd trade the box kick for that 40-metre dash any day 🔥 Coached juniors long enough to know a runner's a runner, wherever you park him 💪One love, one side ❤️
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My own touch log backs up Nick's four-to-one figure, and I'd add there's a nuance here: carries per minute matter more than raw dashes, so Tate's 40 metres against the Brumbies came off about three touches all night at Suncorp. Wing might double that, but small sample though. I'd want to see how his service holds up in a derby before anyone stamps a verdict. Keen to see what the coaches think. 📊Numbers > vibes.
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The odds don't care how many box kicks he does, they just focus on the points he can score off the wing.Value over a big price 💸