Tom Carter - love him, loath him or something in between?

[TheRiddler]

A valued poster has recently taken offence at the amount of Tom Carter baiting that takes place on this site. I am sure that for the large part, this is just a bit of juvenile fun. To prove me wrong or right, let me know your true thoughts.

 

[waratahjesus]

as an un-valued poster, i think he is a great squad player for any super 14 team. He is never going to set the world on fire as a superstar but he is never going to let you down. no squad has 22 superstars and you need solid back up like tom to compete.

 

[DPK]

I think Carter has been played out of position for much of this year, and I agree with wj that, somewhat like Hangers, he's a dependable worker.

 

[wamberal]

His older brother Ed got all the talent in the family. Tom is a carthorse.

 

[Jethro Tah]

As a Tahs fan I see him "something in between". He certainly belongs in the game day squad, in the run on side or on the bench depending on the style of game the backline want to play. As a Wallabys fan I prefer other players ahead of him.

Let the juvenile fun continue!

 

[Blue]

he is never going to let you down.

Funny that. My neighbour says the same about his Golden Retriever. Fine animal.

 

[Scarfman]

He's got to be the average player doesn't he? 1.0 Carters and all that? Otherwise, my calculations are all wrong and I'll have to start again.

 

[RugbyReg]

I can understand why coaches like him. I'm sure he's very dedicated and trains very hard, chats well to the sponsors, looks after his body.

But...

on the actual field, I think he's very average. I sometimes think he's another Steve Kefu, but I think Kefu frustrated me more because I think he actually had some skills. I'm not sure Carter does.

 

[DPK]

OK, who voted "totally overated". That has to be a wind up.

 

[Reddy!]

I think Waratah Jesus is Tom Carter, although this has probably been said before.

 

[Gagger]

Just recently watched the 2001 Bledisloes, with Nathan Grey at 12.

I saw no "second play making" or silky skills, gelled hair or sook faces. Just a big bloke who would chase the footy and smash other blokes. Sounds a fair bit like Tommy C, without the Monkey Cloud.

Oh yeah, that year we won the Tri-Nations, Bledisloe, Mandela Plate and Lions series. Last year we won fuck all.

 

[Sully]

Grey was about 2.5 TomCarters

 

[RugbyReg]

Grey had Larkham inside him, not Hangers.

Grey also had surprising speed, a decent boot and ferocious (not adequate, FEROCIOUS) defence.

 

[Pfitzy]

Point taken though Gagger - this woopsy bloody notion of a second play maker can fuck off back to NZ where it resides (how many World Cups have they won recently?). I like Carter for that - he can hit the channel off his old Uni mate Hangers all day long, and get over the gain line. Then the rest pour through like molten steel.

 

[tranquility]

The Nathan Grey model of hard-running 12 was and probably still is (what is he 40 now?) a far superior model to TC.

Regardless of who is playing inside or outside him.

NG played some tests at 10, TC couldn't play for a colts side at 10.

 

[cyclopath]

He's got to be the average player doesn't he? 1.0 Carters and all that? Otherwise, my calculations are all wrong and I'll have to start again.

Scarfy, you have no perspective with all the SNK man-love, I'm sorry to say. TC is a solid addition to any squad. But no more.

 

[Cutter]

His older brother Ed got all the talent in the family. Tom is a carthorse.

Disagree. Charlie was the talent.

Tom is a solid squad player but not suited for expansive rugby. He would have done very well under John Connolly when Qld played 10 man rugby.

 

[Gagger]

Nostalgia was better in my day as well.

Having just watched the test last night, Greysie did a great job of trucking it up, belting blokes and chasing kicks. But the rest you're dreaming about. His one kick sailed 20m out on the full. His tests at 10 were out of screaming necessity (Larkham tape failure), not choice, and there was a reason his career didn't progress further in that position.

But that isn't a slur on NPG, it's just not what his job or skills were. I look at the 4 merry-go-round contenders for the Wallaby 12 jumper - Gits, Sook face, Britney and Trip-Hop - and none of them can do the job Grey could.

So who could in Australia right now, if you needed that game plan? T Carter and A Finger are the only two candidates.

I'm not saying 1.0 Carters = 1.0 Greys, but I am saying that there's a big role for someone who can do what he does well, in any squad. Everyone on here (including the Queenslanders now) seem to think Link is a coaching messiah. Ask yourself why he, and Les Kiss, publicly rate Carter so highly.

 

[Biffo]

His older brother Ed got all the talent in the family. Tom is a carthorse.

Disagree. Charlie was the talent.

Tom is a solid squad player but not suited for expansive rugby. He would have done very well under John Connolly when Qld played 10 man rugby.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. That's ten. What does a 12 do in ten man rugby?

 

[Cutter]

Chase and tackle. Carter is very good at that.