Harry Grant

[Jedi_Tiger]

shows you how good Johns was, he could defend and organise and attack and also have that clutch play when needed. So good he could play hooker for kangaroos and Blues when needed

 

[TigerSJ]

It is hard to judge how any player's game might change with the team he is playing with - obviously if you are surrounded by Turkeys it's hard to soar like and Eagle! My view is if you have the attributes physically, the skills and the mental toughness and attitude of a champion - then you are going to be a champion wherever you play. The question is for how long and to what standard are you able to reach.
Absolutely no doubt that if you play with great players in a successful team and culture, you are far more likely to reach your full potential. I think Teddy is a perfect example of this, and probably the contrary could be said for some of the lean years with Benji when there were fewer quality players around him. Is young Flanagan a superstar? or is he a quality young kid doing a solid job in a great team?

 

[jirskyr]

He starts with an established good side, containing some of the GOATs, then leaves for the only other team that has a strike rate anywhere near as good as Melbourne’s. I can understand that but can’t respect it, nor can I respect his comments.

My interpretation is that Cronk is basically saying that he was a decent half back only, and that he had to play in great teams in order to make him look good.

Accordingly, if he played in a struggle-street team like the Tigers, his career would probably have lasted only 100 games or so.

Which means, that if he had joined the WT instead of Easts a few years back, his lack of greatness would have been obvious to all and his reputation would have been tarnished.

In providing his self-serving advice to Grant (which he dresses up as "fatherly" advice to a rookie) he not only denigrates our club and our coach, he also denigrates himself as a player.

However, Harry Grant is more than just a decent dummy half. Rather, he appears destined for greatness, and I would back him to shine in any company. Unlike Cronk, he doesn't need great players around him to make him look good.

Think you’re being a bit harsh on Cronks ability he was a terrific halfback. His career would’ve been different if we was at a weaker club no doubt but he was still fantastic as a player, showed it at origin level and Australian level too.

Cronk is a very smart footballer with a good kicking game that surrounded himself with the best players his entire career. If he had have chosen the Wests Tigers rather than the Melbourne Storm I don't think he'd have had the storied career he has.

It was never tested. Cronk literally never played in a dud side his entire life, always stacked with talent, always someone else to step up if he did not or could not. Luke Keary won the two GFs for Roosters, not Cronk, though he contributed.

It's like the old Bennett question, could he win with a non-Brisbane team. Some might argue he's dirtied his record with general failures at Knights and Broncos 2nd stint (I wouldn't call 2019 at Souths a failure). But some might argue that to get St George to the premiership proves how good Bennett is/was.

The corollary to the Cronk question is that I wonder how good Brooks would be perceived, or how his career would be going, if he was the Roosters halfback and not the Tigers.

 

[WT2K]

Haven't read the whole topic. My conclusion though is that Cronk is a flog.

 

[JD Tiger]

It is hard to judge how any player's game might change with the team he is playing with - obviously if you are surrounded by Turkeys it's hard to soar like and Eagle! My view is if you have the attributes physically, the skills and the mental toughness and attitude of a champion - then you are going to be a champion wherever you play. The question is for how long and to what standard are you able to reach.
Absolutely no doubt that if you play with great players in a successful team and culture, you are far more likely to reach your full potential. I think Teddy is a perfect example of this, and probably the contrary could be said for some of the lean years with Benji when there were fewer quality players around him. Is young Flanagan a superstar? or is he a quality young kid doing a solid job in a great team?

Teddy was great even when he was with us, and by far the standout in our team. I dont think he's become that much better, he has achieved more because of the higher quality team around him.

Im not actually sure there's any player who is that good that they can lift a whole team. Not playing the game now anyway.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

To give you an idea about how this bloke rates himself and his opinion, you only needed look at his website.

 

[JD Tiger]

To give you an idea about how this bloke rates himself and his opinion, you only needed look at his website.

Seems to be down atm, such a pity

 

[JC99]

Madge with a comeback against coopers comments... ‘coop hasn’t seen what we’re building here’.

 

[Bee-Em]

He starts with an established good side, containing some of the GOATs, then leaves for the only other team that has a strike rate anywhere near as good as Melbourne’s. I can understand that but can’t respect it, nor can I respect his comments.

My interpretation is that Cronk is basically saying that he was a decent half back only, and that he had to play in great teams in order to make him look good.

Accordingly, if he played in a struggle-street team like the Tigers, his career would probably have lasted only 100 games or so.

Which means, that if he had joined the WT instead of Easts a few years back, his lack of greatness would have been obvious to all and his reputation would have been tarnished.

In providing his self-serving advice to Grant (which he dresses up as "fatherly" advice to a rookie) he not only denigrates our club and our coach, he also denigrates himself as a player.

However, Harry Grant is more than just a decent dummy half. Rather, he appears destined for greatness, and I would back him to shine in any company. Unlike Cronk, he doesn't need great players around him to make him look good.

Think you’re being a bit harsh on Cronks ability he was a terrific halfback. His career would’ve been different if we was at a weaker club no doubt but he was still fantastic as a player, showed it at origin level and Australian level too.

He proved that he was a reliable robot as well for Origin and Australia with more great players around him.

The two words to describe Cronk that come to mind are reliable and consistant.

Nothing else imo.

Not many halves in the modern game are reliable and consistent though that’s my point. Bloke didn’t have a bad game playing one of the hardest positions. Incredibly smart footballer who rarely ever made errors out on the field

We know all that....the point is how good would he have been, how many errors would he have made, how many of his kicks would have been scored off...

IF HE HAD PLAYED FOR THE TITANS?

Would have been about as good as Ashley Taylor imo.

No chance sure he might not win premiershipa but his kicking game, passing game and game management are top notch doesn’t matter what team he’s in

No doubting Cronks skills, and looking at his game management abilities he'd probably make a good coach one day.

But for a healthy game, his comments probably weren't his best. If we want to stick with 3 or 4 teams always having an advantage, keep stacking them up with the best. League then will never be an even competition.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Madge with a comeback against coopers comments... ‘coop hasn’t seen what we’re building here’.

A big shiny new COE!

 

[851]

Madge with a comeback against coopers comments... ‘coop hasn’t seen what we’re building here’.

The video of Madge telling it how it is
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/07/03/madges-mission-to-build-wests-tigers-temple/

 

[JC99]

He starts with an established good side, containing some of the GOATs, then leaves for the only other team that has a strike rate anywhere near as good as Melbourne’s. I can understand that but can’t respect it, nor can I respect his comments.

My interpretation is that Cronk is basically saying that he was a decent half back only, and that he had to play in great teams in order to make him look good.

Accordingly, if he played in a struggle-street team like the Tigers, his career would probably have lasted only 100 games or so.

Which means, that if he had joined the WT instead of Easts a few years back, his lack of greatness would have been obvious to all and his reputation would have been tarnished.

In providing his self-serving advice to Grant (which he dresses up as "fatherly" advice to a rookie) he not only denigrates our club and our coach, he also denigrates himself as a player.

However, Harry Grant is more than just a decent dummy half. Rather, he appears destined for greatness, and I would back him to shine in any company. Unlike Cronk, he doesn't need great players around him to make him look good.

Think you’re being a bit harsh on Cronks ability he was a terrific halfback. His career would’ve been different if we was at a weaker club no doubt but he was still fantastic as a player, showed it at origin level and Australian level too.

He proved that he was a reliable robot as well for Origin and Australia with more great players around him.

The two words to describe Cronk that come to mind are reliable and consistant.

Nothing else imo.

Not many halves in the modern game are reliable and consistent though that’s my point. Bloke didn’t have a bad game playing one of the hardest positions. Incredibly smart footballer who rarely ever made errors out on the field

We know all that....the point is how good would he have been, how many errors would he have made, how many of his kicks would have been scored off...

IF HE HAD PLAYED FOR THE TITANS?

Would have been about as good as Ashley Taylor imo.

No chance sure he might not win premiershipa but his kicking game, passing game and game management are top notch doesn’t matter what team he’s in

No doubting Cronks skills, and looking at his game management abilities he'd probably make a good coach one day.

But for a healthy game, his comments probably weren't his best. If we want to stick with 3 or 4 teams always having an advantage, keep stacking them up with the best. League then will never be an even competition.

Yeah I agree

 

[avocadoontoast]

Madge with a comeback against coopers comments... ‘coop hasn’t seen what we’re building here’.

The video of Madge telling it how it is
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/07/03/madges-mission-to-build-wests-tigers-temple/

Really hoping this is the beginning of our upward trajectory. We’ve waited long enough.

 

[JC99]

Madge with a comeback against coopers comments... ‘coop hasn’t seen what we’re building here’.

The video of Madge telling it how it is
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/07/03/madges-mission-to-build-wests-tigers-temple/

Really hoping this is the beginning of our upward trajectory. We’ve waited long enough.

Would be so good to win three in a row that would be massive for the boys and the club just to prove they can do it. Next two weeks are far more winnable games as well

 

[jirskyr]

To give you an idea about how this bloke rates himself and his opinion, you only needed look at his website.

Seems to be down atm, such a pity

Been down for years hasn't it? He copped a lot of... feedback... and took it down.

 

[JD Tiger]

To give you an idea about how this bloke rates himself and his opinion, you only needed look at his website.

Seems to be down atm, such a pity

Been down for years hasn't it? He copped a lot of... feedback... and took it down.

You're probably right. I only just heard about it from this forum and went looking.

 

[earl]

He starts with an established good side, containing some of the GOATs, then leaves for the only other team that has a strike rate anywhere near as good as Melbourne’s. I can understand that but can’t respect it, nor can I respect his comments.

My interpretation is that Cronk is basically saying that he was a decent half back only, and that he had to play in great teams in order to make him look good.

Accordingly, if he played in a struggle-street team like the Tigers, his career would probably have lasted only 100 games or so.

Which means, that if he had joined the WT instead of Easts a few years back, his lack of greatness would have been obvious to all and his reputation would have been tarnished.

In providing his self-serving advice to Grant (which he dresses up as "fatherly" advice to a rookie) he not only denigrates our club and our coach, he also denigrates himself as a player.

However, Harry Grant is more than just a decent dummy half. Rather, he appears destined for greatness, and I would back him to shine in any company. Unlike Cronk, he doesn't need great players around him to make him look good.

Think you’re being a bit harsh on Cronks ability he was a terrific halfback. His career would’ve been different if we was at a weaker club no doubt but he was still fantastic as a player, showed it at origin level and Australian level too.

He took the easy road when he left Melbourne
A great player can shine at any club

He wasn't a great player. I can see the point of his argument. If you are an average player and you become an automatic selection with a top quality team who rort the salary cap your career may in appearances be better than it could have been at a different club.

A great player though is a completely different story.

 

[diedpretty]

Interesting article :


Harry Grant: How he cheated death and rose to be a rookie sensation in the NRL
Rookie sensation Harry Grant spent two years fighting first for his life, and then for his future. It helps explain the resolve that has made him one of the stars of the 2020 season.

Brent Read, The Australian
Subscriber only
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July 4, 2020 7:00am
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'Sign him for life'
NRL: Kevin Walters hopes the Wests Tigers sign Harry Grant for life after the young dummy half scored a terrific try against the Bulldogs.
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The words have never left Paul Grant. Standing in a hospital corridor, he and wife Margie were being told to brace for the worst. There was every chance their youngest son Harry wouldn’t make it through the night.

“They prepared us for him to be brown bread in the hospital,” Paul Grant says.

“They thought he was dead. It was a harrowing time. It happened so quick. I was doing shift work at the time. He rang up and said he was crook.

“Two nights later he was in intensive care and they were saying he probably won’t get out of this. As you can understand, if you get told your youngest son isn’t going to see the night out at 12 years old, that will never leave you.



Harry Grant has been a revelation for the Wests Tigers this season. Picture: Getty Images
Harry Grant has been a revelation for the Wests Tigers this season. Picture: Getty Images
“I am very lucky. I have a real good mate who is a doctor – Scott Cooling. I bounced things off him for a little while. He was unreal.

“I reckon he was the bloke who got him through. He was telling me what I should be asking the doctor. He was giving me a heads up on what should and shouldn’t be happening. (Harry) was on antibiotics for almost five months.

“He had three operations on it to scrape the infection out of it. It was pretty intense stuff.”

Having staved off a staph infection and stared down the Pearly Gates, Harry Grant was confronted by another devastating setback not long after.

“Then the useless bugger tipped over an all-terrain vehicle – they were clubbies and they were mucking around at the beach,” Paul Grant recalls.

“It came down crashing on his leg. He had a compound fracture. She was swinging in the breeze. There wasn’t anything holding it – just a bit of tendon. He did a proper job on it.

“That was another 12 months.”

Terry Hansen, Grant’s former coach at St Brendan’s College Yeppoon, adds: “Get him to show you his leg — it is a horrific thing.”

Grant spent two years fighting first for his life, and then for his future. It helps explain the resolve that has made him one of the stars of the 2020 season.

Harry Grant almost died due to a staph infection when he was 12. Picture: Getty Images
Harry Grant almost died due to a staph infection when he was 12. Picture: Getty Images
For as long as anyone can remember, Grant would walk around with a football under one arm and a surfboard under the other.

When rugby league was taken away, surfing became his distraction. When his body was rebuilt, rugby league once again took priority.

“We are a footy family,” Paul Grant says. “We have four boys – they all play. The missus was a netballer but we talked her into it – she got her (rugby league) coach’s certificate.

“She coached them when they were little. Once they hit 11 or 12, I took over. We are a pretty hard family. There wasn’t a lot of sympathy.

“You see young blokes get a start and (stuff) it up by doing something silly. I just said to him you have the rest of your life to drink grog, you only have 10 years to play footy. He is switched on. He knows what he wants.”

Seemingly always has, although it hasn’t quite panned out exactly how Harry would have liked. Now might be a good time to look away if you are a Broncos supporter.

Grant grew up a Brisbane fan, worshipping at the altar of Darren Lockyer. The Broncos are going through some well-documented woes at the moment and the ensuing comments won’t lighten the mood.

“For a while there, I thought Darren Lockyer was his old man,” Paul Grant says.


“He loved them. He cherished the Broncos and Darren Lockyer. He would have played for them bastards for nothing. Not now though – got rid of all that Broncos stuff.”

Brisbane never took got wind of Grant’s affinity for the club. Instead, Melbourne recruitment guru Paul Bunn was the man who got the jump on his rivals.

To be fair, he had the inside running. Bunn has known the Grant family for as long as most can remember, well before Harry or any of his brothers were born.

“I have had a long association with the family – his mum, dad, aunties, uncles,” Bunn says.

“I am going back 30 or 40 years. My brother went out with his auntie and all that stuff. Then his dad came to town to play footy for the Yeppoon Seagulls and I was coaching there.

“I got to know Piggy (Paul Grant) really well. Harry’s uncle played in the team. When I went to Redcliffe I took his uncle and Piggy with me. He could play himself.

“He did nerve damage in his shoulder. He only played a couple of games. But those games he was on fire.

“He would have easily been one of the better players in the Brisbane comp. I remember when I was working at the Broncs I went over to watch (Harry) play an under 12 primary school competition.


“He got injured so I didn’t see much of him. But I saw plenty of him at barbecues around the place. He was always kicking a ball around in the backyard with his brothers and some friends. He was carving up them.

“He said to me I am going to play NRL when I grow up. I said if I am still working as a recruitment guy I will come back and sign you.

“When he got to 17, we put him on a contract at the Storm, He has been with us ever since.”

Bunn got regular updates as well through Hanson.

“He was in my first team for two years in grades 11 and 12,” Hanson said. “He was great for me. What Harry has always been good at – he is very good on the green lights.

“He will wait until there is a marker on the ground or someone has their back turned.

“He knows when to go and when not to go. I always thought he was pretty special. I had a gut feeling about Harry. When he was a kid, he went through some horrific stuff.

“He was fairly determined. We trained really hard up here. He still did extras.

“He had a dream and he was going to make it happen, no matter what.”

Grant has had to be patient, biding his time behind Cameron Smith at the Storm, using his time to watch, learn and hone his craft.


He has been a star in the Queensland Cup in recent years, playing for Melbourne’s feeder club and waiting for his chance. Remarkably, few rival clubs came knocking.

Grant’s patience finally wore out at the end of last year. With no end in sight for the ageless Smith, Grant and his long-time agent Col Davis approached the Storm in the off-season about a loan deal that would allow him to spend a year at the Wests Tigers.

“He came to us and said I am signed here for three more years, but I think I am ready to play above Queensland Cup,” Bunn says.

“He has a British passport and we sounded out some English clubs. That didn’t work out. So we found a bloke at the Tigers who used to work with us.

“Through a conversation with him we came up with a deal to play first grade.”

That bloke was Tigers recruitment analyst Scott Woodward.

“It was just a matter of getting an opportunity,” Paul Grant says.

“You hear a lot of people say when they talk about putting new teams in (the NRL) that there is not enough players.

“There are heaps of players in that Queensland Cup. I think if Harry had been with another club he would certainly have got a chance a lot earlier.

“When you are stuck behind the best No 9 in the world, what do you do.”


So good has Grant been, there has been talk of him leaving Melbourne if Smith decides to go round next year.

The Storm have no desire to let him go, but that won’t stop rivals beating a path to their door. The Tigers are keeping money aside just in case.

The Bulldogs are watching with interest. No doubt, other clubs are circling. Less than 10 games into his first grade career, Grant is being spoken about as a contender for the Queensland side later this year.

“He knows he is coming back,” Bunn says. “He wants to come back. He loves living in Melbourne. He will play State of Origin. He is Origin class. At some stage I would say he would be in a maroon jersey, it not this year than next year.

“He will end up in a green (and gold) jersey as well.”

The Storm’s determination to hold onto Grant won’t stop the questions being asked. Not when he keeps playing like he has.

Grant has been a revelation in a Tigers side that has infiltrated the top eight – he is running second behind North Queensland behemoth Jason Taumalolo in the Dally M Medal voting.



“I am sort of hoping Cameron Smith goes around again,” Paul Grant says. “He will get triple (the money) he is on. He will be right. Whatever happens, happens. It will work out.

“It is not all about the money. Melbourne have been good. He will be happy if he has to go back there.”

As for the prospect of his son playing Origin, Paul Grant is somewhat torn. He is a staunch NSW supporter, having been born south of the border.

The vast majority of the extended family is based in Port Macquarie. Harry considers the place a second home.

“I might have to wear my first Queensland jersey ever,” Paul said.

“I always said if one of them made it I would change my allegiance. That is the only way I will turn. Right through to grade 12 in high school, every time you saw him he would have footy in his hands.

“He has worked hard. It hasn’t been easy. He just wants it.”


Interesting that his Dad is hoping Smith plays on so that Harry can up his worth - that would suggest that the rumour of a get out clause is real.

 

[Russell]

That article doesn't sound promising that he will stay on.

 

[tony soprano]

Poor deal he is currently on very one sided for Melbourne god knows why he signed a deal for that long a crap money.