Matt Groat @ Dragons

[Demps]

I was watching the NRL pre-season show on Fox Sports the other day and it was the dragons episode.

I saw some gnarly looking tough guy and couldn't put my finger on who it was.
Got me thinking and finally realized it's our old mate Matt Groat.


In the footage, he seems to have lost a bit of the puppy fat and really bulked up.
Could just be the haircut and goatee though.


I absolutely despise the dragons and rarely watch their games unless they're against us or another team I'm backing (this year, it's the panthers).

But I do think he'll be an improver, no doubt he struggled whilst with us and got beat up a bit. It's always the kids that get bullied that come back stronger and with more skills than ever to defend their selves. (Benjimagic / Milky )

Thoughts ?

 

[system]

He was great last year for the NSW Cup side.

Always going to be a guy who needed a proper development path. Not just dropped in as a result of poor planning to get destroyed

 

[alexaki]

I was watching the NRL pre-season show on Fox Sports the other day and it was the dragons episode.

I saw some gnarly looking tough guy and couldn't put my finger on who it was.
Got me thinking and finally realized it's our old mate Matt Groat.


In the footage, he seems to have lost a bit of the puppy fat and really bulked up.
Could just be the haircut and goatee though.


I absolutely despise the dragons and rarely watch their games unless they're against us or another team I'm backing (this year, it's the panthers).

But I do think he'll be an improver, no doubt he struggled whilst with us and got beat up a bit. It's always the kids that get bullied that come back stronger and with more skills than ever to defend their selves. (Benjimagic / Milky )

Thoughts ?

Nice tattoo…we have much better props on our books than him...

 

[GNR4LIFE]

No big loss

 

[innsaneink]

Will be interesting to see what a change of scenery/club can do for him.

Tossed into the deep end here …way before his time

 

[MacDougall]

I've said it before. This guy will come good and if his newly improved physique is any indication it'll be soon. You don't captain the Australian schoolboys as a prop for nothing (least I think he did). He was arguably the most heralded footy player in his age group, and tbh he was actually very solid for us early in his career.

I still agree with not resigning him given the situation though. I just expect to see him do well.

 

[Justo]

I wish him all the luck in the world (except against us). He deserves it.

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[pHyR3]

No big loss

dont say that!

next minute he'll be playing for the Blues and Australia….

 

[MacDougall]

Can't wait to see him line up against Te'o again. Hopefully he's grown a pair and hunts the prick down.

 

[softlaw]

Can't wait to see him line up against Te'o again. Hopefully he's grown a pair and hunts the prick down.

Agreed completely!

 

[Irvine]

I've said it before. This guy will come good and if his newly improved physique is any indication it'll be soon. You don't captain the Australian schoolboys as a prop for nothing (least I think he did). He was arguably the most heralded footy player in his age group, and tbh he was actually very solid for us early in his career.

I still agree with not resigning him given the situation though. I just expect to see him do well.

He played Aust schoolboys two years in a row but never captained them. Either way not many players do that. Potter had something against him and never gave him a go at all last year. Not even half a game!
One NSW cup game I watched on TV he was man of the match but he was never going to get a look in no matter how good he played. Groat didn't have a choice but to move on.

 

[underdog]

I've said it before. This guy will come good and if his newly improved physique is any indication it'll be soon. You don't captain the Australian schoolboys as a prop for nothing (least I think he did). He was arguably the most heralded footy player in his age group, and tbh he was actually very solid for us early in his career.

I still agree with not resigning him given the situation though. I just expect to see him do well.

He played Aust schoolboys two years in a row but never captained them. Either way not many players do that. Potter had something against him and never gave him a go at all last year. Not even half a game!
One NSW cup game I watched on TV he was man of the match but he was never going to get a look in no matter how good he played. Groat didn't have a choice but to move on.

Yeah man, that Potter.

He's bloody clueless he is.

:crazy

 

[pHyR3]

I've said it before. This guy will come good and if his newly improved physique is any indication it'll be soon. You don't captain the Australian schoolboys as a prop for nothing (least I think he did). He was arguably the most heralded footy player in his age group, and tbh he was actually very solid for us early in his career.

I still agree with not resigning him given the situation though. I just expect to see him do well.

He played Aust schoolboys two years in a row but never captained them. Either way not many players do that. Potter had something against him and never gave him a go at all last year. Not even half a game!
One NSW cup game I watched on TV he was man of the match but he was never going to get a look in no matter how good he played. Groat didn't have a choice but to move on.

or you know….. that 2nd tier salary cap restriction that also stopped him playing Brooks

 

[Irvine]

Yeah man, that Potter.

He's bloody clueless he is.

:crazy

Didn't say he was clueless I said Potter didn't like Groat.

or you know….. that 2nd tier salary cap restriction that also stopped him playing Brooks

Nope wrong not on 2nd tier was top 25 player.

 

[pHyR3]

how do you know that??

 

[southerntiger]

I've said it before. This guy will come good and if his newly improved physique is any indication it'll be soon. You don't captain the Australian schoolboys as a prop for nothing (least I think he did). He was arguably the most heralded footy player in his age group, and tbh he was actually very solid for us early in his career.

I still agree with not resigning him given the situation though. I just expect to see him do well.

Yep. Will be a very good player. The haters will regret this one. Cant wait.

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[Cultured_Bogan]

Always liked Groat, thought his short lived career at the Tigers was due to a knee jerk reaction from Sheens to drop him in the deep end after selling off our front row for Blair.

For him to see bugger all FG after that shot from Te'o stunted his career. I think we will see a better player at St George this year. You can't keep them all though and Potter has made a decision and I am comfortable with that.

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[LaT]

He was great last year for the NSW Cup side.

Always going to be a guy who needed a proper development path. Not just dropped in as a result of poor planning to get destroyed

Its always amazed me the way people write off certain players so early in their career, as if they aren't making huge impact in their first year they must be crap.

Especially forwards, they take time. People need to stop blow their wad so quickly over rookies.

 

[innsaneink]

He emerged with Woods and with the instant impact Woods had from day one - Groat was always going to be compared to him and thus on a hiding to nothing, on top of being thrown in at the deep end by Sheens…wouldnt surprise to see him improve though he'll find it tough at Saints, as he did here....in a pack with no go forward

 

[Knuckles]

Always had a high opinion of Groat … He'll go well at St.George.