Pat Richards was pretty average till he went to the ESL too.
He got better with time, and I think it's vey fair to say Josh has been on a steep learning curve in the last 3 years.
He was a fair amateur 3 years ago.
He now holds his own in the NRL when called on.
He has put on about 15kg of lean muscle and he is the only Knights player to ever beat Kurt Gidley in a beep test.
He was good enough to hold his own against England last year.
I think he is good enough to play ESL now, and because he was never in an elite junior programme and has only been training at an elite level for 3 years, he really should have a lot of improvement in him still.

There probably have been some, but I can't think of any players who have come from a country team to the NRL in their mid twenties in the last 20 years. It just doesn't happen these days.

I can't think of any two players who are more different.

One was the pampered product of an elite junior programme who was spoonfed everything he needed from an early age.

The other studied to be a personal trainer and used the knowledge to get himself up to the fitness level needed and did every bit of training needed to force his way into the NRL, all off his own bat.
I'm told his kicking is completely self taught.
He lived on a small farm and built his own goalposts and basically kicked till he was good at it.

In other words, one has no self motivation, and the other has nothing but self motivation.

Don't understand that comment. Care to explain?

I'll take that, as long as Josh doesn't get his tackle out in McDonalds were are onto a winner.

As usual a concise view roopy,sounds as though he ticks plenty of boxes,fingers crossed.

Agreed mate his posts are great

The only difference is the binman has played over 90 nrl first grade games and 40 nrl first grade try's . Both around the same age too I think

urban myth. dobson had to get a club before the end of the season as his work permit/visa was running out and he had no chance of another one due to not playing enough 1st grade games at the time. Both Hull and wigan wanted him for the following season but he couldn't wait so his only option was rovers

urban myth. fc were going to bin Matt Sing to accomadate Dobson.

Hull KR sign yet another 'overseas' player....SHOCK HORROR PROBE.
How many is that in the last few years, I've lost count. And before you lot slag me off, you do sign a helluva lot.

And your point is as nobody cares who we sign as long as they take is forward so jog on troll

Roopy is 100% correct about the story of living on a small farm building goal post for kicking practice. At the moment KR fans know nothing about Mantellato in time they will. They have no idea what drives his determination. Everything that he has done he did all himself without help from others. He keeps setting goals for himself and he sets them fairly high as well that's why I think he will succeed in the SL.

The only difference?

I think I will wait a while before I make such bold claims, I clearly don't study the NSW Cup like you do.

If roopy says its a good deal, I think I may take his opinion over yours. No offence squire.

I haven't given an opinion on him stan I was just sticking up for our binman

Your picture profile sums you up perfectly,possibly a lot dim would be more appropriate but hey who is counting.

Rubbish. Or should I say garbage.

to be fair you do sign quite a lot of overseas players, guess if your academy set up isn't producing enough talent, and your coach is an Ozzie, then inevitable I guess.

Our coach is an Aussie is he? Do you follow RL at all?

Were within the rules it isn't as if we have loads more than anyone else and our coach Is English

yeah Luv, not sooper league though......though tbf it was an ozzy a month ago.

yes but that's not you said and a month ago we had 2 less Aussies why are Leigh fans so obsessed with our overseas contingent

Mantellato currently plays and trains with Michael Dobson and Clint Newton.
I believe those two guys' opinions count for something at your club, and I have no doubt someone at your club would have picked up the phone and asked them about Josh.

It might be of interest to you that Josh was nearly always a fullback before he joined the Knights. He even played for Italy as a fullback before Minichello joined the team and represented NSW country as a fullback. I've only seen him play fullback twice, but he looked very safe under the high ball and very confident in the position.

Interesting on nrl news on twitter,they seem to think mantellato is a terrific signing for us.Dobbo kicks the goals when josh scores a try,so he had 4 goal kicks on sunday,josh is 1st choice kicker which in itself speaks volumes and he apparently had a blinder at the weekend,scored 36pts and they are amazed an nrl club hasn't picked him up,better than most wingers in s/l and those are nrl news's words not mine.

www.nswrl.com.au/content/dam/nsw ... nights.pdf This is last weeks stat's from the NSW Cup game between Newcastle Knight and Cronulla Sharks. The knights have 9 player with NRL experience and Cronulla also 8 player with NRL experience. Penrith last weekend had 10 players with NRL experience playing NSW Cup. If you think that NSW cup is a Mickey Mouse competition you better think again. Those who think that Mantellato would not succeed in SL just because he plays in NSW Cup is total nonsense. There would be a large number of SL players who would not make the cut in a NSW Cup or QLD cup sides.

www.nswrl.com.au/content/dam/nsw ... nights.pdf This is last weeks stat's from the NSW Cup game between Newcastle Knight and Cronulla Sharks. The knights have 9 player with NRL experience and Cronulla also 8 player with NRL experience. Penrith last weekend had 10 players with NRL experience playing NSW Cup. If you think that NSW cup is a Mickey Mouse competition you better think again. Those who think that Mantellato would not succeed in SL just because he plays in NSW Cup is total nonsense. There would be a large number of SL players who would not make the cut in a NSW Cup or QLD cup sides.

Interesting Daniel Holdsworth, Michael Dobson, Clint Newton, all decent SL players, Clint and Dobbo both in the SL dream team, yet find themselves there.
Not knocking the kid, tall, certainly talks well and seems to want to come and play. Should sure up the defence at the back, big buggar as well.