LIVE GAME 2023 Trial 1: Wests Tigers v Warriors

[Tim Sheens]

We make some very poor contract choices - Ngatikaura is bog average and agree he was average for Cook islands at the WC. Have no idea why we offered him a top 30 contract.

Have similar concerns with this one in particular. Expressed just that when a bunch of people were waxing lyrical about him based on a short spell, albeit a reasonably impressive one.

Happy with most of the signings since Sheens came on board, and I need my thoughts to be wrong about this decision.

 

[KingRobbie]

Have similar concerns with this one in particular. Expressed just that when a bunch of people were waxing lyrical about him based on a short spell, albeit a reasonably impressive one.

Happy with most of the signings since Sheens came on board, and I need my thoughts to be wrong about this decision.

He still looks so raw and I know he didn’t play a lot last year… but he turns 23 this year.

Don’t rate him at all personally.

Hope he improves, but terrible hooker at this stage.

 

[innsaneink]

So our biggest issue at the club since inception has been defense.... Sheens this year basically ignoring that, his solution... "to score more than them"

Hard to score more when they cross for 9 tries.... Much easier when your defense is capable and they only score one or two

Of course we may get it right in time... There's always next week or next year

 

[Tim Sheens]

He still looks so raw and I know he didn’t play a lot last year… but he turns 23 this year.

Don’t rate him at all personally.

Hope he improves, but terrible hooker at this stage.

To be fair, I am only going off what seems the collective view on here, as I have not watched last night's match, but certainly didn't see much last year.

 

[jadtiger]

To be fair, I am only going off what seems the collective view on here, as I have not watched last night's match, but certainly didn't see much last year.

Last night was no better,he looked slightly overweight to me and at times appeared either disinterested or lazy

 

[Tim Sheens]

So our biggest issue at the club since inception has been defense.... Sheens this year basically ignoring that, his solution... "to score more than them"

Hard to score more when they cross for 9 tries.... Much easier when your defense is capable and they only score one or two

Of course we may get it right in time... There's always next week or next year

I used to generally enjoy our defence under Sheens, particularly how he would change it up on occasion for the odd big match.

Bryce Gibbs used to lead our line well in moving up, which also helped a lot, and his departure was a big reason why our 2012 season floundered for mine.

Not sure that Klemmer is anywhere near that level, though we need him and another to get our defensive line moving up in the middle.

 

[twentyforty]

You don’t get the spoon and first hit out l, chuck out the “best crop of juniors in years” to get lapped by 50. Yea it was a trial but shows where the club is at. Anyone saying “
It’s just a trial” is missing the big, shit filled picture.

Or in denial

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Im glad someone else mentioned him ,but Jordan hill looks like a real prospect ,only 3 runs ,limited time but big and strong.

I'd like to see him outside of Kepaoa. Kepaoa with that big run last night looking to get the pass away to his winger. I'd like the winger outside of him to be genuinely quick.

 

[colinbh]

Or in denial

It's just a trial.

 

[fibrodreaming]

Mate, News Flash....overlaps are because of 2 things, lazy inside players or terrible reads by wingers. Nofa is the worst defensive winger in the comp and no coaching will change that. Personally i do not rate Nofo at all.

I think there is a more fundamental reason for overlaps, especially when it comes to us.

The middle collapses; the edges are sucked in to shore it up; leaving us outnumbered out wide. This forces the wingers to make split second defensive decisions, which Nofo usually gets wrong.

It's been happening for a decade and it happened again last night. Until our middles can hold their own, our wingers are going to get exposed.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I think there is a more fundamental reason for overlaps, especially when it comes to us.

The middle collapses; the edges are sucked in to shore it up; leaving us outnumbered out wide. This forces the wingers to make split second defensive decisions, which Nofo usually gets wrong.

It's been happening for a decade and it happened again last night. Until our middles can hold their own, our wingers are going to get exposed.

It all starts in the middle, and when poor, as you mentioned for WT it generally has been, oppositions finish it off out wide.

 

[colinbh]

View attachment 4385
Kick-off: 6:00 p.m. AEDT
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
​

CONFIRMED TEAM:
WESTS TIGERS
1. Charlie Staines
2. Junior Tupou
3. Asu Kepaoa
4. Tommy Talau
5. Liam Scolari
6. Triston Reilly
7. Brandon Wakeham
8. Stefano Utoikamanu (c)
9. Jake Simpkin
23. Alex Seyfarth
11. Brandon Tumeth
12. Fonua Pole
13. Justin Matamua

10. Aitasi James
14. Jahream Bula
15. Jordan Hill
16. Trey Peni
17. Josh Feledy
18. Christopher Faagutu
19. Sione Vaihu
20. Zane Camroux
21. Sione Fainu
22. Rua Ngatikaura
24. Tanous Sukkar
Coach: Tim Sheens

First grade this year.

Stains, Tupou (maybe ), Kapaoa (maybe), Talau (later in the year maybe), Stefan (for sure), Simpkin (reserve) Bula (for sure later in the. year) Pole (for sure) .

That's 8 out of 24 with 3 maybes. Of the rest, I'm guessing that some were from SG Ball and some development players. I would not take to much notice of the score.

 

[Tucker]

First grade this year.

Stains, Tupou (maybe ), Kapaoa (maybe), Talau (later in the year maybe), Stefan (for sure), Simpkin (reserve) Bula (for sure later in the. year) Pole (for sure) .

That's 8 out of 24 with 3 maybes. Of the rest, I'm guessing that some were from SG Ball and some development players. I would not take to much notice of the score.

Letting 9 tries in is relevant.
The way we played is relevant.
This side was prepared for the game in the same style that our top side will be.
You can claim irrelevance till you are blue in the face. Doesn’t make it true.

 

[Donny Brasco]

First grade this year.

Stains, Tupou (maybe ), Kapaoa (maybe), Talau (later in the year maybe), Stefan (for sure), Simpkin (reserve) Bula (for sure later in the. year) Pole (for sure) .

That's 8 out of 24 with 3 maybes. Of the rest, I'm guessing that some were from SG Ball and some development players. I would not take to much notice of the score.

Exactly this.

remember when we toweled manly up in the trials and went on to win the comp that year...

 

[Coastie_Tiger]

Im not going to throw my toys out of the pram over a trial, but i do hope that wasnt meant to be a serious test. If i were to gauge it to my way of thinking it was more about who is not up to task than is.

 

[twentyforty]

It's just a trial.

I’m guessing what you possibly mean by that is that there is no need to have tight defence, no need to play a coordinated Wests Tigers game plan? No need to put on show, in a more competitive environment, what they’ve trained to do all through the summer?
I get that it’s not easy to develop the rhythm of the game with so many changes, but I just expected to see some results of the training.
The captain thought it was a poor team performance too. I think he described it as disgraceful?

 

[Bus 2 Terrigal]

First grade this year.

Stains, Tupou (maybe ), Kapaoa (maybe), Talau (later in the year maybe), Stefan (for sure), Simpkin (reserve) Bula (for sure later in the. year) Pole (for sure) .

That's 8 out of 24 with 3 maybes. Of the rest, I'm guessing that some were from SG Ball and some development players. I would not take to much notice of the score.

Three were current SG Ball Cup players

 

[momo_amp_medo]

Rome will not be rebuilt in one preseason.
Particularly not by some unskilled artisans.

 

[Blocker1963]

Yeah it was only a trial, but wasn't impressed , no stucture. The young kid Bula was very solid, Stef looks great, there was a young bloke on one wing at stages, looked good and athletic, possibly indigenous, islander ?

 

[TrueTiger]

Let's go back to see what the conversation would be if Madge had of fielded a team of kids like last night....
Sheen's has always said "if their good enough then their old enough"he just found out the kids may not be where he thought they would be...it's all down to letting them learn and hopefully the guys we have signed help the top team as well as the kids,it all takes time and patience..we have given Sheen's what he wanted and let's see where the boys club leave us at the end of the 5 years .