Fallen Angel
Well-known member
No, it’s just the latest great white hope in a long line of great white hopes.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
- Start date
I’m normally the optimist around this place over the last 10yrs but they have broken me.
Yes I live in hope but until I see what they can do I have little hope. Most kids don’t make it and we have put alot of eggs into these 2. Hope they click and get us to the finals but it’s going to be years of development before it happens. Just don’t see how next year is better than this based off the lack of back recruiting.
I’m generally an optimist too, but I agree that it doesn’t look like it will get much better anytime soon.
Brooks at his worst as a 7 is still better than a 33y.o Sezer at his best.
Sullivan and Fainu both have obvious talent and I’m glad we signed them, but I can’t see them producing their best in the short term as I don’t think we have the players with enough quality around them to help them shine.
Our forward pack is over rated, particularly with Bateman in it and I don’t believe Bula has the natural attacking instincts to spark our attack like a top class fullback can.
dazza65
Well-known member
As old Rex used to say, Sullivan shows more toe than a Roman Sandal.....
Fallen Angel
Well-known member
Fainu is still 18. If he even does fulfil his potential, it won‘t be till the backend of his four year contract at the very earliest. There are no signs we’re improving anytime soon. We signed the NSW hooker who came off consecutive premierships, plus the form backrower of the last two years and we are still dead last. What do you really think Fainu and Sullivan will do for us in the short term? Not a damn thing. Apologies for the bluntness, but you can’t sugarcoat these things and pretend everything will be fine when it won’t be.
Our forward pack is actually quite good. We have no trouble getting into the attacking zone but, apart from are Api, are clueless in attack. Sezer controlling the shape and the injection of ball playing and speed from Fainu/Sullivan could just be the trick to get more tries. At the very worst we learn to build pressure.
Once we get the belief we can score tries then confidence builds as do combinations.
At the moment teams know Api is all we have so he isn't as affective. If teams have other threats to worry about, things start to open up for him and the forqrdsa little more.
That's the hope anyway! Can't be any worse then the attack this year or the last 8 or so years.
Once we get the belief we can score tries then confidence builds as do combinations.
At the moment teams know Api is all we have so he isn't as affective. If teams have other threats to worry about, things start to open up for him and the forqrdsa little more.
That's the hope anyway! Can't be any worse then the attack this year or the last 8 or so years.
earl
Well-known member
Let's wait and see how he goes. I mentioned Walsh and the hammer a while back on here. They are both 21 and have been performing for a couple of years.
Is Walsh the best player in the game now ?
The Chad
Well-known member
I believe Fainu is closer to starting than people think.
Next season I expect we will see a number of 'guys that are too young' getting game time. Fainu, Fa'agutu, Luaili'i, Da Silva, Feledy.
Look at our signings. We are all calling out for improvements in all positions. And the club fills roster spots with kids.
Sheens is going to blood the kids.
Next season I expect we will see a number of 'guys that are too young' getting game time. Fainu, Fa'agutu, Luaili'i, Da Silva, Feledy.
Look at our signings. We are all calling out for improvements in all positions. And the club fills roster spots with kids.
Sheens is going to blood the kids.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
We are playing meaningless games now but still picking the same failures in the backs
Todd Packer
Well-known member
Ezra Mam goes O.K. It doesn't take years for the good ones.
The really good ones like Mam and Walsh are good straight away.
Saints wanted to move Ben Hunt to hooker to have Sullivan in the team. He's good already.
I expect Fainu to be the same.
The really good ones like Mam and Walsh are good straight away.
Saints wanted to move Ben Hunt to hooker to have Sullivan in the team. He's good already.
I expect Fainu to be the same.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Does anyone else just have the slightest doubt that if Fainu was close to being ready for first grade ..then why did Manly move him on for our legend Luke Brooks?
Todd Packer
Well-known member
That question answers itself. Manly bought Brooks and Talau so their judgement is automatically dismissed.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
We should be the last team criticising another teams judgement…
But all we can do is hope that they are wrong I guess … I wouldnt be putting my left nut on it though…
Isaac Moses could probably answer that.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
All player agents care about is their commission…. I don’t think they care too much about teams winning football games …
Unlike our club … Manly will get rid of Mestrov though if this move doesn’t work out for Manly…
The Chad
Well-known member
Cap & Roster management with a dash of player manager/recruitment officer shenannigans.
You're talking about the same club that signed him to the biggest junior deal ever.
Manly's financials are a mess. Fainu was on too much for their cap balance, plus they (the brothers) were making noise about getting a release (re-Tartak to Fulton).
On a lesser scale, to use as an example, given our roster spots are nearly full- I have no doubt the Tigers want to keep Seyfarth. But, given how the roster is built, given how many spots are left etc...it looks unlikely at this point.
I think the Fainu's moving on is more to do with a quickly dismissed report about their unhappiness with the club's support of their troubled brother.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
i will keep saying this… criticise Manly until you are blue in the face… they have had a lot more success than us…
Fanui was on for next season for $350k … this is not too much for a starting half ( that is what we are hoping he will be next year right?)…
Im going to dismiss your last comment as media/ social media BS
For me its all about W & L.
I don’t see how we can lose more, heck we won 3 games with Wakeham in the side the big Q is can these 3 get us more wins than 3.
Sezer kicking game is miles better than Brooks especially in the attacking zone he does him better landing points but lacks the speed of Brooks. As an organizer he is absolutely an improvement mixed with Api could be a nice fit. We need time for the kids to mature so he makes sense. Sullivan and Fainu can cover Brooks speed plus offer a different attacking dynamic to Brooks - they will make bad decisions especially early on but the key will be moments when they happen & can they recover enough to win us more games.
The optimistic side in me can’t possibly see them stuffing up more than what our halves options have over the last 2 years but it’s the Wests Tigers and we are in a huge rut atm. They need support and our backline is hardly one of fear or ability, they are slow and struggle to take an opportunity.
