Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Just thinking, what do you reckon if we recruit 2 new solid experienced centres and move T'oa to the wing?

He's good under the high ball, a powerful runner, good fend & fast.

A 3/4 line of T'oa, Gagai, Tass, Tupou would give us a much better look especially in defence.
 
Please i hope our club is not fooled by Fulton or Benji wish to be in the Schuster sweep stakes as i believe Manly want to move him on whether it is now or within 12 months' time i know for a fact that a Manly official did approach Parramatta and they are not interested under any circumstances. The bloke has no heart or desire so why waste money or time on him.

On Papalii do not believe his smoke and mirror act he wants a move to Parramatta or Warriors and his halfhearted performances later more than show he really wants to be somewhere else.

Found his comments the other day a bit baffling, something along the lines of when asked about moving on. He said for now im not going anywhere he was implying that he's here next year and see how he feels the year after.
The bloke signed for us and seemingly immediately regretted it, then more speculation comes out and he squashes it but not really. His comments left it open for interpretation, imo he'll stay next year but if we're still going busted mid next season he'll try and get out.
I don't think he's committed i also don't think we've used him correctly, if another club came up with a fair trade maybe the warriors with someone like Curren and a few $ our way i'd probably consider it if i was WT.
 
We need a professional hard nosed experienced centre
Gagai type
No one off contract at Gagai's level.

There are less exciting experienced centres though like Brad Parker.

I think Tupou has to move to the centres, so I'd be looking for an experienced winger that's not Nofa. Someone like Cotric or Reimis Smith would be good.
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.
Wouldn't judge a kids ability to play first grade based off how he defended out of position. Damien Cook game 2 SOO is a good example, centre can be a challenging spot to defend
 
I just think we have to carry that contract on our books for another 2 years. He also makes our first grade team at this point and if he doesn't just play him reserves.

It's a really poor contact and I hope we learn from that one.
We as supporters have learned from it, as a matter of fact I would say 99% of us knew it was a bad deal right from the time it was announced in both length of contract and monetary value.

The big question is, has our interfering Chairman learned anything from it.
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.
For context, Api missed 5 tackles when playing out of position at halfback. I hope he's ready for first grade.

I'm giving him a pass for missing a few tackles when playing centre for the first time in his career.
 
I just think we have to carry that contract on our books for another 2 years. He also makes our first grade team at this point and if he doesn't just play him reserves.

It's a really poor contact and I hope we learn from that one.
💯
Whomever was responsible for that, if they are still at the club, should be taken out behind the back shed.
550k (rumoured) is ridiculous
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.

Be interesting if he played outside of Schuster.

1 game out of position playing probably the hardest defensive position on the field where they are often isolated all the time wouldn’t be focusing on that too much.

For a player who got bumped into center for the last game of the year - he could’ve taken the easy route instead he had a dig. To make 199 running meters is massive. Would take that from our wingers let alone centers. Shows hunger and work ethic.
 
Be interesting if he played outside of Schuster.

1 game out of position playing probably the hardest defensive position on the field where they are often isolated all the time wouldn’t be focusing on that too much.

For a player who got bumped into center for the last game of the year - he could’ve taken the easy route instead he had a dig. To make 199 running meters is massive. Would take that from our wingers let alone centers. Shows hunger and work ethic.
I think this is true . Ice missed 10 tackles on Friday , and how many of them were diving efforts to cover for beaten men on his outside .
It’s not a missed tackle if you don’t lay a hand on them .
 
Be interesting if he played outside of Schuster.

1 game out of position playing probably the hardest defensive position on the field where they are often isolated all the time wouldn’t be focusing on that too much.

For a player who got bumped into center for the last game of the year - he could’ve taken the easy route instead he had a dig. To make 199 running meters is massive. Would take that from our wingers let alone centers. Shows hunger and work ethic.
He was playing outside of Schuster.


He's the #7 in these highlights^, playing left centre.

Samuela is the #11, playing left second row.
 
Does anyone else think we have to many middle’s compared to edge forwards.
Middle
Utoikamanu
Klemmer
Pole
Blore
Twal
Seyfarth

Edge
Papali’i - wanted to be a middle forward at Parramatta and imo his game suits a middle better.
Bateman (doesn’t fit today’s style of an edge forward.)
Hopefully Our young recruit from Manly can be a modern day edge forward.

Middle’s playing edge this year at times:
Pole
Pole
Blore
Twal
Seyfarth
Didn’t help them or the team.

Carrying Bateman for 3 more years is a concern I understand why they brought him to the club (attitude/culture) but I don’t think his on field performances make him a certain starter each week.

Like everyone else I would like us to find 2 centres for next year as well as 2 Edge forwards before next year kicks off.

Releasing contracted players on our books is needed otherwise we will be playing players out of position again next year.
I disagree about Bateman , if the rest other than api but in the effort he puts in we would have won more games , people bag him because he didn’t make breaks but how could u do that with the shit 1/2s we had
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.
You'd have to be an absolute muppet to question a player's ability when thrown into a completely new position before kickoff. Zero combinations with his team mates, never played the position in his life, up against big and fast Canberra outside backs.
If anything for Latu to be one of Manly's strongest outside backs in his first time playing there in his life is an astounding effort!
 
Young gun playmaker Latu Fainu is off to the Wests Tigers and he finished up his time in the Manly system playing centre. The 18-year-old has played nine NSW Cup games this season and all have been in the halves, but moved to centre for the elimination final to make room for Cooper Johns and Schuster. Fainu finished with a linebreak, a linebreak assist, three tackle busts and 199 running metres. He struggled defensively though with nine tackles and six misses. I know he was playing out of position, Fulton said he is ready for 1st grade, 6 missed tackles, I dont think so.
6 missed tackles a week would put him up there with our best defenders.
 
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