Hey KR, this week’s results remind me of that famous quote from Gennaro Gattuso 🤣
Juniors - Pathways General Discussion
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innsaneink
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Big well.done to this team... GF seems.to come around.ver quick
BlackWhiteGold
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With our team selections, I can only think our hierarchy decided before the season to sacrifice any chance of a SG Ball premiership to get our top-tier 19yos playing against men consistently ... Galvin, TDS, Mason & Kit Laulilii. Possibly Willett, Craig & Miller soon to follow but likely Flegg.
And our better 20-21yos bypassing Flegg for Cup ... Sukkar, Matai, Vaihu & possibly Feledy, Saukuru.
So as a club we are losing a lot of body size & strength in these grades to blood these kids.
And our better 20-21yos bypassing Flegg for Cup ... Sukkar, Matai, Vaihu & possibly Feledy, Saukuru.
So as a club we are losing a lot of body size & strength in these grades to blood these kids.
There's more clickbait in today's Sunday Telegraph highlighting yesterday's results for our juniors.
I cannot upload it as I don't pay the online cost.
Suffice to say, it's another apparent go at Benji, our club and all the systems at play in our juniors etc.
Oh, there has been no previous acknowledgement in this paper of our successes/wins this year, but the losses/results add to Benji's loss in his 1st grade debut as Head Coach.
Well, it's what not commented upon that, as usual, tells the real story,
As champions here on this forum know (especially our wonderful forum member, champion @KingRobbie), our junior pathways teams comprise players playing Flegg, Ball and Matt’s who are getting pushed up and playing at a higher level.
That’s what you do to develop players.
And development precedes mixing it at the higher grades better for the groundwork set in place right now.
Again, our club is portrayed as bottom feeders.
And all that is kicking us fans, not to mention our coaches, players and admin. in the guts.
It's all too easy to pick on someone down.
Oh, I can't wait till our club is back up again, given that we have new direction albeit massive change takes time and patience.
I cannot upload it as I don't pay the online cost.
Suffice to say, it's another apparent go at Benji, our club and all the systems at play in our juniors etc.
Oh, there has been no previous acknowledgement in this paper of our successes/wins this year, but the losses/results add to Benji's loss in his 1st grade debut as Head Coach.
Well, it's what not commented upon that, as usual, tells the real story,
As champions here on this forum know (especially our wonderful forum member, champion @KingRobbie), our junior pathways teams comprise players playing Flegg, Ball and Matt’s who are getting pushed up and playing at a higher level.
That’s what you do to develop players.
And development precedes mixing it at the higher grades better for the groundwork set in place right now.
Again, our club is portrayed as bottom feeders.
And all that is kicking us fans, not to mention our coaches, players and admin. in the guts.
It's all too easy to pick on someone down.
Oh, I can't wait till our club is back up again, given that we have new direction albeit massive change takes time and patience.
ancient_magpie
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Also they failed to mention our under 16s are in the grand final and under 18s in the major semi
Harold Matts currently undefeated on top of the ladder, despite being without their 5/8 and arguably their best player for the past 3 games.
Tiger Stripes
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Great front row, and I rate Alex Isdale {halfback] above Luke Keppie [S G Ball halfback] from what I have seen of the two.
ROZELLE.O.G
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Alex Isdale is a gun halfback, great future ahead of the kid.
He looks a whole hearted, tough, feisty little competitor who could be one right out of the box.
BlackWhiteGold
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For a bit of fun, I'm going to do power rankings every so often of our Under 21 aged players. Basically who the club sees as our lynchpins into the future.
My criteria is ...
2 Da Silva
3 S Fainu
4 L Fainu
5 O Large
6 Makasini
The group above I think are absolute priority 1s.
7 L Laulilii (based on age, ability & versatility to also be a wing or centre which we lack)
8 Sukkar
9 Mason (down the order a bit given we have Bula & some quality halves)
10 K Laulilii
11 Faagutu
12 Willett
13 Matamua (Matamua & Tumeth are plummeting quickly)
14 Feledy
15 Tumeth
16 Miller
17 Saukuru
18 Craig
The order of the group above can easily change with a few stand-out performances. They are our priority 2s.
Aho
Clarke
Vaihu
Matai
Hodges
Nicholas
Tannous
Lawandos
Broederlow
A Large
Isdale
Godinet
Any order for the group of 12 above, I see as our priority 3s. Many are JF players who have shown the potential as well as our next tier star Harold Matts players.
Look forward to others' thoughts!
My criteria is ...
- Likelihood of having an NRL or Dev contract next season.
- Potential of being a 1st 17 player by 2026.
- Potential of being a future rep player.
2 Da Silva
3 S Fainu
4 L Fainu
5 O Large
6 Makasini
The group above I think are absolute priority 1s.
7 L Laulilii (based on age, ability & versatility to also be a wing or centre which we lack)
8 Sukkar
9 Mason (down the order a bit given we have Bula & some quality halves)
10 K Laulilii
11 Faagutu
12 Willett
13 Matamua (Matamua & Tumeth are plummeting quickly)
14 Feledy
15 Tumeth
16 Miller
17 Saukuru
18 Craig
The order of the group above can easily change with a few stand-out performances. They are our priority 2s.
Aho
Clarke
Vaihu
Matai
Hodges
Nicholas
Tannous
Lawandos
Broederlow
A Large
Isdale
Godinet
Any order for the group of 12 above, I see as our priority 3s. Many are JF players who have shown the potential as well as our next tier star Harold Matts players.
Look forward to others' thoughts!
pawsandclaws1
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I think A Large, Isdale and Clarke will be higher simply for the reason they are very talented and are team mates with some of our top young stars and in one case a sibling. We need to use every tactic we have to retain theml.
watersider
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Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere, but why are our juniors jumping around in different age groups all the time? Is this a part of a plan, or is it random? Has anyone heard any explanation or justification for why this happens? Does the club have opinions on the relative value of players competing in the different competitions? For instance, maybe like the old Toyota cup, the club feels jersey flegg is better for development than the NSW cup?
To me the shuffling about seems chaotic and problematic to the development of players and their combinations within systems (do wests tigers have a particular system?), but obviously we're only looking for the outside.
To me the shuffling about seems chaotic and problematic to the development of players and their combinations within systems (do wests tigers have a particular system?), but obviously we're only looking for the outside.
balmain boy
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I'd say the groupings are largely accurate.
I'd have Willett and Saukuru in the top 10 though. Sukkar down lower. Tumeth, Feledy down lower too.
In the third grouping i'd be moving on a bunch of players like Vaihu, Clarke, Tannous, Lawandos who seem to have peaked and have no more development in them. Sovau would get a run ahead of Lawandos. We need to be more ruthless in this regard. Just because Lawandos captained us in junior grades doesn't mean we have to offer him spots in higher grades, he looks an absolute plodder these days (unless he's carrying an injury) you'd move him on for someone new. I'd add Tofaenono, Karnib, Moors, French to this group. Perhaps Petelo may sneak in
Tiger Stripes
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IMO we should be prioritising some props and 2nd rowers. And not short nuggerty types. Klemmer, papali and batemen are ageing and won't be around in 2-3 years.
Christian Moors would be a top priority, keeper IMO. Hate to lose him. We were fixated with halves at the moment which has now been fulfilled. Forwards lead the way so lets pay attention to getting some forward talent.
Agree on Moors and potentially also Fui.
A. Large should be in the second group given the club has already said long-term plans and transitioning to NRL program.
Onitoni Large (16) and younger brother Ashton (14) are the youngest players included in the club’s long-term planning and are scheduled to experience the NRL program as they transition from their school and junior representative programs.
Tiger Stripes
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Fui is good also, but slightly smaller.
French is the other prop with a big upside. Just needs to get onto the weights, but has a good motor.
balmain boy
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Sadly most of our forward prospects, and many of our backs prospects are so nuggets. Someone somewhere at the club had a thing for nuggets. These days you can afford one in the forwards and one in the backs. We have too many and that's why our sides struggle
Tiger Stripes
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I only hope our talent scouts, recruiters wake up and catch up with what's required to get back into the winners circle on a regular basis.😂
BlackWhiteGold
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I still think we lack a short nuggety powerful & 'aggressive' prop that has leg speed, good D and can score from close range. Hoping one of Tofaeono, Aho & Faagatu can come on to support Pole in this regard.
