Isaiah Papali’i #265

jirskyr said:
I'm not going to do any hand-wringing - IP was brought in to add starch and experience to the side. We wanted dynamic play from him, always being around the ball in attack and defence, same as his role at Parramatta. It was a good signing at the time and IP was in career-best form, not signed for a crazy wage either.

The reality is he's always tried hard for us but at the Tigers that also translated into more mistakes - missed tackles, dropped balls. Almost zero impact from crash-tackle plays or hole-running from IP; I can't easily recall him making many line breaks.

I can respect IP as an honourable person: he committed to his deal, player hard most games. But it definitely hasn't worked out. The evidence suggests that without a high-quality pack IP's faults are exposed a little too often, and all the effort in the world cannot undo that.

Also - IMO the trend for backrowers at the moment is for them to become more dynamic and more rangy. So: typically faster, able to beat a tackle with a step or power, with the threat of an offload. Or another option; bullocking with a lead shoulder in defence. Case in point: Olakau'atu, Liam Martin, Nikora, Crichton, David Fifita, Nanai, Kikau, Tohu Harris, Koloamatangi etc. IP does not really have the characteristics of these players, he's not particularly agile or powerful.

It appears to me that Benji has instructed his players to play harder and faster, focusing on always pushing for 80 mins. IP has certainly been upping his output, but with this emphasis on greater speed and power, I think IP has already been overtaken by Samuela Fainu as our most dangerous backrower, someone operating at least half the price.

Many have suggested IP is more suited to prop rotation, but again he's not as dynamic as Stef or Pole, and perhaps a little small.

Therefore makes total sense for IP to go to a club where he can slot in and contribute rather than the the focal point of a club rebuild.
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It’s disappointing to have 2 DallyM second rowers in the same team and not at least break the defensive line occasionally.
 
twentyforty said:
It’s disappointing to have 2 DallyM second rowers in the same team and not at least break the defensive line occasionally.
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Dally Ms from several seasons ago. I think the paradigm for backrowers has shifted since then. Bateman and IP simply aren't big or powerful enough, at least not to have both of them in the starting backrow at the same time.

Best forwards in the comp at the moment - Olakau'atu, Crichton, AFB, Stefano, Payne Haas, Tino, Liam Martin, Yeo... all powerful, dynamic forwards. The tough/gritty style smaller backrower is falling out of favour. Many teams simply aren't able to replicate the mould of a Cameron Murray and are instead sticking agile props into lock.

Not only that, the real and long-term risks of carrying blokes like Murray and McInnes under increasingly stricter concussion rules - I don't know if the frames of these smaller blokes, who put their bodies on the line to achieve peak performance, can cope year-on-year.
 
Tom Shines said:
Offloading the players is the easy part … at this present moment they are weaker next season …

$750k is overs for sure …he must be on a contract that goes up every year …he was on $600k his first year .,

I ask who is coming into the Top 17 team to replace IP from inside this squad ? We see our benchies Seyfarth and Twal …not much there… they will be extending AJ soon and promoting him to the starting side if Richo doesn’t dig up someone soon,,,
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We don't have ANY internal candidates to replace IP in the back row.

Broederlow is about the only candidate, but at best he might be on a development deal next year and needs another 12 months hardening up in Cup before he'd be ready for first grade.

Ice had the ratchet clause so when the cap was increased his salary went up by the same amount as the % increase, many players across the league would have had this.
 
balmain boy said:
We don't have ANY internal candidates to replace IP in the back row.

Broederlow is about the only candidate, but at best he might be on a development deal next year and needs another 12 months hardening up in Cup before he'd be ready for first grade.

Ice had the ratchet clause so when the cap was increased his salary went up by the same amount as the % increase, many players across the league would have had this.
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I waited all last offseason for them to buy some outside backs … it never happened but luckily Olam fell into their laps a year early … they needed more though as we now see …: let’s see if they buy some more forwards this coming off season … they need them
 
Elite clubs lose a current interntional,and replace him within a month with a current international
We lose a current international,and promote some kid from bottom of the table KOE Cup team because he was great in the undder 16s
Were firmly entrenched as spoon contendders
This is Aloai all over agan
,,and Crighton is no chance..Rooster for life given current form and nothing to replace him
We mite end up with Tupounia...roosters discard with a broken body..but a "name"
Thats us
 
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ancient_magpie said:
Tucker your the new king of the negative posters.Have you ever said anything positive in your life.For crissake find another club to bag.
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You’ve said this before you stupid old bugger. Change the channel or better still, how about you listen and learn for the first time in your life?
 
westTAHger said:
Ankle injury didn't look good.
Hopefully it's not the last time we see him play for wests tigers this season..
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Is that because of the massive input he’s had or his passionate desire to play for us. Looks to me like he won’t be fit for quite a few weeks so by then we’ll have a replacement sorted out.
Now all we have to do is offload the Pom , who has much the same attitude, and we can at least envisage what life will be like moving forward.
After more than 65 years of being a Tiger, I find it harder and harder to see a future for this club, in its current form. Surely the next step is an interstate move.
 
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