Born.... Is that all?He was born in Liverpool, so technically he’s our junior and would be returning to his roots.
Junior clubs where?
Not that it means bugger all
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Born.... Is that all?He was born in Liverpool, so technically he’s our junior and would be returning to his roots.
Said this since this pairing started last year. I feel they are too similar and lack mobility. They are both very upright runners. Half the reason why Newcastle improved pairing an unknown Thompson with Safiti after moving on Klemmer. Similar shapes in the forward pack don’t work.I know we’re talking about trying to get experience in our side and all but if we are being honest it’s a lot of our older and experienced players letting us down.
It’s all the younger players putting in effort and trying their guts out, to great effect or not they are showing more fight and more willingness to chase the game than others and it’s quite embarrassing.
There is talk about younger players not having those “scars of losing” so in their mind everything is possible and it’s clear when we are on the front foot how much is played of the young blokes.
Outside looking in I’d say Stef needs to drop to the bench. Klemmer can stay cause regardless of what people expect or want of him he is not that type of player that AFB, Stef and Haas are. He does his job and he does it well: Make his tackles, take his hit ups and throw the occasional offload. He is consistent in that.
I know a few people on here don’t really like Bloke in Bar or Kemp's takes but I think he’s pretty spot on in the fact that Stef and Klem are way to big of a front row pairing to start the game off. Alex Twal is very agile for a forward and extremely strong defensively so we can sure up the middle and not have soft breaks like against the sharks.
Neither of them have great leg speed. Even Pole takes a while to wind up, his footwork is great though. It’s that wrecking ball type of forward that everyone on this forum is crying out for. Sadly, they don’t grow on trees.Said this since this pairing started last year. I feel they are too similar and lack mobility. They are both very upright runners. Half the reason why Newcastle improved pairing an unknown Thompson with Safiti after moving on Klemmer. Similar shapes in the forward pack don’t work.
I always hear this talk of a “wrecking ball” front rower. To me that just sounds like another way of saying an elite prop.Neither of them have great leg speed. Even Pole takes a while to wind up, his footwork is great though. It’s that wrecking ball type of forward that everyone on this forum is crying out for. Sadly, they don’t grow on trees.
Agree but not all teams have them at prop , but they do seem to have at least 1 of them in the pack.Neither of them have great leg speed. Even Pole takes a while to wind up, his footwork is great though. It’s that wrecking ball type of forward that everyone on this forum is crying out for. Sadly, they don’t grow on trees.
I think quick leg speed players who are hard to tackle. Taumalolo in his prime the obvious example. AFB another. Junior P and Josh Pap in their early years but have slowed. Moses Leota also comes to mind.I always hear this talk of a “wrecking ball” front rower. To me that just sounds like another way of saying an elite prop.
I’m curious to understand what you mean by that? JFH or Fonua-Blake? Or budget like Royce Hunt?
Yeah it just changes how you construct your sets but generally it’s easier to get downfield and they get you some cheap tries.Agree but not all teams have them at prop , but they do seem to have at least 1 of them in the pack.
Olakuatu for manly, Kicks for the dogs, Sua, Leulia the Dragons, Fifita Titans to name a few that aren’t props but are just as effective as a go to hit man.
Thinking the same. Oddly enough as he already is such a large forward in stature but he looks like he has a teenagers lanky build and could definitely put a fair bit more muscle on that frame.Yeah it just changes how you construct your sets but generally it’s easier to get downfield and they get you some cheap tries.
I’d like to think Samuela Fainu will be pretty hard to handle in a year or so.
And already breaking tackles on the edge with regularity 🔥Thinking the same. Oddly enough as he already is such a large forward in stature but he looks like he has a teenagers lanky build and could definitely put a fair bit more muscle on that frame.
Just checked his profile. He is apparently 109kg. You’ve got Olakuatu at 113kg and Kikau at 116kg. He is close and could easily add 4 or 5kg to his frame for physicality without losing speed or agility.And already breaking tackles on the edge with regularity 🔥
You have to think he’s even better next year. Galvin will improve. Pole is getting better. Bula is consistent. Luai isn’t coming to play with a pack of guys who are over the hill.Just checked his profile. He is apparently 109kg. You’ve got Olakuatu at 113kg and Kikau at 116kg. He is close and could easily add 4 or 5kg to his frame for physicality without losing speed or agility.
I agree on some including Brooks is the same, a 5/8 forced to play out of position for a long time. I think Leilua has been good at the dragons, Garner in the 17 for the 3 time premiers almost every week, Ofahengaue & Aloia have also been solid this year. All of those players on current form would make this team easy. Hard to really judge Simpkin after only a month into a new system.This gets said a lot but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Most players who have left the Tigers have absolutely not set the world on fire. Going through the list: Aloiai is worse than he was here, Hastings is exactly the same, Peachey never came back to first grade and Daine Laurie hasn't done so far, Gildart vanished without trace, so did Maumalo, Madden is a nuffie, Liddle is no better than he was at the Tigers, Ofahengaue is a bench player at absolute best, Musgrove is out of the comp, Luciano Leilua has got worse, Matterson had one good season and is now chronically meh, Garner is a fringe first grader at best, Mbye carried on his downward trajectory, Marsters and Lolohea vanished without trace. Even Brooks is basically the same as he was at the Tigers just with DCE alongside him and on a smaller contract.
The problem isn't that players magically become better when they leave the Tigers; the problem is that we've had too many bad players in first grade.
Perspective 👍This gets said a lot but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Most players who have left the Tigers have absolutely not set the world on fire. Going through the list: Aloiai is worse than he was here, Hastings is exactly the same, Peachey never came back to first grade and Daine Laurie hasn't done so far, Gildart vanished without trace, so did Maumalo, Madden is a nuffie, Liddle is no better than he was at the Tigers, Ofahengaue is a bench player at absolute best, Musgrove is out of the comp, Luciano Leilua has got worse, Matterson had one good season and is now chronically meh, Garner is a fringe first grader at best, Mbye carried on his downward trajectory, Marsters and Lolohea vanished without trace. Even Brooks is basically the same as he was at the Tigers just with DCE alongside him and on a smaller contract.
The problem isn't that players magically become better when they leave the Tigers; the problem is that we've had too many bad players in first grade.
This gets said a lot but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Most players who have left the Tigers have absolutely not set the world on fire. Going through the list: Aloiai is worse than he was here, Hastings is exactly the same, Peachey never came back to first grade and Daine Laurie hasn't done so far, Gildart vanished without trace, so did Maumalo, Madden is a nuffie, Liddle is no better than he was at the Tigers, Ofahengaue is a bench player at absolute best, Musgrove is out of the comp, Luciano Leilua has got worse, Matterson had one good season and is now chronically meh, Garner is a fringe first grader at best, Mbye carried on his downward trajectory, Marsters and Lolohea vanished without trace. Even Brooks is basically the same as he was at the Tigers just with DCE alongside him and on a smaller contract.
The problem isn't that players magically become better when they leave the Tigers; the problem is that we've had too many bad players in first grade.
No good. According to some on this forum he would be crap as soon as he gets here.Wayne Bennett sure makes astute signings. (Bennett's fingerprints are all over it) We've all seen what he has done since the lead up to the Dolphin's debut season and in the time since.
He's starting to put together a his squad for season 2025 and he's just signed this young blokes who is currently at the Storm. He looks a real goer, he'd of looked good in a Tigers jersey!
This gets said a lot but it doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Most players who have left the Tigers have absolutely not set the world on fire. Going through the list: Aloiai is worse than he was here, Hastings is exactly the same, Peachey never came back to first grade and Daine Laurie hasn't done so far, Gildart vanished without trace, so did Maumalo, Madden is a nuffie, Liddle is no better than he was at the Tigers, Ofahengaue is a bench player at absolute best, Musgrove is out of the comp, Luciano Leilua has got worse, Matterson had one good season and is now chronically meh, Garner is a fringe first grader at best, Mbye carried on his downward trajectory, Marsters and Lolohea vanished without trace. Even Brooks is basically the same as he was at the Tigers just with DCE alongside him and on a smaller contract.
The problem isn't that players magically become better when they leave the Tigers; the problem is that we've had too many bad players in first grade.
Prime Api better than prime Farah in my opinion, mate.Is Api as good as prime Farah - No
Is Luai as good as prime Scott Prince - No
Is Galvin as good as Benji - No
Is Bula as good as Hodgson - No