Stefano Utoikamanu #241

[Winston Churchill]

I would drop him for the rest of the season from all grades.
If he is no longer interested in us.
Then show him the same.
We are no longer interested in him. Let him go know.

In other words, I'm a firm believer in when a player tells me he has no further interest in my club, then I have no further interest in him, he could be a destabilising factor in influencing the other NRL players within the Club.

So I would want those possibilities removed from my Club, and all my other players protected from this possibility.
We will still have to pay him out at the end of the season, so it's not going to cost us any more, But we will have all this over & done with, it's called peace of mind. But if we play him and in the next month or so, and we win the spoon, but in 3 or 4 of those last games, Stef's missed numerous tackles and had only a few hitups
then it will be in our minds that he SHAFTED US, SO WE WIN SPOON. ????

Nah id flog him for 80mins every game till the end of the year. No rest.

 

[weststigers]

No I'm not being entirely facetious.

A million for Luai is fine, he's a top-tier half and they are hard to come by. But a million for a middle-range prop... no. Why can't you have 2 x half-million props who just get a basic job done? That's the way everyone used to fill their forward pack.

To your point, he is a 35-50 minute prop and he is asking for 80-90% of what Haas, the fittest and one of the best props in the game is asking for. He just doesn't provide that value.

Fair enough if he made his tackles and regularly broke the line, but he's just not there.

Good luck to anyone that wants to load that much cap space into him.

Frankly, Sione Fainu has been going just as good if not better.

 

[The Chad]

Not unexpected by anyone at this point.

Pole & Sione Fainu offer a lot of the attacking metres Utoikamanu was supposed to bring.

I want Pole to be the strike weapon a la Leniu.

Now is the time to get some aggression into the club.

 

[J.T]

Best of luck to him with wherever he ends up. Time to move on and hopefully replace him with a hard nosed prop who will put in every game they play.

 

[Winston Churchill]

Best of luck to him with wherever he ends up. Time to move on and hopefully replace him with a hard nosed prop who will put in every game they play.

So if we can just sign someone the complete opposite of Stef.

 

[jirskyr]

To your point, he is a 35-50 minute prop and he is asking for 80-90% of what Haas, the fittest and one of the best props in the game is asking for. He just doesn't provide that value.

Fair enough if he made his tackles and regularly broke the line, but he's just not there.

Good luck to anyone that wants to load that much cap space into him.

Frankly, Sione Fainu has been going just as good if not better.

I agree and I think ESPECIALLY given the recent form of guys like Sam and Sione Fainu, Rueben Porter etc. Guys who are no-frills but are enthusiastic, play with energy and don't appear to have hit their ceiling.

I think Sione Fainu is an interesting case study, because he's already 23 and he's been on the books for a few years, so we have clearly put the effort in with him. And now in 2024 he's not only played pretty well, but scored 2 tries from almost standing starts, the kind of explosive power and tenacity that players like Klemmer and Stefano just don't have. It can't be as simple as "well his brothers are here now".

There are comments in the Benji thread about how players are not improving. But I disagree, I think some players are definitely improving and that is almost entirely centred around the juniors. I don't have an explanation for why, why most of our senior players (Api excluded) are simply not performing anywhere near the level required. I would consider it entirely reasonable to expect that senior players perform to a certain level without having to be specifically coached, and then part of your focus is bringing the juniors up to scratch.

Like my 3 kids - two of them are old enough to feed themselves, shower themselves... I'm not supposed to have to follow them around the house reminding them to wipe their arses and wash their hands. I'm supposed to be focusing on the little one. BUT if the "experienced" kids aren't behaving to the level their age would presuppose, then of course the whole shebang goes to hell.

 

[davey_farrell]

There is no way Richo is to blame for any of this. Who inserted these dumb clauses into his contract was it Richo? Who assembled the weakest roster in the competition this season was it Richo? Everyone been carrying on about Bateman & Papa being overpaid duds then Richo gets rid of them now people are crying wolf. Pascoe, Lee & Sheens have set this club back years what don't people understand everyone sooking about Benji who appointed him was it Richo?

Fair points you raised, i remember in one of Richos first interviews he said Stephanies contract was one of the most ridiculous he had ever seen

 

[innsaneink]

If Stef was serious about his football then he would go to Melbourne.

This has dragged on for far to long pull the deal see ya Stef.

I Just wonder how hungry he is...I see him taking it easy here at times, being lazy.
They wont cop that in Melb

 

[Tito Santana]

I Just wonder how hungry he is...I see him taking it easy here at times, being lazy.
They wont cop that in Melb

Yeah I think he’s gotten by based on his size and potential - very Brooksesque really.

Let’s go shopping boys and girls. Richo has his ear to the ground. We will get something nice.

 

[mikey]

I Just wonder how hungry he is...I see him taking it easy here at times, being lazy.
They wont cop that in Melb

True they won't - the question is why do we let it happen? It seems to be a constant over the years.

 

[Squater]

I agree and I think ESPECIALLY given the recent form of guys like Sam and Sione Fainu, Rueben Porter etc. Guys who are no-frills but are enthusiastic, play with energy and don't appear to have hit their ceiling.

I think Sione Fainu is an interesting case study, because he's already 23 and he's been on the books for a few years, so we have clearly put the effort in with him. And now in 2024 he's not only played pretty well, but scored 2 tries from almost standing starts, the kind of explosive power and tenacity that players like Klemmer and Stefano just don't have. It can't be as simple as "well his brothers are here now".

There are comments in the Benji thread about how players are not improving. But I disagree, I think some players are definitely improving and that is almost entirely centred around the juniors. I don't have an explanation for why, why most of our senior players (Api excluded) are simply not performing anywhere near the level required. I would consider it entirely reasonable to expect that senior players perform to a certain level without having to be specifically coached, and then part of your focus is bringing the juniors up to scratch.

Like my 3 kids - two of them are old enough to feed themselves, shower themselves... I'm not supposed to have to follow them around the house reminding them to wipe their arses and wash their hands. I'm supposed to be focusing on the little one. BUT if the "experienced" kids aren't behaving to the level their age would presuppose, then of course the whole shebang goes to hell.

I was one saying our players were not moving forward. But I also said the older guys except Api were setting a bad example for the younger guys. Happy to piss steff off. our offer was more than fair. Good ridence to a bad example for the team. Bring on the hard nosed 400k props

 

[Squater]

True they won't - the question is why do we let it happen? It seems to be a constant over the years.

The change is coming they don't want to be around for it. They can see the desire of the young guys and they can't match it.

Glad to see the rotten apples going

 

[Krammy]

Good luck to him. Most of my anger has worn off because of two reasons. Firstly, we really suck. Secondly, he hasn't looked like a 500k player for some time, let alone 800k. No matter what he goes on to achieve he isn't going to be part of leading a change in our pack's attitude, and that is abundantly clear.

Your last sentence summarises it accurately.

 

[Kaito]

This is how he will be remembered. Big lollipop lmao

 

[Krammy]

dont let the door hit you on the way out stephanie!! At least we have some money to upgrade Pole and another roster spot, i wouldnt mind Hetherington and the ranga Horsberiegh from the Raiders

Both are loose cannons and there is danger with that, but at least we know they play with passion.

 

[Pascoes_barber]

This is how he will be remembered. Big lollipop lmao

View attachment 14122

Sorbent Stef

 

[Coastie_Tiger]

I don't think anyone is surprised by this he's been playing like he was elsewhere all year bar a stint here and there. Is he a decent prospect yes, is he worth $800k on current form NO could he be in the future maybe but maybe not.
Time will tell if we played this well or not, but it's been clear he was going to cut and run almost as clear as Ice made it not wanting to be here. Now our challenge is teeing up an adequate replacement this is where Richo needs to earn his coin. Did he say this was an easier rebuild than South's was " Welcome to the jungle Richo"

 

[davey_farrell]

Both are loose cannons and there is danger with that, but at least we know they play with passion.

 

[davey_farrell]

exactly and that is what we need in spades

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

Should we play him in KOE cup the rest of the year?...I think so, we have nothing to lose and it will send a stern message to the other players who may be thinking of quitting too....Yep, Stefano will and should be remembered as a quitter....