Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Jolls said:
Mate, I'm not arguing that point at all. The hand we have been dealt by Richo and Benji is what I am trying to work with. We can whinge about the combination and dominant halves etc but it isn't going to change it. So I am not trying to rail against the system but trying to figure out how to make what he have work.

Now Luai was doing fine in the Penrith system as both 6 and 7. Why, he was provided with the time and space he needed to "see" and then create. He isn't a Reynolds drive the team around the park dude. The team needs to undersand the system and execute it and allow Romey and Latu to pick apart what they are seeing in front of them.

It isn't just our halves that struggle. Cleary and Munster were hopeless last weekend against a compressed up and in defence. A smarter halves pairing would have chipped in behind the line a couple of times to a rampaging edge/centre to slow them down and then got a bit deeper and shifted early to counter the compressed defence. If they can't do it at Kangaroo leve we certainly don't have the smarts at the moment at Tiger level.

This is as much on Benji for us as it is on Walters for last weekend.

I agree that Luai as a half needs development (if he continues to play there). But he is definitely a serviceable option with the right type of forward play. At the moment we don't have it.
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When Luai played 7 at Penrith he played straighter and through the line. For some reason when playing 7 for us he tried to play his usual "around" teams and went sideways. It really baffled me, as after seeing him change his style wearing 7 at penrith, I had high hopes for him. Another thing he really yet us down with, and is letting Samoa down, is his lack of ownership of the last tackle kick. He passes the buck most times when in attacking positions.
 
king_sirro said:
When Luai played 7 at Penrith he played straighter and through the line. For some reason when playing 7 for us he tried to play his usual "around" teams and went sideways. It really baffled me, as after seeing him change his style wearing 7 at penrith, I had high hopes for him. Another thing he really yet us down with, and is letting Samoa down, is his lack of ownership of the last tackle kick. He passes the buck most times when in attacking positions.
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It's the coaching
 
Kelce68 said:
I think it's a genuine 50/50, Steveo. Though gun to my head, I'd say 51% stay. Richo never seems in a hurry on these things.

He's currently our most influential player, at least in terms of results, so I'm hopeful they'll get a deal done.

You?
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Richo has a poor record getting these deals done.
The more it drags on, the more likely he goes.
 
Odessa said:
It's the coaching
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Do you think Benji tells Luai to shovel the ball off like a hot potato regularly on the 5th tackle ?
The only way it’s a coaching issue is if Benji gives Luai too much leeway to make his own decisions and does not want to tell him that regularly shovelling the ball off like a hot potato on the 5th tackle is not the way for a highly paid marquee halve to play.
 
Out of the blue I was able to chat to Mat Burton today. Great guy. So down to earth. Put the hard word on him when he was going to sign for the tigers…

Not anytime soon haha.

But he did say we had a better year and Luai was good for us and was a tigers fan as a kid.

I was a bit cheeky and said there’s plenty of competition for spots at the doggies so are you aiming for the 6. “He’ll play where ever the team needs him”.
 
Tiger-ferret said:
Out of the blue I was able to chat to Mat Burton today. Great guy. So down to earth. Put the hard word on him when he was going to sign for the tigers…

Not anytime soon haha.

But he did say we had a better year and Luai was good for us and was a tigers fan as a kid.

I was a bit cheeky and said there’s plenty of competition for spots at the doggies so are you aiming for the 6. “He’ll play where ever the team needs him”.
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Thinks the earth is flat...

Nice guy - not too bright though!
 
Vicious said:
Do you think Benji tells Luai to shovel the ball off like a hot potato regularly on the 5th tackle ?
The only way it’s a coaching issue is if Benji gives Luai too much leeway to make his own decisions and does not want to tell him that regularly shovelling the ball off like a hot potato on the 5th tackle is not the way for a highly paid marquee halve to play.
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Go back and watch Benji. Almost always the 5th tackle option was something he thought of on the spot. He's obviously coaching eyes up on the last tackle. This also likely has a lot to do with the fact that we don't have a Reynolds, Cleary, DCE style halfback at the club.
 
weststigerman said:
Go back and watch Benji. Almost always the 5th tackle option was something he thought of on the spot. He's obviously coaching eyes up on the last tackle. This also likely has a lot to do with the fact that we don't have a Reynolds, Cleary, DCE style halfback at the club.
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True and as I said it’s possible Benji let’s Luai play what he sees and doesn’t ask him to reel it in when it gets too chaotic too often.
As a few posts have pointed out, Luai played much more controlled when playing 7 for the Panthers in 2024.
I don’t think Ivan Cleary would accept a frantic eyes up style of play too often on the 5th tackle.
 
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Vicious said:
True and as I said it’s possibly Benji let’s Luai play what he sees and doesn’t ask him to reel it in when it gets too chaotic too often.
As a few posts have pointed out, Luai played much more controlled when playing 7 for the Panthers in 2024.
I don’t think Ivan Cleary would accept a frantic eyes up style of play too often on the 5th tackle.
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Agree with all that. When Ivan was here it was 5 hit ups and a Brooks bomb.

But we have Benji, and like it or not that’s the style he wants.
 
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