OFFICIAL SG Ball Cup

[Lestronge]

It is very interesting to see how Onitoni does develop over the next 12 months there are good judges in Union who think he would be a better player in their system.

Yep . Probably true . He’s lightning quick and has all the talent in the world . For whatever reason , injury , form , bigger ,faster, stronger ,angrier , hungrier older kids , whatever it’s been more humbling in the older age groups .
I wish him all the best . And hope the tigers try and nab him back come November 1, and has a long career . I think he will.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Good young players are switching clubs frequently with one of the latest is Feltham from Souths to the Panthers. However, it is not that simple because he is a RU and RL junior and played at Oak Hill College, making him an Eels' junior.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Wests SG Ball were atrocious. Yes they were playing an excellent side but get, that's the point! Why don't we have an excellent side?
We lacked skill, speed, power. It was like men vs boys out there.
Our spine was very poor, doesn't look like there's any future prospects there. The entire back line was pedestrian.

Why, with all the juniors in the south west are we playing someone like Tiberti at fullback? We keep trying to find the next Shannon Gallant rather than the next Reece Walsh or latrell Mitchell. Vella has absolutely nothing too . Lanyon simply must be promoted immediately. Unless we're trying to protect him for a Wests side that may struggle to win a game all season.

For a club supposedly trying to build itself around it's juniors it's totally inexcusable for us to have such a lack of quality in both our Wests junior rep Squads.

CTM and Godinet struggled against a bigger and better SG Ball pack. How on earth are we throwing them into an NRL trial? Both are too small. CTM needs to put on another 5-6kgs of bulk at least. He's just easy too scrawny,beanpole that doesn't have the power gain buffer opponents. The potential is there, he just needs another year in the gym to fill out his frame. A year of flegg will do him the world of good.
Godinet has skills but wasn't involved much. Again too small to have much impact, but was solid. Havea is also tiny, was really hoping he'd have a growth spurt. There aren't many forwards in the NRL that are under 175cms, as Kit can attest to. His technique is good and he's still only 17, hopefully he keeps on developing.

We have to value speed, power and skill so much more than we do. We couldn't even do the basics right.

With CTM and Godinet, the club is in a difficult situation. If we don't progress them relatively quickly, there is the potential for other clubs to move in. If we promote them too early, well it could damage their development. There is a fine line and we can only hope the club gets it right.

Marshall has said that props will be stockier and be able to step through the ruck. Perhaps Havea is one tough customer where his ball playing and tough defense overcomes a lack of height.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

With CTM and Godinet, the club is in a difficult situation. If we don't progress them relatively quickly, there is the potential for other clubs to move in. If we promote them too early, well it could damage their development. There is a fine line and we can only hope the club gets it right.

Marshall has said that props will be stockier and be able to step through the ruck. Perhaps Havea is one tough customer where his ball playing and tough defense overcomes a lack of height.

Keeping them will be based a lot on the culture Benji is building plus incremental improvement this season & 2027. If we don't go at least close to the top 8 this season, it will be tough.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Keeping them will be based a lot on the culture Benji is building plus incremental improvement this season & 2027. If we don't go at least close to the top 8 this season, it will be tough.

That is true. It's interesting because we have Haywood, Brookes and Van Drie who are Panther/Nth Qld/Panther juniors through Balmain. They appear committed to the club so I wonder what the explanation is for our difficulties in retaining players from the Southwest? Will the COE at Campbelltown assist in building espirit de corps. It's great to see Isdale back at the club.

 

[Vicious]

That is true. It's interesting because we have Haywood, Brookes and Van Drie who are Panther/Nth Qld/Panther juniors through Balmain. They appear committed to the club so I wonder what the explanation is for our difficulties in retaining players from the Southwest? Will the COE at Campbelltown assist in building espirit de corps. It's great to see Isdale back at the club.

Whether it is our fault or if we were fair and reasonable and could not do anything about, we have no doubt lost a bit of ground in winning over the South-West and their best emerging talent due to not keeping the likes of Galvin, Da Silva and Large etc
We have to hope this current batch featuring Makasini, Godinet, Taupau-Moors etc go on to bigger and better things in Wests Tigers colours to redeem ourselves.
I know those 3 are not initially from the South-West, but they all have played for Wests Magpies from Harold Matthews upwards, so them being successful will be a pathways success which would hopefully convince the next wave of potential stars to stick with us.

 

[Bellend]

That is true. It's interesting because we have Haywood, Brookes and Van Drie who are Panther/Nth Qld/Panther juniors through Balmain. They appear committed to the club so I wonder what the explanation is for our difficulties in retaining players from the Southwest? Will the COE at Campbelltown assist in building espirit de corps. It's great to see Isdale back at the club.

In the past there where promises and guarantees given which should not ever been made
that cost us juniors.

 

[Lestronge]

In the past there where promises and guarantees given which should not ever been made
that cost us juniors.

It’s such a complex topic IMO. Ultimately I think it comes down to down to perception . Perception of the area and the team representing it . The south west is a place a lot of kids who grow up there dream of leaving “I’m getting out of here one day , and never coming back” or “as soon as I make some coin I’m getting my family out of here “. It’s obviously not everyone , and would vary by person to person , but I mprwtty confident that’s true having once been one of those kids . That combined with the magpies being associated with being not great along with wests tigers , and I’m sure if you’re a good player , external noise being”you’ll never be as good as you should be if you stay there “, they just simply leave .
There’s a shit tonne of infrastructure going in there , and a big uplift in the community , as well as wests tigers engagement .. so yea I’m hoping that the right changes are being made .
Another big issue is you don’t get rep jerseys playing for the tigers . Or really the eels or dragons and manly to a lesser extent .
The rep team seem to always be filled with players from easts , the panthers , sharks and dogs .
I’m sure if we can see that , so can the players and thier managers . Like the prop from th dogs last year getting a nsw jersey . What a joke . Or Stefano because he plays for the storm . Literally played worse than when he was at the tigers . But he was wearing the right jersey . So gets the nod.
My point in all that is winning consistently and forcing change in the rep teams will lead to more tigers players in there , which ultimately will lead to players who are more individually motivated sticking around .
Like I said , multi layered and complex .

 

[tiger_one]

On the Onitoni and Ashton Large topic, they are currently off contract at the end of 2027.
It will be very interested tn see how Onitoni goes in the NRL trial this weekend and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop, but I’m still adamant he should be transitioning to fullback to get the best out of his running game and exceptional speed.
If he extends his contract with Manly it won’t concern us, but I’m not ruling out the possibility of him returning to us if the right circumstances eventuate and a direct path to a regular NRL spot does not happen soon with the Sea Eagles.

From Daily Telegraph 12 February)

The Sea Eagles have identified 17-year-old Ashton Large as their long-term hooker solution.

Manly move to lock in schoolboy star Ashton Large as long-term hooker​

Manly have identified a 17-year-old as their long-term hooker solution and are pushing to lock him down on a contract extension two years before his current deal expires.

Manly are attempting to lock in cross-code schoolboy star Ashton Large as their long‑term hooker, with club officials looking to secure an extension well before his contract expires at the end of the 2027 season.
Large, 17, the brother of NRL trialist Onitoni, is set to be offered a major extension with the Sea Eagles after many of the club’s powerbrokers identified him as the answer to their glaring gap at hooker.

A Scots College First XV schoolboy rugby star, Ashton has attracted interest in switching codes after 2027.

Following the medical retirement of Lachlan Croker, and the club’s long‑term struggle in the No.9 jersey, Manly have started making moves to extend Ashton with two full seasons left on his current contract.

Ashton has spent the off‑season training with the club’s NRL side, completing his second pre‑season before joining the Sea Eagles’ top-30 in 2027.

Playing in the club’s SG Ball (under-19s) side, Ashton quickly staked his claim in an opening round 28–14 victory over the Warriors, scoring two tries and setting up another.

One high‑ranking member of the Manly board referred to Ashton as the best long‑term talent on their roster.

Ashton is set to join his brother in the club’s top-30 next year, with many around the club predicting both could be in the NRL as early as 2027.

Onitoni, considered a chance of cracking the NRL this year, is earmarked to replace current five‑eighth Luke Brooks when Brooks’ contract expires.

Ashton and Onitoni fended off offers from rugby union before signing with Manly, with both representing the Junior Wallabies on the world stage.

Exciting Manly prospect Ashton Large.

Ashton is the brother of another exciting Sea Eagles in Onitoni Large.