I'm convinced most armchair coaches selecting their teams in here don't watch the kids. No way in any world is Attard ready for NRL. Luron Patea steamrolled him for a try on the weekend in reserve grade, and other mids have done the same in just about every other game he has played this season. NRL will eat him alive. As bad as some think Mason has been, the solution isn't someone else who isn't ready. The "he can't be worse" rationale is dumb. These boys need development, not a whipping in the top grade.
This is completely illogical - Mason can't tackle either.
Or pass.
Nor does he have any penetration.
He's not very good under the high ball, his positioning is poor (at best) and his hands have consistently let him down long term.
He hasn't even been playing fullback consistently at all.
Attard offers bucket loads more in attack and is comparable in D.
Play Sunia there in D and have Jack defend on the wing. It's been done successfully at several clubs before and is a not-uncommon way to bring a light player in for a game or two.
This trope about 'affecting development by bringing them in early' is hilarious. Every young player who is showing good signs in Cup will only benefit from short stints in NRL as needed and if required.
Otherwise, he could come in, get lapped in 1sts by 50 against the dogs, turn in an all-time shocker and it STILL will have 3/5ths of bugger-all impact on his long-term development.
Anyone seriously and genuinely concerned about how Masi or Tavana will develop long term after their howlers?
No. Exactly, it's irrelevant. It's experience.
He offers more than Mason in A and is equivalent in D.
Just like Masi, Tavana, Galvin, Luke, etc; all prospects tend to get a run or two early. That's the point. That's part of their development.
Sam Walker at Roosters. Kade Reed at Dragons. Walsh at Warriors. Brooks at Tigers (at 17), the list goes on and on and on.
No one is saying park him there for the rest of the year. But a game or two while we wait on Bula is a legitimate option.
Likewise, any mention of Haywood and NRL this season are hugely off the mark. Yes, he has better service and attacking potential than Hope, but like Attard he's still 19 and his body isn't up to handling 110kg specimens yet. 60 mins in NRL? The kid should be happy playing a 15-20 min stint in reserve grade giving Lanyon or Hodges are break, as both are currently Cup players in ability and physique. Flegg is his level right now.
Again, they're not 'hugely off the mark' ; this is hyperbole.
It is not out of the realms of possibility, at all, of having Haywood play small, bench minutes later in the year alongside Api.
Jared, who is 20 later this year, will have played the majority of the year in Cup by the time the last couple of months are upon us and 20/25 mins in grade may in fact be the perfect way to deputise him into 2027.
The other part of the discussion is the betterment of the team.
Like Mason, what is Hope bringing that Jared can't?
His service is slow and off the mark. He isn't a running or kicking threat. He's slow to the ruck. He's poor defending at marker or at A. He catches in defence and is yet to win a single tackle in grade. He tries and toils, but he's actively hurting our territory game. He's a deficit to us defensively, not just a liability, a deficit.
Andrews too. Has provided some good highlights with ball in hand so far, but fair to say he's is a bit of a turnstyle at the moment. Not NRL ready.
This is on the club. It hasn't had a genuine fringe NRL fullback back-up or hooker back-up for several seasons now, and it shows once Bula and Api are out. It has largely been kids and they get shown up greatly by NRL opposition.
Agree.
Though, to be fair, this is the very thing that is currently being built.
They needed to empty the squad, then get quality in/lock in long term, then develop depth/long term plan.
They've done the first two and, unfortunately and typically for us, we're still a year or so from having step 3 in place properly, so of course we get exposed. Here's just a couple of depth kids that are on the way, but not quite there...
fb - we have Attard and Brookes
hooker - we have Haywood/Hodges/Lanyon, etc
edge - Roberts, Godinet
prop - Taai, CTM, Aho, Duncombe, etc.
halves - Latu, Andrews
Most of what we're calling depth is too young and too exposed. We need (and have needed for forever) hardened, decent veterans that come in and fulfil a job. Bunty, Herbert, Geyer et al this year have missed the mark unfortunately.
And the way it has developed Latu Fainu is criminal. He should be in reserve grade every week working on his role as a halfback. All he's done in 3 seasons at Wests Tigers when fit is plug holes in the NRL 17-19. His career would've been better off staying at Manly. Maybe not as many first grade games to this point, but he would be a better half back in the long run.
Giving kids NRL debuts isn't a sign of development. It's a sign of desperation. Let the idiotic fans be desperate. The club should be better.
Again, I don't disagree with parts of what you're saying, but it's important to remember, that we don't all live in a developmental utopia where everything goes swimmingly.
Ideally, we'd have been flying, with depth and injury free for the last few years and Latu, injury free himself, may have had the chance to do so.
But that's not it. Firstly, he's been injured way too often for consistent dev. in any position.
Secondly, he's at a club that has spent years trying to finally get a stable, quality squad, with incumbents that he can learn off over time.
Who was he supposed to learn from the first couple of years? A busted Doueihi playing at centre or fb? Wakeham/Smith/Brooks?
It has just played out like that and it's unfortunate for his practice as a half.
That being said, he has gained a fair bit of NRL experience now at 20, which will only hold him in good stead. He's versatile by default, which has probably contributed to him playing quite a few positions to be fair, and this, too, whilst not improving his ability to play half, will help him overall as a footballer.
Injuries aside, Latu (who I've long thought is miles above the rest of the family- though Sammy has grown into my favourite), could still play in the league for 12+ years from here.
