Team After Bye

BlackWhiteGold said:
If I'm Benji I'm seriously considering this backline ...

Fb Bula/Attard
Rw Skelton
Rc Turuva
Lc Latu Fainu
Lw Laulilii
5/8 Luai
Hb Madden

Giving a chance for Turuva/Skelton to build a combo to see if they can own the right edge for the rest of the season.

Now Latu at centre ... he is one of our better defenders in the line and has defended at centre previously (remember when he pushed Laulilii out of defending in the centres v Roosters last year when Marky Mark put on a show). It also gives Latu a chance to build confidence in his running game, he is an explosive runner.

If Madden is out, Latu into halfback and Solomone Saukuru to be given an opportunity. Big body, reasonably quick with ball skills & adds a bit of x-factor. Good little connection with Laulilii on the left who he has played with since juniors. I feel that Saukuru is a kid who could do something special if given a chance, not sure why he's never been in the frame before.
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One thing I have noticed with Benji, is I think he is trying to keep halves as half's and Center/wing as center/wing. Some swapping between center and wing, but not putting AD or Latu at center.

What I am really concerned about is wingers and centers trusting each other in defense.
You need combinations, you need players who know "yea, he can take him. I will stay where I am" or "nah he will be in a bit of trouble, I will move out a little".

Skelton has to come back into the starting side. Particularly with May out.
I would put Skelton into the centers if May can't play

Rw Makasini
Rc Skelton
Lc Turuva
Lw Laulilii
 
Dr_Ice said:
Agree that need Hope on extended bench just in case. 3 weeks and then the bye off for Api will require some build up of match fitness again
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we need St Mary MacKillop on our bench,

hope is not enough!

Seriously why hasn't another 9 pressed their case to come here. I know we have Api but we need to upgrade Hope. He doesn't cut it. I like his story and him as a person. Time to move him back to brisbane.
 
TigerLouis said:
If Bula,May & Doueihi are still injured after the bye then I would go with
Tino Tavana
Sunia Turuva
Starford To’a (One More Chance)
Heamasi Makasini
Jeral Skelton
Jarome Luai
Latu Fainu
Alex Twal
Ethan Roberts
Kai Pearce-Paul
Terrell May
Api Koroisau
Royce Hunt
Bench
Javon Andrews
Sione Fainu
Bunty Afoa
Fonua Pole
Mavrik Geyer
Jack Attard

Benji has to stop picking his favourite players & give other players including young players an opportunity while we have these injuries enough of these reserve graders, such as Heath Mason, Luke Laulilii, Patrick Herbert, Jock Madden, Tristan Hope & Alex Seyfarth.
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Seyfarth has been one of our best the past few weeks
 
IronFist! said:
No Tiny. No Herbert. I think To'a gets another crack.

fb - Bula
lw - Laulilii
lc - Turuva
rc - To'a
rw - Skelton

Latu isn't a centre. Firstly, the guy has had the dodgiest hammies in the club. I doubt the club will want him suddenly racking up the high-speed running metres of an outside back, particularly under fatigue, and put him at risk. And I don't care how versatile anyone thinks he is. He's the club's future half, develop and play him as a half. It's a myopic view to continue to think of him as a Mr Fix it right now and continue to put his progression on hold.

The derision of several other players on the roster shouldn't lead to poor decisions regarding the development and promotion of the young players. Apart from Samuela Fainu recently, the club's record of promoting kids has been sh!t. Going back to the big 4, and then Da Silva, Mason, Galvin, Miller, the Lauliliis, Miller, Makasini, Tavana, etc they're either keen to get away from the club or leaving really early in their career, or they've had some absolute shockers. A few highlight plays doesn't mean they are ready.
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I hope not re To'a. I can understand he brings experience & knowledge of our systems but the guy is a liability in defence atm, effort areas are poor as is body language. Offers nothing in attack either. Xerri would tear him a new one!

I get your points about Latu but we need to pick the best team possible. He hasn't had hamstring issues all season and had plenty of game time to get his conditioning up to speed. If Benji sits him down and says, "Latu we need you on the left edge for a few weeks for what you can bring. It will help your development by a b c. We see you as our long-term half ... etc etc"

Different circumstances but Savala is doing pretty good in the centres at the Rorters.

If Madden is out, Latu to half and it's time to give Solo Saukuru a chance imo. Let's see if he has what it takes for a future at the club.
 
IronFist! said:
There's a reason he spent two seasons in reserve grade at the warriors, and then let go.

Our supporters see an experienced NRL name, and think they're suddenly going to replicate their form from 7 seasons ago at Wests Tigers. Naive.
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He's not top 30 and he was given an opportunity to provide depth as a big middle, it was worth a shot.

It's easy to come in later and say I told you so.
 
IronFist! said:
Could've gone to someone to develop. Not someone at the end of their career.

I get Marshall wanted to help another fellow Kiwi, but it's not justification to sign players not up to NRL and never will be, like Herbert and Afoa.

The way you lot rationale and justify failed decisions is extraordinary. No wonder the club is a bottom-feeder.
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Not justifying it, I wasn't a fan of his signing at all, but at least the club wasn't paying overs for ANOTHER dinosaur as they have in the past with example after example seemingly every other year.
 
Tigerdazz2 said:
Not justifying it, I wasn't a fan of his signing at all, but at least the club wasn't paying overs for ANOTHER dinosaur as they have in the past with example after example seemingly every other year.
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Exactly dazz, it was a low-risk contract, funnily enough he looked good in the trials and our player's reports were impressed with him.

Sadly, when he debut for us, he looked to have put on that tyre around the guts again, I would have liked him to be in the side straight after the trials when he was fitter to give him more incentive, not wait so long to bring him in.
 
IronFist! said:
Unfortunately, I don't agree with you re Latu. I don't care how short term it is. How much centre has he played? It's the hardest position to defend. Generally, the club is dicking him around.

To'a is on $500k? He has to come in and prove he's worth for that money. He's the only actual centre on the list still able to play. The more games he misses while fit to play, the more justification Miekelkamp has to punt the bloke, or people responsible for resigning him on that money. You can't have another 5% of your salary cap missing games when available, when over 40% is unavailable right now. Capable boards would come down hard on that, but I suppose our supporters are just as inept as HBG and wouldn't ask a question about it.

Besides, Savala has NRL capable players and experienced players around him. Wests Tigers set up their players to fail. Pauga, Junior Toupu, and Talou are all on fractions of what To'a is on.
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I just don't think To'a is fit to play at the moment. He is visibly favouring that arm for one & doesn't seem as fit as last season for two. He did carry a syndesmosis injury in pre-season which would have limited his fitness work but still he has had ample time with a full-time S&C team to get himself NRL ready.

Yes agree that we can't have 450-500k sitting on the sidelines if fit - either fix him or review his position with the club.
 
Some have Turuva going to left centre. I thought he was a right-side specialist.

Just using players that have already played in the postion this year, you'd probably go with:

LC: Makasini (played a few games there next to Luke earlier in the year)
LW: Luke

RC: Turuva
RW: Skelton
Both have played on the right in those positions this year at some point.

Or you keep Turuva at RW and go with To'a at RC but he doesn't look up to it currently.

Twal and Api back alongside May should sure up our middle. Latu and Luai should do a job at halves. But for me, the biggest weakness is FULLBACK. Surely it can't be Mason. Attard? Can Javon play fullback? Brookes? We need Bula back ASAP.
 
Tiger Tarl said:
Some have Turuva going to left centre. I thought he was a right-side specialist.

Just using players that have already played in the postion this year, you'd probably go with:

LC: Makasini (played a few games there next to Luke earlier in the year)
LW: Luke

RC: Turuva
RW: Skelton
Both have played on the right in those positions this year at some point.

Or you keep Turuva at RW and go with To'a at RC but he doesn't look up to it currently.

Twal and Api back alongside May should sure up our middle. Latu and Luai should do a job at halves. But for me, the biggest weakness is FULLBACK. Surely it can't be Mason. Attard? Can Javon play fullback? Brookes? We need Bula back ASAP.
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No way Luke and Mak play next to each other, both need a senior partner
 
If Bula isn't fit & Herbert is now suspended..

1. Attard
2. Turuva
3. Makasini
4. To'a
5. Skelton
6. Luai
7. Latu Fainu
13. Twal
12. Pierce-Paul
11. Roberts
10. Pole
9. Koroisau
8. May

14. Mason
15. Sione Fainu
16. Hunt
17. Seyfarth
18. Lualili'i
19. Geyer
 
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