Sully
Well-known member
API will be back and possibly slot in to halfback and leave Latu on the bench and TDS at hooker
Aidan Sezer #279
- Thread starter tigersfan
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BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
This makes perfect sense
So if our NSW Cup team win today and Sullivan again stars, we just leave him there ?
No other club ignores their players who are standing out in NSW Cup and promotes the ones showing nothing, only us.
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TV Ted Ellery
Well-known member
The KOE cup game today will be another chance for Bud to stake his claim. St George will be much tougher opponents than Easts.
Most likely Marshall will play both Latu and Bud. I reckon Latu will start and Bud will come on the replace TDS or Latu.
Sully
Well-known member
I don’t disagree you should reward strong displays in Reggie’s , however if he is not in their plans as suggested for next year they may go with API as TDS was strong yesterday and he and Galvin combined well.
I would have had Toa on the wing or even centre instead of Fataape yesterday as he played well last week also but they chose the young kids.
I would have had Toa on the wing or even centre instead of Fataape yesterday as he played well last week also but they chose the young kids.
twentyforty
Well-known member
I think the call is about how much time he needs in NSW Cup?
Of all the halves we’ve given a run this season Bud is the most dangerous in attack, but also the most dangerous in defence.
Yeah I’m starting the think coaching aside, Benji’s talent identification is very different to someone like Craig Bellamy’s talent identification.
Buttface
Well-known member
I reckon I would be careful with Latu, there’s not a lot to gain for us now, second last would be good. I would still be starting Bud and bringing Latu off the bench unless he’s 100% fit, and there’s not many of them in our squad.
Why are we the only club in the NRL who ends up with coaches who are concerned about selecting wingers such as Koroibete and Addo-Carr who were scoring 80-100m tries in our reserve grade team every week because they were worried about their defence and are more concerned about a halfbacks defence than their attacking ability.
Yes in a perfect world you would like wingers and halfbacks to be great defenders, but in reality not many of them are. These such positions need to be first and foremost very good attacking players and a half decent coach will get into their heads, be persistent and work on bringing their defence up to scratch,
Likewise with edge back rowers, if they cannot regularly break tackles and threaten to make line breaks, they are no value to your team.
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BlackWhiteGold
Well-known member
Sezer will sit out two games if he takes the early guilty plea.
Red88_Tiger
Well-known member
I think it’s ingrained in the tigers. If a player plays well against us they are looked on favourably. Braith anasta for instance. Pretty sure mbye did aswell
Buttface
Well-known member
Bud Sullivan?
He had one good game of NRL, against us and still lost, and we threw a consistent NRL player contract at him. 🤷♂️
twentyforty
Well-known member
I doubt Benji would be worried about a half's defensive capability. I think he may see a lot of himself in Bud. He was also quite animated about Walker's (Roosters) poor defence saying, 'he is not getting paid to tackle.'
jirskyr
Well-known member
Seems to be bad technique he just has to learn to get out of his game. I do notice a lot of Sezer's tackles involve leverage, i.e. he uses his core to tackle a lot, standing his ground and attempting judo-style throws.
I have a feeling that these kind of players are more likely to hip-drop if they get knocked off their feet whilst trying to wrap the ball and throw the opponent down.
It's like Joe Suaalii, who cannot help raising his knees into people and has to learn to get it out of his game.
hank37w
Well-known member
Asking many of our players to get the stupid shit out of their game is just a complete waste of time, they just don't seem to listen or are unable to learn.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks … I’d be moving in a different direction from Sezer the rest of this season …. Not much too lose now
rozelle_rudy
Well-known member
What has Sezer offered at 7?
I haven't seen it.
Doesn't steer the team around. Doesn't often get the range with his kicks.
Goes missing when we're attacking the line.
Poor defender.
Concedes penalties and sin bins.
Now that Sezer's suspended again, bring in Sullivan. He's no worse.
Let Sezer ride off into the sun for 2025.
I haven't seen it.
Doesn't steer the team around. Doesn't often get the range with his kicks.
Goes missing when we're attacking the line.
Poor defender.
Concedes penalties and sin bins.
Now that Sezer's suspended again, bring in Sullivan. He's no worse.
Let Sezer ride off into the sun for 2025.
No shortage of halves but Sezer part of Tigers' plans
By Jasper BruceUpdated August 10 2024 - 11:56am, first published 11:51am
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Aidan Sezer is still a part of Wests' plans despite a surplus of halves at the struggling NRL club. Photo: Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS
Benji Marshall insists there is room for Aidan Sezer at Wests Tigers next season despite Jarome Luai's impending arrival adding to selection pressure in the halves at the struggling NRL club.
Sezer, 33, has a mutual contract option to remain at the Tigers for a second year after a comeback season interrupted by suspensions for two hip-drop tackles.
A 2019 grand finalist with Canberra, Sezer has been first-choice halfback on his return from a four-year stint in England, but that will change with Penrith star Luai arriving and likely to partner young gun Lachie Galvin from 2025.
Fellow teenager Latu Fainu is also a highly touted half, while Jayden Sullivan remains on the books despite being granted permission to negotiate with rivals only months into a four-year deal.
But the glut of playmakers won't prompt Marshall to jettison Sezer as the 17th-placed Tigers continue to rebuild their roster, with the pair meeting to discuss the halfback's future this week.
"He's definitely someone we want to keep around," Marshall said.
Marshall finished his career as a bench utility and mentor to South Sydney's inexperienced players and felt Sezer could fill a similar role at a young Tigers team.
"You want as many leaders as you can around, particularly when you've got a young squad and you've got guys who need to teach these young guys how to prepare and how to play," he said.
"They become really important whether they play on the field or not."
Sezer himself is yet to make a call as to whether he will play on into a 14th professional season.
"I feel good, a decision will be made over the next few weeks and see what happens," he told AAP.
"I've been very fortunate to get in 13, 14 years in the game. I'm still enjoying it, I'm still enjoying being around the boys so hopefully I can prolong that. But if not, I've been blessed."
Marshall's Tigers would have held their breath when Parramatta threatened to upset Penrith on Friday night and open up a six-point gap at the bottom of the ladder.
The Panthers eventually staged a miraculous 36-34 comeback to keep the 16th-placed Eels within the Tigers' reach.
Given their inferior for-and-against, Wests likely need to win two of their last four games to leapfrog the Eels and avoid a third-consecutive wooden spoon, with a meeting against Parramatta scheduled for round 27.
Marshall said his players were aware of the stakes.
"They put that pressure on themselves so I don't need to add to that," he said ahead of Sunday's clash with Newcastle.
"We've got to find moments to take pressure off ourselves and not beat ourselves, that's the hard part that we're finding at the moment but they are getting better."
Australian Associated Press
No shortage of halves but Sezer part of Tigers' plans
Benji Marshall wants Aidan Sezer at Wests Tigers in 2025 despite Jarome Luai's arrival adding further selection pressure...
Sezer: Doing my best
Aidan Sezer speaks to media ahead of Sunday's Round 23 match against the Knights in Newcastle.Sezer: Doing my best
Aidan Sezer speaks to media ahead of Sunday's Round 23 match against the Knights in Newcastle.
www.weststigers.com.au
