Blair

[Justo]

I'm rather keen to see how/if his game improves somewhat under Kidwells influence next season.

 

[VanillaThunder]

Can't agree with you there mate…Fifita was constantly breaking the line and busting tackes...

To be honest, Blair didn't excite me when we announced it. Couldn't really figure out what all the fuss was about.

I really don't know how anyone couldn't see how good Fifita was when he was playing with us.

I don't really remember Fifita tearing it apart with us. Seemed like a bigger, lazier BMM. He obviously had talent, and that was identified, but he didn't translate that to on field performance and was rightly moved on. As many others have said, you can't keep them all, especially with a salary cap. Will you be saying the same thing if Ayshford proceeds to tear it apart at Cronulla? Miller in ESL? Benji in Union?

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[stevetiger]

Can't agree with you there mate…Fifita was constantly breaking the line and busting tackes...

To be honest, Blair didn't excite me when we announced it. Couldn't really figure out what all the fuss was about.

I really don't know how anyone couldn't see how good Fifita was when he was playing with us.

Disagree. When I sat on the hill at CO and watched him make a break from our own quater line against the panthers which led to a try I was satisfied that this kid had it! He tore the 20's competition to pices and was always going to be special.

Worst thing Sheens did was to let him go.

I think you mean agree. It was obvious that Fifita was special and as I said earlier it is probably the worst retention decision the Tigers have ever made,

 

[LaT]

Fifita had a terrible attitude at the Tigers and to be honest wasn't coached correctly.

Agreed. His attitude was terrible with him busting the line and causing havoc for us out there. **The coaching was also a factor because sometimes despite obviously being the forward most likely to bust the line sometimes he wasn't picked and then he was let go.**

Letting Fifita go is the worst recruitment and retention decision the Wests Tigers have ever made and it was obvious that is was a poor decision.

As for Blair I hadn't seen enough of him prior to recruiting him but he has been a dud buy. He is playing better this year but he will have to be let go in 2 years time if not earlier. We overpaid for him and I'm not sure if he even makes our top team injury free on performance.

Towards the last part of 2011 Fifita couldn't bust a water balloon let alone the line. He made stuff all metres and barely any tackles, Groat was outplaying him.

Now call that attitude issues, bad coaching, resentment to the club….whatever, fact remains he was dropped for good reason, because he was struggling. At the time I thought it could end up being another Daine Laurie situation.

And before the usual suspects jump up and down, Fifita himself has come out earlier this year and admitted attitude problems and at time lack of effort. He kicked on to great things, but I'm not sure Tigers could have got him there if he stayed TBH.

 

[barra]

Towards the last part of 2011 Fifita couldn't bust a water balloon let alone the line. He made stuff all metres and barely any tackles, Groat was outplaying him.

Now call that attitude issues, bad coaching, resentment to the club….whatever, fact remains he was dropped for good reason, because he was struggling. At the time I thought it could end up being another Daine Laurie situation.

And before the usual suspects jump up and down, Fifita himself has come out earlier this year and admitted attitude problems and at time lack of effort. He kicked on to great things, but I'm not sure Tigers could have got him there if he stayed TBH.

That's pretty much how I remember it.

I'd also hazard a guess that being discarded is what kicked him into gear and got his act together to prove himself. Sharks = right team in the right place at the right time for mine.

Anyway, to Blair, much improved under Potter but still needs another big prop in the line-up to help him.

 

[tigerlogic]

Was very close to signing with the roosters earlier this season when it looked like Brisbane were getting FPN, but when that fell through and he resigned with roosters blairy stayed too. My bet will be he will be one of our props next season and I'm happy with that

 

[jirskyr]

Towards the last part of 2011 Fifita couldn't bust a water balloon let alone the line. He made stuff all metres and barely any tackles, Groat was outplaying him.

Now call that attitude issues, bad coaching, resentment to the club….whatever, fact remains he was dropped for good reason, because he was struggling. At the time I thought it could end up being another Daine Laurie situation.

And before the usual suspects jump up and down, Fifita himself has come out earlier this year and admitted attitude problems and at time lack of effort. He kicked on to great things, but I'm not sure Tigers could have got him there if he stayed TBH.

That's pretty much how I remember it.

I'd also hazard a guess that being discarded is what kicked him into gear and got his act together to prove himself. Sharks = right team in the right place at the right time for mine.

Anyway, to Blair, much improved under Potter but still needs another big prop in the line-up to help him.

I posted in another thread a while back, when David Fifita came back from France to join Sharkies reserves, the media did a few pieces on the twins.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/fifita-has-ground-to-make-up-to-catch-twin-brother-20130709-2poa4.html

David talks about how much Andrew's attitude changed since the birth of his kid. Consider this pretty much coincides with his substantially improved fitness and performances (i.e. he didn't set the world on fire in his first year with Sharkies). Sometimes people just find the right groove for success and you can't always predict when that's going to happen.

Roger Federer didn't become world #1 in his first year of tennis, he was around a few years before everything clicked.

David Fifita himself is a good indication of how you need the right balance to get everything together and there are no guarantees. He is genetically identical to Andrew, but nowhere near as successful and they had slightly different upbringings.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/wild-boy-fifita-puts-pride-into-passion-20130601-2nigr.html

Compare with the Morris twins, who both managed to translate their physique into elite careers.

 

[jirskyr]

Towards the last part of 2011 Fifita couldn't bust a water balloon let alone the line. He made stuff all metres and barely any tackles, Groat was outplaying him.

Now call that attitude issues, bad coaching, resentment to the club….whatever, fact remains he was dropped for good reason, because he was struggling. At the time I thought it could end up being another Daine Laurie situation.

And before the usual suspects jump up and down, Fifita himself has come out earlier this year and admitted attitude problems and at time lack of effort. He kicked on to great things, but I'm not sure Tigers could have got him there if he stayed TBH.

That's pretty much how I remember it.

I'd also hazard a guess that being discarded is what kicked him into gear and got his act together to prove himself. Sharks = right team in the right place at the right time for mine.

Anyway, to Blair, much improved under Potter but still needs another big prop in the line-up to help him.

I posted in another thread a while back, when David Fifita came back from France to join Sharkies reserves, the media did a few pieces on the twins.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/fifita-has-ground-to-make-up-to-catch-twin-brother-20130709-2poa4.html

David talks about how much Andrew's attitude changed since the birth of his kid. Consider this pretty much coincides with his substantially improved fitness and performances (i.e. he didn't set the world on fire in his first year with Sharkies). Sometimes people just find the right groove for success and you can't always predict when that's going to happen.

Roger Federer didn't become world #1 in his first year of tennis, he was around a few years before everything clicked.

David Fifita himself is a good indication of how you need the right balance to get everything together and there are no guarantees. He is genetically identical to Andrew, but nowhere near as successful and they had slightly different upbringings.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/wild-boy-fifita-puts-pride-into-passion-20130601-2nigr.html

Compare with the Morris twins, who both managed to translate their physique into elite careers.