OFFICIAL Blake Austin [Discussion]

[Tigerdon]

When you have good running backs lie Simona, Teddy ect..
You don't want to have a 5/8 that will just do a "show and go".
Moses got the bodies in motion style play going. Which WestsTigers are famous for.
Last night the skill level with ball in hand was a pleasure to watch. The ball going though the hands of the backline makes Teddy so much mor dangerous. Rather than receiving it flat footed.

 

[tsjonathan]

Most of you guys are off your heads. yes Moses is improving quickly, i rate the guy as much as anyone but letting Austin go was not a good decision.

Using one poor game to try and prove your point is fairly ordinary, makes us look like a d*** of a fan base, coming all but last but we are too good for the buy of the year. Get real.

Each to their own.

They are just 1 win above us, if that's the difference buy of the year would be then they can have him. The kid has a huge amount of skill and talent no doubts about it.

Austin reminds me a lot like a Benji style player except with the team playing capability. He runs one out, is a great support play, brilliant step and when the chips are down overplays his hand. Austin doesn't have the passing capability or vision however.

With the forward pack and support cast the Raiders have a player like Austin should be leading them well into the 8.

Last night showed the difference between Moses and Austin. It has been the difference all along but watching the 2 different playing styles against each other was very interesting.

They both support, both can step and both are smart footy players however Moses has the capability to feed his outside men rather than run it all the time. Moses leads the team around where as Austin doesn't. Moses is showing great control of his game considering he is 20 and starting to be the real leader barking orders at the team. Austin never has or will do that he isn't that type of player. Moses passing game on both sides flat and often onto the chest in front of a running player is very impressive. His long kicking game is something we will see more of and one most halves don't have either.

Austin had a terrible game last night and supporters compare, it's natural it's up to the players to remove the fodder opportunities and prove they would have been better. Last night Moses won.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

Why has it always got to be about Moses v Austin.

Letting Austin go was not a good decision, and that has absolutely nothing to do with Mitchel friggen Moses…

Sick of this one or the other nonsense. they are both very good but very different players. Just leave it at that.

I think because those of us that have defended Moses have had to put up with nearly a whole season of the Austin fanclub maligning Moses based on the performances of Austin. It wasnt long ago that on this forum some were suggesting that Moses was never ever going to be a first grader let alone a successful one.

And yet he is only 20 years old and was in high school 18 months ago

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

I too cant fathom Austin as the 'buy of the year' considering they arent even in the Top 8 and their best player Josh Hodgson is also in his first year at the Club?

Jake Granville is buy of the year, Austin in the top 3 for taking a wooden spoon team to the edge of the 8.

Wouldn't that have more to do with Hodgson, Soliola, FPN etc.

The raiders are always the edge of the 8 team, majority games he plays against quality has been below par this year. Austin isn't as good as some on this forum make him out to be.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

Each to their own.

They are just 1 win above us, if that's the difference buy of the year would be then they can have him. The kid has a huge amount of skill and talent no doubts about it.

Austin reminds me a lot like a Benji style player except with the team playing capability. He runs one out, is a great support play, brilliant step and when the chips are down overplays his hand. Austin doesn't have the passing capability or vision however.

With the forward pack and support cast the Raiders have a player like Austin should be leading them well into the 8.

Last night showed the difference between Moses and Austin. It has been the difference all along but watching the 2 different playing styles against each other was very interesting.

They both support, both can step and both are smart footy players however Moses has the capability to feed his outside men rather than run it all the time. Moses leads the team around where as Austin doesn't. Moses is showing great control of his game considering he is 20 and starting to be the real leader barking orders at the team. Austin never has or will do that he isn't that type of player. Moses passing game on both sides flat and often onto the chest in front of a running player is very impressive. His long kicking game is something we will see more of and one most halves don't have either.

Austin had a terrible game last night and supporters compare, it's natural it's up to the players to remove the fodder opportunities and prove they would have been better. Last night Moses won.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

Why has it always got to be about Moses v Austin.

Letting Austin go was not a good decision, and that has absolutely nothing to do with Mitchel friggen Moses…

Sick of this one or the other nonsense. they are both very good but very different players. Just leave it at that.

I think because those of us that have defended Moses have had to put up with nearly a whole season of the Austin fanclub maligning Moses based on the performances of Austin. It wasnt long ago that on this forum some were suggesting that Moses was never ever going to be a first grader let alone a successful one.

And yet he is only 20 years old and was in high school 18 months ago

Agree. Moses is proving that the club made the right decision in not keeping Austin for another 12mths.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[haberfield_tiger]

I was always happy with the decision to let Austin go so we could invest time and money into Moses. I think he is an exceptional talent and given time will be a star of the game. Its only fair to compare these two, because had we kept Austin, Moses would still be playing NYC and not developing as quick as he is now. As far as im concerned the club was vindicated last night with their decision to let Austin go.

I think Mitch will be a loyal custodian of the number 6 at the tigers for years to come. You can see it in him he lives and breathes this club, its all that matters to him. This is the type of player every club needs if they want success..

 

[Pawsandclaws]

The best indicator I think is this; Phil Gould released Austin to WTs. He has since signed Martin and there is enough anecdotal evidence out there to suggest he would like Moses as well. What do you make of that?

 

[stevetiger]

I think because those of us that have defended Moses have had to put up with nearly a whole season of the Austin fanclub maligning Moses based on the performances of Austin. It wasnt long ago that on this forum some were suggesting that Moses was never ever going to be a first grader let alone a successful one. Who knows what the future holds for both players, but the Moses supporters are entitled to even up the balance a little in this discussion after what was a very poor performance of Austins. Had Austin outplayed Moses they would have all been at it again.

I'm a fan of both Austin and Moses. I wouldn't have let Austin go but I would have played Moses at 6.

 

[alexaki]

Moses will be a much smarter footballer at the same age Austin is now…..

 

[Black_Orange_White]

Moses can throw a pass and kick I think, so him. I like my halves to make the backline better rather than endlessly dummy on dumb teams. Go figure we're the only team to figure Blake's one dimension out.

 

[balmain boy]

You know Brooks really had an awful season this year, especially for a 20 year old.

And Austin had an amazing, blinder of a season!

Some Season stats:

Brooks 10 tries, 16 try assists (=5th in NRL), 13 line break assists

Austin 14 tries, 8 try assists. (Can't find his line break assists stats, but its less than 12)

Austin is the only 'playmaker' in the top 20 for tries. As has been said, Austin isn't that much of a team player, nor does he make the team around him better. An excellent runner, no question, but that's not the primary job of a half. And we have Teddy as our game-breaking runner - one of the best in the business.

Sure stats don't paint the entire picture, and yes there's still a lot of areas that Brooks and Austin (and of course Moses) can improve on, but Austin does have a few years head start already.

For a player who so many have bagged this season, and who has a lot of room for improvement with a number of rather average performances, Brooks is still right up there with the very best in attacking statistics this season!

 

[Benjirific]

Stats might not say everything, but I think they make a good point in this case. Austin is a ball runner first and foremost. WT has plenty of great ball runners in our team in my opinion (Tedesco, Moses & Brooks have all showed plenty in this area), but in Moses & Brooks there is two outstanding playmakers in the making.

In addition, I think in Austin's case you've pretty much got a player at his peak, while Moses and Brooks have a large upside for WT into the future. Just let them play, let them make mistakes and not turn them into football robots.

 

[Tigerdon]

Austin did pretty well this season, with the "Show and Go" move. i can't see many teams falling for his dummies as much in the future as they did this year.
Austin as he wanted the starting 5/8 position, i was disappointed when he left. However now the regular season is done..i can see why the WTs kept Brooks and Moses and released Austin.

 

[underdog]

Austins 2 noticeably worst games of the year were against us, and highlighted he's a one trick pony in terms of his Show and Go.

I think he'll be still great, however he'll need to add to his repatoire to get better.

 

[sheer64]

You know Brooks really had an awful season this year, especially for a 20 year old.

And Austin had an amazing, blinder of a season!

Some Season stats:

Brooks 10 tries, 16 try assists (=5th in NRL), 13 line break assists

Austin 14 tries, 8 try assists. (Can't find his line break assists stats, but its less than 12)

Austin is the only 'playmaker' in the top 20 for tries. As has been said, Austin isn't that much of a team player, nor does he make the team around him better. An excellent runner, no question, but that's not the primary job of a half. And we have Teddy as our game-breaking runner - one of the best in the business.

Sure stats don't paint the entire picture, and yes there's still a lot of areas that Brooks and Austin (and of course Moses) can improve on, but Austin does have a few years head start already.

For a player who so many have bagged this season, and who has a lot of room for improvement with a number of rather average performances, Brooks is still right up there with the very best in attacking statistics this season!

I think there were some factors that led to the criticism of Brooks.

Firstly we have high expectations on him based on how certain people have talked him up most notably Andrew Johns. Secondly we saw Moses developing and growing in confidence but to allot of us we did not see that same level in Brooks. Thirdly he looked a bit lost in some games, why I am not going to guess at.

I am still confident he will be a a quality half back, just hope it is for us.

 

[krayola]

What I loved about Brooksy on Saturday night was his last 20 minutes.That's when you need your best players to step up and he did. He was relentless in attack, both with his running game and his passing. He's a quality player.

 

[jirskyr]

Brooks is a far worse defender. His attack is not great under pressure.

But he's just a kid, we need to give him more time.

 

[Love_the_WestsTigers]

Who knows, if Austin played for us this year Taylor might have made his stats look rubbish too

 

[Kavi]

It's pretty funny how you say that brooks had a terrible year and then you show us the stats and brooks created 4 more tries than Austin. Sure Austin is better in defence but still How can you make that statement it doesn't make sense

 

[GNR4LIFE]

It's pretty funny how you say that brooks had a terrible year and then you show us the stats and brooks created 4 more tries than Austin. Sure Austin is better in defence but still How can you make that statement it doesn't make sense

Its hard for Austin to create tries when he never passes the ball. It isn't surprising his try assists would be low.

 

[tig_prmz]

8 try assists for a half who played every game is quite low. raiders have also scored a lot of points.

betya most of those assitss would've come via offloads or bombs.