Blake Austin Released

[Snake]

Just listen to JT on 2sm Austin had already signed with Canberra for 16 and 17 so that brought everything forward I guess he wanted out for next year as well . If you can listen to interview on 2 sm very enlightening.

 

[haberfield_tiger]

Thought Blake was a handy player but I think in terms of potential he has reached his best. Moses is the future, wait till he is bigger and stronger and can take on the line with confidence, I just cant wait for the moses/brooks combo to reach 50 NRL games under the guidance of JT. These two will carve up most teams in the NRL. Thanks Blake, you were great at times this year, good luck at Canberra.

 

[clokan]

To be honest the guy has shown his true colors and that was money , he is going to struggle finding a position in Canberra as I do not rate him in the halves the successful halves can kick and pass unfortunately Blake can do neither .Yes a strong runner of the ball and that is about it ,defence is sketchy at best.
I am putting a lot of hope in the way the club is evolving at the moment and I feel there is a definite plan emerging, good luck Blake it could be a very cold place in loserville.

Harsh call, he's entitled to support himself and his family as best he can, but maybe he's gone for the challenge of cementing a starting position in first grade.

Enjoyed watching him play in our colours, good luck to him.

 

[cqtiger]

It was OK before he came here, it'll be OK after he is gone.

Put any players name in there btw

_Posted using RoarFEED_

 

[Defiant]

My favourite player of 2014, very sad but not unexpected.

He laid it down in the pre season trials, he wanted the no.6 . imo Potter deserved to go for rating Anasta over Austin alone.

Unfortunately the club had already invested big in Moses and Brooks so the story was inevitable really unless Blake compromised and played centre.

Canberra's gain. GL to the future Blake. Just don't let Ricky get in your head. :crazy

 

[Guest]

Can't say I blame him. He's good enough to play FG and wants to play 6 but in reality, next year he'd either be on the bench or in State Cup behind Moses and Brooks. Plus he has a family so he's doing right by them. Good luck to him at the Raiders.

 

[MacDougall]

I'm pretty unhappy. Blake's a champ dude and a great footballer. I would have done anything to keep him and earmarked him our future captain.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I really think he's one of those guys we'll look back on in a couple yrs and laugh for being so upset over losing.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Being old school a contract is a contract but things have changed, when someone throws a bucket load of money at you and you have a young family to support the pressure is on . If he was contracted for next season who initiated the talks himself or the Raiders?. To be honest the guy has shown his true colors and that was money , **he is going to struggle finding a position in Canberra as I do not rate him in the halves** the successful halves can kick and pass unfortunately Blake can do neither .Yes a strong runner of the ball and that is about it ,defence is sketchy at best.
I am putting a lot of hope in the way the club is evolving at the moment and I feel there is a definite plan emerging, good luck Blake it could be a very cold place in loserville.

Well, lucky for him you're not making the decisions down there. Pretty sure they wouldn't have signed him a yr in advance, then got him an early release if they didn't intend on starting him. Whose going to be his competition down there? Campo's gone, Milfords gone, Whighton's better in the centres. Who else is going to challenge him?

 

[pHyR3]

My favourite player of 2014, very sad but not unexpected.

He laid it down in the pre season trials, he wanted the no.6 . imo Potter deserved to go for rating Anasta over Austin alone.

Unfortunately the club had already invested big in Moses and Brooks so the story was inevitable really unless Blake compromised and played centre.

Canberra's gain. GL to the future Blake. Just don't let Ricky get in your head. :crazy

anasta was there for his talk and defence. Both of which he was far superior to austin in. Brooks and farah continually lauded him for his talk, and brooks was noticeably less composed after braith tore his bicep.

 

[cktiger]

Turned his back on us after being given a shot…. and some were saying he should be our captain over Farah :roll
He was a good runner of the ball but has nowhere near the skill set of Moses.
I would, however, have made him stay - injuries do occur!

 

[guyofthetiger]

Further proof we just can't hold quality players, for financial reasons, and the also because of the clubs current lack of integrity.
The big clubs have reserve grade sides are as good as our first grade roster.
We can't even hold a quality utility who is inevitably going to get another run at 6 given our injuries. Of course he's going to see his future elsewhere when the Tigers idea of TPAs is a Dominos discount card and an annual bus pass.
It seems we can do no better than a run on side with a queue of backup nuffies as long as you'll find at Jetstar five minutes before the plane's leaving.
It's all very well to put a broom through the place but a month into 2015 the broom may be our only option for a starting winger.

 

[PYMBLEPETE]

I really think he's one of those guys we'll look back on in a couple yrs and laugh for being so upset over losing.

Idont agree but I can see why you might say that. I reckon he is a bit of a one trick pony at 5/8 - albeit a trick which worked repeatedly well this year. But he is primarily a runner, and would have made a very good centre, which by the way is exactly what we need.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

If he's a one trick pony, teams will figure him out.

 

[Furious1]

I really think he's one of those guys we'll look back on in a couple yrs and laugh for being so upset over losing.

I tend to agree, that's why I'm not upset at all.

_Posted using RoarFEED_

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

Stuart will need to have a few words to him , otherwise The Raiders outside backs will get frostbite when playing at Home

 

[TigerSJ]

My favourite player of 2014, very sad but not unexpected.

He laid it down in the pre season trials, he wanted the no.6 . imo Potter deserved to go for rating Anasta over Austin alone.

Unfortunately the club had already invested big in Moses and Brooks so the story was inevitable really unless Blake compromised and played centre.

Canberra's gain. GL to the future Blake. Just don't let Ricky get in your head. :crazy

anasta was there for his talk and defence. Both of which he was far superior to austin in. Brooks and farah continually lauded him for his talk, and brooks was noticeably less composed after braith tore his bicep.

You can't be serious - that's all Anasta did in defence - TALK!! As a matter of fact his mouth did his running as well! I couldn't believe that Potter kept playing Anasta over Austin at 5/8 - IMO Anasta was the worst recruit and biggest waste of time we've brought to the Tigers in years (although Wade McKinnon was close).

On Austin - like many I am sorry to see him go. But as much as he is a great ball runner he does have a way to go in other areas such as ball playing, his kicking game and his defence. I'm prepared to give JT the benefit of the doubt - if Blake didn't want to stay, then let him go with our best wishes. I can understand that JT is trying to build a culture in his team of guys that really want to be there. Same goes for Gavet - he could be anything in the game if he just knuckled down, but unfortunately he wanted to go to. Let's hope JT's plan results in players really wanting to stay in the future.

 

[Goose]

Austin tried hard and was dangerous ball runner and for those reasons is a fan favourite.

He has way too many rushes of blood to play in the halves permanently and does not play structure at all.

In my mind his skill set doesnt quite fit anywhere and he looks like a utility player. I reckon he could be moulded into a creative centre (Jamie Lyon style).

Like Gnr said, I dont think we will live to regret it in anyway.

 

[Tim Sheens]

anasta was there for his talk and defence. Both of which he was far superior to austin in. Brooks and farah continually lauded him for his talk, and brooks was noticeably less composed after braith tore his bicep.

You can't be serious - that's all Anasta did in defence - TALK!! As a matter of fact his mouth did his running as well! I couldn't believe that Potter kept playing Anasta over Austin at 5/8 - IMO Anasta was the worst recruit and biggest waste of time we've brought to the Tigers in years (although Wade McKinnon was close).

On Austin - like many I am sorry to see him go. But as much as he is a great ball runner he does have a way to go in other areas such as ball playing, his kicking game and his defence. I'm prepared to give JT the benefit of the doubt - if Blake didn't want to stay, then let him go with our best wishes. I can understand that JT is trying to build a culture in his team of guys that really want to be there. Same goes for Gavet - he could be anything in the game if he just knuckled down, but unfortunately he wanted to go to. Let's hope JT's plan results in players really wanting to stay in the future.

Of course he is serious, we were a much better TEAM when Anasta was part of it.

I like Blake the individual and player, but regardless of his energy and additional speed, he did not bring as much to the side as Braith, and the results mirror the input.

 

[softlaw]

Austin was our best last season - but as we were a steaming pile of the proverbial for most of the season that's not saying much.
He has a great attitude which means that when we are going badly he will stand out. In a good, consistent team he would be a really good 14/ backup because of his running game and attitude - but he'll never be a top half.

In a bad team he'll always stand out - when we are no longer a bad team he would be a good bit player.

Best wishes with the Raiders.