Fifita gamble pays off for Flanagan

[Guest]

We should have offered them Groat or BMM instead. Apart from Woods, Fifita was the best up'n'comer we had last season. Groat put in a solid effort but Fifita has a little bit more spice, and I think he would be interesting in our scrum-pack once he learns how to use his skills

Is that an attempt at comedy? Seriously? Groat more than justified his selection ahead of Fifita last year, he has a much better work ethic, he's fitter and he runs straight, something Fifita needs to learn. Fifita spent half of last season looking sub standard in State Cup so I don't know how you can say he was the best up'n'comer after Woods. Yeah he's got talent, but he doesn't put in the hard yards required to make the most of what he has. Groat on the other hand does and I know who I'll be backing to come out on top in round 1 and it won't be Fifita.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

We should have offered them Groat or BMM instead. Apart from Woods, Fifita was the best up'n'comer we had last season. Groat put in a solid effort but Fifita has a little bit more spice, and I think he would be interesting in our scrum-pack once he learns how to use his skills

Groat went forwards in his development, Fifita went backwards. Groat will become a great first grader, a bit harsh to getting up a kid who has ten games under his belt. He's a big boy who needs to develop his motor to play regularly in FG. You don't get plucked from the bush to play St Greg's and Wests because you're a no-hoper.

Fifita on the other hand went from being a devastating hitter of the line to crab walking and relying on a fend to make a break. Teams figured him out and didn't allow defenders to get isolated by pack hunting him.

Groat has a long way to go, I'll pay that, but he's not even 20 yet and he's moving in the opposite direction than Fifita: Forward. Fifita needs to give his game and his attitude an overhaul (which I hope he does because he has talent to burn,) but in their current states I'd take Groat over him eight days a week.

 

[LaT]

If memory serves, Groat and Fifita were on the bench together for a bit. And Fifita was being outplayed consistently, he was a passenger.

 

[innsaneink]

I think a lot of people on here are a bit hard on Fifita - Yea he went missing towards the end of the year and probably had a chip on his shoulder over not being selected but i think with a regular first grade spot and a few games under his belt with the right coach this guy will be a star - just not sure its going to happen at Cronulla.

Yeah I tend to agree.
Funny how different the tunes Im hearing are now….this time last year everyone was talking up Fifita as the next best thing....now hes useless managing 4m sideways hit ups....
The fickleness of sports fans eh...

 

[Guest]

I think a lot of people on here are a bit hard on Fifita - Yea he went missing towards the end of the year and probably had a chip on his shoulder over not being selected but i think with a regular first grade spot and a few games under his belt with the right coach this guy will be a star - just not sure its going to happen at Cronulla.

Yeah I tend to agree.
Funny how different the tunes Im hearing are now….this time last year everyone was talking up Fifita as the next best thing....now hes useless managing 4m sideways hit ups....
The fickleness of sports fans eh...

His form from last year is there for all to see Ink. He certainly had great impact off the bench in 2010 when he burst onto the scene, but he really did go backwards last year with his sideways running and he looked ordinary in State Cup too. You need front rowers putting their head down and making the hard yards up the middle. Woods did it consistently and Groat improved steadily and I daresay will kick on further this year. On the rare occasions when Fifita did hit it up straight and hard he was stopped in his tracks very quickly. Talented yes, but that will only take him so far.

 

[Tigersmurf]

There is a real chance that Fifita might tear us to pieces in round one! I hope Sheens has Blair and Ellis marking him and Beau running around his feet in attack.

One of my highlights over the last three or so years was Fifita charging straight through the Penrith defence at Campbelltown.

I have heard all the stories about how he ran sideways and was a poor trainer - what a load of crap! How could he improve last year Willow, they wouldn't put the kid in the team! Not many props can change a game on their own and he will be missed. What happened to his brother? Anyone know?

 

[Goose]

I think Gibbs will be missed without doubt.
Fifita has talent and is still a potential star (he could go the other way)
Still I think they were good choices to release given the abundance of upcoming props who we can pay less,
Gibbs also got himself a pay rise good luck to him. I also think that given the ongoing injury dramas with Bryce 's knee, he may slowly decline over the next few years, I hope he plays good footy, but Definately understand the thinking of the management
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[LaT]

There is a real chance that Fifita might tear us to pieces in round one! I hope Sheens has Blair and Ellis marking him and Beau running around his feet in attack.

One of my highlights over the last three or so years was Fifita charging straight through the Penrith defence at Campbelltown.

I have heard all the stories about how he ran sideways and was a poor trainer - what a load of crap! How could he improve last year Willow, they wouldn't put the kid in the team! Not many props can change a game on their own and he will be missed. What happened to his brother? Anyone know?

He wasn't dropped on a whim though, he played a number of games for us that were way below par. He was dropped as a result of that.

When you are dropped to lower grades you can either rip in to show you want to be there, or drop your head.

Fifita didn't rip in.

 

[Gothetigers]

It was also inevitable that with Groat Woods and Fafita the Tigers were never going to keep all three due to the salary cap.

I think we kept the best two. Time will tell
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[Tigersmurf]

I hear what you are saying LaT, but it must be hard to motivate yourself in the lower grades when you know that the coach is going to support the up and coming players that will remain in the squad. He would have known he was unlikely to get a call up irrespective of his form. I am not close enough to the action to know whether he was dropped for form or the reason I just mentioned but I do agree with Ink that he is being given a rough go on the forum.

However…...I do hope we SMASH him!!!

 

[Guest]

There is a real chance that Fifita might tear us to pieces in round one! I hope Sheens has Blair and Ellis marking him and Beau running around his feet in attack.

One of my highlights over the last three or so years was Fifita charging straight through the Penrith defence at Campbelltown.

I have heard all the stories about how he ran sideways and was a poor trainer - what a load of crap! How could he improve last year Willow, they wouldn't put the kid in the team! Not many props can change a game on their own and he will be missed. What happened to his brother? Anyone know?

You must not watch the game too closely then. Take another look at Fifita's charge against the Panthers (3:22)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqH6IIwpxYg

Better yet, as good as his highlights package is, take a good close look at how many defences meet him with a single solid straight line in 2010\. The answer is bugger all, and watch Fifita crab sideways as soon as he palms the first defender off. Opposition teams worked this out last year and met him with a single line, which nullified Fifita. It's not opinion, it's fact.

Don't try and say he wasn't given a go last year. That's rubbish, he was given every chance to make it in FG last year, he was fitter, leaner and did have a good off-season. Unfortunately the opposition worked him out and his attitude fell away once he signed with the Sharks. You may not want to believe the stories about him running sideways and being a poor trainer, well there's no denying it based on what he did last year. He tried to run sideways in 2011, it didn't work. When he hit it up the middle he was ineffective. At training, well there's a reason he spent the second half of the season in State Cup. He was poor in State Cup too.

I'm not denying he has talent, but it was the right choice to let him go ahead of Woods and Groat. They'll have his measure in round 1.

As for David Fifita, who knows where he is this year. Suffice to say his attitude positively stinks compared to Andrew's.

 

[Balmain_Bug]

Fifita and Gibbs are going to be a massive loss. Fifita will play for NSW.

 

[Fumbles]

Tim Sheens rewards good trainers that is why Daniel Fitzhenry was always in the team. Andrew Fifita doesn't sound like he would have been a good trainer and maybe young Matt Groat got his start because of that.

 

[Joel Helmes]

Fifita and Gibbs are going to be a massive loss. **Fifita will play for NSW**.

Would you like to place a bet on that?

You do mean in rugby league don't you??

 

[Tigersmurf]

You seem to be fairly set on your opinion Willow and you must have a reason as to why that is the case, all I am saying is that he played well and I don't believe that form was the only reason he didn't play firsts. I disagree with your second paragraph, every new player gets worked on in their second season and I don't think you can expect someone to just deal with it. They needed to be guided through this phase of their career.

We could have used him off the bench. I am not saying I disagree with Sheens decision as I favour supporting the younger players that are going to stay at the club. My point is that everyone has turned against him because he has gone somewhere else and I just don't think it was justified.

As to whether his form or intensity at training warranted him to be dropped - only himself and the inner sanctum at the Tigers will ever know.

 

[LaT]

I didn't turn on him until he started playing crap, at first I was pissed he wasn't going to stay.

He played off the bench from R11 to R17, he was absolutely given enough opportunity to turn things around. It was the worst turn around I had seen since Ben Teo.

If everyone turned on him for simply leaving the club, you would have seen everyone bag Gibbs too. The difference was Gibbs rose to another level and Fifita gave up.

Thats the difference between a mature footballer, and a kid.

 

[tigersrule4life]

Can we get over andrew fifita he was gud for half a year in 2010\. Last year he was very bad he didnt do much so let him go we have lots of young fowards in under 20s so will be fine bring on the nrl season and round 1 so we show him who tigers really are.

 

[Tigersmurf]

Well said tigersrule4life - Willow you can close the thread.

Lets start one up on Mosese Fotuiaka…

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Fifita and Gibbs are going to be a massive loss. **Fifita will play for NSW**.

Would you like to place a bet on that?

You do mean in rugby league don't you??

Well he has been named in the emerging blues squad. Thats a good indication of how well he's rated

I don't know why people are so hard on the kid. Yeah his attitude is poor, but that could get better with maturity, who knows? one thing is for sure, if he gets his head screwed on the right way, and starts running straight, he could be anything. And if he doesn't kick on then its not our problem

 

[Guest]

You seem to be fairly set on your opinion Willow and you must have a reason as to why that is the case, all I am saying is that he played well and I don't believe that form was the only reason he didn't play firsts. I disagree with your second paragraph, every new player gets worked on in their second season and I don't think you can expect someone to just deal with it. They needed to be guided through this phase of their career.

We could have used him off the bench. I am not saying I disagree with Sheens decision as I favour supporting the younger players that are going to stay at the club. My point is that everyone has turned against him because he has gone somewhere else and I just don't think it was justified.

As to whether his form or intensity at training warranted him to be dropped - only himself and the inner sanctum at the Tigers will ever know.

Of course I am set in my opinion. In 2010 I was one of his biggest fans, he offered great impact off the bench and looked to be a superstar in the making. Last season was a major disappointment however.The Tigers did use him off the bench after he proved ineffective starting , and the results were not good. He had a couple of decent showings early on last season and his form slowly deteriorated after that. If you're still unsure about whether his form or intensity warranted him to be dropped, take a look at his stats last year, they're dead set rubbish.