Five for the Future...Part 1..

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Five for the Future: Manaia Cherrington

Dan Talintyre

Wed 24th September, 04:23PM

Five Wests Tigers' Holden Cup players in 2014 will be part of the full-time extended NRL squad in 2015 as they continue to build towards their first-grade debut.

Over the coming few days, Wests Tigers will preview the next generation of talent coming into the ranks of the full-time NRL squad next season.

Coming off a season that culminated in his selection in the 2014 NYC Holden Cup Team of the Year as well as the Junior Kiwis train-onside, hooker Manaia Cherrington says he’s ready to take on the next challenge as he makes the move up to the full-time squad in 2015.

Cherrington, who got a preview of first-grade when he was selected in the Club’s 2014 Auckland Nines squad, will be looking to establish himself and learn from captain Robbie Farah, and said that he was excited to develop alongside one of the game’s greats.

“I’ve been at Wests Tigers for a little while now,” he said, “and all the time I’ve been looking forward to stepping up and making it as a first-grade player.

“Moving to full-time training next year is going to be key in making that happen.

“All the boys have been very supportive of me over the years, but especially Robbie. He’s been great in helping me learn the game and take advantage of things around the ruck and also how to work on my defence as well… Just little things like watching him play and the things he does, and then trying to take that back into my own game.

“I’m really excited about 2015 and playing alongside my mates to show what I can do.”

A member of Balmain Tigers’ SG Ball winning squad in 2012 alongside the likes of Mitchell Moses and Nathan Milone, Cherrington moved up to Holden Cup in 2013 — playing every game for the Club as they made it to the second round of the finals.

After being selected in the Junior Kiwis squad at the end of that year, Cherrington then built on that platform with a strong 2014 as he spent time in the Club’s NYC and NSW Cup squads, and captained the side in the back half of the year when regular captain Nathan Milone went down with a season-ending knee injury in Round 13.

Wests Tigers NYC Assistant Coach Balin Cupples said that Cherrington’s hard work and skillset would hold him in good stead as he makes the step up to full-time training.

“Manaia’s had a solid two years of playing under-20’s now,” Cupples said.

“Skill wise, he’s always been in the top echelon of players. In terms of his position, he’s worked really hard on his contact and his defence, and it’s something that he’s going to have to continue to work hard on to succeed, which he knows.

“That comes down to his body weight and his work in the gym. He’s managed to maintain his five-kilogram increase in muscle mass that he put on over the pre-season, which is hard to do for guys that play all season and as many minutes as he does.

“Manaia’s ticked a lot of boxes in the NYC program, and with a couple more NRL pre-seasons under his belt, he’s going to be a force at the first-grade level no doubt.”

The former Whangarei junior also signed a new deal with Wests Tigers in 2014 that will see him remain with the Club until the end of the 2016 season.
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Player Profile: Manaia Cherrington
D.O.B. — 2nd August, 1994

Position — Hooker

Junior Clubs — Whangarei, New Zealand

Rep. Honours — Junior Kiwis (2013), NYC Team of the Year (2014)
 
Geo ,I hope he developed into one of our top line talents,sounds like he is very keen to get into the top NRL team.
Best of luck to him…. :sign:
 
Well Martin, Seve and Cherrington all trained with the NRL squad last off season so there's no reason to think they won't again, fitness permitting. Graham is a definite, and the likes of Liolevava and Heleta woudl eb the other 2 who would come into contention.

Hoeter also has a nsw cup contract so he'll be training with them too.
 
I would think
Manai Cherrington
Dallas Graham
Nathan Milone
Deloise Hoeter
Matt Lodge

These are the ones who have either been announced earlier in the year, lodge played FG and Milone was captain of the 20s

Most of the others with potential still have a year in the Under 20s to go and usually its the one's graduating unless they are expected to play FG like Brooks and Moses.
 
Realistically, this is just about some positive marketing, and a good idea to let our many casual fans learn a bit more about stars of the future. They also get the alliteration by choosing five players. However, the fact remains there's probably about 10 players from NYC that will be training with the NRL squad over the off season.

Cherrington, Graham, Martin, Heleta, Seve, Liolevave, Hoeter, Grant, Woods and maybe even Funaki and Milone.

Exposing kids to a higher level can only help in their development, and if there's one or two who are killing it they then may get a chance in the trials as well. As i mentioned previously, half of the above have already trained with the NRL boys in any case.
 
Five for the Future: Delouise Hoeter

Brock Corfe

Thu 25th September, 03:30PM
A A

Five Wests Tigers' Holden Cup players in 2014 will be part of the full-time extended NRL squad in 2015 as they continue to build towards their first-grade debut.

Over the coming few days, Wests Tigers will preview the next generation of talent coming into the ranks of the full-time NRL squad next season.

After two seasons in the Wests Tigers Holden Cup system, Delouise Hoeter will join the Club’s extended full-time NRL squad in 2015.

Hoeter signed a contract extension earlier this year until the end of 2016 and is one of five exciting young players that will make the transition to full-time training next year.

For those yet to see Hoeter in action, the 20-year-old possesses great speed and evasion and can cover a range of positions including fullback, wing and centre.

“I’m really excited to be joining the full-time squad,” Hoeter said. “It’s a dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid and while I haven’t played an NRL game yet it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

“My goal is to train consistently during the off-season and play as many games as possible in 2015.”

Holden Cup Assistant Coach Balin Cupples is one person who knows the potential Hoeter has to offer after assisting with his development over the last two seasons.

“In terms of natural ability, Delouise is very powerful,” Cupples said. “His footwork, speed, ability to beat a man are all really good.”

“He’s probably had to play out of position this year just to work with some other guys with injuries and form, but in all of that, I think he really showed what he was all about in terms of putting his hand up and taking ownership of his role.

“I think that’s going to hold him in good stead in the future.”

Hoeter was this week named in the Junior Kiwis train-on squad for the second consecutive year, however he is awaiting the results of scans on an ankle injury suffered in the semi-final loss to Brisbane.

Last year was unfortunate end to the season for Hoeter, who had surgery on his injured hand and as a result, was ruled out of the representative match against the Junior Kangaroos.

It has been a tough run with injuries for the youngster, but Cupples is confident that it will only motivate Hoeter even further in the future.

“Delouise has had a lot of hurdles and challenges to get over in the last couple of years in terms of injuries and set-backs,” Cupples said. “You sort of need those challenges along the way to test yourself to become mentally strong enough to take the step into the NRL.”

“He’s got the attacking prowess, and if he keeps working on his contact and defensive decisions, he’s going to be one to watch and he’ll no doubt take that opportunity with both hands.

Born in Tonga, Hoeter played his junior football for Marist Saints in New Zealand before attending Keebra Park High School in Queensland.

Hoeter had his first taste of the top grade earlier this season, travelling to the Auckland Nines with the NRL squad and taking the field in Club’s final game of the tournament.

With another full pre-season under his belt, expect Hoeter to be one to watch in 2015.
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Player Profile: Delouise Hoeter
D.O.B. — 6th March, 1994

Position — Fullback, Wing, Centre

Junior Clubs — Marist Saints, Auckland, New Zealand

Sirro's fav..
 
The way they've worded this suggests its only players who will be training full time next season (not just over the summer). ie players who aren't eligible for NYC again next year. So we may not even see the likes of TMM mentioned in these articles yet as NYC players are only allowed to train part time, and study/apprenticeship part time.

Cherrington, Hoeter, Graham, Lodge and possibly sadly Milone given these requirements.
 
Sure enough, Milone is the 3rd. All these boys will be moving from NYC to NSW Cup next season.

I hope he proves me wrong but in all the games i've seen him in Milone has looked like a poor man's Dean Collis.

Wests Tigers 2014 NYC Holden Cup captain Nathan Milone will make the step up to full-time training next year and says he’s ready to test himself against the big boys.
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Milone, who missed the back half of 2014 following a season-ending knee injury against the Newcastle Knights in Round 13, is an elusive centre with strong footwork, whose defensive stability will be huge asset for the joint venture Club in years to come.
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A Dundas Shamrocks junior, Milone worked his way through the grades at Balmain — winning the SG Ball title alongside Mitchell Moses in Manaia Cherrington in 2012 — before making the step to Holden Cup. His sharp ball-skills and ability to read the game made him a top player in the competition, and in 2014, he was rewarded with the chance to play in NSW Cup, where he scored a try in his debut game.
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That set the platform for what was shaping as a big 2014 for Milone, before a knee-injury derailed his season and left him focused on coming back stronger for 2015.
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Despite the setback, Wests Tigers NYC Assistant Coach Balin Cupples said that Milone has still managed to turn being on the sidelines into a positive for his development, and that fans should expect to see those benefits come to the fore next year.
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“In terms of Nathan’s injury, rather than getting down about it, he’s really taken that opportunity to put on some size and bulk,” said Cupples. “That will really help him heading into the NRL pre-season and dealing with bigger bodies coming at him.
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“His individual form was sound before [the injury]; his footwork and defensive decisions were really strong and I know he’ll pick up right where he left off there.
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“Being our captain, it was something that he just took on, and with his easy-going personality, it really benefited the team. He’s got a great ability to talk and get players to come together and I think he’s someone that’s really going to take advantage of the opportunities that come his way next year with a full-time load.
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“The extra size is going to help him, his ability to beat a few players with his running game is massive, and he’s definitely someone to watch coming through at Wests Tigers.”
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Aside from his playing career, Milone is also building an impressive resume off the field — currently studying a Bachelor of Business at University of Technology, Sydney as well as a Certificate IV in Fitness with a number of his Wests Tigers teammates.
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As a result, Milone was included in the 2014 Holden Cup Academic Team of the Year.
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Close friends with the likes of Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks following their time together at Holy Cross, Balmain and now Wests Tigers, Milone will certainly be looking to follow in his friends’ footsteps in 2015 and make his name at the NRL level as well.
 
@willow said:
I think Milone will struggle to see first grade.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen him play, but why do you think that willow ? The club thinks he can if they wrote this story on him and the other 4

_Posted using RoarFEED V.4_
 
@westy81 said:
@willow said:
I think Milone will struggle to see first grade.

I haven't seen him play, but why do you think that willow ? The club thinks he can if they wrote this story on him and the other 4

_Posted using RoarFEED V.4_
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

From what I have seen of him, he lacks overall pace and acceleration and just looks like a bog average centre. He's not massive so he isn't going to break the line, he's not particularly tall or awkward to handle. Seve looks the best centre prospect we have coming through at the moment.
 
Can't understand the love for Dean Collis that gets sprouted on here.
Didn't do much when with us and bugger all when he left- ordinary at best.
 
Five for the Future: **Dallas Graham**

Brock Corfe

Fri 26th September, 05:00PM

Five Wests Tigers' Holden Cup players in 2014 will be part of the full-time extended NRL squad in 2015 as they continue to build towards their first-grade debut.

Over the coming few days, Wests Tigers will preview the next generation of talent coming into the ranks of the full-time NRL squad next season.

One of the standout performers for the Wests Tigers Holden Cup side in 2014, Dallas Graham is set to join the extended full-time NRL squad next season.

Earning a contract extension earlier in the year that will see him remain at the Club until at least the end of 2016, Graham has excelled throughout his two seasons in the National Youth Competition.

A hard working prop forward, the 20-year-old’s performances in 2014 earned him high praise from NYC Assistant Coach, Balin Cupples.

“Dallas has held his own and been the form player for the 20s this year,” he said. “He is very structured in how he approaches the game.

“Dallas’ carries are strong, he gets good quick play-the-balls and defensively, he’s really key in controlling tackles and winning tackles back and giving his teammates those little 1-3 second periods to get back and get good line speed.

“His efforts are huge and he’ll definitely take that into his NRL career.”

Spending last pre-season with the NRL squad was a key factor in Graham’s development, with his performances in this year an improvement on what was a solid introduction to the Holden Cup in 2013.

“Compared to last year where he’s still played a lot of games for us off the bench, in terms of his impact and the minutes and the things he’s done and the tackles that he’s won for his teammates this year, it’s been phenomenal,” said Cupples.

“Dallas is someone who’s had to put in a lot of hard work and he did just that in the off-season and through the pre-season with the NRL squad.

“He came back into our squad and has been dominant up front.”

Another graduate of Keebra Park High School, Graham stands at an ominous 1.9 metres and will add depth to a squad already boasting fellow props Aaron Woods, Martin Taupau, Keith Galloway and Ava Seumanufagai.

A highlight of the 2014 NYC season for Graham was co-captaining the Wests Tigers side towards the back-end of the year with five-eighth Te Maire Martin.

Graham also made his NSW Cup debut this year, playing one match against the Warriors in Round 22, in which he topped the tackle-count with 38.

Named in the Junior Kiwis train-on squad this week alongside five of his teammates, selection in the final team to play the Junior Kangaroos on October 18 would cap off a stellar 2014 season for Graham.

Player Profile: Dallas Graham
D.O.B. — 23rd April 1994

Position — Prop

Junior Clubs — Kapiti Bears, New Zealand
 
Looking forward to seeing Graham develop, this young bloke has a top attitude and with a bit more bulk over the next couple of seasons looks a likely talent IMO.
 
Five for the Future: Salesi Funaki

Dan Talintyre

Sun 28th September, 01:38PM
A A

Flying under the radar somewhat in 2014, Wests Tigers second rower Salesi Funaki will be keen to make a statement in 2015 as he makes the transition into the full-time squad.

Despite playing as a 19-year-old, Funaki quickly cemented himself a spot in the Club’s NYC team on the right edge, and continued to grow into his position as the season progressed. His powerful running, strong offloading skills and ability to create an overlap allowed the likes of Delouise Hoeter and John Tohi to finish the season with strong try-scoring totals, and he’ll no doubt be looking to continue that form in 2015.

NYC Assistant Coach Balin Cupples couldn’t praise Funaki enough for his development on the field, but also his growth in maturity and understanding off it.

“The thing with Salesi,” he said, “is that this is his first year of playing under-20’s. Because he’s been in the 20’s for a couple of years now, people kind of underestimate how much he’s done over the past few years and how good this kid is going to be.

“Physically, he still has a lot of growing to do — despite being a big boy already — and he works extremely hard with all facets of his training. His skill level is also a great asset of his game; his catch-pass is up there with some halfbacks in the game and his ability to beat defenders, break through the line, and find quick play-the-balls is really strong.

“He’s someone that, in the correct system, will thrive and become something special at the NRL level. He’s only 19 so he’s got another year of 20’s development ahead of him, but going into that full-time squad with the discipline and responsibility and maturity and discipline needed to do that, that will really progress him along.

“He’s had small steps in his maturity to grow as a person and a player, but being in that full-time professional environment, he could really turn some heads next year.

A Holy Cross Rhinos junior along with the likes of Curtis Sironen, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks, Funaki is still eligible for NYC Holden Cup in 2015 despite carrying a full-time training load. His growth and development towards an eventual first-grade debut will no doubt be a fascinating storyline to watch next year, but the 19-year-old is simply looking to enjoy his football and take it literally, one game at a time.

“To be honest, I can’t look much beyond pre-season at the moment,” admitted Funaki.

“I really enjoyed the year with our Holden Cup boys and I’m excited to take the field again with them next year. I’m not really thinking about moving up or playing NRL or anything just yet; just wanting to get back into it and work hard for the team.

“We’ve got a great bunch of guys here at the Club — some really talented guys too — and I’m just excited to be a part of that going forward in 2015.”

As Wests Tigers have profiled this week, Funaki will be joined by Manaia Cherrington, Delouise Hoeter, Dallas Graham and Nathan Milone in the extended full-time squad in 2015\. Matthew Lodge and Mitchell Moses — both who were in the Club's NYC program before making their NRL debut in Round 17 — will continue their full-time training in the extended squad also.

Player Profile: Salesi Funaki
D.O.B. — 24th January, 1995

Position — Second Row

Junior Clubs — Holy Cross Rhinos

Rep. Honours — N/A
 
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