Forward Pack Discussion

crazycat said:
You have answered my question above...

Momentum.

Hence the Slow plays of Klemmer, the brain sprays of Bateman.

All which disrupt momentum.


So does KPP + Bunty fit the above?
NZ used to do a stack of offloads. Then Kearney came in and focused on completions, making them boring and a spooner team. Bunty doesn't fit Webster's plans, and you have to say with Webster that whatever he is doing is working. Heck NZ performing better without Reece Walsh it's got to be good coaching.

LIkewise KPP. Known for offloads but hasn't done many under O'brien at Newcastle. Has mistakes and errors in his game, although has a high workrate.

So does the hiring of Bunty and KPP and the firing of Bird, et al fit the momentum line?
I think you have a point.
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Disagree. KPP has few errors. Maybe DCE is available. Crickets from Easts about his signing.
 
There is constant talk that our forward pack is not good enough and needs a big name recruit.
That is great in theory and I think all Wests Tigers supporters agree one good quality middle in addition to Bunty Afoa would be ideal, but whether or not the right player becomes available to us anytime soon is debatable.
In saying this when you compare our forward pack to the Melbourne Storm player for player including the bench and taking likely improvement into the 2026 season into the equation, I don’t think we stack up as bad as many of our supporters think.
Getting the best out of our current t players and getting them to produce it on a consistent basis is a bigger issue than simply needing another big name forward recruit.
 
Vicious said:
There is constant talk that our forward pack is not good enough and needs a big name recruit.
That is great in theory and I think all Wests Tigers supporters agree one good quality middle in addition to Bunty Afoa would be ideal, but whether or not the right player becomes available to us anytime soon is debatable.
In saying this when you compare our forward pack to the Melbourne Storm player for player including the bench and taking likely improvement into the 2026 season into the equation, I don’t think we stack up as bad as many of our supporters think.
Getting the best out of our current t players and getting them to produce it on a consistent basis is a bigger issue than simply needing another big name forward recruit.
Click to expand...
Hass would look good in a WT jersey
 
Vicious said:
There is constant talk that our forward pack is not good enough and needs a big name recruit.
That is great in theory and I think all Wests Tigers supporters agree one good quality middle in addition to Bunty Afoa would be ideal, but whether or not the right player becomes available to us anytime soon is debatable.
In saying this when you compare our forward pack to the Melbourne Storm player for player including the bench and taking likely improvement into the 2026 season into the equation, I don’t think we stack up as bad as many of our supporters think.
Getting the best out of our current t players and getting them to produce it on a consistent basis is a bigger issue than simply needing another big name forward recruit.
Click to expand...
their young, still on a learning curve, they look comfortable in each other's space,
A few years of yet ,its building
 
I think if you spend your time & resources copying other teams blueprints, you're forever playing catch up.

Instead of finding reasons that some players are not fitting 'the modern game', I'd really like seeing coaches using those players strengths to exploit new weaknesses.

Small, mobile forwards are suddenly the trend? Load up on big mountains & out muscle them. Big guys are the way forward? Get a team of faster, mobile guys.

The trick isn't the system.

It's how well you use it.
 
The Chad said:
I think if you spend your time & resources copying other teams blueprints, you're forever playing catch up.

Instead of finding reasons that some players are not fitting 'the modern game', I'd really like seeing coaches using those players strengths to exploit new weaknesses.

Small, mobile forwards are suddenly the trend? Load up on big mountains & out muscle them. Big guys are the way forward? Get a team of faster, mobile guys.

The trick isn't the system.

It's how well you use it.
Click to expand...
Yeah go contrarian on the small forwards trend, I never liked the idea of small guys in your pack.

The old saying a big man is better than a small guy rings in your ears when talking footy especially if he's fit and has a ticker.
 
crazycat said:
Sure,
then why is a 850k NAS being punted by the storm for a 500k subsity!

Your best coaches, Bellamy, Webster, Fitz... They are all moving to lighter, more mobile forwards. KPP seems to be a good pickup in that respect (if the knights did nothing with him).

Heck, I love the battering rams. I loved seeing Taupau or someone just ram through a defensive line.
So I don't get why they seem to be punted now.
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Wouldn’t it be more that NAS doesn’t have the discipline that Bellyache prefers.
Maybe a bit too volatile and headstrong, similar to Cheese, I don’t think Craig will lose any sleep.
 
I’m most interested to see how Bunty Afoa and Royce are used. Many questions;
Are both on the bench, does one start other on the bench? Or one in cup.
Does anyone know if the six man bench is going ahead this season?
 
I would start with May and Bunty , May to do his usual work and Bunty to smack into them and hit hard in defence , he can do both well.
Pole , Hunt , Sione , bench
Twally at Lock
 
426Tlgerland said:
I would start with May and Bunty , May to do his usual work and Bunty to smack into them and hit hard in defence , he can do both well.
Pole , Hunt , Sione , bench
Twally at Lock
Click to expand...
You has me up until Twal at 13. We need to do better than that unfortunately - I trust that Benji has a cunning plan up his sleeve.
 
Rock Hopper Steve said:
Ha, Terrell at lock Jolls 😁.
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He could I guess, but that would undermine him in his best postion. I was not heading where you were thinking (AD) 😉; I trust that some young gun blows it out of the park over the offseason and gets a run. The alternative is that Twal develops a running and passing game - haven't seen many pigs flying lately though.
 
Jolls said:
He could I guess, but that would undermine him in his best postion. I was not heading where you were thinking (AD) 😉; I trust that some young gun blows it out of the park over the offseason and gets a run. The alternative is that Twal develops a running and passing game - haven't seen many pigs flying lately though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, looks like the start of the season Benji will go with Adam at 7, Twal at lock to start the game and by reports Latu is ready so probably he will replace him as a ball playing 13 and wouldn't be surprised if he plays relief hooker through the game as well, short rest for Api.

We might get a look at your theory of a younger player putting his hand up in the 1st trial, usually not many 1st choice players picked for that, chance for a young bloke to put up his hand.
 
Rock Hopper Steve said:
Yeah, looks like the start of the season Benji will go with Adam at 7, Twal at lock to start the game and by reports Latu is ready so probably he will replace him as a ball playing 13 and wouldn't be surprised if he plays relief hooker through the game as well, short rest for Api.

We might get a look at your theory of a younger player putting his hand up in the 1st trial, usually not many 1st choice players picked for that, chance for a young bloke to put up his hand.
Click to expand...
I'm not particulalry happy about it but I don't hold the clip board. If Latu is ready early and is going to be our half he should start the season there not be chopped in an out of 13, 7 and 9. I'm over whinging about it and will just have to see how it pans out during the trials.
 
Jolls said:
I'm not particulalry happy about it but I don't hold the clip board. If Latu is ready early and is going to be our half he should start the season there not be chopped in an out of 13, 7 and 9. I'm over whinging about it and will just have to see how it pans out during the trials.
Click to expand...
The comments from track watchers at open training seem to point towards it being more of the same from last season with a defensive 13 to start off with possibly Latu as the utility.

But part of me thinks Benji has something up his sleeve that is different to last season in that spot.
 
Rock Hopper Steve said:
Yeah, looks like the start of the season Benji will go with Adam at 7, Twal at lock to start the game and by reports Latu is ready so probably he will replace him as a ball playing 13 and wouldn't be surprised if he plays relief hooker through the game as well, short rest for Api.

We might get a look at your theory of a younger player putting his hand up in the 1st trial, usually not many 1st choice players picked for that, chance for a young bloke to put up his hand.
Click to expand...
it will be good to get a look at Andrews and Roberts in trials
 
Jolls said:
I'm not particulalry happy about it but I don't hold the clip board. If Latu is ready early and is going to be our half he should start the season there not be chopped in an out of 13, 7 and 9. I'm over whinging about it and will just have to see how it pans out during the trials.
Click to expand...
Think most of us expect Latu to end up in 7 eventually, cautious approach probably warranted from the bench until he proves his body is ready for 80 mins.

Man, I hope the latest off season has rebuilt his body of more modern toughened glass.
 
Jedi_Tiger said:
Twal at lock to start game
Latu Fainu comes on at 7 and pushes AD to 13 in attack
hinges on May being able to play close to 80
Click to expand...
Earlier in the pre-season someone said Geyer was training as lock.
Not sure if he is injured but no reports of him at the open training day gallop?
 
Jolls said:
He could I guess, but that would undermine him in his best postion. I was not heading where you were thinking (AD) 😉; I trust that some young gun blows it out of the park over the offseason and gets a run. The alternative is that Twal develops a running and passing game - haven't seen many pigs flying lately though.
Click to expand...

Twals running game has been very good the last 2 years. He's no lock though.
 
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