Fullback Recruit

Plenty of talk about Tui and the x-factor: sorry to say it but at this stage I don't think we have a player with that x-factor. But I must say that I was impressed with how Brooks played against the Storm and if he keeps it up I think that he can bring the x-factor to the side. It takes a while, but soon enough players get found out and that is what happened to Tui on the weekend. The Storm played a strategic kicking game and Tui's lack of positioning play was found wanting. You can also see with the Croft kick in the first half when Tonumaipea nearly scored. Tui only needed to run about 6 metres and Tonumaipea ran about 15 m and Tonumaipea won the race to the ball. That is only one instance and there are many more. This week we are playing against two in-form players in Turbo Tom and DCE and I have doubts that Tui would have handled DCE's kicking game. Tui is not a natural full back and needs time to develop the skills.
 
Tui didn't play awful against the Storm. But, he was MIA in attack. Whenever we were down Melbourne's end, I never saw Tui where a fullback should be. And since our attack is what is lacking atm, it makes sense to swap out someone who isn't offering anything in attack. Thompson also gets exposed under the high ball on the wing. You saw it against the Storm last week where Esan had to make a mid-air tackle to stop them from scoring.
 
I’m a big fan of Tui’s potential especially at fullback. In the halves he runs across field too much and disrupts our go-forward.
I do concede though that he is a lazy bugger with an eating disorder. It must be frustrating for tigers training staff to keep his weight under control. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw him take the field after a few weeks layoff!
Whilst I see so much potential in Tui someone needs to put a rocket up him as he constantly star gazes and looks disinterested at times. We need him in the ruck looking for opportunities and to exploit the X factor that I believe his possesses.
If he’d rather stay home and watch re-runs of ‘Fat Cat & Friends’ then he can kiss the career goodbye.
 
@ said:
Will Smith would be worth looking at when Gutho comes back

Will Smith was terrible for Parramatta at fullback and would be there 4th or 5th in line. No better than what we have. If we are going to go hard at a fullback get a top liner who offers something different to what we have or save the money and buy in other positions.
 
@ said:
Plenty of talk about Tui and the x-factor: sorry to say it but at this stage I don't think we have a player with that x-factor. But I must say that I was impressed with how Brooks played against the Storm and if he keeps it up I think that he can bring the x-factor to the side. It takes a while, but soon enough players get found out and that is what happened to Tui on the weekend. The Storm played a strategic kicking game and Tui's lack of positioning play was found wanting. You can also see with the Croft kick in the first half when Tonumaipea nearly scored. Tui only needed to run about 6 metres and Tonumaipea ran about 15 m and Tonumaipea won the race to the ball. That is only one instance and there are many more. This week we are playing against two in-form players in Turbo Tom and DCE and I have doubts that Tui would have handled DCE's kicking game. Tui is not a natural full back and needs time to develop the skills.

Well summed up Freddy. That's exactly what happened and exactly why he is not in the team this week.

Careful making too much sense though, they might start looking into that Tyson Gamble bloke soon 😉
 
Lolohea's too unfit and frankly off the pace.

He's no threat as a kick returner, no threat looming in support play and even though he's a good ball player at fullback, he can't do anything if he's not able to get outside his man and create overlaps.

Until he can get his pace and fitness back, he'll be a liability in first grade.
 
I said in the pre season he looked unfit and have seen nothing to change my mind.

He is well off the pace and well done to IC for making the change.

My gut feeling is he could be stuck there for a while if he doesn't get in proper shape.
 
@ said:
I said in the pre season he looked unfit and have seen nothing to change my mind.

He is well off the pace and well done to IC for making the change.

My gut feeling is he could be stuck there for a while if he doesn't get in proper shape.

Which would be disappointing. Looks like he would be devastating if in top form
 
@ said:
@ said:
I said in the pre season he looked unfit and have seen nothing to change my mind.

He is well off the pace and well done to IC for making the change.

My gut feeling is he could be stuck there for a while if he doesn't get in proper shape.

Which would be disappointing. Looks like he would be devastating if in top form

Im going to stick my neck out here and suggest we let Tui stay in ISP until he recovers from his knee…the knee injury is holding him back..a few weeks out of the top grade but staying in ISP can build his match fittness while the rehab team do their job on his injury...many times when I played we had fgers in reserves coming back from injury,they to were a bit cautious while they were not 100 percent fit,lets face it,Tui can do the job in reserves while it is in no way as intense pressure as FB in first grade..I honestly hope he can reach his dazzling form sooner than later,he is a talent....
 
@ said:
@ said:
Plenty of talk about Tui and the x-factor: sorry to say it but at this stage I don't think we have a player with that x-factor. But I must say that I was impressed with how Brooks played against the Storm and if he keeps it up I think that he can bring the x-factor to the side. It takes a while, but soon enough players get found out and that is what happened to Tui on the weekend. The Storm played a strategic kicking game and Tui's lack of positioning play was found wanting. You can also see with the Croft kick in the first half when Tonumaipea nearly scored. Tui only needed to run about 6 metres and Tonumaipea ran about 15 m and Tonumaipea won the race to the ball. That is only one instance and there are many more. This week we are playing against two in-form players in Turbo Tom and DCE and I have doubts that Tui would have handled DCE's kicking game. Tui is not a natural full back and needs time to develop the skills.

Well summed up Freddy. That's exactly what happened and exactly why he is not in the team this week.

Careful making too much sense though, they might start looking into that Tyson Gamble bloke soon ?

Patriot, you have wicked intent that could cause some posters, without mention, going apoplectic over the merest mention of that player.
 
@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
I said in the pre season he looked unfit and have seen nothing to change my mind.

He is well off the pace and well done to IC for making the change.

My gut feeling is he could be stuck there for a while if he doesn't get in proper shape.

Which would be disappointing. Looks like he would be devastating if in top form

Im going to stick my neck out here and suggest we let Tui stay in ISP until he recovers from his knee…the knee injury is holding him back..a few weeks out of the top grade but staying in ISP can build his match fittness while the rehab team do their job on his injury...many times when I played we had fgers in reserves coming back from injury,they to were a bit cautious while they were not 100 percent fit,lets face it,Tui can do the job in reserves while it is in no way as intense pressure as FB in first grade..I honestly hope he can reach his dazzling form sooner than later,he is a talent....

Why are we playing injured players in ISP…would not that open up to the risk of further injury...? would have thought it wiser to get the injury fixed..

As an example Elijah Taylor was close to playing this week ..tested during the week ..but not 100% so was held back another week..should he be playing ISP for match fitness...?

Drop players to work on the deficiencies in their games at FG level sure but for injury doesn't make sense to me...
 
@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
I said in the pre season he looked unfit and have seen nothing to change my mind.

He is well off the pace and well done to IC for making the change.

My gut feeling is he could be stuck there for a while if he doesn't get in proper shape.

Which would be disappointing. Looks like he would be devastating if in top form

Im going to stick my neck out here and suggest we let Tui stay in ISP until he recovers from his knee…the knee injury is holding him back..a few weeks out of the top grade but staying in ISP can build his match fittness while the rehab team do their job on his injury...many times when I played we had fgers in reserves coming back from injury,they to were a bit cautious while they were not 100 percent fit,lets face it,Tui can do the job in reserves while it is in no way as intense pressure as FB in first grade..I honestly hope he can reach his dazzling form sooner than later,he is a talent....

Why are we playing injured players in ISP…would not that open up to the risk of further injury...? would have thought it wiser to get the injury fixed..

As an example Elijah Taylor was close to playing this week ..tested during the week ..but not 100% so was held back another week..should he be playing ISP for match fitness...?

Drop players to work on the deficiencies in their games at FG level sure but for injury doesn't make sense to me...

I can see your point Geo,but how many times from diferent clubs have we seen players play fg not 100 per cent fit and still play…Benji had an ankle injury and still played against the Storm,he even admitted to being off and his ankle wasnt 100 per cent right...Brooks help carry him through the game...is that different to what TUI is doing because he is in ISP...he just cant sustain the pressure needed in fg so hopefully he can recover and play fg when his injury and game improves..
 
@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
Which would be disappointing. Looks like he would be devastating if in top form

Im going to stick my neck out here and suggest we let Tui stay in ISP until he recovers from his knee…the knee injury is holding him back..a few weeks out of the top grade but staying in ISP can build his match fittness while the rehab team do their job on his injury...many times when I played we had fgers in reserves coming back from injury,they to were a bit cautious while they were not 100 percent fit,lets face it,Tui can do the job in reserves while it is in no way as intense pressure as FB in first grade..I honestly hope he can reach his dazzling form sooner than later,he is a talent....

Why are we playing injured players in ISP…would not that open up to the risk of further injury...? would have thought it wiser to get the injury fixed..

As an example Elijah Taylor was close to playing this week ..tested during the week ..but not 100% so was held back another week..should he be playing ISP for match fitness...?

Drop players to work on the deficiencies in their games at FG level sure but for injury doesn't make sense to me...

I can see your point Geo,but how many times from diferent clubs have we seen players play fg not 100 per cent fit and still play…Benji had an ankle injury and still played against the Storm,he even admitted to being off and his ankle wasnt 100 per cent right...Brooks help carry him through the game...is that different to what TUI is doing because he is in ISP...he just cant sustain the pressure needed in fg so hopefully he can recover and play fg when his injury and game improves..

I see this as different you may risk injury to players in 1st grade not 100% fit ..this happens all the time as a season goes on many players play with niggles but to risk further injury in an ISP game is an unnecessary risk IMO and not a reason to drop a player…

To drop a player who is not performing to the standards required in 1st grade makes more sense to me in Lolohea's case and fits with the culture Cleary is attempting to instil in the squad and have already seen this with Nofoaluma...after all we have all been calling for it for Years but really were unable to do so given the replacements available.....Now we have depth in the squad to be able to do so..
 
I'm thinking this could have been Ivan's plan the whole time. Maybe he always wanted thompson as our fb and also wanted nofo to focus on his defence. This way he's created hunger for nofo to not lose his form or place again in fg and thompson has gained a contract and a path to his future as an integral part of the club. Lolo may be destined to be a fill in player. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Goal kicking….well, I don't know about that. Now that Sue is back, maybe he's a secret weapon in that regard. 😂
 
I’m with Geo
You don’t play people with knee injuries in reserve grade this early in a season, if at all.

So I’m guessing his knee isn’t the problem here.
 
Maybe it's to get Tui match fit after his knee injury.
Same as Round 1, ISP to get fit.
Maybe Ivan knows best.
 
@ said:
Maybe it's to get Tui match fit after his knee injury.
Same as Round 1, ISP to get fit.
Maybe Ivan knows best.

I can pretty much guarantee Taylor and Packer wont be playing ISP to get match fit on their returns from injury….
 
@ said:
@ said:
Maybe it's to get Tui match fit after his knee injury.
Same as Round 1, ISP to get fit.
Maybe Ivan knows best.

I can pretty much guarantee Taylor and Packer wont be playing ISP to get match fit on their returns from injury….

Geo there are a few on here who can't except Tui was dropped for poor form, and being either unfit or disinterested, they are happy to think he is going to play injured in reggies.
 
Back
Top