OFFICIAL Heamasi Makasini #303

[stephen]

We are a live chance to finish 12-12 and avoid a losing season. I’d celebrate that like a top eight finish from where we’ve come from.

Yeah, it's measurable improvement and a good foundation for next year.

 

[weststigerman]

Smart call to avoid throwing him in. Like that Benji wants to keep him left side where he’s comfortable.

Benji is starting to get things right. Winning obviously helps.

 

[BAGNF05]

Smart call to avoid throwing him in. Like that Benji wants to keep him left side where he’s comfortable.

Benji is starting to get things right. Winning obviously helps.

I’d be asking May if he’s comfortable changing sides and giving the kid a Leichhardt debut.

 

[BAGNF05]

From the coaches mouth: he hasn't been training with us, he's been at school.

Fans: rush him into the team

and these are probably the same supporters who rubbished the amateur antics of lee and pascoe

He said he trained with us once last week.

Benji was also picked out of school.

Watch this space.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

From the coaches mouth: he hasn't been training with us, he's been at school.

Fans: rush him into the team

and these are probably the same supporters who rubbished the amateur antics of lee and pascoe

With the wraps the club has on him can you blame supporters wanting to get a look at him, it's hard not to get excited and keen to see how he goes.

 

[weststigerman]

I’d be asking May if he’s comfortable changing sides and giving the kid a Leichhardt debut.

I’d be keeping May where he is, he was so good on the left side today.

 

[groucher]

Chris Lawrence debuted as a 17yo school boy and never looked back

 

[supercoach]

Benji could also be deflecting all the hype from Big Mac by saying he will not be playing. I guess time will tell, but I see next Sunday as the perfect place to make your debut

 

[bbobb]

Makasini didn’t look out of place in KoE. If anything he looked a class above that level but it is a big jump to NRL. Overall, I think Benji is doing an outstanding job with Latu in building him up slowly which is what I would line to see with Makasini.

 

[N1troaf]

Benji suggesting he won’t be playing next week which is fair enough. We want to win the next 3 games so Nadens experience is probably the better call.

He just said he wasn't sure, not a definite no, I reckon its 50/50 whether they pick masi or naden, naden was exceptional in koe last game but he was playing 5/8

 

[Betterdays22]

Chris Lawrence debuted as a 17yo school boy and never looked back

Chris Lawrence's body also gave out on him in his late 20s

I love Chris Lawrence, he was my favourite player, but I wonder in retrospect if Tigers did him a disservice by playing him so young. Benji was also plagued with injuries although at the opposite end of his career

Think Masi would benefit from a fulltime preseason to harden up the body a bit before throwing him in.

 

[groucher]

He just said he wasn't sure, not a definite no, I reckon its 50/50 whether they pick masi or naden, naden was exceptional in koe last game but he was playing 5/8

Chris Lawrence's body also gave out on him in his late 20s

I love Chris Lawrence, he was my favourite player, but I wonder in retrospect if Tigers did him a disservice by playing him so young. Benji was also plagued with injuries although at the opposite end of his career

Think Masi would benefit from a fulltime preseason to harden up the body a bit before throwing him in.

His hip replacement at like age 23/24 had nothing to do with his debut at 17.. just bad luck at that time

 

[Betterdays22]

His hip replacement at like age 23/24 had nothing to do with his debut at 17.. just bad luck at that time

Maybe, maybe not

 

[tigerslad]

2023

1. Laurie
2. Junior Twopoos
3. Naden
4. Tommy T
5. Stains

2025

1. Bula
2. Tito
3. May
4. Maka
5. Skelton

Come a long way in 24 months.

Even last year we had vs. Parra in the "Spoon-Bowl":

1. Mason
2. Staines
3. Faatape
4. Feledy
5. Tupou

What a change it's been in 12 months. Some of those blokes starting with us last year aren't even in the NSW cup side!

 

[bbobb]

His hip replacement at like age 23/24 had nothing to do with his debut at 17.. just bad luck at that time

Although pretty bad at the time, I think he got over that, I may be wrong but i think he had bad ankle issues which really impacted him

 

[groucher]

To put into perspective.. other genetic freaks Suaalii, Izzy Folau, SBW, Taumalolo all debuted very early to great success..

 

[Betterdays22]

Although pretty bad at the time, I think he got over that, I may be wrong but i think he had bad ankle issues which really impacted him

His hamstrings were cooked too. He also had that horrific broken jaw which is obviously unrelated.

I don't know if his career would of panned out differently if his NRL started his career at 20 instead of 17, im just speculating.

By all reports Makasini is probably an exception, so it might not be relevant, but there's a reason you don't see many 17-18 year olds running around the NRL.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Chris Lawrence's body also gave out on him in his late 20s

I love Chris Lawrence, he was my favourite player, but I wonder in retrospect if Tigers did him a disservice by playing him so young. Benji was also plagued with injuries although at the opposite end of his career

Think Masi would benefit from a fulltime preseason to harden up the body a bit before throwing him in.

Age had nothing to do with why his body gave out. He dislocated his hip which broke him in half. Then he had his face crushed in a head on collision during a training mishap. He got batted from pillar to post. Had nothing to do with debuting him at 17.

 

[poopy_diaper]

Gonna level with you. I made up the Masi debut rumour to [This word has been automatically removed] with people. Now you all know Moley doesnt have real mail thanks to me. You're welcome.

 

[Betterdays22]

Age had nothing to do with why his body gave out. He dislocated his hip which broke him in half. Then he had his face crushed in a head on collision during a training mishap. He got batted from pillar to post. Had nothing to do with debuting him at 17.

I don't know how you can definitively say they had nothing to do with eachother. The week in week out NRL grind on a developing body could possibly have increased the chances of the hip dislocation, or all the subsequent lower leg injuries.

Again, I don't know this. Im not an expert. Just pointing out that more often than not it is better to ease these kids in.