OFFICIAL Heamasi Makasini #303

I have to disagree I’m afraid. If Bula wasn’t worried about his shoulder he doesn’t throw the pass. He was clearly avoiding contact. There was nothing on. To my observation Makasini was moving into position to take the first dummy half run just like had happened after every other kick. Sure you could say he should have still caught it and after the week before he should expect ridiculous passes to be thrown at him but Bula isn’t innocent here IMO.
There was potentially something on.
Excuse the drawing but red line represents bulas run. The white circles are the broncos defenders and the yellow circle is taylan may. If you watch this passage of play, there is a chance of makasini using his body weight to knock over mariner and create some space down that left side for taylan may who is jogging back on side.


And the other photo - there is no excuse for not catching that ball. They werent rushing up to put a hit on him.
 

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Definitely should've been dropped, but he was also definitely deserving of his spot in round 1.

Preseason wasn't that long ago.

He killed it: So much so everyone was saying give him rookie of the year already.

He's going to be a very, very good player.

I think it seems he was given a lot of grace to start playing well, but I also think a young kid with his clear potential should get a couple more games to try to click.

Right decision, right time, but did earn his spot.
 
It wasnt just the dropped balls. We lost momentum when he tapped the ball off the mark for the set restart.

 I reckon he was simply overwhelmed toward the end... playing last years premiers with the game on the line, up against staggs and mariner...

He'll bounce back.
 
It wasnt just the dropped balls. We lost momentum when he tapped the ball off the mark for the set restart.

 I reckon he was simply overwhelmed toward the end... playing last years premiers with the game on the line, up against staggs and mariner...

He'll bounce back.

I think he was mentally fatigued rather than overwhelmed. You could see it in his runs. He just didn’t go with aggression as well.
The kid will be back and has a huge future.
 
I think the kid has a bright future and a couple of games in reserve will not be the end of the world.

He appears to be playing with some discomfort and hobbles a lot after games.
 
No issues at all that he was dropped. I was surprised he was named to play the Broncos in the first place as I thought as soon as May was back he would get a spell. It's called development and something this club has been poor at in the past. We are not talking about a couple of errors the other night, he has made a lot of errors just about every week which is not to be unexpected for an 18 year old. Unlike other 18 year olds Mak has a massive target on him and teams have been coming out of the line to belt him constantly.
He should be allowed to work on his game without all the pressure and away from the spotlight and I applaud Benji for making that decision and also see that as part of Benjis development as a coach.
 
A few times after being tackled he got up and was limping a bit, so maybe a good time to give him a rest and let him reset.
 
There was potentially something on.
Excuse the drawing but red line represents bulas run. The white circles are the broncos defenders and the yellow circle is taylan may. If you watch this passage of play, there is a chance of makasini using his body weight to knock over mariner and create some space down that left side for taylan may who is jogging back on side.


And the other photo - there is no excuse for not catching that ball. They werent rushing up to put a hit on him.
I love how it says 4K but it's really blurry 😂
 
I think Taylan's read on it is not accurate. Don't think too many people are talking the kid down. It would be interesting to see where he's seeing it. I think everyone is just more understanding of how young he is, looks overwhelmed, and needs a bit of a break to get the best out of himself. Benji also needs to keep his standards - can't go making exceptions.

While his mistakes caused issues, he's not the sole reason we lost it. Our squad was unable to convert a plethora of opportunities down the Broncos' end - that's where we lost it.
 
I think Taylan's read on it is not accurate. Don't think too many people are talking the kid down. It would be interesting to see where he's seeing it. I think everyone is just more understanding of how young he is, looks overwhelmed, and needs a bit of a break to get the best out of himself. Benji also needs to keep his standards - can't go making exceptions.

While his mistakes caused issues, he's not the sole reason we lost it. Our squad was unable to convert a plethora of opportunities down the Broncos' end - that's where we lost it.
It’s been all over social media. Also you absolutely can make exceptions. Luke & Jeral are not the club’s future & Masi is.
 
I think the players would do well to stay off socials whether they're winning or losing. Fans, not just Tigers fans, are passionate and a few are deadset idiotic. Throw in gambling and it just exacerbates the problem.

Facts are we are 4-2 despite whatever issues people have with Makasini's game. If only we'd had Talau, Pauga, Tupou, Staines, random rugby bloke to call on we'd be undefeated, eh?

Hopefully Luke, Toa and Luai all kill it on Thursday and it starts putting some of this rubbish to bed.
 
Bone bruising in his foot from last week, in a moonboot today. Wasn't going to be fit to be selected for NRL so must be ??? on playing in Cup on Saturday.
 

MAKASINI IN MOON BOOT

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall says a week off will do a world of good for rising star Heamasi Makasini, who limped into training on Wednesday morning in a moon boot a day after he was left out of the team to face the Raiders.

There had been speculation that the 18-year-old had been dropped after a tough night against Brisbane on the weekend, but bone bruising in his foot emerged as the reason he wasn’t picked.

Even if Makasini was fully fit, Marshall may have given the towering outside back a week away from the NRL spotlight after what’s been a meteoric rise in the space of a few months.

“He’s got a bit of bone bruising in his foot, so he wouldn’t have been available this week anyway,” Marshall said on Wednesday morning ahead of his side’s captain’s run at Leichhardt Oval.

“But it was probably timely because I think he was ready for a rest.

But one thing I will say about Heamasi is he’s such a bright talent and he’s got a great future ahead of him, and he’ll just get some confidence back and come back into the team.

“I want to praise him actually for how awesome he’s been to start the season.

“Eighteen years old coming in and playing centre, which is probably the hardest position to defend on the field, he did a great job.

“But part of my job as a coach is also to know when to take the pressure off him.

“I just felt like he’s been up for so long with his intent and his enthusiasm, and players have been actually going after him, that it was a timely rest.

“And he does have a little niggly injury on his foot as well.”

Makasini made his debut last year and then earnt comparisons to All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu with a barnstorming run in the trials that steamrolled Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards to score a try.
 
The kid didn’t get dropped for the last performance, he’s getting a rest , which he should have got last week .
Yes he gave the broncos two drop balls and they won the game on them .
But we had the chance to wrap that game up in the 1st half but we lost are why .
The kid looks like he has lost weight and he is a bit slower , all comes from not able to match it with seasoned 1st graders , but he will come back bigger and better with this rest , I hope benji gives him two weeks
 

Makasini is only expected to miss one game with the injury, but he could spend some time in NSW Cup to regain confidence, with the Tigers welcoming back experienced centre Starford To’a this week.

“A lot of people sometimes look at reserve grade for example, and if someone goes back to reserve grade, it’s looked at as a punishment,” the Tigers coach said.

“Sometimes it’s actually the best thing for you to go and learn your trade, get some confidence. Like for Starford’s case, going and getting some game time and some match fitness.

“So it’s not always a demotion, sometimes it’s what’s best for you at the time. And Heamasi is no different.”
 

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