Heath Mason #288

Another young player who was promoted to first grade before he was ready due to our lack of depth at the club. We need to fill out our squads with suitable players and depth so that our young players can properly developed and be promoted when they are ready, not before their time.
 
Tiger_Yoshi said:
He missed easy tackles in all 3 Raiders tries….he needs to learn how to tackle
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I think the issue was that everyone knew he had massive defensive issues from the previous game, and yet he was still picked this week.

He did his best but he’s just not up to first grade at this stage of his career.
 
Tiger_Yoshi said:
He missed easy tackles in all 3 Raiders tries….he needs to learn how to tackle
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He's a young, small half - Very early in his career....
he's not there to tackle.

What he needs, is to be blooded in a team that can tackle - Between defenders who can tackle...
- Like most other young halves get.

Poor kid is battling away out there between Seyfarth and To'a with Turuva on the Wing....
Won't get a much tougher initiation than that.
He's making plenty of mistakes - No doubt...
But if there was a brain with some experience on that edge - That likely doesn't happen as much...
 
Don't hang him yet.

I think his value is as the KOE #6 or #7 for the rest of the season, next season too with the ability to cover a number of spots as required.

He COULD be the new Doueihi for the club- the guy you plug in where required.

He's a solid little guy- and when he DOES hit in defence it's pretty good.

But his reads are poor at this stage.
 
Muffstar said:
Mason might make a good reserve grade player. Add Twal to that list too.
They should never play first grade again unless someone is injured or suspended.
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I think you are being very harsh on Mason there considering he is very young and by rights should be in reggies as he would only have been our 3rd or even 4th pick for 6 at the start of the season(Galvin Latu and AD all ranked higher than him at the time),That is not to say he had a good game because he was terrible in defence.He needs time like all young players do.
Twal is in a different category because he has far more experience but i believe that he is starting to show an awful amount of wear and tear to his body as he often suffering concussion issues (HIA) and missing games of football because of it.I may be completely wrong but i would not be shocked for him to retire during the off season for his own health issues.
 
I like the idea of building him up in reserve grade as a lock/utility. Give him heaps of defensive work, get him stronger and tougher, give him a few first grade matches here and there, and then have him as the modern fast ball playing lock type in a couple seasons. In a side like ours that regularly gets put on the back foot it's not possible to hide him, but he has a lot of talent and is progressing really well. Hopefully he can become a more consistent and willing defender and it's really harsh on a young player coming through to be so critical of him when it is just a very common experience for quality players across the league to struggle with defense as they come into top grade.
 
I think it was Tucker that gave the comparison of Shaun Berrigan.

That is EXACTLY what we want. Toughen him up. Berrigan was a 1st grader in any position. There's a player there. Just needs to read the game a little better.
 
The Chad said:
I think it was Tucker that gave the comparison of Shaun Berrigan.

That is EXACTLY what we want. Toughen him up. Berrigan was a 1st grader in any position. There's a player there. Just needs to read the game a little better.
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Heath’s missed tackles are not from not being tough enough or not being willing enough, they have been from struggling to contain bigger faster opponents when he’s isolated.
I don’t think Heath would have a problem muscling up and defending strongly in the middle.
 
Joelcainenumber1fan said:
hope latu doesnt have a bad game or they will turn on him just as fast
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They can and should co-exist.
Latu as our starting 7 with a big focus on making big improvements to his kicking game, Talyn taking over from an ageing Api as our starting number 9 from 2027 onwards and Mason continuing his development as a halve and part time number 9 in NSW Cup, while being our NRL back up halve and back up number 14 and likely becoming our regular NRL number 14 from 2027 if we allow Api to head to the Perth Bears.
 
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