Isaiah Papali’i #265

I'm not going to do any hand-wringing - IP was brought in to add starch and experience to the side. We wanted dynamic play from him, always being around the ball in attack and defence, same as his role at Parramatta. It was a good signing at the time and IP was in career-best form, not signed for a crazy wage either.

The reality is he's always tried hard for us but at the Tigers that also translated into more mistakes - missed tackles, dropped balls. Almost zero impact from crash-tackle plays or hole-running from IP; I can't easily recall him making many line breaks.

I can respect IP as an honourable person: he committed to his deal, player hard most games. But it definitely hasn't worked out. The evidence suggests that without a high-quality pack IP's faults are exposed a little too often, and all the effort in the world cannot undo that.

Also - IMO the trend for backrowers at the moment is for them to become more dynamic and more rangy. So: typically faster, able to beat a tackle with a step or power, with the threat of an offload. Or another option; bullocking with a lead shoulder in defence. Case in point: Olakau'atu, Liam Martin, Nikora, Crichton, David Fifita, Nanai, Kikau, Tohu Harris, Koloamatangi etc. IP does not really have the characteristics of these players, he's not particularly agile or powerful.

It appears to me that Benji has instructed his players to play harder and faster, focusing on always pushing for 80 mins. IP has certainly been upping his output, but with this emphasis on greater speed and power, I think IP has already been overtaken by Samuela Fainu as our most dangerous backrower, someone operating at least half the price.

Many have suggested IP is more suited to prop rotation, but again he's not as dynamic as Stef or Pole, and perhaps a little small.

Therefore makes total sense for IP to go to a club where he can slot in and contribute rather than the the focal point of a club rebuild.
 
jirskyr said:
I'm not going to do any hand-wringing - IP was brought in to add starch and experience to the side. We wanted dynamic play from him, always being around the ball in attack and defence, same as his role at Parramatta. It was a good signing at the time and IP was in career-best form, not signed for a crazy wage either.

The reality is he's always tried hard for us but at the Tigers that also translated into more mistakes - missed tackles, dropped balls. Almost zero impact from crash-tackle plays or hole-running from IP; I can't easily recall him making many line breaks.

I can respect IP as an honourable person: he committed to his deal, player hard most games. But it definitely hasn't worked out. The evidence suggests that without a high-quality pack IP's faults are exposed a little too often, and all the effort in the world cannot undo that.

Also - IMO the trend for backrowers at the moment is for them to become more dynamic and more rangy. So: typically faster, able to beat a tackle with a step or power, with the threat of an offload. Or another option; bullocking with a lead shoulder in defence. Case in point: Olakau'atu, Liam Martin, Nikora, Crichton, David Fifita, Nanai, Kikau, Tohu Harris, Koloamatangi etc. IP does not really have the characteristics of these players, he's not particularly agile or powerful.

It appears to me that Benji has instructed his players to play harder and faster, focusing on always pushing for 80 mins. IP has certainly been upping his output, but with this emphasis on greater speed and power, I think IP has already been overtaken by Samuela Fainu as our most dangerous backrower, someone operating at least half the price.

Many have suggested IP is more suited to prop rotation, but again he's not as dynamic as Stef or Pole, and perhaps a little small.

Therefore makes total sense for IP to go to a club where he can slot in and contribute rather than the the focal point of a club rebuild.
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It’s disappointing to have 2 DallyM second rowers in the same team and not at least break the defensive line occasionally.
 
twentyforty said:
It’s disappointing to have 2 DallyM second rowers in the same team and not at least break the defensive line occasionally.
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Dally Ms from several seasons ago. I think the paradigm for backrowers has shifted since then. Bateman and IP simply aren't big or powerful enough, at least not to have both of them in the starting backrow at the same time.

Best forwards in the comp at the moment - Olakau'atu, Crichton, AFB, Stefano, Payne Haas, Tino, Liam Martin, Yeo... all powerful, dynamic forwards. The tough/gritty style smaller backrower is falling out of favour. Many teams simply aren't able to replicate the mould of a Cameron Murray and are instead sticking agile props into lock.

Not only that, the real and long-term risks of carrying blokes like Murray and McInnes under increasingly stricter concussion rules - I don't know if the frames of these smaller blokes, who put their bodies on the line to achieve peak performance, can cope year-on-year.
 
Tom Shines said:
Offloading the players is the easy part … at this present moment they are weaker next season …

$750k is overs for sure …he must be on a contract that goes up every year …he was on $600k his first year .,

I ask who is coming into the Top 17 team to replace IP from inside this squad ? We see our benchies Seyfarth and Twal …not much there… they will be extending AJ soon and promoting him to the starting side if Richo doesn’t dig up someone soon,,,
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We don't have ANY internal candidates to replace IP in the back row.

Broederlow is about the only candidate, but at best he might be on a development deal next year and needs another 12 months hardening up in Cup before he'd be ready for first grade.

Ice had the ratchet clause so when the cap was increased his salary went up by the same amount as the % increase, many players across the league would have had this.
 
balmain boy said:
We don't have ANY internal candidates to replace IP in the back row.

Broederlow is about the only candidate, but at best he might be on a development deal next year and needs another 12 months hardening up in Cup before he'd be ready for first grade.

Ice had the ratchet clause so when the cap was increased his salary went up by the same amount as the % increase, many players across the league would have had this.
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I waited all last offseason for them to buy some outside backs … it never happened but luckily Olam fell into their laps a year early … they needed more though as we now see …: let’s see if they buy some more forwards this coming off season … they need them
 
Elite clubs lose a current interntional,and replace him within a month with a current international
We lose a current international,and promote some kid from bottom of the table KOE Cup team because he was great in the undder 16s
Were firmly entrenched as spoon contendders
This is Aloai all over agan
,,and Crighton is no chance..Rooster for life given current form and nothing to replace him
We mite end up with Tupounia...roosters discard with a broken body..but a "name"
Thats us
 
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Robbie's Love Child said:
How many games did he excel at the Warriors with? How many games has he excelled at the Tigers with? He is an average back rower when not in a superstar side. World class players shine for more than two seasons, if he becomes the best second rower in the world in the next few years again I will eat my words. Jordan Rankin says hi, he debuted before 18, he really lit the NRL up.
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Papali'i doesn't have the strength of character to play at the top of his game each game, for a struggling club like WT's.
I think I remember one of Our posters saying he tried to get out of his contract not long after signing with Us.
Imo, it's much better for Us that he goes, and the quicker the better as he Could be bringing the Team down.
 
Ankle injury didn't look good.
Hopefully it's not the last time we see him play for wests tigers this season..
 
watersider said:
tiger_one said:
Richo is
A. Balancing the cap.
B. Draining the swamp.
C. BoThis is disappointing. I understand letting him go but it gives a sense of where our club is at. A high performing player comes to our club, underperforms and will go and perform well again elsewhere.
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GEE THAT's DIFFICULT TO ANSWER TIGER_ONE :eek:...how many guesses do we get :ROFLMAO:
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watersider said:
You just want to create a system where decent players can perform well, perhaps even get better, and at present whatever our system is leads to players underperforming and we haven't really seen this improve.

Even those happy to see him go will feel he's going to be very good for Penrith, and while that is obviously due in part to better players around him, it also is about the general buy-in and structure of their system that probably makes their role clear and makes players motivated.

We can say it's a good move because Papalii doesn't want to be here, but surely it is a big problem that he wants to go and doesn't see opportunity here. I feel like Papalii is unfit this year, he struggles around halftime and for that reason fades as the game goes on. We can blame his attitude and all that, but it's a bit too much of a pattern to put it just to that.
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Good post watersider, particularly your 2nd paragraph.
I'm really concerned for WT's future as I can see Us coming last again this year, but gees I hope I am wrong.
I hope [again] Richo is a super salesman now that he is in the U.K. looking for good players, no sorry, not just good players but bloody good players to start with Us next year, or better still immediately.
Is Benji the coach that is going to "create a system where decent players can perform well"?
I personally have lots of doubt that he can achieve that, but again, gees I hope I am wrong.
I feel if We can't get 3 or 4 bloody good players to support the 2 from Penrith that are starting next year, they'll be wasted.
 
ancient_magpie said:
Tucker your the new king of the negative posters.Have you ever said anything positive in your life.For crissake find another club to bag.
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You’ve said this before you stupid old bugger. Change the channel or better still, how about you listen and learn for the first time in your life?
 
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