OFFICIAL Jake Averillo # TBA

[achilles]

100% 💯 the so called supporters on here apart from being clueless are so fickle and even disloyal to our own players it’s sickening… makasini was 18 , and injured, in the NRL.. when he fires the same supporters will immediately start speculating that he will sign elsewhere, and if he was to read this forum and take it onboard I wouldn’t blame him.. also, he is fast enough, people are judging him on being run down by ponga and that was because he was already gassed and in the wet he almost conceded the tackle when he slowed down and started trying to fend behind him.. if you watch the first 50 maters he showed plenty of toe.. he hit a walll physically and psychologically

Do you see having to make these excuses for the great players tho. The great players find a way to succeed/win. He didn't.

 

[Lestronge]

I'd say the way that Makasini ran 100 metres and the way Steve Renouf ( for example ) ran 100 were polar opposites
Steve reached his top speed very quickly and I'm guessing Makasini doesn't hit his top speed until 40 to 60 metres
It makes you wonder how quick Ponga is over 100

I think you guys are misunderstanding fitness for pure speed . He has no endurance so when it comes to sprinting time he’s got nothing because his tank is empty . As he grows into his body he will increase his endurance.

 

[Lestronge]

Do you see having to make these excuses for the great players tho. The great players find a way to succeed/win. He didn't.

This post is literally the definition of “tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about” .

 

[happy_tiger]

I think you guys are misunderstanding fitness for pure speed . He has no endurance so when it comes to sprinting time he’s got nothing because his tank is empty . As he grows into his body he will increase his endurance.

If you've gone sub 11 you've gotta have some speed
I haven't seen anything to suggest he has any speed off the mark at this stage , so he must have good speed after he has wound up
He may have lost some speed when he added some size to his frame

 

[TigerNeddyK]

This post is literally the definition of “tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about” .

100%

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Do you see having to make these excuses for the great players tho. The great players find a way to succeed/win. He didn't.

You’re talking about a rookie who was 18. This is another reason why he was so mishandled. Because it raised expectations to such a degree that it’s resulted in ignorant, ill informed observations like this one.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I simply said he was a fringe player .....everything else is a lot of Forum members vivid imaginations

26 years old, 78 games in four seasons at Canterbury and 57 in three at Redcliffe.

He's not fringe mate.

 

[Lestronge]

If you've gone sub 11 you've gotta have some speed
I haven't seen anything to suggest he has any speed off the mark at this stage , so he must have good speed after he has wound up
He may have lost some speed when he added some size to his frame

Yea maybe . To be fair when he did that run in the trial against Penrith there was next to no space to work with and he was gone . And from memory he wasn’t on the field that long or doing much .
Like I said I think at times we think players are slow when in actuality they’re just gassed . The more we are in charge of games the more agile the players will look .

 

[Camel2281]

You do realise our own rookie 6 was KOE cup 5/8 of the year and was blacks halves partner for qld 19s origin last year… Javon had almost double the try assists and line break assists as any other playmaker in KOE cup… and he wants to be here , Javon will do for me , all day everyday…

I rate Javon. But he's also a 6. We don't have anyone other than Jock and Douehi who are out and out 7s. Coby Black alongside either Latu or Javon would be fantastic long term

 

[happy_tiger]

26 years old, 78 games in four seasons at Canterbury and 57 in three at Redcliffe.

He's not fringe mate.

Based on 2026 he is

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Yea maybe . To be fair when he did that run in the trial against Penrith there was next to no space to work with and he was gone . And from memory he wasn’t on the field that long or doing much .
Like I said I think at times we think players are slow when in actuality they’re just gassed . The more we are in charge of games the more agile the players will look .

That was evident in the Knights game when Makasini took an intercept, looked like he was going to get there easily then was stuck in the mud the last 25 metres.

He's not express but not slow, looks to me like a stamina thing, it will improve as he gets older.

 

[happy_tiger]

That was evident in the Knights game when Makasini took an intercept, looked like he was going to get there easily then was stuck in the mud the last 25 metres.

He's not express but not slow, looks to me like a stamina thing, it will improve as he gets older.

It would be interesting to see him run 100 fresh .....to see where he strengths lay in regards to his pace and when it kicks in

 

[NT_Tiger]

I rate Javon. But he's also a 6. We don't have anyone other than Jock and Douehi who are out and out 7s. Coby Black alongside either Latu or Javon would be fantastic long term

Douehi an out and out 7? He's an out, not a 7 except by his own definition.

 

[Camel2281]

Douehi an out and out 7? He's an out, not a 7 except by his own definition.

He's not ideal except for his long kicking ability. That's why I would chase Coby Black hard

 

[achilles]

This post is literally the definition of “tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about” .

Ok buddy

 

[Vicious]

He's not ideal except for his long kicking ability. That's why I would chase Coby Black hard

I think Coby Blackbhas the potential to be one of the very best players in the NRL, so if the Raiders prioritise Ethan Sandwrs ahead of him, we would have to seriously consider taking a risk and pay way overact sign him from 2028 onwards.
We have 2 of our own potential superstar halves in Latu Fainu and Javon Andrews and of course signing another young halves would mean one of them, likely Andrews would head for the exit search of a better NRL opportunity.
The question is, how confident are we that a halves combination of Latu and Javon will work and be highly successful at NRL level?
At this stage I’d say it’s a 50/50 as they both seem to be better suited to playing 5/8, both appear to be a little on the quiet side in regards to onfield talk and leadership and there is a question mark on both of their kicking games.
That said, both look to have exceptional talent with ball on hand and they could very well be good enough to dominate the NRL for the next 8-10 if paired together in the halves.