Justin Matamua #259

[Vicious]

I actually like him. He is admittedly a work in progress but I look at someone Yeo who wasn’t a regular until he was 23/24 years old and I think he has something.
i agree he goes missing a bit but some of his passes near the line are next level and our attack looks so much crisper when he is no the field. His defence appears to be adequate but not dominant and needs to work on his go forward game.
I think he may be (in time) the ball playing lock we are looking for.

I certainly don’t think he’s as bad as some of the previous posts are making out and he’s certainly a much better player this season than he was last season, so is still improving.
He has a crisp passing game stemming from his time in the halves when he was younger, but I do think he’s concentrated too much in putting on size, rather than focusing on speed off the mark.
As others have touched on he just doesn’t look like he’s capable of busting tackles or making a line break and as much as it’s nice to have a 13 who can play as a first receiver and have a nice crisp passing game, it really nullifies the impact of it when the player does not threaten to bust tackles or make a line break when running the ball.
Due to these reasons it’s unlikely, but not impossible that he can become the long term effective NRL top 17 ball playing 13 that we are looking for.

 

[Oldman]

How old is this player ?
I read earlier 21
And playing as a forward in the NRL
Sure he has a bit of work to do on his endurance and defence but I must say our attack looks so much crisper when he is playing as our 13.
Youth policy remember is the plan
that’s going to turn this club around.
Won’t happen overnight but we are on our way.

 

[batboy]

How old is this player ?
I read earlier 21
And playing as a forward in the NRL
Sure he has a bit of work to do on his endurance and defence but I must say our attack looks so much crisper when he is playing as our 13.
Youth policy remember is the plan
that’s going to turn this club around.
Won’t happen overnight but we are on our way.

Until he’s dominating 20’s or reserves - he’s a million miles from an NRL player…
Just getting by won’t cut it - ever…

He’s overweight at 21 - much more so than he was when he debuted…
If he doesn’t have the skill level or the work ethic at 21, when’s he gonna have it?

 

[Oldman]

Until he’s dominating 20’s or reserves - he’s a million miles from an NRL player…
Just getting by won’t cut it - ever…

He’s overweight at 21 - much more so than he was when he debuted…
If he doesn’t have the skill level or the work ethic at 21, when’s he gonna have it?

Just goes to show how not everyone sees the same skill set even when watching the same player.
At 21 IMO he has plenty of time to improve in all areas.
If you don’t agree that’s OK

 

[philgood]

Dont know what the coaching staff see in him. Great for missing tackes and giving away silly penalties every game. A dud.

 

[Batmans Parents]

Lol looks like we have Fatamua's parents and his biggest simp in here with us. The last 13 years have really lowered our standards.

 

[BAGNF05]

Let’s face it he made an U20’s origin the same week the morons decided we were a development club. He then proceeded to spend two years eating pies when gifted a top 30 contract. His highlight so far is standing at first receiver and passing to the halfback.

No stars.

 

[Red88_Tiger]

When he played 19s origin I thought he showed promise
Was definitely lighter and more agile then and seemed more active

 

[Vicious]

When he played 19s origin I thought he showed promise
Was definitely lighter and more agile then and seemed more active

Possibly bad advice from the club to put on size rather than focus on his speed & agility.

 

[BAGNF05]

Possibly bad advice from the club to put on size rather than focus on his speed & agility.

Not sure why you would tell your veteran front rower to trim down to look like a yoga instructor and your young mobile lock to prep for doomsday.

 

[Snidest 0]

I actually like him. He is admittedly a work in progress but I look at someone Yeo who wasn’t a regular until he was 23/24 years old and I think he has something.
i agree he goes missing a bit but some of his passes near the line are next level and our attack looks so much crisper when he is no the field. His defence appears to be adequate but not dominant and needs to work on his go forward game.
I think he may be (in time) the ball playing lock we are looking for.

Yeo was NOT a late bloomer - he was a regular from his 2nd NRL season in 2015 (at 20 YEARS OF AGE) and has only ever played less than 20 games per season in one season (2019) due to injury since.

He did start out as a lean and lanky centre/back-rower - before moving to the middle and really finding his niche - but has been a regular for 10 seasons!

You don't get to 235 games at 29 years of age if you only became an NRL regular aged 23-24!!!





There is zero comparison with Matamua - who was always a ball-playing lock in the juniors but NEVER played lean or light!

He's lazy and unfit - because he coasted on talent in the juniors and appears to lack the desire to become a professional!

He has some good role models in the squad if his heart was in it!

This forum needs more fact-checking!

 

[Todd Packer]

Matamua has shown some promising ballwork, he just really needs to improve his physicality.

 

[BirchgroveTigers]

Has talent but needs to work hard this off season as his physicality isn’t up to standard. Rumours where he wasn’t a great trainer this most recent off season and it seems to be the case.

Different position no doubt but reminds me of a Moses Suli. Up to him if he steps up but suspect this off season will be his lst chance. Hope he does as he has all the ingredients to be a very good 13 for us.

 

[Bellend]

Best example of a player that needs to go to ESL for 2 season to work on his game and see what happens after that or spend the off season under Mark Carroll and get his fitness levels up and spend time with a sprint coach.

 

[batboy]

Just goes to show how not everyone sees the same skill set even when watching the same player.
At 21 IMO he has plenty of time to improve in all areas.
If you don’t agree that’s OK

Where did I say he doesn't?

Does that mean he deserve to be handed an endless NRL Contract and top 30 spot
until that does (or doesn't) happen?
I've seen him play NRL, 20's and Cup...
He doesn't stand out in any, Unless you count his lack of efforts in NRL for 'standing out'

Plenty of blokes less than 21 yrs old Playing NRL atm,
Put them in 20's - See if they Stand Out!!

Have no problem with him in the System, But he's in his 3rd year of NRL
- And it's been a waste of a spot.... If you don't agree - That's also OK.

Got more out of Tom Freebairn in a few games on a Train and Trial deal....
(Cost us nothing)

 

[426Tlgerland]

No disrespect to the kid but I would move him , Tumeth , Feledy , and probably about another 3 or more on , just not going to be first graders and are average reserve grade players

 

[batboy]

Yeo was NOT a late bloomer - he was a regular from his 2nd NRL season in 2015 (at 20 YEARS OF AGE) and has only ever played less than 20 games per season in one season (2019) due to injury since.

He did start out as a lean and lanky centre/back-rower - before moving to the middle and really finding his niche - but has been a regular for 10 seasons!

You don't get to 235 games at 29 years of age if you only became an NRL regular aged 23-24!!!

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View attachment 13515

There is zero comparison with Matamua - who was always a ball-playing lock in the juniors but NEVER played lean or light!

He's lazy and unfit - because he coasted on talent in the juniors and appears to lack the desire to become a professional!

He has some good role models in the squad if his heart was in it!

This forum needs more fact-checking!

Love the facts argued / invented here like RLP and Wikipedia just don't exist....

Future NRL Players usually make a dint in Lower Grades, Matamua just hasn't done that since
he debuted....

 

[Tom Shines]

Has talent but needs to work hard this off season as his physicality isn’t up to standard. Rumours where he wasn’t a great trainer this most recent off season and it seems to be the case.

Different position no doubt but reminds me of a Moses Suli. Up to him if he steps up but suspect this off season will be his lst chance. Hope he does as he has all the ingredients to be a very good 13 for us.

The whole team needs to be fitter and stronger ..it’s always been a problem at the club as far back as I can remember ..

Supposedly Blore really struggled with the Storm pre season training this year ….. . Lot of stories about the Storm intensity with their preseason training under Bellamy … that’s where it all starts….

 

[batboy]

The whole team needs to be fitter and stronger ..it’s always been a problem at the club as far back as I can remember ..

Supposedly Blore really struggled with the Storm pre season training this year ….. . Lot of stories about the Storm intensity with their preseason training under Bellamy … that’s where it all starts….

Joel Caine often talks about how they Trained just 'Happy to be part of the NRL' from day one....
Complacency here, It's as old as we are...

We should have got Brad Arthur....

 

[tonza]

No disrespect to the kid but I would move him , Tumeth , Feledy , and probably about another 3 or more on , just not going to be first graders and are average reserve grade players

Agree. Matamua did a fair few tackles on the weekend but not much else. A lot of his tackles are soft. He has not won us a game but he sure has lost us a few.