Justin Olam #281

There is going to have be a monumental turn around for Olam to get close to the player he was in 2022. Of all the new inclusions he is the one I will be watching with most interest. Not convinced he can find it anymore.
Yeah there are question marks aye. MIne is his speed.If he's still quick enough,he's tough
enough. I think he'll good for us.
It's the combos i'm curious about most. Will he be around Bateman,Sezer and Tupou mainly?
 
There is going to have be a monumental turn around for Olam to get close to the player he was in 2022. Of all the new inclusions he is the one I will be watching with most interest. Not convinced he can find it anymore.
Aye.
Not many come out of Melb the same or better player...even when fully fit and nil baggage

Good luck JO
 
Yeah there are question marks aye. MIne is his speed.If he's still quick enough,he's tough
enough. I think he'll good for us.
It's the combos i'm curious about most. Will he be around Bateman,Sezer and Tupou mainly?
I think combo's will be a HUGE issue for us this year.
Sheens in pushing 200 passes was really trying to make combo's click. Sadly Sheens either forgot defense or did not coach it up.

I am hoping that we keep Olam on the same side and he forms a good defensive and offensive combination with his wing partner.... Odd question of who you pair him with as:
Staines + Toa are probably a fast pairing.
Olam + Naden would be a tough defensive pairing.

Something like:
Tupou + Toa on one side would work well. Both know and play together.
Staines + Olam is us hoping that Olam would give Staines the extra defensive boost he needs to pick his wing line. yet I can see Staines outrunning Olam.

I think put Tupou to the bench, he really costed us some games in 2023 and he is leaving us.
Go with Staines + Toa for try scoring and Olam + Naden for try stopping.
 
I think combo's will be a HUGE issue for us this year.
Sheens in pushing 200 passes was really trying to make combo's click. Sadly Sheens either forgot defense or did not coach it up.

I am hoping that we keep Olam on the same side and he forms a good defensive and offensive combination with his wing partner.... Odd question of who you pair him with as:
Staines + Toa are probably a fast pairing.
Olam + Naden would be a tough defensive pairing.

Something like:
Tupou + Toa on one side would work well. Both know and play together.
Staines + Olam is us hoping that Olam would give Staines the extra defensive boost he needs to pick his wing line. yet I can see Staines outrunning Olam.

I think put Tupou to the bench, he really costed us some games in 2023 and he is leaving us.
Go with Staines + Toa for try scoring and Olam + Naden for try stopping.

Conceding on average <23 points, WT defence had actually improved greatly up until early in the winter, before things really started turning to shit. Canberra made the finals despite only conceding 2 less points than us to average 26, so our only scoring 16 points in attack was a major problem.

Sure, WT need to do better defensively, but we also need to at least be scoring the still low 20 points that Canberra and the Chooks did last year, to have any chance of playing finals.
 
I think combo's will be a HUGE issue for us this year.
Sheens in pushing 200 passes was really trying to make combo's click. Sadly Sheens either forgot defense or did not coach it up.

I am hoping that we keep Olam on the same side and he forms a good defensive and offensive combination with his wing partner.... Odd question of who you pair him with as:
Staines + Toa are probably a fast pairing.
Olam + Naden would be a tough defensive pairing.

Something like:
Tupou + Toa on one side would work well. Both know and play together.
Staines + Olam is us hoping that Olam would give Staines the extra defensive boost he needs to pick his wing line. yet I can see Staines outrunning Olam.

I think put Tupou to the bench, he really costed us some games in 2023 and he is leaving us.
Go with Staines + Toa for try scoring and Olam + Naden for try stopping.
There is a lot of scenarios on the forum with Naden on a wing but it's not going to happen unless we have several injuries. He is a centre and should be used there. Will be heaping the pressure on Toa once fit. Olam locks down the other side.
 
There is a lot of scenarios on the forum with Naden on a wing but it's not going to happen unless we have several injuries. He is a centre and should be used there. Will be heaping the pressure on Toa once fit. Olam locks down the other side.

There is a lot of scenarios on the forum with Naden on a wing but it's not going to happen unless we have several injuries. He is a centre and should be used there. Will be heaping the pressure on Toa once fit. Olam locks down the other side.
I, honestly don't know.

I too thought Naden was a center. Yet at the Dogs he played wing and played it reasonably well. I had him pegged for our center spot, yet from what I have seen on the field he does better at wing as a more grittier wing.

Toa has 'claimed' center if anyone bar Bula has claimed a spot on the backline. <- after watching the trial game. Toa has lost that claim.

Nades and Olam could be a good center pairing,
 
So let me see if I’m understanding this. There’s talk for months before we sign him that he’s injury prone and quite possibly is carrying an injury. Then we do sign him, and there is more talk that he’s carrying an injury and may not be ready for round 2. Despite all that speculation, comes out and plays tonight….…and gets injured.

Its going very well.
 
I certainly hope Olam has a minor niggle and be right for round 2....last thing we need is another big signing sitting his contract out in the stands...
 
So let me see if I’m understanding this. There’s talk for months before we sign him that he’s injury prone and quite possibly is carrying an injury. Then we do sign him, and there is more talk that he’s carrying an injury and may not be ready for round 2. Despite all that speculation, comes out and plays tonight….…and gets injured.

It’s going very well.

Don’t tell me you are really surprised, given the history of this club when it comes to signing new players with injury concerns and/or to contracts that are always at least one year too long .. McQueen, Matalino, Packer, and several others …Olam will be the daily double …injured and too long
 
Don’t tell me you are really surprised, given the history of this club when it comes to signing new players with injury concerns and/or to contracts that are always at least one year too long .. McQueen, Matalino, Packer, and several others …Olam will be the daily double …injured and too long
Don't forget Matt Ballin...
 
Yep we'd be quite a good football brand if we didn't have to field a team each week...
No, we’d be great if our entire existence was just the off season. No matter how much we talk them up, we’d never be let down cos the start of the season would never come.
 
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