Latu Fainu #282

GNR4LIFE said:
I’m skeptical. How was Latu ever going to be given the opportunity? It was always one or the other with those two. We were never keeping both.
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I agree.

Some posters on here seem to forget that if not for a dubious hip drop suspension, Galvin easily wins Rookie of the Year in 2024. Love him or loathe him, the kid can play.

If Galvin had been happy at Wests then Scott Fulton’s little mate would have been heading elsewhere
 
So if Latu is our 6 or 7 going forward and Mason is 14 what it means is we may still have cover for Api. Whilst I don't believe Mason can play 9 (a skill he should develop) the plan would be latu to 9 and Mason into the halves. A specialist hooker on the bench is a luxury we cannot afford at the moment.
 
TheClaws said:
So if Latu is our 6 or 7 going forward and Mason is 14 what it means is we may still have cover for Api. Whilst I don't believe Mason can play 9 (a skill he should develop) the plan would be latu to 9 and Mason into the halves. A specialist hooker on the bench is a luxury we cannot afford at the moment.
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We've got multiple big-minute props and we're seeing smaller benches have success in the game these days. You only have to look at how Canterbury have run their bench this year as a single example. Much to my surprise, our small bench on the weekend held its own with Canberra's strong pack and that's without even using one of our bench players (which isn't a good thing imo).

I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility for us to 'possibly' look at running both a utility and a specialist hooker on the bench moving forward in 2026.

Something like hooker (TDS/Hope/Haywood), backs (or true) utility (Mason/Bird), middle/edge utility (Seyfarth/Sione) and specialist prop (TBC). This would be in the even of a starting pack of May, Pole, Twal, KPP and Samuela.

In practice, that could only work with the likes of May and Pole continuing to play above 60/65 quality minutes a game - something they have shown the capacity to do.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
Yeah, where he differs from Katoa. I can see why people want to chuck him in the forwards, cos he has size, but he’s too good not to be in the halves. Already, I can’t wait to see him next week. Hopefully for the full 80.
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Have been comparing Latu to Katoa for a while now, has possibly been wishful thinking on my part but if he can stay healthy this kid can turn a game on its head.

Didn't actually see the replay of the game until late last night after being away for a few days to attend a wedding, but even during the replay I heard commentators comparing his skill level and potential to that of Katoa.

Lachlan who?
 
There are plenty of clubs who would have kept both Galvin and Latu, especially in their formative years.

The way you sell the club, the way you keep players happy is very important. The one thing that I feel Benji might be good at is understanding what young players want, what makes them happy.

You can see Galvin's motivation is winning and his own development.
What is TDS' motivation?
What was Klem or Bateman's motivation?

Why were or are these guys unhappy here?

I understand losing is tough, but I always thought we need to buy "winning players" like from Panthers and Storm but I almost feel like we need to now get players who know what losing feels like. Players who know how to go from losing to winning.

Maybe Luai learnt that in 2019 but was he old enough at that time to understand what guys like Tamou, Yeo, Maloney etc did to get them to the stage?
 
tig_prmz said:
There are plenty of clubs who would have kept both Galvin and Latu, especially in their formative years.

The way you sell the club, the way you keep players happy is very important. The one thing that I feel Benji might be good at is understanding what young players want, what makes them happy.

You can see Galvin's motivation is winning and his own development.
What is TDS' motivation?
What was Klem or Bateman's motivation?

Why were or are these guys unhappy here?

I understand losing is tough, but I always thought we need to buy "winning players" like from Panthers and Storm but I almost feel like we need to now get players who know what losing feels like. Players who know how to go from losing to winning.

Maybe Luai learnt that in 2019 but was he old enough at that time to understand what guys like Tamou, Yeo, Maloney etc did to get them to the stage?
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It’s moot now regarding Galvin and Latu. What we know is the club was all in on Galvin. That really left no place for Latu in the halves where he belongs. And before you suggest Galvin could have moved to lock, I don’t think that was on the cards, and might be a while at the Dogs, if ever. He’s being treated like the second coming in terms of haves in the media.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
It’s moot now regarding Galvin and Latu. What we know is the club was all in on Galvin. That really left no place for Latu in the halves where he belongs. And before you suggest Galvin could have moved to lock, I don’t think that was on the cards, and might be a while at the Dogs, if ever. He’s being treated like the second coming in terms of haves in the media.
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You got Black at the Broncos, Woods at Dogs with plenty of players in front of them, but willing to bide their time.

How are those clubs convincing them to stay and develop?

Why weren't we able to do that with other players?
 
TheClaws said:
So if Latu is our 6 or 7 going forward and Mason is 14 what it means is we may still have cover for Api. Whilst I don't believe Mason can play 9 (a skill he should develop) the plan would be latu to 9 and Mason into the halves. A specialist hooker on the bench is a luxury we cannot afford at the moment.
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I hope the plan isn’t to move Latu to 9 mid game just to bring Mason on into the halves. Why would you weaken the team like that during a game?
 
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