Yes Moltzen at 7 …..Taumata 14....
Hold on.......what's that got to do with Lortay............isn't his tread about him anymore...... 😕
Hold on.......what's that got to do with Lortay............isn't his tread about him anymore...... 😕
crouching_tiger
New member
@T-REXX said:
Taumata is a rare talent and those who have watched enough of his footy can not deny this.
Firstly and foremost, he will need a dramatic change off the field before just waltzing into the 17 in my books.
Secondly, with his flamboyant style of football, i can NOT see it working successfully if he is partnering Marshall in the halves. They both play a similar brand of football and the squad would lack direction and squaring up when needed.
The WT need a half who can play lateral and one who plays square. One who will not have a brain explosion when under pressure. The team already have their "dice rollers" in Farah and Marshall, too add another one in the halves IMO would be detrimental to the structure.
Lazarus comes to mind when you are talking about a player playing in that similar fashion, and will be likely the BRET halfback this coming season (pending what Sheens' directions are for Fletcher). Sheens' attempt to manufacture him as a ballplaying fullback has taken a turn since his injuries with Moltzen and now Mullaney following down that path. Taumata would need a season IMO to be converted into any type of fullback in regards to being a support player, one on one defender, bomb diffuser, defensive team director and positional player.
To slot Lote into a full time fullback role at the beginning of this upcoming season is a gamble, with the cohesion that has already been established through the second half of 2009 by current players. If this happens, the WT may just be throwing away too many important wins at the start of the season which could come back to haunt them later in the year as it has done for the past 3 seasons with Sheens not establishing a longer term assignment for key positions.
Balmain_Tiger
New member
taumata and marshall play too similar to be successful imo. either its gonna be a great success or its gonna end up in a hogfest with the 2 of them competing for most time with the ball. imo its best to have taumata at FB as he can have as much footy as he likes from kick returns and such and leave marshall and lava to perform as they naturally do. though one thing ill miss is moltzen making line breaks out of know where from FB which was demonstrated greatly in the raiders, manly and sharks games!
Aladinsane
New member
@crouching_tiger said:
CT, I totally agree with your well thoughtout post.
Sheens has his hardest test to date….making all this depth in the team squad work.The only position we will still struggle of course, as we all know, if injuries to Keith , Cayless etc happen is of course the Front row
crouching_tiger
New member
@Aladinsane said:
Well as i mentioned this time last year, this is where Sheens could to be a little bit less reckless as in previous seasons. By slowly blooding less experienced players sparingly when appropriate, and against certain opposition where he may be able to weaken the bench slightly or utilising a certain players' attributes to his advantage EARLY in the season. This in turn will prepare these youngsters for further depth if/when required if injuries strike further into the season. If Sheens fails to do so once again, we could all be re-living our woes for the 5th consecutive season.
Players such as Schirnack, Stolk, Woods, Gower, Fifita, and Davidson are all already waiting in the ranks and IMO have what it takes to step up if the situation arises.
This should have happened last year whilst Skando was still playing and able to teach and help develop these guys onfield and in the sheds. But now, there is no real "hard-head veteran prop" to teach these guys of good old-fashioned hard running. Cayless is new to the team and may be able to provide some assistance, but that will depend on how well he can take charge and authority in new surroundings.
Gibbs and Galloway are still IMO not quite veterans in my eyes, and are still developing to their highest potential.
If you look back on history, most teams require one of these old-school hard nuts to lead a team to grand final glory. Players such as a Steve Price, Shane Webke, Ruben Wiki who don't go missing, roll their sleeves up and do the dirty work, chew up valuable yardage when required and under the pump. This is a key to any winning formula of a rugby league team and has been for decades.
Can Cayless provide this for WT in 2010?? Well, we can all sit back and hope..
hammertime
Well-known member
This guy is really starting to irritate me… I am actually starting to hope he doesn't come next year.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26568325-23217,00.html?from=public_rss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Former Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri considers move to French rugby
From correspondents in London, England
January 09, 2010
Former Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri hasn't ruled out a move to French rugby after his stint with English side Leicester.
Tuqiri, who recently admitted to being fed up with Britain's grey weather, is enjoying the novelty of a snow-blanketed landscape in his new home but says French interest remains.
"That's the other thing which might tempt me to go that way - it's probably a bit warmer down there. More so Toulon," Tuqiri told The Guardian on Friday.
Tuqiri moved from Sydney to a village just outside Leicester with his wife and two sons after joining the club when the Australian Rugby Union terminated his contract in July 2009.
"Even without the snow it's hugely different," he said.
"My wife loves it. It's very dark at night, no lights, but we're enjoying it .... and the club has been really great."
Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill said it was up to Tuqiri whether he returns to the club next season amid suggestions the 30-year-old could be bound for a rugby league comeback in Australia.
"We've been delighted," Cockerill said.
"He came with a bit of a playboy reputation, but he's been totally professional on the field, in training and in the gym, although if you were looking for sea and sand you probably wouldn't be at Leicester in the first place."
Salary cap could also be an issue with an injury to Geordan Murphy allowing Leicester to hire Tuqiri to the end of the season, meaning savings may have to be made elsewhere if the Australian stays.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26568325-23217,00.html?from=public_rss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Former Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri considers move to French rugby
From correspondents in London, England
January 09, 2010
Former Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri hasn't ruled out a move to French rugby after his stint with English side Leicester.
Tuqiri, who recently admitted to being fed up with Britain's grey weather, is enjoying the novelty of a snow-blanketed landscape in his new home but says French interest remains.
"That's the other thing which might tempt me to go that way - it's probably a bit warmer down there. More so Toulon," Tuqiri told The Guardian on Friday.
Tuqiri moved from Sydney to a village just outside Leicester with his wife and two sons after joining the club when the Australian Rugby Union terminated his contract in July 2009.
"Even without the snow it's hugely different," he said.
"My wife loves it. It's very dark at night, no lights, but we're enjoying it .... and the club has been really great."
Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill said it was up to Tuqiri whether he returns to the club next season amid suggestions the 30-year-old could be bound for a rugby league comeback in Australia.
"We've been delighted," Cockerill said.
"He came with a bit of a playboy reputation, but he's been totally professional on the field, in training and in the gym, although if you were looking for sea and sand you probably wouldn't be at Leicester in the first place."
Salary cap could also be an issue with an injury to Geordan Murphy allowing Leicester to hire Tuqiri to the end of the season, meaning savings may have to be made elsewhere if the Australian stays.
westTAHger
Well-known member
no one person is bigger than the game.the game will continue if he does come to NRL or not.
wests-tigers will continue if he comes to them or not. At the monent it is like Lote is the Pied piper, and the media are the other half of the fable.
wests-tigers will continue if he comes to them or not. At the monent it is like Lote is the Pied piper, and the media are the other half of the fable.
Buckets_of_blood
New member
Yep…all lies & rubbish, helium
vlad
Well-known member
From correspondents in London, England
:laughing:
:laughing:
Balmain_Bug
New member
This thing with Lotto is an absolute kack !!! The fans in Leicester don't want him because he is too slow. He wants to play Rugby in France now !! HAHAHAHAHAHAH
I reackon he is scared that his fitness wont hold up to NRL standard.
I reackon he is scared that his fitness wont hold up to NRL standard.
Buckets_of_blood
New member
"We've been delighted," Cockerill said.
>
"He came with a bit of a playboy reputation, but he's been totally professional on the field, in training and in the gym, although if you were looking for sea and sand you probably wouldn't be at Leicester in the first place."
Sure dont sound like hes taking it easy as spartan suggested
>
"He came with a bit of a playboy reputation, but he's been totally professional on the field, in training and in the gym, although if you were looking for sea and sand you probably wouldn't be at Leicester in the first place."
Sure dont sound like hes taking it easy as spartan suggested
Hopefully this new rumour is just that but if there is any truth to it, its about time tigers management give him a two week ultimatum.If he dosen't like well aurvouir (see ya in French) Lote.At the end of the day if he comes to the tigers it's only a bonus.Our season isn't dependent on him coming
beachtiger
Well-known member
@tigerdre said:
Heres the thing though we can't give him any ultimatum becasue he is not eligible to sign a contract with us due to the NRL and Gallop's stance, if he could have signed then rest assured he would have and until he is "allowed" to do so by the NRL then expect these types of articles to be written.
Unless it's about marketing why even care?
he will make not make any difference to the wests tigers making or not making the semis next year.
On the playing field at best he will give some of the younger blokes confidence but he is not the difference to us making a change as to where we will finish next year.
If we can carry the change in attitude towards the end of 2009 into 2010, that will the difference.
I think Benji is the key, and if Robbie finds his 2008 form, Ellis keeps his form, Keith finds one level higher, Moltzen lives to his potential, Tuiaki returns, Lawrence continues his progress and the rest do their jobs than there is no need to worry about Lote. Lote is a marketing buy.
i just want a little on field success, if Lote comes great but i have no illusions that he will make any difference on the field, the personnel we have is good enough, it will come down to weather the coach can get them up for this crunch year.
Just my opinion.
he will make not make any difference to the wests tigers making or not making the semis next year.
On the playing field at best he will give some of the younger blokes confidence but he is not the difference to us making a change as to where we will finish next year.
If we can carry the change in attitude towards the end of 2009 into 2010, that will the difference.
I think Benji is the key, and if Robbie finds his 2008 form, Ellis keeps his form, Keith finds one level higher, Moltzen lives to his potential, Tuiaki returns, Lawrence continues his progress and the rest do their jobs than there is no need to worry about Lote. Lote is a marketing buy.
i just want a little on field success, if Lote comes great but i have no illusions that he will make any difference on the field, the personnel we have is good enough, it will come down to weather the coach can get them up for this crunch year.
Just my opinion.
supercoach
Well-known member
@Icon said:
beachtiger
Well-known member
@T-REXX said:
Is that right T-REXX?? My apologies then I didn't realise that was the case I was under the impression that until he's current contract had expired he couldnt sign in the NRL.
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