Open training session

[Tiger_Steve]

Just interested whether anyone attended the session today and whether there was anything worth sharing??

 

[cochise]

Just interested whether anyone attended the session today and whether there was anything worth sharing??

Yeah, I went down and had a look, I had my 4 year old daughter with me and she was a little excited so I may need help with some of the details.

I was surprised when I arrived as they were actually conducting a 13 on 13 opposed session instead of the usual drills you see at these type of events. It also looked like that the players starting may have been top 13 verses the rest. The greens had from what I gathered, and I could be wrong with a couple here as my daughter was all over me and I didn't explicitly check where everyone was playing

Fullback Tui
Backs Nofa, Kev, Fonua, Masters?
5/8th Reynolds
Half Brooks
Lock ET
2nd row McQueen ?
Props Packer, Matolino
Hooker McIlwrick

Lawrance, Liddle, Grant all playing in the reserves

Hard to get a real gauge on anything from the session as it was extremely slow paced with players slowing up going into contact and the coaches stopping and starting the game constantly and calling held if a player broke the line, Fonua looks like he will bring the ball back extremely hard, Brooks appeared to be a little more vocal and Reynold appears to be fitting with team quite well. Tui looked to chime in quite well and created some overlaps but does that quick shovel on pass that can go astray. Almost impossible to assess the forwards as they were stopping dead in the tackle.

Overall an interesting afternoon.

Hodgo was coaching the kickers at the end of the session

 

[Tim Sheens]

Just interested whether anyone attended the session today and whether there was anything worth sharing??

Yeah, I went down and had a look, I had my 4 year old daughter with me and she was a little excited so I may need help with some of the details.

I was surprised when I arrived as they were actually conducting a 13 on 13 opposed session instead of the usual drills you see at these type of events. It also looked like that the players starting may have been top 13 verses the rest. The greens had from what I gathered, and I could be wrong with a couple here as my daughter was all over me and I didn't explicitly check where everyone was playing

Fullback Tui
Backs Nofa, Kev, Fonua, Masters?
5/8th Reynolds
Half Brooks
Lock ET
2nd row McQueen ?
Props Packer, Matolino
Hooker McIlwrick

Lawrance, Liddle, Grant all playing in the reserves

Hard to get a real gauge on anything from the session as it was extremely slow paced with players slowing up going into contact and the coaches stopping and starting the game constantly and calling held if a player broke the line, Fonua looks like he will bring the ball back extremely hard, Brooks appeared to be a little more vocal and Reynold appears to be fitting with team quite well. Tui looked to chime in quite well and created some overlaps but does that quick shovel on pass that can go astray. Almost impossible to assess the forwards as they were stopping dead in the tackle.

Overall an interesting afternoon.

Hodgo was coaching the kickers at the end of the session

Thanks for the information.

 

[Tigerdon]

Thanks for the training day report. Sounded like an Interesting day.

 

[Eddie]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

 

[clifferdSH]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

I think that’s just the way he’s built tbh.

He seemed fine playing 80 mins for us last year and for Tonga, albeit in the halves

He’s shed a few kgs since then too

 

[Tacky]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

Uuuuummmm…. Wat u talkin bout?
\
\

 

[Russell]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

Looks more than super fit to me. I'm not worried.

 

[Eddie]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

Uuuuummmm…. Wat u talkin bout?
\
\

You could be right and I could be wrong

I saw a couple other pics of the training sessions and he looked big compared to the others.

fullback you need to get around the ground for 80 minutes.

No doubting his talent.

 

[Tigerstruck]

Lolo looks pretty fit to me, but compared to Milf, he looks like an Olympic gold medalist marathon runner :roll

 

[Eddie]

Shots can be deceptive I suppose.

I reckon Lolihea with this shirt off might look even less flattering but I could be wrong.

I just hope he plays well really. Fullback is a hard gig these days and you can't be anything else then 100% fit for mine.

 

[newtiger]

Lolihea doesn't look fit enough for fullback just looking at photos.

A concern for me.

Check out Round 26 last year against the Warriors, where Tui kept up with MWZ and Teddy to score a try.
I don't think Teddy is the slowest player in the NRL and for Tui to keep up with him he has plenty of speed.

 

[Eddie]

I'm not talking about speed.

I'm talking about all round high quality effort for 80 minutes.

It's not as easy position to adapt to in the NRL.

 

[Needaname]

Good thing for season goes for 25 rounds.
You can bet your bottom dollar if he doesn’t have the fullback match fitness by round one he sure as hell will have it at the business end.
Personally I think being Tongan he naturally has a larger frame. He does have massive legs but they don’t look oversized, just powerful.
Could be his upper body is trimming down getting more defined which probably explains the weight increase.
Photos can be deceiving.
But if his first choice, he’ll be fit.

 

[Tacky]

Good thing for season goes for 25 rounds.
You can bet your bottom dollar if he doesn’t have the fullback match fitness by round one he sure as hell will have it at the business end.
Personally I think being Tongan he naturally has a larger frame. He does have massive legs but they don’t look oversized, just powerful.
Could be his upper body is trimming down getting more defined which probably explains the weight increase.
Photos can be deceiving.
But if his first choice, he’ll be fit.

But, the season goes for 26 rounds?????????

And hopefully ours goes for 30….....

 

[steve-o]

Good thing for season goes for 25 rounds.
You can bet your bottom dollar if he doesn’t have the fullback match fitness by round one he sure as hell will have it at the business end.
Personally I think being Tongan he naturally has a larger frame. He does have massive legs but they don’t look oversized, just powerful.
Could be his upper body is trimming down getting more defined which probably explains the weight increase.
Photos can be deceiving.
But if his first choice, he’ll be fit.

But, the season goes for 26 rounds?????????

And hopefully ours goes for 30….....

It's been reduced to 25 rounds in 2017 (still 24 games each) as a result of the stand alone origin weekend

 

[Needaname]

Ahh, I knew of the reduction of the total rounds but I was under the impression it reduced the number of competition games per team.
It must be only 1 bye each team?
and a second test period for not rep representative players during the stand alone?

Thanks for the info.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Shots can be deceptive I suppose.

I reckon Lolihea with this shirt off might look even less flattering but I could be wrong.

I just hope he plays well really. Fullback is a hard gig these days and you can't be anything else then 100% fit for mine.

When are we going to hear your thoughts again Ed, as I for one enjoyed listening to them?

 

[Eddie]

Not long mate. Once we get into February and the trials I reckon.

Not a whole lot to talk about yet besides speculating how we might go or who might plat.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Tacky]

Good thing for season goes for 25 rounds.
You can bet your bottom dollar if he doesn’t have the fullback match fitness by round one he sure as hell will have it at the business end.
Personally I think being Tongan he naturally has a larger frame. He does have massive legs but they don’t look oversized, just powerful.
Could be his upper body is trimming down getting more defined which probably explains the weight increase.
Photos can be deceiving.
But if his first choice, he’ll be fit.

But, the season goes for 26 rounds?????????

And hopefully ours goes for 30….....

It's been reduced to 25 rounds in 2017 (still 24 games each) as a result of the stand alone origin weekend

Wow I'm so out of the loop…...