And to our own detriment we far too often do this without the player earning the right to play NRL from regular strong performances in NSW Cup.We aren’t a development club. We collect good juniors and fast track them to first grade
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And to our own detriment we far too often do this without the player earning the right to play NRL from regular strong performances in NSW Cup.We aren’t a development club. We collect good juniors and fast track them to first grade
And then they get an over-inflated opinion of themselves & cry foul when they are dropped.And to our own detriment we far too often do this without the player earning the right to play NRL from regular strong performances in NSW Cup.
Apart from the dire football how is the old girl looking?Went to the Lidcombe oval games today. Left disgusted at 1/2 time of KOE.
Watched close to 80 Plus points put on us to our ZERO! Had enough.
Penrith were too big, too fast and too skilful for our "future stars", both grades.
Was expecting to have a look at our hyped up next generation of future NRL players.
Didn't see them in Flegg or KOE today.
Penrith had class players way better than ours; right across the park.
I will be taking all the tipster predictions on almost all of these players with a grain of salt.
Years away from anything of NRL standard.
On a positive note, I thought number 20 - Josh Russell in Flegg stood out in that pack.
It is the in grained lack of positive attitude that starts in the front office and works its way down.And then they get an over-inflated opinion of themselves & cry foul when they are dropped.
We aren’t a development club. We collect good juniors and fast track them to first grade
All good, but give him a little slack.I winced watching the Jordan Miller interview when he mentioned more than once about how ‘hard’ he’d ‘worked’ to earn his first grade debut….
If that’s what he thinks - he best line himself up an apprenticeship somewhere…
He’s like 18 years old and done a pre-season….
He doesn’t even know what work is yet, let alone hard work!!
100%.I winced watching the Jordan Miller interview when he mentioned more than once about how ‘hard’ he’d ‘worked’ to earn his first grade debut….
If that’s what he thinks - he best line himself up an apprenticeship somewhere…
He’s like 18 years old and done a pre-season….
He doesn’t even know what work is yet, let alone hard work!!
Hopefully this changes under new admin. Richo has openly talked about needing more first grade foot soldiers. I.e. proven first grade talent100%.
The top line props in the game must have had a chuckle to themselves hearing that.
One of my big concerns with juniors is this. The club and fans call them superstars when they are young. Once they enter the senior programs they are very swiftly elevated to NRL status…most of them years before their time. This validates the superstar mentality. Over the past 3 years we have debuted a number of 18-19-20 year olds who HAD NOT earned the right to play first grade due to putting the hard yards in and achieving success in the senior pathways. For every success like Bula and Galvin, there are many more who have struggled. Take Matamua as an example. At 21 he is approaching the time where he should be really pushing for top grade. We fast tracked him 2 years ago and stalled his development. Had he come through the grades organically, he would be likely demanding selection later this year. Instead we chuck him in every so often with no clear plan and he doesn’t shine. He is still a long way off being a consistent performer in the NRL.
The worst saying in RL is “good enough, old enough”. A thorough apprenticeship through the pathways is far more beneficial and entirely better preparation for what I assume is a very demanding job.
Absolutely agree with this.I gave up on expecting wins in Cup very early in the season. They regularly have 8 or 9 changes per week. We also consistently have to use Massey players due to injuries and suspensions. The positional selections are head scratching. Players should only play in positions that they may play at NRL level. Just an example Mason at 7 and Casey at 6, No offence to either player but moving forward they won’t be playing NRL in those spots. Maybe it was out of necessity. I think any player in cup that is eligible for Flegg should play the remainder of 24 in Flegg. We may just salvage something out of this season if we do that.
Simple strategy.... poach the Penrith juniors.Went to the Lidcombe oval games today. Left disgusted at 1/2 time of KOE.
Watched close to 80 Plus points put on us to our ZERO! Had enough.
Penrith were too big, too fast and too skilful for our "future stars", both grades.
Was expecting to have a look at our hyped up next generation of future NRL players.
Didn't see them in Flegg or KOE today.
Penrith had class players way better than ours; right across the park.
I will be taking all the tipster predictions on almost all of these players with a grain of salt.
Years away from anything of NRL standard.
On a positive note, I thought number 20 - Josh Russell in Flegg stood out in that pack.
I’d suggest our ‘culture’ (or lack there of) allows these kids to think this way…All good, but give him a little slack.
He's 18, young, still growing up.
He might feel that way now, but his 25 year old self will know differently.
RightThe club itself has been fuelling this mindset. Sheens was talking them up, and only recently, 3 or 4 of them did an official club podcast. They’re also signing NRL top 30 deals before their 20th birthday.
All but Galvin should still be on development or junior deals. At least Latu Fainu consistently proved he can excel at Cup level when he was at Manly and the couple matches he played for Magpies early this season. Likewise his brother.
Miller, the Lauliliis, Da Silva, Mason, faagatu, Tumeth, Sukkar have done nothing at either Flegg or Cup level to somehow have WT#xxx next to their name. They really haven’t done anything at SG ball level either over the past two seasons. They’re still living off under 17 form.
The club panicked after the Harold Matthews premiership. Signed up all of these kids on future top 30 deals like it was shooting fish in a barrel. In the mean time, there are no actual senior players outside the NRL top 20, or on reserve grade part-time deals, to provide some experience in reserve grade matches. Porter and Casey seem to be it, and Porter is now regularly in first grade. That tells you that a 27yo train and trialists is a better option than 18-20yo NRL or dev contracted players for an NRL forward pack.
The forward pack being consistently named and sent out to play in reserve grade is a blight on the club. Every player except Johannssen are still eligible for Jersey Flegg or Sg Ball. These are the next men up for the NRL forward pack - to take on the likes of JWH, Collins, Leniu, May, Whyte, etc. as an example.
It’s a joke how the old admin managed the salary cap and recruitment/retention to get to this stage. It’s an absolute mess.
Hopefully he can get some quality game time from here until the end of the year. For that reason, I wouldn't put him on the bench for NRL. Play 6/7 for Cup for a while and then if opportunity presents, maybe do the same at NRL for a game or 2 before the year is out.Fainu returns which is good news.
They really need to take there time with him, leave him in KOE for a month or two, best thing for him. Confidence is what he needs before being shoved into first grade.Fainu returns which is good news.
The strongest nsw cup side we have had all year. Good to see most players back from injuryView attachment 13302
How good to see Latu Fainu back! The boys should have a better showing this week!
Be great to see these halves absolutely blitzing reserve grade for a month for their own confidence as much as anything.Hopefully he can get some quality game time from here until the end of the year. For that reason, I wouldn't put him on the bench for NRL. Play 6/7 for Cup for a while and then if opportunity presents, maybe do the same at NRL for a game or 2 before the year is out.