Paul Stringer has big wraps on Aspelli Fine...

T

TrueTiger

Well-known member
After reading the comments by Paul Stringer,our new NSW Cup coach,he said that the memorial nines at Berkeley Vale the younger and new players gelled very well during the tournament,most had never played together,he particularly praised the team on digging in and making the most of the tournament..he picked Fine as his pick of the players although all played well..
This brings me to the question of ..do you guys on the forum think that Fine could be a good chance of playing in our FG team at all this year ?? He seems to be a bit better credentialed than some of the others…thoughts please...
 
Fine is a beast, looks much taller in real life than pictures/TV.
Very athletic - Can play centre, wing and second row.

He didn't play first grade in 2015 but he's played a test for Tonga.
I think he's similiar to Akoulala ability wise.

I honestly don't think he's part of any plans, just a solid NSW Cup starter.
Could defo see him leaving when his contract ends also for better things elsewhere.

I'm a fan tho.
 
Fine won't play NRL at the Tigers. Taylor doesn't rate him, or at least doesn't rate him as highly as every other backrow option.

Seems every lower grade coach raves about him. Fletcher rated him as high as any backrower in the club.

I think he needs some guidance and specific instructions from the club as to what position to focus on. Personally I think he's an NRL backrower in the making. Athletic like a centre, ability to hit the edge, great defence and has a good workrate. However he's well down in the pecking order at this club. He should leave IMO.
 
@king sirro said:
Fine won't play NRL at the Tigers. Taylor doesn't rate him, or at least doesn't rate him as highly as every other backrow option.

Seems every lower grade coach raves about him. Fletcher rated him as high as any backrower in the club.

I think he needs some guidance and specific instructions from the club as to what position to focus on. Personally I think he's an NRL backrower in the making. Athletic like a centre, ability to hit the edge, great defence and has a good workrate. However he's well down in the pecking order at this club. He should leave IMO.
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I'm guessing that it would appear that no other club is interested in picking Fine up or he'd be gone

The guy is a decent enough player , but isn't quick enough for the centres and is a touch on the small side for the back row in the modern game
 
I can see Fine being a lot like Ben T'eo as a player in the future.
Agree with Sirro though, if I was him - I'd leave.
Deserves a crack.
 
I like Fine always have but he appears to be in the mould of the likes of Josh Davis, Nu Akeripa, Rhys Pritchard and Willie Mataka we've had at the Club in the past…bust their arses in State Cup always amongst the best on the field yet never seem to get a run at First Grade for whatever reason....

Given our recruitment and apparent pecking order it seems Fine is again down the list...Sirro is probably right he wont get a decent shot here and should look elsewhere...

One thing I do know if he does happen to crack it on FG for a decent run...he wont let us down...
 
@Demps said:
I can see Fine being a lot like Ben T'eo as a player in the future.
Agree with Sirro though, if I was him - I'd leave.
Deserves a crack.
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If this thread was about Ben T'eo though it would surely be titled 'Ben T'eo has big wraps on Ben T'eo'. That fella sure didn't mind admiring himself.
I think JT is fairly set in his ways when it comes to team selection so IMO Fine isn't gonna get a look-in unless injury hits us hard.
 
@jadtiger said:
He is a better option than Lovett but unfortunately i dont think the coach would agree with that.
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I agree, it's a shame though as I really do think Fine is a better prospect compared to guys like Lovett and Milone.
 
@willow said:
@jadtiger said:
He is a better option than Lovett but unfortunately i dont think the coach would agree with that.

I agree, it's a shame though as I really do think Fine is a better prospect compared to guys like Lovett and Milone.
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I agree also, it is a mystery to me why JT dismisses him. Actually thought we would have used him last year in the centres.
 
@jadtiger said:
He is a better option than Lovett but unfortunately i dont think the coach would agree with that.
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Talyor is about one month away from making the decisions that means keeping his job or not ..I agree some of the favoured few are not up to NRL standard if they fail he fails …. then he is off to the CES!
 
There is a massive leap between State Cup and NRL level.

Fine appears a long list of players who excels at State Cup level but not good enough to take the leap to NRL.

The pace of the two grades is huge.

His best chance for NRL to leave and join another club.

At 23 is still has time on his hands.

If he was that good another club would have snapped him up by now.

I can't understand the Lovett love but hope his game continues to develop and I wear egg on my face in the future.
 
I do feel sorry for these players that bounce between the backs and forwards. Need to bulk up in case used in the forwards, which takes away the pace they need to play in the backs. It will be interesting to see who are the bench players/back-ups. I do not think it is a good sign for his 1st grade chances this year that he was picked to play in the memorial nines.
 
I think that people underestimate the gap between NRL and state cup.

Fine is a very good reserve grader. If he he Lovett has switched places, everyone would be saying I cant believe they are picking Fine and not giving Lovett ago etc….

In lower grades the likes of Lovett and so forth were stand out players, just like the blokes that are continually suggested to take their place.

IMO FIne will again be a very good NSW cup player, but unlikely to play first grade.
 
If he's any chance..you would imagine he would be competing with Halatau and Chee Kam for that utility role on the bench.
 
@Goose said:
I think that people underestimate the gap between NRL and state cup.

Fine is a very good reserve grader. If he he Lovett has switched places, everyone would be saying I cant believe they are picking Fine and not giving Lovett ago etc….

In lower grades the likes of Lovett and so forth were stand out players, just like the blokes that are continually suggested to take their place.

IMO FIne will again be a very good NSW cup player, but unlikely to play first grade.
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I agree. It's the same with guys like Drinkwater, Milone, Farlow, Santi, Junior Moors, BMM, the Schirnacks - they can be very solid reserves players but the calibre of the opposition each week is so much lower than first grade. When they shift up grade, general solid footballing is not enough, you need to truly excel at at least one facet of the game.

I guy like Fine, I just don't see it in his reserve performances or the two NRL games he played. That's not to say he can't come good, but he's been in the system a while now and been overtaken by other players.

Some have made this about Taylor and "his favourites" - Potter wasn't much interested in giving Fine a run either, and Roosters were ok to release him to us after several years in their NYC side.

I can't think of many multi-season reserve graders who get the call up to firsts and stay there… Marty Taupau is a recent one, David Gower also. Usually by that stage, especially for a club without great depth, the player has already showed what he is capable of. And like everett said, if they are good enough they would get a run somewhere else as a bargain-buy.
 
Interesting that those who have coached him say he's the best player on the team. This has been going on for 2-3 years now with Fletcher and now Stringer too. But someone who's never coached him on the field doesn't rate him?

How can those who work closely with him on a regular basis think he has the skill and attitude to excel, yet the top coach simply dismisses him. He's stood out at nsw cup level far more than the likes of Lovett, Milone, Buchanan. Fine has consistently been one of the best on ground when he's played.

Maybe he won't have an awesome NRL career, but he should have been ahead of the likes of Lovett who had proven nothing in comparison.

Probably time for him to leave. If we don't want him surely someone else would take him at least for nsw cup? He was in the team of the year in 2014, and played for Tonga. I doubt there'd be zero interest in him. Can see him excelling at somewhere like Roosters or the Storm for some reason. He can do his job and do it well. Simple no frills player who'll put in 100% every week, and play at full pace in everything he does.
 
@Balmain Boy said:
Though i'd also heard Madness played very well in the 9s.
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.

BB,Stringer also gave McConnachie a huge wrap,he said madness played very well during the Memorial nines,I certainly hope we see him take the field in the FG team at some stage..Although some say he is a bit behind fitness wise,I think he is a machine in attack and defense,I hope he gets the opportunity to run on the field in FG…
 
@Balmain Boy said:
Interesting that those who have coached him say he's the best player on the team. This has been going on for 2-3 years now with Fletcher and now Stringer too. But someone who's never coached him on the field doesn't rate him?

How can those who work closely with him on a regular basis think he has the skill and attitude to excel, yet the top coach simply dismisses him. He's stood out at nsw cup level far more than the likes of Lovett, Milone, Buchanan. Fine has consistently been one of the best on ground when he's played.

Maybe he won't have an awesome NRL career, but he should have been ahead of the likes of Lovett who had proven nothing in comparison.

Probably time for him to leave. If we don't want him surely someone else would take him at least for nsw cup? He was in the team of the year in 2014, and played for Tonga. I doubt there'd be zero interest in him. Can see him excelling at somewhere like Roosters or the Storm for some reason. He can do his job and do it well. Simple no frills player who'll put in 100% every week, and play at full pace in everything he does.
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He was at the Roosters and they released him!!

Don't you read other posts?
 
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