LIVE GAME Round 16 v Raiders

[Vicious]

I don’t think we’re the only team without x-factor. Cowboys and Titans are ordinary. Newcastle also, Ponga only plays about 1 good game in 7 and he doesn’t really strike fear into the opposition, imo. Manly have Turbo and DCE, but they are both cooked, there’s no one else. Besides that I do think Luai and Api have x-factor, but yes a damaging second rower or centre running off them would be handy.

Titans have Kini when he’s fit, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, the lightning fast Khan-Pereira, Jojo Fifita is a far better centre than anyone in our books and David Fifita is a far more destructive and dangerous ball runner than any of our forwards.
Then add Tino who is far superior to any of our middles.
Cowboys have plenty of rep quality players, plus the likes od Drinkwater and Purdue who are lightning fast and genuine attacking threats.
Newcastle have Ponga, Bradman Best, the flying Dom Young, Dylan Lucas etc
Manly have a backline full of speed and attacking threat, plus big Haumole when he’s not injured.
We are not even close to the attacking threat these teams possess.

 

[jirskyr]

Tigers fans are like all fans - they like to follow a winning team.

ah that would be all fans?

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Who needs fans in winter?

 

[jirskyr]

I think if Samuela gets a Taylan May type, strong running with some speed and no self preservation playing outside of him it will give him more space to do his thing and be more effective on an edge. He would make a good middle, however who do you replace him with if you put him there. I believe he lost too much weight to try and play 80 on an edge and it has impacted his ability to break the line....he needs to bulk up a little and move to a Hamuole type of weight which is probably an additional 5kg's of muscle, they are about the same height. Yes, I do agree we need a Royce Hunt that can smash out a destructive 15mins and we can afford to carry him on the bench with the big minute players we have.

I say leave him where he is for now. If you improve the left centre and buy a new right backrower, that's half the work done, then see what Big Sam is capable of with more threats around.

I won't ever forget 2010-11 when the left-side attack was Ellis-Lawrence-Tuqiri and the right-side was Dwyer-Ayshford-Slow Ryantard. Benji and Lui in the halves, Moltzen usually out the back. Better I think even than 2005 though we had a better overall centre and halves pairing for the premiership.

But for Benji to swing in both directions and have Ellis and Dwyer winding up, running great lines and enormous bodies to deal with, gave the centres acres of space and the left wing (at least) was clinical. Backrowers always on the move, inside and outside lines, Benji would create angles and there would be willing runners all across the paddock. All of them also happy to take and bust a tackle.

We haven't had a backrow pairing like that in the 10 years since.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Man. You gotta go to Arizona. It will feel like 150 years

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Maybe not today. In this political climate. But you know what I mean I hope.

 

[Flippedy]

Titans have Kini when he’s fit, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, the lightning fast Khan-Pereira, Jojo Fifita is a far better centre than anyone in our books and David Fifita is a far more destructive and dangerous ball runner than any of our forwards.
Then add Tino who is far superior to any of our middles.
Cowboys have plenty of rep quality players, plus the likes od Drinkwater and Purdue who are lightning fast and genuine attacking threats.
Newcastle have Ponga, Bradman Best, the flying Dom Young, Dylan Lucas etc
Manly have a backline full of speed and attacking threat, plus big Haumole when he’s not injured.
We are not even close to the attacking threat these teams possess.

I think you’re overrating many of those players, a lot of them aren’t performing well at all this season and Best of course is injured. Good players? Yes. All x-factor players? No way.

 

[bryan2005]

Bula looked like he did his hammy on the very last play of the game when Jarome put the grubber through.

How I wish I was just seeing things..