Russell Packer - OFFICIAL..

[Tweed_Tiger]

Is Packer really 121kg??

https://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-league/players/russell-packer/

Not sure but looks like he is in the best shape I have seen


 

[mctiger]

Aloiai was great last year on the edge. Didnt go that well early this year but has improved. If ET returns back to nz id nake him our new lock. Hes got all the skills andis big enough to dent th e line. Just needs to get fitter.

I reckon he is a better in the middle. If ET goes we just play basically 3 props. Aloiai would suit that role.

I was at the members function in Brisbane and had a long chat with Josh who is a great guy. Firstly he thinks Packer is the hardest guy to tackle and is pleased we got him.

Aloiai loves playing in the middle and loves the contact. He was a JT fan and admits his form dropped after he was sacked but he's on the bus and loves the club. He's a future captain (and my new best friend :slight_smile:

 

[tiga4eva]

Josh broke his hand attempting his 1st tackle vs Souths. Second time in his short career it's happened,and still hasn't missed a match. I'd love him to be a 200 gamer for us. Off field, you won't meet a better person

 

[Seantice]

Why cant we have a stsrting pack like this?

8.matulino
9\. mckillrick
10\. packer
11\. mcqueen
12\. ET
13\. Aloaia

ET played most of his career on the edge. He was aobviously a great defender but he also offloaded and joined in the backline movemts as well. In this scenario we would have 3 props starting with two strong 2nd row defenders on the outside of them. Its win/win as far as im concerned.

 

[king_sirro]

Why cant we have a stsrting pack like this?

8.matulino
9\. mckillrick
10\. packer
11\. mcqueen
12\. ET
13\. Aloaia

ET played most of his career on the edge. He was aobviously a great defender but he also offloaded and joined in the backline movemts as well. In this scenario we would have 3 props starting with two strong 2nd row defenders on the outside of them. Its win/win as far as im concerned.

I believe this option is one of 2 we have, so i'd be happy with it. ET cant play an effecrive 80 minutes in the middle, but could on the edge. He runs very good lines too that we haven't seen with us yet dur to playing as a middle player.

The other option i see is ET starts on the bench, then comes on in the middle for the remaining 60 mins.

One thing im certain of, we need to start with a big middle 3\. ET playing 80 minutes at lock doesn't work.

 

[Seantice]

Why cant we have a stsrting pack like this?

8.matulino
9\. mckillrick
10\. packer
11\. mcqueen
12\. ET
13\. Aloaia

ET played most of his career on the edge. He was aobviously a great defender but he also offloaded and joined in the backline movemts as well. In this scenario we would have 3 props starting with two strong 2nd row defenders on the outside of them. Its win/win as far as im concerned.

I believe this option is one of 2 we have, so i'd be happy with it. ET cant play an effecrive 80 minutes in the middle, but could on the edge. He runs very good lines too that we haven't seen with us yet dur to playing as a middle player.

The other option i see is ET starts on the bench, then comes on in the middle for the remaining 60 mins.

One thing im certain of, we need to start with a big middle 3\. ET playing 80 minutes at lock doesn't work.

Yes. Defensively yes. But we need our lock running 100+ metres. Honedtly if we have nofo and fonua next year we will have 2 hard running wingers that would compliment our 3 props starting.Mcqueen and ET then could concentrate on d ed ending our flanks and running lines and decoys in attack.

 

[Russell]

Couple of questions on this scenario.

Will Aloiai be able to play 80 minutes at lock?

Will Aloiai be able to do anything like 60 tackles per game?

What happens to Rowdy?

The first two questions I think will be a negative. Nothing against Josh but he will be a very good front rower in my opinion. We certainly will need a couple of good ones to replace the starting props in Matulino and Packer. Will JJ and Tatola be ready to step. imo JJ probably and Tatola not yet. Sue should be released as too small for prop, too slow for second row. We still need to buy another good front rower in my opinion.

Second rowers we have McQueen, Michael Chee-Kam, Kyle Lovett, Rowdy and a couple of selected youngsters that are not ready at this stage (maybe they never will be). The best we can do here is McQueen and Rowdy with maybe Chee-Kam off the bench.

We still have a way to go to have a "so called" good pack - it is better than we have now but still not good enough imo.

 

[king_sirro]

Couple of questions on this scenario.

Will Aloiai be able to play 80 minutes at lock?

Will Aloiai be able to do anything like 60 tackles per game?

What happens to Rowdy?

The first two questions I think will be a negative. Nothing against Josh but he will be a very good front rower in my opinion. We certainly will need a couple of good ones to replace the starting props in Matulino and Packer. Will JJ and Tatola be ready to step. imo JJ probably and Tatola not yet. Sue should be released as too small for prop, too slow for second row. We still need to buy another good front rower in my opinion.

Second rowers we have McQueen, Michael Chee-Kam, Kyle Lovett, Rowdy and a couple of selected youngsters that are not ready at this stage (maybe they never will be). The best we can do here is McQueen and Rowdy with maybe Chee-Kam off the bench.

We still have a way to go to have a "so called" good pack - it is better than we have now but still not good enough imo.

The 3 middle players shouldn't be playing 80 minutes. They are the forwards interchanged. IMO Taylor playing 80 minutes at lock is hurting us as he's spent the last 25mins of each game.

 

[Seantice]

We need another experienced prop. Lawrence would be good for two years. Then id have twal/jj felise/tatula as the other bench prop.

You dont need your lock yyo make 60 tackles a game. If he makes 30 tackles and 100 metres im happy. ET and mcqueen can play 80 minutes on the edge. Something like this.

8\. Matulino - 2 x 25 min
9\. mckillrick 50/80 min (depending on liddle)
10.packer 2 x 30 min
11\. mcqueen 80 min
12\. ET 80 min
13\. aloiai 2× 30 min

14\. Liddle 25-30 min
15\. Lawrence 30 min
16\. JJ felise/twal 30-35 min
17 Brenton lawrence (another experienced) 30-35

So basically after Aloiai, packer and matulino come off ( at 5 min differences) the side will look like this..

8\. Brenton lawrence
9\. mckillrick
10\. jj felise/twal
11\. mcqueen
12\. Lawrence
13\. Et

They revert back to the original starting side bar liddle at the 55-60 min mark.

 

[Geo]

Well if Taylor is moved to the edge they better teach whoever is at 13 how to slow the ruck something no one else in our team knows how to do …which Elijah excells at...When he hasn't been there or had a spell our middle collapses and gets destroyed...

Maybe with Packer and Matulino teams might not run through there I guess...

 

[Seantice]

Well if Taylor is moved to the edge they better teach whoever is at 13 how to slow the ruck something no one else in our team knows how to do …which Elijah excells at...When he hasn't been there or had a spell our middle collapses and gets destroyed...

Maybe with Packer and Matulino teams might not run through there I guess...

yes your spot on about that. He is the only one that does it. In the teams defence, our forwards are always on the back foot so giving away penalties would be more common the longer we stay in the ruck. Cameron smith is great at it, as well as others. Matulino and packer will stop that from happening hopefully.

But looking at that side, we really dont need another 2nd rower. Chn would be great but like i said id prefer ET on the edge and play the full 80 without getting stuffed by the 60th minute mark. Cant blame him when you make 62 tackles 😂

 

[earl]

I don't think ET is fast enough to play on the edge. He does so much work in the middle. He works great as a ball playing lock.

Aloiai seems like a good guy. A good person and a guy who I think is going to develop as a top player.

I don't see why ET doesn't get interchanged for something like 20 minutes a game. It'll give him a break.

I think we should be playing basically 3 props off the bench. Aloiai gets one spot and ideally have him interchange with ET. Then we need to find two other props. Sue, Felise and Tatola are all good options. Then we play Liddle probably as a dummy half. I reckon that would work.

 

[Seantice]

I don't think ET is fast enough to play on the edge. He does so much work in the middle. He works great as a ball playing lock.

Aloiai seems like a good guy. A good person and a guy who I think is going to develop as a top player.

I don't see why ET doesn't get interchanged for something like 20 minutes a game. It'll give him a break.

I think we should be playing basically 3 props off the bench. Aloiai gets one spot and ideally have him interchange with ET. Then we need to find two other props. Sue, Felise and Tatola are all good options. Then we play Liddle probably as a dummy half. I reckon that would work.

Whats speed got to do with it? Good defence, run good angles and link up with the halves. Hes only played lock in the last two years.

 

[TYGA]

When we get real go forward Packer + Matulino, ET will shine as his natural game is defensive workload and chiming in as a ball playing lock. We need another good prop off the bench with Sue and Aloai covering also.
He is not an edge backrower McQueen and Lawrence are better options outside. I am hoping we can get an upgrade over Lawrence as he is tailor made as a bench player.

 

[Tigerdon]

Aaron Woods in 2016 ave 160 running meters and 28 tackles.
We are getting two players that will hopefully make more running meters and tackles combined than Ava and Woods. If this happens our number 13 will do less defensive work that ET is currently doing.

 

[Seantice]

Hes not? hes played 3/4 of his career ad a edge runner including the 2011 grand final.

matulino and packer will go well. But if we have mcqueen lawrence and et as it is now wel still have problems making metres. Wont work.

 

[HabboTiger]

Packer 164m tonight, Matulino 124

 

[Guest]

Packer 164m tonight, Matulino 124

And that right there is what you want you want from your front rowers - 300m between them lays a pretty solid platform.

 

[HabboTiger]

And second rowers that average atleats 100.

McQueen does it regularly, looking at stats so does Guerra

 

[851]

[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/supercoach/russell-packer-cashes-in-on-his-transformation-receives-deans-award-for-studies/news-story/e246802d622c4497ab7789d1dfdcb4b0#^eyJocmVmIjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYWlseXRlbGVncmFwaC5jb20uYXUvIiwiYWRVbml0Ijp7InNlcnZlciI6IndlYiJ9LCJwcm9wZXJ0eUlkIjoiTkEtREFJTFRFTEUtMTEyMzg2MDciLCJsYWJlbCI6IktleS0xfDEgW0hvbWVwYWdlIERlc2t0b3AgLSBMUl0iLCJzZWxlY3RvciI6ImJvZHkiLCJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6ImExNjViYmY3YWIzNzQ1MjM5ODExZDNkOWZkZTYzZWNlIiwiZXhwZXJpZW5jZVR5cGUiOiJpbmJvdW5kIiwiZXhwZXJpbWVudCI6eyJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6eyJleHBlcmltZW50SWQiOiI2MTNlNGEzNWQxOWY0YmNjYTdmY2M3MDY2YTE3NWNkYyIsIm1vZGVsSWQiOiJjNzI5YzRmYmY5OTY0ZWI5OWYwNjdmYzYxNDQxMjQ2YyJ9fX0%3D](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/supercoach/russell-packer-cashes-in-on-his-transformation-receives-deans-award-for-studies/news-story/e246802d622c4497ab7789d1dfdcb4b0#%5EeyJocmVmIjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYWlseXRlbGVncmFwaC5jb20uYXUvIiwiYWRVbml0Ijp7InNlcnZlciI6IndlYiJ9LCJwcm9wZXJ0eUlkIjoiTkEtREFJTFRFTEUtMTEyMzg2MDciLCJsYWJlbCI6IktleS0xfDEgW0hvbWVwYWdlIERlc2t0b3AgLSBMUl0iLCJzZWxlY3RvciI6ImJvZHkiLCJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6ImExNjViYmY3YWIzNzQ1MjM5ODExZDNkOWZkZTYzZWNlIiwiZXhwZXJpZW5jZVR5cGUiOiJpbmJvdW5kIiwiZXhwZXJpbWVudCI6eyJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6eyJleHBlcmltZW50SWQiOiI2MTNlNGEzNWQxOWY0YmNjYTdmY2M3MDY2YTE3NWNkYyIsIm1vZGVsSWQiOiJjNzI5YzRmYmY5OTY0ZWI5OWYwNjdmYzYxNDQxMjQ2YyJ9fX0%3D)

Russell Packer cashes in on his life transformation, receives Dean’s Award for studies
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The Daily Telegraph

July 28, 2017 11:03am

“HE’S a completely different man to the one I first met.”

And with those words, Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary has anointed Russell Packer his new forward leader.

Indeed, Cleary was willing to pay $200,000 a season more than rival club St George Illawarra for the services of Packer.

It’s a monster deal that seemed near-impossible when Packer started drinking on the streets of New Zealand at the age of 12, and even more unlikely when he served a 12-month prison stint for stomping the head of a man in a brutal, alcohol-fuelled assault in 2013.

Fittingly though, it was in prison where Packer decided to turn his life around, quitting the drink and vowing to get educated.

Fast forward to 2017 and Packer is studying a commerce degree at the University of Wollongong. He recently received a Dean’s Award for his outstanding results.

Packer also spends time working with children with disabilities in the Wollongong area, has given up alcohol and taken self-improvement courses since being released from jail.

This transformation is why Cleary was so eager to get Packer to the Tigers as his forward leader.

“He’s got a great story, a story of hard knocks and coming out the other side, and that will resonate with lots of the boys here,” the Wests Tigers coach said.

“… It’s well documented, he’s had his setbacks. But I think he’s a completely different man to the one I first met and even the one I left at the Warriors.

“He’s really changed. He’d be the first to admit that he had to make some mistakes to get where he is now.

“He can actually be a real mentor for some of the young guys here. He knows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of things and he’s making up for it now.”
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Russell Packer will join the Tigers next season.
Packer credits much of his transformation to education, which was made possible by the Graduates of League program.

“I’ve been studying at the University of Wollongong since 2015 and utilising the Graduates of League program, which has been of huge benefit to me and my studies,” Packer told the Illawarra Mercury.

“Studying while you’re playing, even though it’s hard to juggle, is good because of programs like Graduates of League that are available to you.
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“It’s great opportunity for [players] who want to go to university, the resources there are unbelievable and if you don’t utilise them it’s kind of on you.

“Just having help, someone to talk to, it’s a great resource and hopefully all the boys that use the Graduates of League program fully take on board everything available to them.”