Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

AmericanHistoryX said:
I dont get it... please elaborate....
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Podcast on YouTube called six tackles with Gus. Has spoken on the fact that he thinks Luai will be fine to come here and manage as a halfback.

Noted that coming through the grades Luai was actually the halfback and Nathan the Five-eight. Has said Nathan only got the halfback role in first grade because he was brought through first.
 
FrodoTBaggin said:
Podcast on YouTube called six tackles with Gus. Has spoken on the fact that he thinks Luai will be fine to come here and manage as a halfback.

Noted that coming through the grades Luai was actually the halfback and Nathan the Five-eight. Has said Nathan only got the halfback role in first grade because he was brought through first.
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We can only hope as there is no evidence to show us Luai has ever been willing to play as an on the ball first receiver and control a team at NRL level.
 
FrodoTBaggin said:
Podcast on YouTube called six tackles with Gus. Has spoken on the fact that he thinks Luai will be fine to come here and manage as a halfback.

Noted that coming through the grades Luai was actually the halfback and Nathan the Five-eight. Has said Nathan only got the halfback role in first grade because he was brought through first.
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From memory, Gus said that his body wasn't physically ready for NRL back then but he was the better prospect at the time. Funny how things work out to Nathan probably being the best halfback of all time by the time he retires
 
rugbygoated said:
He's publicly stated many times he can lead a team around and kick. I watched one of his junior games before the season started and he looked quite comfortable at 7. It's been a long time since then but if you put him with Galvin I think it takes pressure off him
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We can only hope.
 
AmericanHistoryX said:
What will Luai be remembered for????
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He has 3 options. Lead the team and deserve the 1.2 million value. Play second fiddle to Galvin which could be successful but he would be the wrong half on 1.2 million, or be a total failure at leading the team and we have Brooks 2.0. At least Brooks could win some games with field goals and tries, don't see Luai doing any match winning plays based on his career so far
 
rugbygoated said:
Luai has been anything but direct this year. He crabs across way too much. In previous years he is very good at setting up his outside men. This year Taylan May (who's more of a winger) doesn't run straight lines and he's also had Luke Garner instead of Sorenson most weeks so he's struggled to get back to his strengths
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he comes back against the grain a lot but as we know quite often he’s on instructions from Penrith’s coaching staff. he has definitely been a little side to side, but he still straightens when he needs to.
 
jrtiger said:
he comes back against the grain a lot but as we know quite often he’s on instructions from Penrith’s coaching staff. he has definitely been a little side to side, but he still straightens when he needs to.
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Have barely seen him run straight once this year. The one time he did was on the weekend and he nearly made a linebreak against DCE. Used to have a deadly left foot step near the try line but now he crabs across in the middle of the field and that's it
 
What this season so far has shown is how bad we've gotten recruitment wrong for many years. Even with our current batch of young stars coming through, many of them don't have the physical traits common to NRL players.

For whatever reason we've been incredibly attracted to nuggets, small and stocky types. Currently we have Olam, Feledy and Faatape in the centres, Kit and Luke Laulilii, Faagautu, Pole, Papali'i, Bateman, Mason, Tumeth, Craig, Tofaeono, Kepaoa who are all well undersized for their positions. Excluding halves that are expected to be smaller so Api, TDS, Sezer, Sullivan get a reprieve. Size isn't always everything but if you're carrying small players side by side in multiple positions at once those big and stronger players will always force their way through eventually. If they're slightly out of position they can't compete with the power, as was extremely evident yesterday. Out of the players listed above it's highly unlikely that more than 2-3 will be playing first grade for us in a couple of years time.

How many of our juniors could have competed with Lomax yesterday? From our previous champion Harold Matts squad where many of our players have come from to date, none of them could have competed with him. Only Makasini and newly acquired Nav Willett would have had a chance. How many of our forwards have the build and mindset to dent an opposition defence? Fainu, Utoikamanu, Pole (when he feels like it). That's it. 3 forwards who might be able to break the line if they try hard enough. It's not good enough.

Storm recruits players based on physical attributes and teaches them the rest. We recruit hard working leaders and then try create them into powerhouses. Which rarely works.

Moving forwards our back should be minimum a minimum of 185cm 90kgs+, forwards 190cm, 105kgs+. This is what other clubs do, we can't just rely on the small players to punch above their weights collectively.

At least there are some youngster that meet the or exceed the average physical dimensions of players in their positions these days: Galvin, Miller, Willet, Makasini (if he re-signs). We need to keep looking for the next Folau, Inglis, Tuqiri not the next Utai or Fitzhenry.
 
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