Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion


8. David Bryenton​

Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Position: Fullback/five-eighth
Age: 18

Bryenton is one of the most decorated schoolboy talents in the country heading into 2026. He captained Keebra Park's attack from fullback and was dominant in the 2025 National Schoolboys Cup final, winning Player of the Match and the Peter Sterling Medal.

On top of that, Queensland Rugby League named him the 2025 Mal Meninga Cup Player of the Year, underlining that his production translated beyond the school system too.

Comparison: Reece Walsh
 
Jolls said:
As the great man Jack Gibson said many moons ago, you only need to kick it as far as you can chase. This, along with his general kicking philosophies still ring true today. The big differnece from when Jack was coaching is that the good kickers now have greater height (hang time) and greater control than the superstars of the 70s an 80s.

Jock, and AD for that matter, would be wise to go back to improve their games. If I recall correctly it was Peter Sterling that was going through a slump in his kicking game when Gibson cryptically told him to "kick it to the seagulls." then walked away leaving Sterling to figure out the lesson: at the SCG seagulls only congregated on empty spaces of the field.

If you look at the core logic of Gibson's kicking and chasing philosophy it was based on three main rules:
  • The Chase Dictates The Distance: A long kick is completely useless if your defenders can't get downfield fast enough to pressure the catcher. You only kick the ball as far as your team's line can realistically sprint to pin the opposition down and this is where hang time (height) is more important than distance.
  • Find the Open Space: Kicking directly to an opposing fullback or winger allows them to catch it cleanly and build up momentum for the kick return.
  • Force Mistakes: Kicking into the "seagulls" where the bounce forces the opposition to turn around, run backward, and gather the ball under pressure from a well-timed defensive chase.
It is a simple game and if we stuck to a simple kicking philosophy we would do much better than trying belt the ball out of sight with no control or kick too long for the chase. Jock and Latu need to be one on one with a kicking coach that understand old Jack's philosophy. It is not until you understand the basics that the Cleary and Johns skills need to be practiced.
Click to expand...
I actually think the tactic came from nfl of all places . It’s about height as much as distance to allow the defence to apply pressure . It’s the same principle though , whether you find grass or not . Kick to the corner , apply pressure , and limit any opportunity of starting thier set on the front foot . . Like you said .. it’s a simple game at times
 
Leck said:
@KevB and @bptiger 0 Whilst I understand your points, what other option did we have?

If Latu plays in the halves next year we are screwed. Across his 35 games he has not kicked once.

www.weststigers.com.au

Latu Fainu

The NRL profile of Latu Fainu including career statistics, season stats, games, tries, goals, tackles and fantasy scores.
www.weststigers.com.au www.weststigers.com.au

It's time a lot of Tigers fans, especially on this forum take a deep breath, and look at our predicament this year and next year with a clear lens.
Click to expand...
Just get over what AD done if the club and benji want to work with him we don’t get a say .
Latu at 1/2 , AD at 5/8 and he does the kicking , Latu will run the ball and free up AD , and Latus defence is very good
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 5,347 (members: 3, guests: 5,344)
Back
Top