Stefano Utoikamanu #241

[old_man_tiger]

If Stef was bad during that month exactly what were Naden & Staines? 18 man game and until our squad is more reliable we’ll lose the winners.

They were worse no doubt...but not saying to the media they want to go to a good club. To repeat, I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and didn't complain about his form at the time, these quotes read incredibly poorly to me.

 

[BAGNF05]

We already are.

As has been discussed previously, our back 3 do nothing to help our middles at all.

Using Utoikamanu money to build up our winger stock & have a better return out of our first couple of hit-ups per set does change the look of how a team plays.

I'd disagree that those middles are as bad as you are suggesting. Looking at a team like the Dolphins, for example, there's not a whole lot of difference to what they offer.

The Dolphins back 3, however...

Dolphins pack is much better than people give them credit for. All they’ve done is win at Melbourne and now Redcliffe.

 

[BAGNF05]

They were worse no doubt...but not saying to the media they want to go to a good club. To repeat, I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and didn't complain about his form at the time, these quotes read incredibly poorly to me.

It’s just honesty mate. Look at Teddy’s career after leaving. The surprise and dismay on here is pretty shocking. If he keeps playing like last week for the rest of this year and moves on, good luck to him.

 

[The Chad]

Dolphins pack is much better than people give them credit for. All they’ve done is win at Melbourne and now Redcliffe.

Absolutely.

But that minimises the impact of that amazing back three of theirs. Same with the Storm, who historically get great returns from the first guys to take hit ups in their sets.

Statistically, the Dolphins forwards are very similar to the Tigers forwards.

However, Staines & the rolladex of wingers on the other side do not match up with what you get from the Dolphins.

 

[Tom Shines]

Well if the pea heart and all his other forward mates had shown some ticker and had a go like bennets basically unknown forward pack, they would have won more games

Don’t worry ,.. he will be gone soon… so we will be able to move onto the next “pea heart “..

 

[old_man_tiger]

It’s just honesty mate. Look at Teddy’s career after leaving. The surprise and dismay on here is pretty shocking. If he keeps playing like last week for the rest of this year and moves on, good luck to him.

Rationally you're right, but im a WT fan not League fan and still half hate Teddy haha

 

[BAGNF05]

Absolutely.

But that minimises the impact of that amazing back three of theirs. Same with the Storm, who historically get great returns from the first guys to take hit ups in their sets.

Statistically, the Dolphins forwards are very similar to the Tigers forwards.

However, Staines & the rolladex of wingers on the other side do not match up with what you get from the Dolphins.

I’m with you there. It’s the biggest change in the game in the last ten years. Outside backs do more dirty work so forwards aren’t as spent.

 

[BAGNF05]

Rationally you're right, but im a WT fan not League fan and still half hate Teddy haha

Nothing worse than watching that prick tear up the league every year

 

[The Chad]

I’m with you there. It’s the biggest change in the game in the last ten years. Outside backs do more dirty work so forwards aren’t as spent.

That's what I'm saying.

Turuva is a huge get- I'd be using him on the wing. And then we need to take Utoikamanu's cash & get another metre eater on the other side. Running out guys that get 100m a game on average doesn't cut it. Naden, Alaimalo, Lobb, Faataape- not one of them is in that 130-150m a game range. That puts us back, on average, up to 50m on just one player. Staines is our best at 130m a game- which makes him an average #2 winger. Isaako gets up between 150-160m a game, on average, over 2 years.

We need that guy. Not Isaako, but that winger that gets us the 150m or so.

That takes the heat off the middles.

Jesse Bromwich has not averaged over 100m a game in 2 seasons. Yet people would believe he's an upgrade over Klemmer, who averages 140m last year & 120m this year.

The issue isn't our prop rotation. It's the momentum that we do not generate on average per set of six.

(For the record- Bula averages 165m a game this season. He is by far our best back 3 option, for those that want to rag on him)

 

[Dennisspicer1]

I know this would be an unpopular opinion but I'd offer stef 1m+ 😬 😬

Your mad, you think he is worth more than Haas, and Jerome.

CRAZY

 

[BAGNF05]

That's what I'm saying.

Turuva is a huge get- I'd be using him on the wing. And then we need to take Utoikamanu's cash & get another metre eater on the other side. Running out guys that get 100m a game on average doesn't cut it. Naden, Alaimalo, Lobb, Faataape- not one of them is in that 130-150m a game range. That puts us back, on average, up to 50m on just one player. Staines is our best at 130m a game- which makes him an average #2 winger. Isaako gets up between 150-160m a game, on average, over 2 years.

We need that guy. Not Isaako, but that winger that gets us the 150m or so.

That takes the heat off the middles.

Jesse Bromwich has not averaged over 100m a game in 2 seasons. Yet people would believe he's an upgrade over Klemmer, who averages 140m last year & 120m this year.

The issue isn't our prop rotation. It's the momentum that we do not generate on average per set of six.

(For the record- Bula averages 165m a game this season. He is by far our best back 3 option, for those that want to rag on him)

I agree with much of that, still think if Stef leaves we are short in the middle and need a bigger guy to fill the hole. Too many of our forwards are just plain. All the good sides have more impact.

 

[liltiger]

Nothing will be announced until this year is done for the recruits.

Also if Richo has players lined up he may need Stef to formally sign elsewhere before being able to offer someone else a contract using the cash put aside if Stef stayed.

 

[Donjer]

I've said it before, Stef isn't a leader of a pack to lift a team off the bottom. He is a piece of the puzzle in a good pack, if that makes sense? He is a very good piece of that puzzle, just not the leader of it.

I'm concerned about losing him because we drop off significantly when he isn't on the field. Even when he isn't playing great we drop off. His size, mobility and stamina is hard to come by and at his best he is awesome.

It's one of those situations where if he leaves you think "well he hadn't earnt 800k a year so good", and if he stays you feel relieved we haven't lost a big unit like him at a young age.

I humbly disagree with your second paragraph here. We often lose the game in the first 20 minutes when he's on and do better when he leaves the field. eg. St George. Too often his numbers are plumped up by his second stint when the opposition have taken their foot off the pedal.

At his best he is awesome, like his first stint v GC, which actually set up the win for us. It's like he needs a rocket up him every week.

 

[Odessa]

He has signed with the Roosters

 

[Odessa]

Good luck

 

[The Chad]

He has signed with the Roosters

Speculation or you know this?

 

[Tucker]

I suggest you watch more closely when the good teams play. See how their outside backs take pressure off their forwards, also how their points are scored.

Don’t throw excuses. The backs don’t lose the middle.

 

[BAGNF05]

Don’t throw excuses. The backs don’t lose the middle.

We are flat out scoring 14 points. That’s how we’re losing.

 

[Bones]

I won’t be terribly disappointed if he moves on either, he clearly wants to go. However, moving experienced forwards on without any suitable replacements in the wings is a tad worrying. Apart from the Turuva signing (a winger) early this year, all we’ve done is move players on.

I agree about the lack of quality coming in, but unlike previous years I at least have some hope that our current management have some sort of plan. There isn't much h on the market right now, but that can change very quickly.

 

[Odessa]

Speculation or you know this?

From a family member of his