Team Announcement: NRL Trial vs. Storm

[TIGER]

It wasn't as bad as the score reflected. The players who played poorly are ones not near firsts. Addo Carr is a must on our wing imo. Justin Hunt was very good at fullback. Rankin looks the part. Forwards depth is goodish.

What were JAC's tries like? Did he have to do any work?

They were scored down the other end of where i was, but from what I can remember he just finished off the play and went over, not much work to do.

 

[TIGER]

How was MCK in the centres?

Went pretty good, didn't get much of an opportunity in attack to show much. He's a big lump, is he quick and agile enough to play centre is my question.

 

[gallagher]

Brooks and Moses look sharp

I'm happy if that's the only positive in the game.

 

[greatodensraven]

How'd Brooks & Moses go? Sounded as though Brooks was pretty active when he came on.

Any smokeys for firsts?

 

[foreveratiger]

Anyway as Jason Taylor said in his interview it wasn't the best preparation for this Trial as we have had a quick turnaround from N.Z and all the Kilometers travelled to get to the Sunshine Coast.

Think the trial vs the Sharks will be stepped up a notch and will be pretty much the Round 1 side bar a couple of players he might want to decide on.

You throw in Tedesco , Simona , Halatau , Woods , Lawrence , Sironen , Ballin and it's a different side , but then again you throw in Slater , Munster , Cronk , Smith , Jesse Bromwich , Proctor , Koro and they are also a different side.

Nothing to Analyse really with so many missing , just a bit of dusting off those Cob Webs IMO .

 

[MacDougall]

His tries were easy but he still looked likely to make a break every time he had the ball. He also doesn't look a bad defender tbh.

Chee Kam was also good. Hard to put down and crunching defender. Our outside backs all defended well it was Cherrington who was caught out on all three tries they scored from what I saw. They didn't score a point when Farah and Liddle were on.

Brooks played the second half and was head and shoulders above every player on the field. Was the clear class player. He also is a frikkin tank now.

Justin Hunt at FB in the 2nd was very hard to handle. Griffin was our best forward. Grant started strong but he stayed down after making a tackle then lethargically ambled off the field and I don't recall seeing him again.

Rankin is a good goal kicker. The two he missed from the sideline were kicking into a swirling wind. Addo-Carr has to be winger though. Littlejohn showed very little at halfback and Rankin got no time there.

Noffa looks back to top form. Lovett was a bit more damaging. McConachie plays hard but was handled well except one hellacious hit. Liolevave looked very very impressive early in the game. Felise could handle first grade.

It was encouraging but not overwhelmingly so.

 

[happy_tiger]

How did Griffin go boys ??

 

[MacDougall]

How'd Brooks & Moses go? Sounded as though Brooks was pretty active when he came on.

Any smokeys for firsts?

I am confident in saying Brooks looks like he has gone up a gear. He was confident and wanted to be in charge.

Felise was good. Cherrington was fairly underwhelming. I would go as far as saying Liddle outplayed him.

Griffin and Addo Carr both should be in firsts round 1.

 

[greatodensraven]

His tries were easy but he still looked likely to make a break every time he had the ball. He also doesn't look a bad defender tbh.

Chee Kam was also good. Hard to put down and crunching defender. Our outside backs all defended well it was Cherrington who was caught out on all three tries they scored from what I saw. They didn't score a point when Farah and Liddle were on.

Brooks played the second half and was head and shoulders above every player on the field. Was the clear class player. He also is a frikkin tank now.

Justin Hunt at FB in the 2nd was very hard to handle. Griffin was our best forward. Grant started strong but he stayed down after making a tackle then lethargically ambled off the field and I don't recall seeing him again.

Rankin is a good goal kicker. The two he missed from the sideline were kicking into a swirling wind. Addo-Carr has to be winger though. Littlejohn showed very little at halfback and Rankin got no time there.

Noffa looks back to top form. Lovett was a bit more damaging. McConachie plays hard but was handled well except one hellacious hit. Liolevave looked very very impressive early in the game. Felise could handle first grade.

It was encouraging but not overwhelmingly so.

A lot of positives there thanks for the detail!
I especially like the part about Brooks being the standout. Really hope this year is the start of big things for him & the Tigers!

Also encouraging to hear stronger defence from our outside backs. Really looking forward to next weeks trial now.

 

[MacDougall]

Addo Cart and MCK next to each other looked a first grade combo imo.

Griffin… was very impressive. In attack and defense. I would have him starting and playing 80 he was that impressive. He looks as reliable a player I could hope for.

 

[greatodensraven]

How'd Brooks & Moses go? Sounded as though Brooks was pretty active when he came on.

Any smokeys for firsts?

I am confident in saying Brooks looks like he has gone up a gear. He was confident and wanted to be in charge.

Felise was good. Cherrington was fairly underwhelming. I would go as far as saying Liddle outplayed him.

Griffin and Addo Carr both should be in firsts round 1.

That's great to hear, thanks again mate. We really need Brooks to take charge from now on. Also couldn't hurt to have AC's speed on the wing!

 

[greatodensraven]

Addo Cart and MCK next to each other looked a first grade combo imo.

Griffin… was very impressive. In attack and defense. I would have him starting and playing 80 he was that impressive. He looks as reliable a player I could hope for.

Were AC & MCK on the left? I wonder if they're a chance of pushing Simona to the right to partner Nofo….now that's a combination! Prob not gonna happen though.

Was Griffin in the middle or on the edge?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

A tid bit from the Panthers game

Penrith coach Anthony Griffin will have a hard time leaving rookie recruit Te Maire Martin out of his side for the club's opening game of the season against Canberra.

The former Wests Tigers playmaker was the star of the show for the Panthers, mounting a strong case to edge veteran Peter Wallace out of the halves for the trip to the nation's capital on Saturday, March 5.

With regular five-eighth Jamie Soward*away with the Indigenous All Stars in Brisbane, Martin was presented with a golden opportunity to build a case to make his NRL debut next month.

And the 20-year-old didn't disappoint, scoring a brilliant individual try before playing a hand in two other Panthers tries in his 60 minute hit out for his new club.

 

[foreveratiger]

Addo Cart and MCK next to each other looked a first grade combo imo.

Griffin… was very impressive. In attack and defense. I would have him starting and playing 80 he was that impressive. He looks as reliable a player I could hope for.

As i have said earlier when we 1st signed him after seeing him in Queensland Cup last Season…..is a solid player who is always looking to off load , will handle the NRL comfortably IMO.

 

[innsaneink]

Good to get a win, confidence and morale always can use a boost.
Hopefully no major injuries

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Hunt was our busiest and best on park for 2/3rds of the game… Lock him in for the Wing spot!

I was very impressed with JJ Felise & John Aloiai. Both had good motors and worked well. In fact, Aloiai could be a smokey for a bench spot.

Griffin wasnt used effectively, and didnt make much of an impact. He would sometimes look like a good off-load was on offer, and hussled well in D, but still feel he will be off pace at this stage.

Rankin was busy, but Hunt was busier. Both wouldnt be out of place in NRL, but others have a mortgage sadely. There energy could be infectious?

Ado Carr was woeful in defence. They cant seriously pick him simply for his pace.

I enjoyed watching Luke... he finally looks to have time and showed good vision.

Round 1 - Hunt is the only change at this stage, but watch out for Aloiai.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Good to get a win, confidence and morale always can use a boost.
Hopefully no major injuries

Watson-Heleta didnt look good… He kept clutching at the Knee, but not sure if it was a knock or something more?

 

[marzie]

I can't wait for Rd 1

 

[TIGER]

I think we are still way off where we need to be even though it's still pre season i don't think the boys or Taylor will be too pleased after tonights performance, i just didn't look like we put into practice what we'd been working on all pre season.

Defence.
Considering we fielded a 75% starting side we were out enthused and Melbournes defence looked better organised than ours. We looked suspect around the ruck (like always) Melbourne we're making easy inroads through that part of the field. Our forwards looked weak and if they come up against a quality pack will get rolled, i realise we were without some of our starting forwards but none of them impressed me including Grant.

Attack
Not much to say, we executed well a few times attacking their end that led to tries out wide, Hunt looked the most likely with ball in hand and also made some good meters when coming out of our own end when at fullback, as did Nofo. Addo Carr did nothing wrong, Rankin didn't really have much opportunity when at fullback, despite that i don't think it's his position and i don't think Taylor is considering him there.
Hunt looks more comfortable there and went well there, he looks like a great fiil in for Teddy god forbid he goes down or even on a wing.
Didn't see anything from littlejohn to get excited about, he started and played alot of minutes, i remember him putting in few nothing kicks in on the last when in good field position and on one of them missing a tackle on his chase that led to a half break. Nothing Brooks or Moses did was particularly special either, kicking was average.
Our wingers went well, Nofo played to his usual high standard and Addo Carr looks like he has a spot there.

To summarise our forwards i felt were pretty disappointing especially considering they were up against a no name Melbourne pack.
Nofo and Hunt stood out to me and Lovett and Aloiai in the forwards were highly involved. Despite the result i felt it was a pretty average hitout and i walked away feeling that Melbournes future is looking a lot brighter than ours.

 

[MacDougall]

Hunt was our busiest and best on park for 2/3rds of the game… Lock him in for the Wing spot!

I was very impressed with JJ Felise & John Aloiai. Both had good motors and worked well. In fact, Aloiai could be a smokey for a bench spot.

Griffin wasnt used effectively, and didnt make much of an impact. He would sometimes look like a good off-load was on offer, and hussled well in D, but still feel he will be off pace at this stage.

Rankin was busy, but Hunt was busier. Both wouldnt be out of place in NRL, but others have a mortgage sadely. There energy could be infectious?

Ado Carr was woeful in defence. They cant seriously pick him simply for his pace.

I enjoyed watching Luke... he finally looks to have time and showed good vision.

Round 1 - Hunt is the only change at this stage, but watch out for Aloiai.

We watched different games then. Addo Carr was good in defence from what I saw. Griffin got through a ton of work.