Your top 17, Season 2016

[sheer64]

Thanks TT for the update

 

[Tiger_Torch]

Milky, Taylor at this stage would be reluctant to drop Naiqama he is certainly one of his personal favourites along with Lovett and a few others. But yes the view is if Naiqama was dropped or injured Seve may get the gig, though Chee Kam is still in front. In 2016 Taylor would rather not play Naiqama on the wing - so he has to make the centre position his own. Seve is ahead of Helata in that he can handle wing and the high ball better, as well as play centre. If Seve were to go to the GC Helata who is a very close mate may also try to get a deal at the GC (pure speculation on my part, but was spoken about today as a possibility with my source) both are Keebra Park boys. Helata is training well but not excelling in any of the benchmarks, sprints; recovery; endurance; fatigue management etc though his attitude remains positive. As I've said I thankfully don't really have much 'dirt' to share, a few players are on notice that 2016 is a make or break year for them - Liolave who is on good $ among a few others.

 

[Newtown]

Looks like pressure on most spots are the keywords for WT in 2016\. About time.

 

[Milky]

Milky, Taylor at this stage would be reluctant to drop Naiqama he is certainly one of his personal favourites along with Lovett and a few others. But yes the view is if Naiqama was dropped or injured Seve may get the gig, though Chee Kam is still in front. In 2016 Taylor would rather not play Naiqama on the wing - so he has to make the centre position his own. Seve is ahead of Helata in that he can handle wing and the high ball better, as well as play centre. If Seve were to go to the GC Helata who is a very close mate may also try to get a deal at the GC (pure speculation on my part, but was spoken about today as a possibility with my source) both are Keebra Park boys. Helata is training well but not excelling in any of the benchmarks, sprints; recovery; endurance; fatigue management etc though his attitude remains positive. As I've said I thankfully don't really have much 'dirt' to share, a few players are on notice that 2016 is a make or break year for them - Liolave who is on good $ among a few others.

Thanks mate

Would hate to lose both Haleta and Seve but unfortunately these things happen.

Hopefully JAC and Seve can nail down first grade spots by the end of 2016.

 

[king_sirro]

Very surprised that Seve is considered better under the high ball. He was horrible when he played on the wing in State Cup. Would love to see him on the left wing outside Simona but never considered it an option after his high ball experience in State Cup. Maybe that 2 as just a real bad day and he is better than that.

 

[everett]

Tiger Touch thank you so much for your valued information. Have a great New Year champ.

 

[tigger2010]

Thanks TT for the updates,lets hope brooks lifts at training,the tiges need him capable of making plays at the latter stages of games,also would like to see improvement on his kicking game,Agree totally with not putting naquama back to the wing,he got really found out there this yr by some of the bigger wingers.
Just recently i started becoming more optimistic about the tigers and how they will perform in 2016,after the loss of taupau i was saddened but at the same time his better performances were becoming less and less,and his best games seemed to be saved for the kiwis.What i see this yr is much more depth in the team,still a young team but have gained more experience,players that are hungry to play,hungry to win and play first grade

 

[cktiger]

Best thing about TT's update is that most of the guys are putting in and we should have some real speed.
Like to know how the forwards are going - especially the new blokes.

 

[Guest]

Hope Nofoaluma's speed improves after the break given he is likely to have onewing spot sewn up. We don't need a plodder out there. I really hope Liolevave picks his game up too - highly talked about and rated as a junior, I was hoping he may have kicked on earlier this year after making his FG debut but he sort of faded into the background for the most part.

 

[boonboon]

TT. Firstly Thanks your updates are greatly appreciated by all not because they dig any dirt as such buit because they give an honest view from the inside.

Lioleave is one I would liek to know more about. Playing a full season of NSW Cup at 19 and now at only 20 being in FG squad I really think he has big potential just wondering whether he will kick on and how he is going.

 

[bp_tiger]

dont rate lioleave at all seems lazy, reminds me of sirro all hype but produces nothing. funaki was way in front of lioleave, he ran good lines and hit hard. all we can hope is that both lioleave and sirro can come good this year or both need to be let go.

 

[Eddie]

I know its only training and rumour to an extent, however Luke Brooks needs to step up.

It doesn't really surprise me that he is not a leader at training. As he is not a leader on the field. He has the frame to make tackles but shirks them at times, at least Moses throws everything into it.

I just hope he is not kid content on a big money contract with little pressure for his spot. I want to see him play with an edge and a hunger to it. Did not see it last year.

 

[Milky]

dont rate lioleave at all seems lazy, reminds me of sirro all hype but produces nothing. funaki was way in front of lioleave, he ran good lines and hit hard. all we can hope is that both lioleave and sirro can come good this year or both need to be let go.

Sironen would thrive in a good team, just needs to play off the back of a team that isn't consistently being dominated.

 

[happy_tiger]

dont rate lioleave at all seems lazy, reminds me of sirro all hype but produces nothing. funaki was way in front of lioleave, he ran good lines and hit hard. all we can hope is that both lioleave and sirro can come good this year or both need to be let go.

Sironen would thrive in a good team, just needs to play off the back of a team that isn't consistently being dominated.

Sironen is one of the reason our side gets dominated

Doesn't work hard enough in our own half , very few dirty hit ups

 

[Tiger_Watto]

dont rate lioleave at all seems lazy, reminds me of sirro all hype but produces nothing. funaki was way in front of lioleave, he ran good lines and hit hard. all we can hope is that both lioleave and sirro can come good this year or both need to be let go.

Sironen would thrive in a good team, just needs to play off the back of a team that isn't consistently being dominated.

Sironen is one of the reason our side gets dominated

Doesn't work hard enough in our own half , very few dirty hit ups

This is the problem at Tigerland, a lot of our talent WOULD thrive in a different structure. But year after year we continue to try and force these 'talented' players to play differently.

There is far too much emotion at this club about Juniors and there Talent. It dominates contract negotiations, and leaves us with too much over-paid talent and not enough domestics to execute the coaching structures.

If Siro is required to do Dirty Hit Ups, aren't we already being dominated?

 

[king_sirro]

I reckon every forward has the place doing dirty hit up Watto. Lawrence has his fair share. Brad Clyde thrived on them.

Siro is what 21? Played 5/8 until he hit the hardest competition in the world and I've into the engine room with the big boys. I think people forget that. Just cos he's naturally big we think he should have developed the mental side too. We'll he was groomed his whole life at a half, so it will take time for him to mature mentally into the backrow role.

 

[Russell]

Agree KS with what you say. It is a whole new way of thinking playing where he is now and the mental attitude does not suddenly appear because you have a large frame. He has played what - 14-15 years in the halves and 2 in the forwards. Whilst it is expected he does his share in defence, it is strength sapping during the game and maybe, just maybe, the players we have that can do little else (can't ball play) take on some of his defence so he can ball play because he is the best forward we have in that department. His defence is pretty good and he can hit hard (doesn't do it all the time) but the talent is there.

Agree with you Milky also - if we are not dominated, and get to go forward; if we had some of our backs, backing him up - he would be on the way to being unstoppable. Similar role to (dare I say it) Cartwright at Penriff except I see him as being a much better back rower in the long term.

If we go forward this year, and I see the outside backs (apart from Nofa - hope he has improved in the off season - reading the play that is) as being much better than last season, Brooks and Moses improving their defence (Brooks more so than Moses), then Siro can concentrate more on what he does best - attack and offload. Not many teams can have an extra half playing in the back row - it is a bonus.

The old adage of playing to your strengths comes to mind here.

I see 2016 as a real positive year - could easily make the 8 if the cards fall right. We are going in the right direction in my opinion, with the positives outweighing the negatives which are diminishing slowly.

 

[Byron_Bay_Fan]

Agree KS with what you say. It is a whole new way of thinking playing where he is now and the mental attitude does not suddenly appear because you have a large frame. He has played what - 14-15 years in the halves and 2 in the forwards. **Whilst it is expected he does his share in defence, it is strength sapping during the game and maybe, just maybe, the players we have that can do little else (can't ball play) take on some of his defence so he can ball play because he is the best forward we have in that department.** His defence is pretty good and he can hit hard (doesn't do it all the time) but the talent is there.

…...........

And I was told a week ago that any ham and egg can top the tackle count when I stated that Robbie can defend and attack plus other attributes including a big gob

 

[happy_tiger]

I reckon every forward has the place doing dirty hit up Watto. Lawrence has his fair share. Brad Clyde thrived on them.

Siro is what 21? Played 5/8 until he hit the hardest competition in the world and I've into the engine room with the big boys. I think people forget that. Just cos he's naturally big we think he should have developed the mental side too. We'll he was groomed his whole life at a half, so it will take time for him to mature mentally into the backrow role.

Exactly right KS

I see all the top backrowers like the Thaiday's , Parker's , Gallen's , Lindner's ,Clyde's etc all busting a boiler when there sides needs help building a platform for the backs

Unfortunately some backrowers seem to get white line fever

And I am sure I'll cop some flak for this , but his old man had the same tendencies as well

 

[king_sirro]

I reckon every forward has the place doing dirty hit up Watto. Lawrence has his fair share. Brad Clyde thrived on them.

Siro is what 21? Played 5/8 until he hit the hardest competition in the world and I've into the engine room with the big boys. I think people forget that. Just cos he's naturally big we think he should have developed the mental side too. We'll he was groomed his whole life at a half, so it will take time for him to mature mentally into the backrow role.

Exactly right KS

I see all the top backrowers like the Thaiday's , Parker's , Gallen's , Lindner's ,Clyde's etc all busting a boiler when there sides needs help building a platform for the backs

Unfortunately some backrowers seem to get white line fever

And I am sure I'll cop some flak for this , but his old man had the same tendencies as well

I always liked Paul Sironen, hence my user name, but it was the later part of his career that I really fell in live with him. When we were real strugglers and he moved to the front row. Paul played every game with pure heart and carried us those few years. If he had that attitude his entire career he would be rated as one of the greatest forwards of all time.