2013 OFFICIAL THREAD
New year, new page.
this weeks squad to take on Easts Tigers on Saturday:
Kirisome Auva’a
Maurice Blair
Dean Britt
Billy Brittain
Matt Duffie
Brett Finch
Mahe Fonua
Mitch Garbutt
Tim Glasby
Slade Griffin
Tohu Harris
Richard Kennar
Rhys Kennedy
Alex Langbridge
Kurt Mann
Jordan McLean
Junior Moors
Junior Sa’u
Lagi Setu
Young Tonumaipea
Siosaia Vave
Sisa Waqa
this weeks squad to take on Easts Tigers on Saturday:
Kirisome Auva’a
Maurice Blair
Dean Britt
Billy Brittain
Matt Duffie
Brett Finch
Mahe Fonua
Mitch Garbutt
Tim Glasby
Slade Griffin
Tohu Harris
Richard Kennar
Rhys Kennedy
Alex Langbridge
Kurt Mann
Jordan McLean
Junior Moors
Junior Sa’u
Lagi Setu
Young Tonumaipea
Siosaia Vave
Sisa Waqa
Speaking of the Easts Tigers, the last couple of years there has been a couple of Easts Tigers players do the pre-season with the Storm. Jacks and Thorpe one year and Panapa and Zgrajewski last year. Is that still the case this year? If so who are the players?
Corey Thompson and Cody Walker did 3 weeks b4 Christmas with the storm...apparently Bellamy was really impressed with the vision of Cody when he watched to see his players playing in the qcup games and wanted to see Cody down here
Btw that team above is the best I can't wait to see them all play and with the news the coops is injured I think Bellamy has kept Ben Hampton out to save him for either next week or the WCC so that makes me happy also
Also how good is it this time last year I was watch and raving on about a kid in the sg ball how good he was and now his playing a NRL trial amazing CONGRATS RHYS KENNEDY
Also how good is it this time last year I was watch and raving on about a kid in the sg ball how good he was and now his playing a NRL trial amazing CONGRATS RHYS KENNEDY
Just one question. I hope it is just a numbers game but I find it interesting that there are only two guys that I would assume as automatic first grade selections in Sisa and Vave that are playing. I just hope that them playing is not about having to earn a spot because I cannot imagine how we are a better side without them.
Whilst I agree with you, I think that Vave would still be under pressure to get his spot as we do have a number of kids/new signings coming on board as forwards.
Waqa surely has to be automatic (though I wonder why he is not serving his suspension from the gf as the biter would be, can anyone enlighten me on that score?).
Waqa surely has to be automatic (though I wonder why he is not serving his suspension from the gf as the biter would be, can anyone enlighten me on that score?).
Thanks Sallymay I was impressed with a couple of games I saw Cody Walker play last year.sallymay wrote:Corey Thompson and Cody Walker did 3 weeks b4 Christmas with the storm...apparently Bellamy was really impressed with the vision of Cody when he watched to see his players playing in the qcup games and wanted to see Cody down here
Easts' 22-man squad to play Storm:
Tom Butterfield, Kurt French, Geoff Holcombe, Jack Joass, Damon Koolstra, Luke Lavelle, Tom MacGougan, Adam Marr, Todd Murphy, Shane Neumann, Leon Panapa, Jacob Paul, Wiremu Ratana, Maeli Seve, Damian Sironen, Hughie Stanley, Eddie Tautali, Corey Thompson, Steven Thorpe, Liam Tyson, Brett Zgrajewski, Matt Zgrajewski
Tom Butterfield, Kurt French, Geoff Holcombe, Jack Joass, Damon Koolstra, Luke Lavelle, Tom MacGougan, Adam Marr, Todd Murphy, Shane Neumann, Leon Panapa, Jacob Paul, Wiremu Ratana, Maeli Seve, Damian Sironen, Hughie Stanley, Eddie Tautali, Corey Thompson, Steven Thorpe, Liam Tyson, Brett Zgrajewski, Matt Zgrajewski
Agreed, it will be hard for Vave to tie down a spot with Norrie, Bromwich, Ryles, Setu and Moors in the prop stocks. Vave did show great signs of improvement last year though.Mattpoet wrote:Whilst I agree with you, I think that Vave would still be under pressure to get his spot as we do have a number of kids/new signings coming on board as forwards.
Don't think he can serve the suspension as I believe it has to be an official NRL sanctioned trial.Mattpoet wrote:Waqa surely has to be automatic (though I wonder why he is not serving his suspension from the gf as the biter would be, can anyone enlighten me on that score?).
And I really hope Waqa earns a spot on the wing but I think either Waqa or Duffie will miss out.
2. Waqa/Duffie
3. Chambers
4. Sa'u
5. O'Neill
I'm really happy with how our line up looks for 2013
That is very possible. I've been saying for a while, I think it will come down to how tight Sa'u can get his defence.blazza18 wrote:Sisa and Duffie would be my wingers. Juz and Will in the centres. Not a fan of Sa'u yet.
O'Neill is a great winger and a very capable centre. Bellamy may opt for some more size in the centre spot though. If Sa'u's defence is suspect over the next month, your line up would be selections also but if Bellamy can get Sa'u to play to potential, he is too good to leave out.
Unfortunately either option still leaves Fonua out of first grade which is a shame.
The following players stood out to me at today's trial:
Maurice Blair - Did some nice things out in the centres - scored two tries and had a hand in several other good plays.
Brett Finch - Absolute standout - ran the attack well from the outset and improvised very effectively when the defence tried to rush him.
Mahe Fonua - Ran hard all day, a couple of heavy hits in defence and scored a 3/4 length of the field interecpt try at the death.
Mitch Garbutt - Surprisingly agile for his size, several really strong carries that set the Easts side on the back foot.
Tohu Harris - Scored the opening try, had several nice offloads, outstanding speed and skills for a big man and very hard to take down.
Richard Kennar - Scored a great hard running try off a Waqa offload and had a few other strong carries as well - player of the future.
Junior Sa’u - Seeing Sa'u and Fonua on the same edge in the last quarter was pretty impressive, the opposing defensive line definitely did not look comfortable with the two of them running at them together, seems like he could be a great pick up.
Sisa Waqa - Set up Kennar's try with a magic offload and nearly scored one of his own from fullback when he grubbered through the line and chased through traffic to just be pipped by the opposing fullback on the grounding. Looks in great touch.
End score was 6 tries to 1 (conversion kicks were not attempted).
Try Scorers - Blair 2, Duffie, Fonua, Harris, Kennar.
Maurice Blair - Did some nice things out in the centres - scored two tries and had a hand in several other good plays.
Brett Finch - Absolute standout - ran the attack well from the outset and improvised very effectively when the defence tried to rush him.
Mahe Fonua - Ran hard all day, a couple of heavy hits in defence and scored a 3/4 length of the field interecpt try at the death.
Mitch Garbutt - Surprisingly agile for his size, several really strong carries that set the Easts side on the back foot.
Tohu Harris - Scored the opening try, had several nice offloads, outstanding speed and skills for a big man and very hard to take down.
Richard Kennar - Scored a great hard running try off a Waqa offload and had a few other strong carries as well - player of the future.
Junior Sa’u - Seeing Sa'u and Fonua on the same edge in the last quarter was pretty impressive, the opposing defensive line definitely did not look comfortable with the two of them running at them together, seems like he could be a great pick up.
Sisa Waqa - Set up Kennar's try with a magic offload and nearly scored one of his own from fullback when he grubbered through the line and chased through traffic to just be pipped by the opposing fullback on the grounding. Looks in great touch.
End score was 6 tries to 1 (conversion kicks were not attempted).
Try Scorers - Blair 2, Duffie, Fonua, Harris, Kennar.
Standouts tonight were:
- Kurt Mann: The kid displayed some beautiful footwork and vision as well as showing potential to develop into a dominant half or even ball playing fullback who can direct the team around the park in the future. His level headed play and direction is something you don't usually see from kids who still have time left in Toyota cup.
- Junior Sa'u: Chambers and O'Neill will have some competition which can only be a good thing. Sa'u has always been known as a hard runner and he showed that tonight. On a consistent basis it took 3-4 Easts boys just to bring him to the ground. He's got great leg drive for an outside back and is a similar player to Matt Utai during his bulldog days. At times he made the wrong decision with the ball in his hands but that will change in time as he works with his wingers and develops trust in them. Defensively he was sound and demonstrated a willingness to commit to the defensive structure whilst also not shying away from putting on a couple of hits which really stuck. He stood up tonight not just through his play but also his leadership, constantly directing the players around him on defence and directing them towards they're opposite target. He was encouraging of the younger boys as well which was great to see especially from a player new to the squad.
Matt Duffie/Sisa Waqa: I group these 2 together because although we know what we're getting with them in terms of physical ability, it's their decision making and execution process which has been taken to another level so far. Both of them were reading the defensive structure of the tigers superbly and it resulted in improved confidence which allowed both of them to take a number of calculated chances which paid off in small dividends.
Lagi Setu: Still raw and rusty but come round 10 he'll be hitting his straps. strong runner with some great footwork before the line and a nice offload. He's versatile in that he can slot in as a solid workhorse or he can play as a wide running second rower in the mould of someone like Adam Blair, as he has the ball skills to be a threat on the back end of wide set plays from Cooper and Cam.
Mitch Garbutt and Tim Glasby stood out as players who could make a nice impact off the bench as a much needed injection when we need to gather some momentum or keep the pressure on opposition defences towards the back ends of the halves.
Also whoever the halfback was from Easts was a bloody good footballer. He's got a footy play and with the footwork he's got he can develop into a lethal utility or supporting half. His individual display to set up a Tigers try was great and even his commitment on defence is reminiscent of Cronk. Hopefully we pick him up as squad member or another club does, because with a dominant pack and the right coaching structure to nurture his untapped talent he could be a great player.
A player who disappointed me was Young Tonumaipea. His decision making and ability to read the playing unfolding before him was poor. His indecisive actions will certainly hamper his ability to establish himself as a reliable injury cover player should the need arise. He is a good season or 2 off developing into a capable first grade player and whilst the physical attributes are there, he needs some time to work through the mental and logical aspects of his game.
- Kurt Mann: The kid displayed some beautiful footwork and vision as well as showing potential to develop into a dominant half or even ball playing fullback who can direct the team around the park in the future. His level headed play and direction is something you don't usually see from kids who still have time left in Toyota cup.
- Junior Sa'u: Chambers and O'Neill will have some competition which can only be a good thing. Sa'u has always been known as a hard runner and he showed that tonight. On a consistent basis it took 3-4 Easts boys just to bring him to the ground. He's got great leg drive for an outside back and is a similar player to Matt Utai during his bulldog days. At times he made the wrong decision with the ball in his hands but that will change in time as he works with his wingers and develops trust in them. Defensively he was sound and demonstrated a willingness to commit to the defensive structure whilst also not shying away from putting on a couple of hits which really stuck. He stood up tonight not just through his play but also his leadership, constantly directing the players around him on defence and directing them towards they're opposite target. He was encouraging of the younger boys as well which was great to see especially from a player new to the squad.
Matt Duffie/Sisa Waqa: I group these 2 together because although we know what we're getting with them in terms of physical ability, it's their decision making and execution process which has been taken to another level so far. Both of them were reading the defensive structure of the tigers superbly and it resulted in improved confidence which allowed both of them to take a number of calculated chances which paid off in small dividends.
Lagi Setu: Still raw and rusty but come round 10 he'll be hitting his straps. strong runner with some great footwork before the line and a nice offload. He's versatile in that he can slot in as a solid workhorse or he can play as a wide running second rower in the mould of someone like Adam Blair, as he has the ball skills to be a threat on the back end of wide set plays from Cooper and Cam.
Mitch Garbutt and Tim Glasby stood out as players who could make a nice impact off the bench as a much needed injection when we need to gather some momentum or keep the pressure on opposition defences towards the back ends of the halves.
Also whoever the halfback was from Easts was a bloody good footballer. He's got a footy play and with the footwork he's got he can develop into a lethal utility or supporting half. His individual display to set up a Tigers try was great and even his commitment on defence is reminiscent of Cronk. Hopefully we pick him up as squad member or another club does, because with a dominant pack and the right coaching structure to nurture his untapped talent he could be a great player.
A player who disappointed me was Young Tonumaipea. His decision making and ability to read the playing unfolding before him was poor. His indecisive actions will certainly hamper his ability to establish himself as a reliable injury cover player should the need arise. He is a good season or 2 off developing into a capable first grade player and whilst the physical attributes are there, he needs some time to work through the mental and logical aspects of his game.