2023 Regular Season Player Review
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Papenhuyzen23
- Hail Storm
- Posts: 426
- Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2023 12:40 am
Nick Meaney - Nick has had a breakout year, filling in for the injured Ryan Papenhuyzen, Meaney has stepped up to become one of the Storm’s more consistent performers. What he lacks in Pap’s X-factor he makes up in effort and dependability, he has been great with the boot this year too. His ball playing and support play has been steadily improving throughout the year, one area he needs to improve is to be more vocal directing traffic, he needs to be confident to call for the ball or tell his defence where to move from the back but that will come with experience, has done a very admirable job deputising and has been one of our best.
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 9
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Xavier Coates - Xavier has had a very solid year, which was capped with a stellar showing in this years State of Origin series. After a slow start to the season including some poor defensive displays “X” has come on in leaps & bounds literally to become our main strike weapon, whether with his pace, aerial prowess or ability to sniff out a try from nowhere, he is in a real purple patch late in the season and looks to be the premier winger in the NRL, a level we all knew he was capable of reaching.
Attack - 9
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Reimis Smith - Been a strange old season for Smith, having to deal with his bad pectoral injury last year he looked quite ginger early in the season, and has had a few minor niggles a long the way, whilst being solid he was eventually replaced late in the season and has been plying his trade in the QLD cup, it has been a pretty underwhelming season with few highlights but I still believe he is a quality player who can make his way back and have an impact at this club. A full pre-season and a lift in intensity and attitude next season is essential for Smith.
Attack - 6
Defence - 5
Consistency- 5
Effort - 6
Overall - 5.5
Justin Olam - Very poor season from Justin, after breaking his arm in the preseason he just never seemed to recover, looked tentative running the ball, favoured his other arm constantly, missing tackles and misreads in defence were the theme of his season, was dropped eventually and has been playing for the Falcons and has not been setting the world on fire at that level either, not sure Olam can get back to the level required to be a starting centre for the Storm but he has indicated he wants to stay and fight for his position, would love to see a return to form of the old Olam but I’m doubtful.
Attack - 3
Defence - 1
Consistency- 2
Effort - 4
Overall - 2
Will Warbrick - What a season by “The Brick”, he has taken the NRL by storm and thrown his hat in the ring for rookie of the year honours. Will has been a try scoring machine, his big body and silky footwork makes him a nightmare for defenders and his finishing has been impressive. Coming over from Rugby 7’s he is still learning the game and still makes a mistake or 2 but he will get so much better as he perfects his craft and I expect him to become one of the best wingers in the sport in the coming years, fantastic scouting by the club.
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 9
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Cameron Munster - Cam has been Cam, he burst out of the blocks early and looked our best player in parts, and then Origin took a lot of his time and energy away from the club where he again dominated, and whilst we have seen flashes he has been a little flat post origin. He looks gassed and probably needs a rest but I think he is in for a big finals series. His attitude and fitness has improved out of sight and it shows, still capable of winning a game on his own back when he gets it right. Need to work on his hit and stick in defence he falls off a lot of tackles.
Attack - 9
Defence - 5
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 8
Jahrome Hughes - Romey has come to life, he was solid if unspectacular for the first half of the season, but has pressed the go button in the 2nd half to be one of if not our best players, he has been running, scoring, assisting, kicking and being a general menace to defences and looks the player who was challenging Cleary for half back of the year honours a few seasons back. Need him to keep this up to be any chance in September but he definitely has found his groove.
Attack - 10
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 8
Overall - 8.5
Christian Welch - I’m not sure if I expect too much from Christian, but he has been a big let down player for me this year, as our captain he has been poor, not vocal enough except when whinging about penalties or poor plays he himself creates, he looks slow and lazy around the ruck, and his discipline might be the worst in the team. Makes errors at crucial times and just looks like he can’t keep up, need a big lift from him to help his team mates out in the business end of the season.
Attack - 5
Defence - 5
Consistency- 4
Effort - 6
Overall - 4.5
Harry Grant - What can you say about “The Wizard” that hasn’t already been said? Far and away our best player and I think if anything he is sometimes under appreciated, we went from Cam Smith to him and I think he gets compared to Cam too much, sometimes he overplays his hand and tries a bit too hard but that’s not the worst negative to have against you, he is all heart and loves the club and his team mates, and when he plays well we generally don’t lose, my player of the year, unbelievable talent.
Attack - 9
Defence - 9
Consistency- 10
Effort - 10
Overall - 10
Nelson Asofa-Solomona - Big Nasty has been pretty good, but has probably lacked his usual influence on games, he is still capable of turning a game on its head with some big runs or huge hits but it’s not as common an occurrence as previous seasons, he does tend to drift out of games and he also missed a big chunk of the year with injury, I do think he is ready to explode though and has looked up for it the last few rounds, I expect a huge showing from NAS in the finals.
Attack - 7
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 7
Trent Loiero - Trent is an enigma for me, I was very vocal about him early in the season and whilst he is young and has had some decent games since then, I think he just isn’t good enough to be a starter for us. He doesn’t play badly, I actually think he plays as well as he is capable of most weeks and that’s the issue, can’t fault his effort and he is very fit, I’m just not sure he is capable of having the impact on a game we need from a starting back rower, maybe the bench is his spot? He has played every game this year and is durable and tries hard so points for that but we need more of a threat in that edge and and more reliable defender outside Munster.
Attack - 4
Defence - 5
Consistency- 6
Effort - 7
Overall - 5
Eli Katoa - Eli has been a revelation, after dealing with a nasty eye injury he has come back into the fold and exploded, looking like the most dangerous back rower in the whole competition. He is busting tackles, popping offloads, folding attackers in half, scoring for fun, he is the X-factor back rower we have been screaming out for, what a pick up and he will just get better and better, can’t wait to see his ceiling.
Attack - 8
Defence - 8
Consistency- 8
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Josh King - Josh is a real Bellamy favourite, no frills work horse who tries to do the little things well and always competes, he isn’t a lock for mine but he has tried his guts out and given it a real crack, I’d shift him back to the front row personally but you can’t doubt his efforts, usually makes 40 tackles and 150 metres a game and cleans up a lot of mess, even got a few meat pies, not going to blow any minds with his play but a guy every team needs and he has been very good, going from a bench prop to a starting lock isn’t easy and he has done an admirable job.
Attack - 6
Defence - 8
Consistency- 9
Effort - 8
Overall - 7
Bronson Garlick - Bronson has been in and out of the side but has been superb when called upon, he has filled a few positions including recently starting at 9 ahead of Grant which worked a treat, he has been deployed a ball playing lock after Harry enters the fray which I think is his spot, very dependable and a great defender, been pleasantly surprised at how good he has integrated into the side, for a mature age rookie he has been sublime.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 8
Overall - 7.5
Tariq Sims - Another big let down player for me, I really thought he would be such a great pick up for the club to offset all the experience we lost last season, but he just hasn’t been good enough, started the year off the bench with little impact and has been deservedly dropped to QLD cup since then, is capable of better than he has shown, I’m really disappointed he wasn’t able to contribute more in search of a premiership, some guys Bellamy can’t save it seems.
Attack - 4
Defence - 4
Consistency- 5
Effort - 5
Overall - 4.5
Tui Kamikamika- Big T has had a solid season, some injuries have stopped his momentum but he has had some huge games for us, not the most explosive player but generally gets through his work and is pretty safe with not a lot of errors. Another who has been starting games but not sure he is quite that level, definitely a great prop to bring off the bench though.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 6
Effort - 6
Overall - 6.5
Tom Eisenhuth - Tom has been ok when called upon, never really stepped up to grab a position in the top side with any authority but another of CB favourites, no nonsense workhorse who doesn’t make much fuss, is reliable and usually holds his own when thrown into the mix, not sure how many more seasons he has with us I’d like to see a guy like Howarth step into this role eventually.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 6.5
Tyran Wishart - Hard to gauge his season, he has had some fantastic cameos for the team but also some stinkers, but has also been played in a lot of positions and has had next to no stability. Tyran has actually been on fire for the Falcons and looks a talent I’m just not sure CB has figured out how to integrate him into the team effectively yet, definitely a good guy to have in the squad though with his versatility.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 6
Effort - 7
Overall - 6.5
Marion Seve - Maz was out of the team until quite late in the year, but has made every post a winner since then, slots in seamlessly and instantly looked an upgrade in all aspects compared to what Olam was offering. Got some strike in attack and more decisive in defence he has been playing very good and locked up a centre spot for the finals.
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 7.5
Jonah Pezet - Pez has been called on a handful of times and held his own, a player of the future for sure and quite cool and mature for a player his age, still has an apprenticeship to serve but will be a solid first grader in the years to come.
Attack - 6
Defence - 6
Consistency- 7
Effort - 8
Overall - 7
My Player of the year rankings
1. Harry Grant
2. Jahrome Hughes
3. Eli Katoa
Rookie of the year
- Will Warbrick
Most Improved
- Nick Meaney
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 9
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Xavier Coates - Xavier has had a very solid year, which was capped with a stellar showing in this years State of Origin series. After a slow start to the season including some poor defensive displays “X” has come on in leaps & bounds literally to become our main strike weapon, whether with his pace, aerial prowess or ability to sniff out a try from nowhere, he is in a real purple patch late in the season and looks to be the premier winger in the NRL, a level we all knew he was capable of reaching.
Attack - 9
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Reimis Smith - Been a strange old season for Smith, having to deal with his bad pectoral injury last year he looked quite ginger early in the season, and has had a few minor niggles a long the way, whilst being solid he was eventually replaced late in the season and has been plying his trade in the QLD cup, it has been a pretty underwhelming season with few highlights but I still believe he is a quality player who can make his way back and have an impact at this club. A full pre-season and a lift in intensity and attitude next season is essential for Smith.
Attack - 6
Defence - 5
Consistency- 5
Effort - 6
Overall - 5.5
Justin Olam - Very poor season from Justin, after breaking his arm in the preseason he just never seemed to recover, looked tentative running the ball, favoured his other arm constantly, missing tackles and misreads in defence were the theme of his season, was dropped eventually and has been playing for the Falcons and has not been setting the world on fire at that level either, not sure Olam can get back to the level required to be a starting centre for the Storm but he has indicated he wants to stay and fight for his position, would love to see a return to form of the old Olam but I’m doubtful.
Attack - 3
Defence - 1
Consistency- 2
Effort - 4
Overall - 2
Will Warbrick - What a season by “The Brick”, he has taken the NRL by storm and thrown his hat in the ring for rookie of the year honours. Will has been a try scoring machine, his big body and silky footwork makes him a nightmare for defenders and his finishing has been impressive. Coming over from Rugby 7’s he is still learning the game and still makes a mistake or 2 but he will get so much better as he perfects his craft and I expect him to become one of the best wingers in the sport in the coming years, fantastic scouting by the club.
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 9
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Cameron Munster - Cam has been Cam, he burst out of the blocks early and looked our best player in parts, and then Origin took a lot of his time and energy away from the club where he again dominated, and whilst we have seen flashes he has been a little flat post origin. He looks gassed and probably needs a rest but I think he is in for a big finals series. His attitude and fitness has improved out of sight and it shows, still capable of winning a game on his own back when he gets it right. Need to work on his hit and stick in defence he falls off a lot of tackles.
Attack - 9
Defence - 5
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 8
Jahrome Hughes - Romey has come to life, he was solid if unspectacular for the first half of the season, but has pressed the go button in the 2nd half to be one of if not our best players, he has been running, scoring, assisting, kicking and being a general menace to defences and looks the player who was challenging Cleary for half back of the year honours a few seasons back. Need him to keep this up to be any chance in September but he definitely has found his groove.
Attack - 10
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 8
Overall - 8.5
Christian Welch - I’m not sure if I expect too much from Christian, but he has been a big let down player for me this year, as our captain he has been poor, not vocal enough except when whinging about penalties or poor plays he himself creates, he looks slow and lazy around the ruck, and his discipline might be the worst in the team. Makes errors at crucial times and just looks like he can’t keep up, need a big lift from him to help his team mates out in the business end of the season.
Attack - 5
Defence - 5
Consistency- 4
Effort - 6
Overall - 4.5
Harry Grant - What can you say about “The Wizard” that hasn’t already been said? Far and away our best player and I think if anything he is sometimes under appreciated, we went from Cam Smith to him and I think he gets compared to Cam too much, sometimes he overplays his hand and tries a bit too hard but that’s not the worst negative to have against you, he is all heart and loves the club and his team mates, and when he plays well we generally don’t lose, my player of the year, unbelievable talent.
Attack - 9
Defence - 9
Consistency- 10
Effort - 10
Overall - 10
Nelson Asofa-Solomona - Big Nasty has been pretty good, but has probably lacked his usual influence on games, he is still capable of turning a game on its head with some big runs or huge hits but it’s not as common an occurrence as previous seasons, he does tend to drift out of games and he also missed a big chunk of the year with injury, I do think he is ready to explode though and has looked up for it the last few rounds, I expect a huge showing from NAS in the finals.
Attack - 7
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 7
Trent Loiero - Trent is an enigma for me, I was very vocal about him early in the season and whilst he is young and has had some decent games since then, I think he just isn’t good enough to be a starter for us. He doesn’t play badly, I actually think he plays as well as he is capable of most weeks and that’s the issue, can’t fault his effort and he is very fit, I’m just not sure he is capable of having the impact on a game we need from a starting back rower, maybe the bench is his spot? He has played every game this year and is durable and tries hard so points for that but we need more of a threat in that edge and and more reliable defender outside Munster.
Attack - 4
Defence - 5
Consistency- 6
Effort - 7
Overall - 5
Eli Katoa - Eli has been a revelation, after dealing with a nasty eye injury he has come back into the fold and exploded, looking like the most dangerous back rower in the whole competition. He is busting tackles, popping offloads, folding attackers in half, scoring for fun, he is the X-factor back rower we have been screaming out for, what a pick up and he will just get better and better, can’t wait to see his ceiling.
Attack - 8
Defence - 8
Consistency- 8
Effort - 9
Overall - 8.5
Josh King - Josh is a real Bellamy favourite, no frills work horse who tries to do the little things well and always competes, he isn’t a lock for mine but he has tried his guts out and given it a real crack, I’d shift him back to the front row personally but you can’t doubt his efforts, usually makes 40 tackles and 150 metres a game and cleans up a lot of mess, even got a few meat pies, not going to blow any minds with his play but a guy every team needs and he has been very good, going from a bench prop to a starting lock isn’t easy and he has done an admirable job.
Attack - 6
Defence - 8
Consistency- 9
Effort - 8
Overall - 7
Bronson Garlick - Bronson has been in and out of the side but has been superb when called upon, he has filled a few positions including recently starting at 9 ahead of Grant which worked a treat, he has been deployed a ball playing lock after Harry enters the fray which I think is his spot, very dependable and a great defender, been pleasantly surprised at how good he has integrated into the side, for a mature age rookie he has been sublime.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 8
Effort - 8
Overall - 7.5
Tariq Sims - Another big let down player for me, I really thought he would be such a great pick up for the club to offset all the experience we lost last season, but he just hasn’t been good enough, started the year off the bench with little impact and has been deservedly dropped to QLD cup since then, is capable of better than he has shown, I’m really disappointed he wasn’t able to contribute more in search of a premiership, some guys Bellamy can’t save it seems.
Attack - 4
Defence - 4
Consistency- 5
Effort - 5
Overall - 4.5
Tui Kamikamika- Big T has had a solid season, some injuries have stopped his momentum but he has had some huge games for us, not the most explosive player but generally gets through his work and is pretty safe with not a lot of errors. Another who has been starting games but not sure he is quite that level, definitely a great prop to bring off the bench though.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 6
Effort - 6
Overall - 6.5
Tom Eisenhuth - Tom has been ok when called upon, never really stepped up to grab a position in the top side with any authority but another of CB favourites, no nonsense workhorse who doesn’t make much fuss, is reliable and usually holds his own when thrown into the mix, not sure how many more seasons he has with us I’d like to see a guy like Howarth step into this role eventually.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 6.5
Tyran Wishart - Hard to gauge his season, he has had some fantastic cameos for the team but also some stinkers, but has also been played in a lot of positions and has had next to no stability. Tyran has actually been on fire for the Falcons and looks a talent I’m just not sure CB has figured out how to integrate him into the team effectively yet, definitely a good guy to have in the squad though with his versatility.
Attack - 6
Defence - 7
Consistency- 6
Effort - 7
Overall - 6.5
Marion Seve - Maz was out of the team until quite late in the year, but has made every post a winner since then, slots in seamlessly and instantly looked an upgrade in all aspects compared to what Olam was offering. Got some strike in attack and more decisive in defence he has been playing very good and locked up a centre spot for the finals.
Attack - 8
Defence - 7
Consistency- 7
Effort - 7
Overall - 7.5
Jonah Pezet - Pez has been called on a handful of times and held his own, a player of the future for sure and quite cool and mature for a player his age, still has an apprenticeship to serve but will be a solid first grader in the years to come.
Attack - 6
Defence - 6
Consistency- 7
Effort - 8
Overall - 7
My Player of the year rankings
1. Harry Grant
2. Jahrome Hughes
3. Eli Katoa
Rookie of the year
- Will Warbrick
Most Improved
- Nick Meaney