3-2-1 v Eels

[Blair]

3. Ken - go to a game, the opposition are scared of him. Is he a winger?

2. Luke - guts, determination and skill. He's enjoying himself too, and that's a Rabbitohs-esque Luke.

1. Green - I hope I'm not giving him points each week over some more worthy candidates, but at the game, his composure and execution at stand-off is just perfect for us. Along with team-mates Harris and Sheck one of the best ever buys for the club.

Harris seems to be still working his way back from that nasty KO v Dragons. Sure, he's probably over the medical shock, but form-wise he's a little behind where he was. That's very understandable.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Hiku is becoming a scapegoat. One awful play but otherwise good.

Mannering was coming up with big plays all over the place but also seems like a bit of a scapegoat now?

Otherwise- hard to score a game the refs don’t allow you to play

 

[One Warrior]

3. Luke
2. Maumalo
1. Beale

HM's: Harris, Fusitua

That was a big game for us, the pack were snapping at our heels, also felt we were always playing against 15 at all times on the field, don't know what the penalty count was against us, felt like heaps. The worst and what highlighted it particularly was that pathetic effort where the ball was dropped onto Luke and the Eels were given a penalty, should of been a penalty to us, he wasn't even trying to pass the ball, he plain cold dropped it, lost ball!!

 

[TheDMC]

3. Maumalo
2. Luke
3. Fusitua

Great warriors debut for Beale. Jazz was actually very effective tonight, good job.

Shit game but 2 points!

 

[Penrose Warrior]

3. Maumalo. I'm super impressed with his season so far. The Manu comparison has been a lazy, easy one in the past but Ken has way more skills with his running game, even if he's not the finisher. Made some brilliant decisions and executions to jam in and drop raids while Papalii was in the bin. You da man Ken.

2. Luke. He's got that competitive fire back in his (not so big anymore) belly.

1. Fus. Best finisher and high ball taker in the comp. Good runs last night too. Why opposition teams ever bomb to his wing is beyond me.

HMs - Beale did a lot of good stuff, that's about all. Our forwards were very average, Paasi apart at times. Dunno how we won, or I do - Parra are awful.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeah I seen that one. Milford threw it at Napa. I wished it missed then Milf (who I like by the way) wouldve looked like an idiot for passing it dead lol.

I seem to remember that actually happening in a game last week, the target player sucked in his gut and the ball sailed past him and out, sucked in!

 

[SpaceMonkey]

no thats not right SM. if you watch it again, he caught the ball, started to move infield to SAFETY (the smart and obvious move) then tried to be tricky and beat Jennings on the outside (the risky and STUPID AS f**k move). Thats how i saw it anyway. I guess we will see if others back me up on that.

Plus hes played FB at international level and for Manly so you cant offer that excuse. Plus the ground was dewy as f**k so common sense is to treat the sidelines as 10m further infield cause you know you will slide over if you risk it.

That’s actually the way I intially saw it too- but when it was replayed he appeared to have more momentum and didn’t really ever reallly get any change of direction to the inside going.

 

[Warriorsoul]

3 - Luke
2 - Maumalo
1 - Beale

HM Hiku. And Mannering for chasing down that ball he got a foot to in the first half

 

[SpaceMonkey]

HM Hiku. And Mannering for chasing down that ball he got a foot to in the first half

Mannering is doing a lot of those little 1% plays tidying up on defence both as a tackler and tidying up loose balls. Even the play where he got stripped one on one it was only because he’d actually done really well to get to the ball in the first place but still had his hands overhead where it was vulnerable to the strip.
I’m really hoping his stays injury free and cracks the 300 club if he decides to hang up the boots after this season, he deserves it so much. And 300 as a one club player is a pretty exclusive club, only 12 players have done it.

 

[Meth]

Hiku is becoming a scapegoat. One awful play but otherwise good.

Hiku did have a good game, aside from that incident- but geez, it felt like one that would turn the match.

 

[Rich102]

3. Green. His influence on the team is huge. Our best buy in years. Genius.
2. Luke.
1. Lino. Great kicking and passing game and some solid defence.

When the Eels went ahead I thought it was all over. Real fight back.
Fus & Maumalo a real force.
Gavet not so good.

 

[Benek]

3. Air Fus
2. Big Ken
1. Beale

Fusitua is the best winger I can remember watching on this team. Can finish like nobody's business. Super safe under the high ball. And good at those early tackle hitups. Not to mention a solid defender. Couldn't ask more from this guy. Absolute star.

Ken is really growing into a solid player too. Doesn't have speed or finishing touch, but he does a damn fine amount of work and metres for us, and is shoring up defensively. Hands have improved a lot too. I hate to say it but maybe the coaches have been right to persist with him all this time.

Beale had a solid debut. He has good footwork, and I can already see that he will be an immense defensive improvement. I hope he keeps that spot. Hiku can play a Hohia-like super sub if needed as he could cover a lot of positions.

 

[kiwileaguefan]

Ive seen Luke milk a penalty that way but Will Smiths one was ridiculous to the max.

When the bunker is reviewing the block play to see if anyone is impeded, you hear the commentators say 'surely common sense should prevail here', well common sense should apply in that obvious milking of a penalty. I suggest they just play it again from the mark.

What I don't get is if on defence the winger didn't make the 10 and has no affect at all in the play....penalty....

Player on attack runs behind his own player and has no effect on play...no penalty...

 

[TheDMC]

I’m stoked to see maumolo getting the love he deserves. Every hitup he did was great, and a lot of subtle classy things in them to go with the power. His quick scoot and play the ball which led to Moses conceding a penalty when we were under the pump near our line. that was game changing and beautifully done. And yeah hands and defense so much better nowadays

 

[Iafeta]

The only real blemish was getting put over the sideline on the 1st, but I put that down to being out of position due to positional inexperience- he had to come from infield to field the ball and all his momentum was towards the outside so he was easy meat.

Hiku I thought was excellent. Except for that one moment.

 

[Iafeta]

Ken is starting to look like a well rounded player, he was solid in the air tonight on attack as well as defence and his defensive reads and tackles were great. Hats off to him.

That’s what I like. His development. This year he has added a mean late step at the line. The last two weeks he has made excellent ambush tackles.

 

[Iafeta]

Hiku is becoming a scapegoat. One awful play but otherwise good.

Mannering was coming up with big plays all over the place but also seems like a bit of a scapegoat now?

Otherwise- hard to score a game the refs don’t allow you to play

I think most players had a dud play that could have hurt us. Beale had a brainsnap penalty on the last play under no pressure. Mannering is stripped one on one on the line. Hiku runs out. Lino throws one 4 metres forward. As did Luke.

But otherwise they all fought back pretty hard. Mannering was good except for that one play.

 

[Warriorsoul]

So who votes we lock Maumalo into a long term contract past the end of the season? Done enough?

 

[ozbash]

3. Luke
2. Maumalo
1. Harris

HM: Beale, Tevaga, Lino, Fus

Me too..

 

[Philip_Smith007]

What I don't get is if on defence the winger didn't make the 10 and has no affect at all in the play....penalty....

Player on attack runs behind his own player and has no effect on play...no penalty...

The reason they cracked down on wingers not being the 10 was teams created a V (or U) in defense and shut down more options e.g. dummy half didnt pass a certain direction if defense up that side. So I'm all for it.

The second point is harder but is normally penalised if it changes the defense decision or ability to defend.