What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Aitken

Drakon

Juniors
Messages
1,221
I like Aitken and initially saw the similarity to Cooper's defence but last year saw his weakness in lateral defence. Players were getting around him. Happened in the 4 Nations tournament playing for Scotland too. Hope Cooper has been schooling him this last week!
 

JohnnoMcJohnno

Juniors
Messages
2,359
I like Aitken and initially saw the similarity to Cooper's defence but last year saw his weakness in lateral defence. Players were getting around him. Happened in the 4 Nations tournament playing for Scotland too. Hope Cooper has been schooling him this last week!

It's not only the lateral defence, it's under the high ball as well. Not sure you can coach that.
 

Ljack77777

Juniors
Messages
27
Euan aitken is a gun.. he is all that was talked about last year now after we resign him people want him gone.. he is going to be a centre for a few years yet.. defence is about communication and the winger has a choice to push in with the centre or leave a massive hole on the outside and i think its mostly the wingers fault for not taking his man or reacting quick enough.. aitkens saved us plenty of times by rushing out of the line and making the right options..hopefully as the combinations have more time they can get it right.. look forward to some strong defence and a dugan man of the match performance should top the week off well :L
 

Carlton

Juniors
Messages
1,223
Euan aitken is a gun.. he is all that was talked about last year now after we resign him people want him gone.. he is going to be a centre for a few years yet.. defence is about communication and the winger has a choice to push in with the centre or leave a massive hole on the outside and i think its mostly the wingers fault for not taking his man or reacting quick enough.. aitkens saved us plenty of times by rushing out of the line and making the right options..hopefully as the combinations have more time they can get it right.. look forward to some strong defence and a dugan man of the match performance should top the week off well :L

A lot of people on here for a long time have been saying they don't think Aitken is a centre. His defensive problems are not the wingers fault, his defence actually makes it very hard for the winger to position themselves or know which attacker they need to take.

Aitken allows his opposition to get around him too often which then causes his winger grief as an overlap has been established.
 

Ljack77777

Juniors
Messages
27
I see where your coming from he has been beaten a few times standing but give the opposite centre credit where it's due last week it was jennings.. aitken was a solid centre last year with an average game plan.. watch him light it up this year.. he is young and still learning i dont see much difference with aitken defending in the second row.. he has the footwork and power to score on the edges but he isnt the biggest player in the world he would be handled easier by there forwards..
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
There was no need to extend his contract for an extra 3 years, this early in the season.
All that has happened is that Millward has ticked another one of his boxes however, you can be sure he will not take responsibility if Aitken turns out to be a dud; not agile enough for the centre position and too small for the backrow.

I say we do not need the Millward empire. All we need is someone like Peter Mullholland - a good recruitment officer who answers to the coach and a good junior development officer who answers to the coach.

Problem is we don't have a good coach and the solution is replace the coach with a much better coach.

Clean out the old boys who are setting themselves up for long term employment in positions that are unnecessary. The Club desperately needs a clean out.
 

Carlton

Juniors
Messages
1,223
I see where your coming from he has been beaten a few times standing but give the opposite centre credit where it's due last week it was jennings.. aitken was a solid centre last year with an average game plan.. watch him light it up this year.. he is young and still learning i dont see much difference with aitken defending in the second row.. he has the footwork and power to score on the edges but he isnt the biggest player in the world he would be handled easier by there forwards..

I would love him to have a big year but I have serious doubts about his ability to play centre in first grade. I am not commenting on his skill set with this next comment but, I have always thought physically he looks like a hooker. He could be a good utility but I cant really find a specific position I think he can make his own.
 
Messages
4,204
Aitken is gun.
Despite what people say, he's big, strong, fast and, most importantly, still young.

The problem is that his deficiencies with flair/agility and (particularly) in defensive reading, are VERY pronounced. He needs to rectify these ASAP, even if it means a stint in reserve grade.
 

Drakon

Juniors
Messages
1,221
Given there are 32 centres playing in the NRL each week. Does anyone rate Aitken in the top 10? Top 16?
 

BrissyRedV

Bench
Messages
4,382
Aitken is young and will develop further. We do have some quality options at centre however, and a stint in the 2nds would not hurt his development one iota. It also keeps players on their toes knowing that if they have a shocker, they can be dropped.
 
Messages
3,582
Am hoping the young fellow learns from his mistakes

He will improve as the season progresses

His problem is we have an abundance of options for Centre in all grades.

Only the strongest and best will survive the NRL ride

Best of luck to you Euan
 

Dragsters

First Grade
Messages
5,331
Aitken is young and will develop further. We do have some quality options at centre however, and a stint in the 2nds would not hurt his development one iota. It also keeps players on their toes knowing that if they have a shocker, they can be dropped.

This.

I believe those on here calling for him to be dropped, like me feel that it would be to his benefit.

He is only young and if centre is to be his position then development at cup level is what he needs to focus on his defensive technique.

Now is the perfect time for this to happen as we have depth at centre with Milne, who realistically should be in first grade anyhow.
 

Ljack77777

Juniors
Messages
27
all this talk about aitken is distracting us from the lafai problem.. milne doesnt deserve the spot any more then aitken does it isn't hard to look good in reserves.. hopefully tonight changes some minds aitken deserves to be in the 17
 

God-King Dean

Immortal
Messages
46,614
Congrats on the 2 tries, but......

His defence is beyond bad. It really is simple - stay on the centres outside shoulder. But he gets beaten time & time again. It's gets comical.

This says to me:

He's either dumb as shit, or McGregor isn't correcting him. Probably both.

Makes me wonder whether the club does video reviews of individual performances.
 

gitano

Juniors
Messages
2,364
It isn't all Aitken. There were barely any issues down there last year.
Swapping Nene and Nighty will go a long way to fixing the issue.

He deserves his spot and played well.
The circle jerkers on here might need to hunt for a new target this week.
 

Latest posts

Top