Rumoured and Confirmed signings - Part 4

[Tronald Crump]

Spot the difference

CHW - offers something in attack.

Hiku - offers the other side something in attack to target.

 

[SweetandSoward]

Merrin is throwing the shittest offloads now

 

[mxlegend99]

Our forward pack metres gained;

Yeo - 127m
RCG - 101m
Merrin - 99m

Everyone else 77 metres or less. For some reason our coach decides to run out the least impactful bench in the history of the game against a great pack.

Why would we want big intimidating bodies like Villiame Kikau and Sitaleki Akauolo when you could have Tim Browne? Why would you want to have a great line running second rower when you could have Peta Hiku?

Why would you want players with match fitness when you can just bring James Fisher Harris straight back in? People want to bag Cartwright for his defence. Look at the combined tackles and missed tackles from their last 2 games without injury from 3 of our supposed better defenders.

Dean Whare - 25 tackles, 9 missed
Trent Merrin - 56 tackles, 9 missed (the two weeks before that he had 46 tackles for 8 missed.. a terrible past month)
Jfh - 36 tackles, 6 missed

Bryce Cartwright - 43 tackles, 7 missed in Round 1. Round 2 he had 5 tackles 0 missed. But only played a small part of that match.

As bad a rep as Cartwright has gotten. We have players who are supposedly much better defensively have as bad or worst strike rate in defence and unlike him they aren't targetted.

Our halves are targeted by other teams big men and do a better job than our forwards against them. Our wingers run harder than our forwards.

 

[cain3y]

For mine Blake needs to play center with dallin as they had built up a good combination at the end of last year. Blake looked dangerous yesterday when he ran the ball but is not being put into space playing on the wing. The halves are not getting the ball out to the edges soon enough if at all. Whare is a shadow of his former self, should go back to reserves and bring Edwards onto the wing and tell him to run of Yeo all day as no one is currently doing this and Yeo has been poking his nose through the line every game, he is the only player that looks likely at the moment. Start Latu and put Tamou on the bench with Kikau, CHN and Aku and tell them to play aggressive like Aku.

Whare for five years? When Blake is improving every year? Hope he is not taking up too much cap space.

We need Mansour back ASAP. His strength opens up the defensive line and creates space in the middle. He has more heart than all our forwards combined. Thank you Dugan.

Kikau resigning well done, please play him.

 

[mxlegend99]

Whare signs a 5 year deal and has been shit the 2 games since he did. His defence is as bad or worse than Peachey.

He WAS the best defensive centre in the game and had a great class about him. But he's not that player anymore... he has a nice pass or two against shit teams and people think he's back. But the reality is that Blake could have been just as effective in those situations. And more effective when theres nothing on. He MAKES things happen. His brute strength and speed create things.

I love Whare. I want the Whare from 2014 back. But thats not very likely. Although having signed him to a 5 year deal that right centre spot is his for 5 years. Hopefully he gets back to that form. But it's at the expense of Waqa Blake ever reaching his potential... and when Mansour returns Waqa Blake is probably dropped altogether.

 

[TheFrog]

We need Mansour back ASAP.

You just finished saying Whare isn't the player he used to be. Why might that be? Because he's had a knee reconstruction? So what has Mansour just had?

 

[Copperhead]

You just finished saying Whare isn't the player he used to be. Why might that be? Because he's had a knee reconstruction? So what has Mansour just had?

Missing 2 years of footy has had a bigger effect.

 

[mxlegend99]

Mansour has never relied on class and timing to be a great player. For him it's brute strength and determination. He might struggle for a few weeks gaining confidence in his knee again. But I think he will be fine.

Whare might come good again also. I always though his biggest obstacle would be if he could stay fit or not.it looks like hes past his injuries. Now its just a matter of getting his timing back.

 

[cain3y]

You just finished saying Whare isn't the player he used to be. Why might that be? Because he's had a knee reconstruction? So what has Mansour just had?

That is why i am hoping Dugan has not stuffed him for us. Mansour looks more determined to get back on the field than any other player we have and is apparently a head of schedule in the rehab. You are correct though he might not be the same again, but that just goes to show what we are missing and how much work he takes away from our forwards. I'm really disappointed with Merrin, thinks he deserves to play origin just because he has been there before. Stop talking about it and earn it.

 

[cain3y]

Missing 2 years of footy has had a bigger effect.

Exactly he should be finding form in reserve grade because he has been out for so long.

 

[cain3y]

[QUOTE="mxlegend99, post: 12128660, member: His brute strength and speed create things.[/QUOTE]
I know how fast is he. He saved a certain try with speed alone. We really need to find a way to get him into space and his hands under the high ball have improved considerably. The sharks hammered him all game and he did not drop a ball. He is a constant improver.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I like Whare, and I don't mind that we resigned him, but not for friggin five years. That was crazy given his injuries.

 

[TheFrog]

You are correct though he might not be the same again,.

I expect him to be the same again, just not immediately, and maybe not until next year.

I wouldn't give up on Whare just yet, for the same reason. To quote the commonly used meme, one does not simply come back from an ACL the same as before immediately. It takes time, sometimes quite some time.

 

[mxlegend99]

I like Whare, and I don't mind that we resigned him, but not for friggin five years. That was crazy given his injuries.

Yep... plays 5 games and gets a 5 year extension. Fans were not even bothered when they though he was leaving as we got by just fine without him last year.

Waqa Blake was terrific there last year. He and DWZ were a dangerous combination and splitting them up has hurt both the defence and attack on the right side of the field.

Until Mansour is fit our left side can't ever ne as dangerous. But Peachey and Edwards looked good against the Tigers.

 

[cain3y]

I expect him to be the same again, just not immediately, and maybe not until next year.

I wouldn't give up on Whare just yet, for the same reason. To quote the commonly used meme, one does not simply come back from an ACL the same as before immediately. It takes time, sometimes quite some time.

Don't get me wrong i like whare but we should not have split up our backs to fit in a player who has not played in 2 years. I have not given up on him just do not agree with Blake and Dallin being split up. Baring another injury set back he will come good again but 5 years for any player is too long a signing, because of injuries and the constant influx of juniors 3 years max for me.

 

[Panfa]

Whats happened to leilani latu this yr he looks slow and unfit to me.chn was our best player against souths gets dropped for fisher harris and our only 2 forwards with any mongrel get dropped also that being akaoula and kikau.is there a rotation policy with our bench forwards each week seems like players wearing 18 19 get in before players wearing 14 or 15 we need some consistency.i like moylan but fullback is not his best position for mine id play dallin in 1 moylan in 6 and give martin a spell for a few weeks start hiku on the wing outside blake and bring malakai in peachey back to the bench

 

[Panther Pete]

Rumour doing the rounds CHN will be at The Sharks before the end of June.

 

[mxlegend99]

Rumour doing the rounds CHN will be at The Sharks before the end of June.

Hopefully we actually send them Hiku and they don't notice... they could pass as twins.

Not sure what we have to gain letting a good player on no money leave early. It couldnt possibly free up cap space it helps a rival and weakens us.

 

[Panther Pete]

Hopefully we actually send them Hiku and they don't notice... they could pass as twins.

Not sure what we have to gain letting a good player on no money leave early. It couldnt possibly free up cap space it helps a rival and weakens us.

I could actually think of another forward or two I wouldn't mind letting go before him.

 

[Tronald Crump]

Mitch Rein has apparently asked for an immediate release to join the Eels.

It Makes sense. Done bugger all in the lower grades and the eels need a hooker with De Gois out indefinite.

I will have the shits though if Wallace goes down and we have nothing to replace him with.
Katoa can't play 80 minutes if needed.