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The Rumours Thread

Forbes Creek Dragons

Forbes Creek Dragons

First Grade
Messages
5,078
BLM01 said:
No loss..back row is our strength and he is only a makeshift back..so lets all be fed dinkum.
We need to sign decent backs and a prop when we finally pull our fingers out.
We wont get anyone of quality this year. 2021 will be a different beast under a new coach
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Yeah I agree, in my opinion next year will just be like a six month long job interview for a lot of blokes. It’s going to be intriguing to see who stands up. The smartest thing we can do is not cave in worrying about what every other team is doing, and just assess in 2021 when we actually have a bit of coin.
 
2010

2010

Bench
Messages
3,490
2020 will be wright off based on last year
What needs to be done is to identify those players who will form the nucleus of our team in 2021
We need to give Lomax, Saab and Sailor decent minutes moving them to the first grade nucleus
Aitken and my man Lafai should be gone after 2020, keeping them in the team will only stop a junior a decent time
 
W

Wittenberg

Juniors
Messages
1,140
BLM01 said:
You watch all those off contract like Lafai, Aitken who wont be wanted have huge years this year to earn another contract or pump their value up
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That assumes they have the ability to have ‘huge’ years. Lafai has been running on one leg for a few seasons now and because of that his attack will always be limited. Aitken can tackle and he can run good lines in attack, he even passed a little this year, but.....and I don’t mean this about him off the field, but on it he has not got a good brain. I mean a footballing brain. He misreads situations in defence and often rushes up, more out of panic than misjudgement and the days of thinking he can be manufactured into a forward are over, he simply doesn’t have the power. A bench utility? Yes I do think he could fulfil that role, but as for having a ‘huge year’. I doubt it.
 
B

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,071
Wittenberg said:
That assumes they have the ability to have ‘huge’ years. Lafai has been running on one leg for a few seasons now and because of that his attack will always be limited. Aitken can tackle and he can run good lines in attack, he even passed a little this year, but.....and I don’t mean this about him off the field, but on it he has not got a good brain. I mean a footballing brain. He misreads situations in defence and often rushes up, more out of panic than misjudgement and the days of thinking he can be manufactured into a forward are over, he simply doesn’t have the power. A bench utility? Yes I do think he could fulfil that role, but as for having a ‘huge year’. I doubt it.
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You are probably right but Lafai's last big year and pre-season just happened to be his contract year of 2017.
I agree re Aitken he does try and one of the hardest runners out of the backfield but lacks nous and smarts. He has "I am a bulldozer" written all over him..thats all he knows and has done from kids level.
It is just ironic that many players of our game step it up when off contract and playing for the next
 
SEAT 1A

SEAT 1A

Bench
Messages
3,171
BLM01 said:
You are probably right but Lafai's last big year and pre-season just happened to be his contract year of 2017.
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I'm still a big fan of Lafai.

He's had the hand cuffs put on him by the coach as he can get the ball away very well in traffic.

Hope one of the wingers can kick on next year as he has lost some speed and trust his winger in defence and doesn't come out of the line to shut the play down.
 
SEAT 1A

SEAT 1A

Bench
Messages
3,171
SaintPauli said:
Agreed 2020 is about players on expiring contracts, getting their fingers out! with an aim to rebuild a new team around a new head coach 2021.
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I hope Mary can go out with his best year however, it seems the club will have a clean out of players and it should include the coach.


I would love to see the club make the correct call but I'm not holding my breath yet.
 
B

BLM01

First Grade
Messages
9,071
SEAT 1A said:
I'm still a big fan of Lafai.

He's had the hand cuffs put on him by the coach as he can get the ball away very well in traffic.

Hope one of the wingers can kick on next year as he has lost some speed and trust his winger in defence and doesn't come out of the line to shut the play down.
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Not anymore for me ..he is lost his pace and ineffective when coming out our end.
Yes he can step and flick pass but does not bust tackles anymore
I think 1st grade level has gone past him now cause of his injuries. we will see this year
 
W

Wittenberg

Juniors
Messages
1,140
Dragon Revival said:
Lafai probably cost us ten or more tries as he is slow and runs out of puff after 5-10 metres if he finds a gap.
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To be honest I think Lafai came back unfit after his injury last year. He should have been given more recovery time. I think Mary, for whatever reason, does not trust any other player in the centres other than Lafai. He has more nous than Aitken (just), but his days as a top class centre are well behind him.
 
Paddles

Paddles

Juniors
Messages
312
Lafai had the best two months of his career before his last deal, and he disappeared almost the minute he signed on. He clearly has (or had) the capacity to play well.

If he finds form again, then the issue is mental and motivational. All these guys are elite professionals who have been playing the game for decades. There isn't a great deal physically between most first graders and even where there are differences, a Cam Murray can still influence a game as much as a Burgess.

The issue, again, is coaching and leadership. There are no repercussions for playing at a standard that would get you dropped at any other club.
 
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