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Season 2021 Trials

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
The blind could have been used better in the trial..The number of times I saw in shot Liddle passing the ball away from the Jet just so Brookes could get the ball..

So you don't like Brooks. He was good in the trial. Let's see how he goes. If he doesn't perform Madge will replace him.

I think Brooks will be decent this year. He can play. I just don't expect him to be great because I don't think he is a great player. I think the rest of the spine have a lot of talent and we have a decent forward pack and decent outside backs. I think we can have a good year based on the whole team.
 
Messages
3,233
I genuinely can't remember the last time we won against Canberra, and there was maybe that one time we beat Roosters in what was realistically a fluke
2018 Brother Jim,
Chooks 8 WT 10 in Rd 1
Canberra 20 WT 22 in Rd 22.

No the elephant in the room is still Brooks.
WA Tiger I tend to agree, looking at the trial game he was involved and certainly does like his left side but, it was a trial and he did ok. I think the fact that the brothers are playing on the same side might be the best thing, they can work together, encourage each other, be a foil for each other, work with Brooks and the winger outside them and who knows. I think it might be up to the LL to get BJ to focus.

We should have traded Talau
You are kidding right? Talau is a centre and can play 5/8, unfortunately he's not a winger. He is going to be a pretty good centre as well.
 

Speedy Gonzales

Juniors
Messages
715
No the elephant in the room is still Brooks..Apart from his great kick for the Roberts try he was the same old shovel the ball on.

....Or the support play up the middle off a Luciano offload. I also like how he didn’t push any passes through indecision, it’s been a very frustrating part of his game where he’ll push a pass when something isn’t on

kicking game seemed a bit meh still. But looks like he can kick goals now?!?

Gotta remember Brooks played when Manly had majority of their first graders on - Doueihi came on when they had majority of their reserve graders on, and rightfully dominated

I think both will have a big year.
 

Tiger Ted

Bench
Messages
3,005
....Or the support play up the middle off a Luciano offload. I also like how he didn’t push any passes through indecision, it’s been a very frustrating part of his game where he’ll push a pass when something isn’t on

kicking game seemed a bit meh still. But looks like he can kick goals now?!?

Gotta remember Brooks played when Manly had majority of their first graders on - Doueihi came on when they had majority of their reserve graders on, and rightfully dominated

I think both will have a big year.
AD will excel at 5/8.This kid is quality.

Heard that Matty Johns made a visit to concord during off-season & assume it was at our invitation.Brooks’s best hope of making any advancement re game management is to b mentored by MJ who possesses an exceptional rugby league IQ.Hopefully Brooks has his no. on speed dial & doesn’t shy away from regularly calling him.Nevertheless IMO & I obviously want to b wrong but Brooks won’t improve as he innately doesn’t have the aptitude to competently own a team.I expect Madden to b breathing down his neck & won’t b surprised if he supplants LB as our 7 this season.
 

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,373
Thanks GP.
Isn't it great that they still show the old films of ancient history grand finals like Parra's last win ?
I quite enjoy watching the History channel stuff . . . WW II in colour, WW I greatest battles, Pompeii and Parra's last GF win.
Gong . . . Luai ? really stamped his mark on that game against the slimeys, didn't he ?
He certainly did.
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,399
With all due respect this is such a stupid comment. Who said we could do this ? It doesn't work like that.

Happy to criticize the club with facts but made up trade conditions that no one has a clue about just don't cut it.

How good has the club gone over the last couple of off seasons in relation to recruitment and retention.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/043277fe46f162e2e5398301d3fdb93a

the Tigers have been reluctant to release any of their outside backs - David Nofoaluma and Tommy Talau have been mentioned - in exchange for the NSW Origin winger.
“We have spoken to the club he wants to go to and inquired about a couple of players and they have fobbed us off,” Storm CEO Dave Donaghy told media on Wednesday.
“It is their prerogative but it’s not helpful in trying to achieve an outcome for Josh.”



Mate I cant help it if I read the papers and you dont.
Your sounding like a worked up Alice in Wonderland this morning
 
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Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,611
No the elephant in the room is still Brooks..Apart from his great kick for the Roberts try he was the same old shovel the ball on without creating anything at all on the 5th tackle (except pass it to Luciano) .. as B’ Jim stated we will get found out against better competition..

I disagree with this. To me the attacking structure was completely different to the last 2 years. Brooks was playing as a genuine first reciever and was getting the ball on both sides of the ruck. We were playing very quick and had an emphasis on using our strike out side with both Luc and Jet getting early ball. We were rolling downfield with ease and making 60-70m a set, it makes sense for Brooks to just get it out and let these guys do their thing.

One of the issues for Brooks last year was him missing Lawrence/Garner on the left edge. He likes to take the ball to the line and having a hard running edge off his hip suit him. When Madge put Luc out there it didnt work for either of them as Luc wants early ball, he's a big skillful guy who is dangerous as he can run or ball play.

The way they were working together on Sunday was brilliant, I just hope we can continue it against stronger teams,
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/043277fe46f162e2e5398301d3fdb93a

the Tigers have been reluctant to release any of their outside backs - David Nofoaluma and Tommy Talau have been mentioned - in exchange for the NSW Origin winger.
“We have spoken to the club he wants to go to and inquired about a couple of players and they have fobbed us off,” Storm CEO Dave Donaghy told media on Wednesday.
“It is their prerogative but it’s not helpful in trying to achieve an outcome for Josh.”



Mate I cant help it if I read the papers and you dont.
Your sounding like a worked up Alice in Wonderland this morning

That is a tiny snippet in the paper that is so far off a formalized trade being pushed through. In my opinion that doesn't count as proof or anything close to proof.
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
We've had as good a preseason as we've had in years. Our pack looks heaps better. Our outside backs look heaps better. Our spine has plenty of talent even if we have no idea how they are going to perform. We've had a massive easy win in our only top line trial.

None of it counts though unless we have a good season. We also have Raiders, Roosters, Knights, Eels, Cowboys and Souths in the first 6 weeks. It's not an easy draw.
 

Speedy Gonzales

Juniors
Messages
715
I disagree with this. To me the attacking structure was completely different to the last 2 years. Brooks was playing as a genuine first reciever and was getting the ball on both sides of the ruck. We were playing very quick and had an emphasis on using our strike out side with both Luc and Jet getting early ball. We were rolling downfield with ease and making 60-70m a set, it makes sense for Brooks to just get it out and let these guys do their thing.

One of the issues for Brooks last year was him missing Lawrence/Garner on the left edge. He likes to take the ball to the line and having a hard running edge off his hip suit him. When Madge put Luc out there it didnt work for either of them as Luc wants early ball, he's a big skillful guy who is dangerous as he can run or ball play.

The way they were working together on Sunday was brilliant, I just hope we can continue it against stronger teams,

don’t underestimate Brooks having 2 absolute speed demons in Laurie and Jimmy the Jet right next to him aswell. I can just imagine that grubber kick he put in years gone by with Marsters still there, it would have trickled by the dead ball line and Marsters wouldn’t have even reached the try line yet

You can’t coach speed and we finally have some this season.
 

The Rosco

Bench
Messages
2,888
don’t underestimate Brooks having 2 absolute speed demons in Laurie and Jimmy the Jet right next to him aswell. I can just imagine that grubber kick he put in years gone by with Marsters still there, it would have trickled by the dead ball line and Marsters wouldn’t have even reached the try line yet

You can’t coach speed and we finally have some this season.
Spot on speedy.
JTJ had to step around a player, but still got there in time to put it down well inside the dead ball line.
When Brooks put the kick through, my initial reaction was "wtf did he do that for ?" . . . this comes from being a WT fan for too long.
That's how fast the jet still is, and that's how long we have not had speedy backs.
Remember, he had to step around a player and still got there. We have not had a player with enough pace to score that try for a long . . . and I mean LOOONG . . time.
I want Fitzgibbon in the team as well.
We have the forward pack to smash 'em up the guts, and with the 3 genuine speedsters plus Liddle, Simpkins and Brooks to dance around them . . . . . the opposition won't know which way to look !!
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,399
So you don't like Brooks. He was good in the trial. Let's see how he goes. If he doesn't perform Madge will replace him.

I think Brooks will be decent this year. He can play. I just don't expect him to be great because I don't think he is a great player. I think the rest of the spine have a lot of talent and we have a decent forward pack and decent outside backs. I think we can have a good year based on the whole team.
???? No I thought the blind side could have been used more with the Jet there..Like I wrote...
So sensitive today
 
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Messages
15,668
Chammas on nrl.com praising our recruitment.

He added that our books are in excellent shape, indicating capacity for a splurge for 2022.

He couldn’t get his head around the Benji expulsion last year, but I think he will understand that better this year as he continues to decline ( not being nasty, just nature).

There are also the social considerations. The squad looked pretty happy and friendly on the weekend. It’s for the good that he’s moved on.

Brooksy is the real deal but it never ever hurts to have a ready replacement.

Once the forwards start hacking into opposition lines and running angles I’d expect him to start straightening up and running.

A good half has to have a lot courage.

Pearce is taking a 50% hit on salary. Packer might consider a similar offer.
 

stryker

First Grade
Messages
5,277
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...a/news-story/043277fe46f162e2e5398301d3fdb93a

the Tigers have been reluctant to release any of their outside backs - David Nofoaluma and Tommy Talau have been mentioned - in exchange for the NSW Origin winger.
“We have spoken to the club he wants to go to and inquired about a couple of players and they have fobbed us off,” Storm CEO Dave Donaghy told media on Wednesday.
“It is their prerogative but it’s not helpful in trying to achieve an outcome for Josh.”



Mate I cant help it if I read the papers and you dont.
Your sounding like a worked up Alice in Wonderland this morning
Trading Nofoaluma and Talau for JAC would have been an amateur, I’ll considered move.
I am still a bit shocked the club decided not to do so.
 

stryker

First Grade
Messages
5,277
Spot on speedy.
JTJ had to step around a player, but still got there in time to put it down well inside the dead ball line.
When Brooks put the kick through, my initial reaction was "wtf did he do that for ?" . . . this comes from being a WT fan for too long.
That's how fast the jet still is, and that's how long we have not had speedy backs.
Remember, he had to step around a player and still got there. We have not had a player with enough pace to score that try for a long . . . and I mean LOOONG . . time.
I want Fitzgibbon in the team as well.
We have the forward pack to smash 'em up the guts, and with the 3 genuine speedsters plus Liddle, Simpkins and Brooks to dance around them . . . . . the opposition won't know which way to look !!
Rowdy pre injury would have been our last speedster wouldn’t he?
 
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