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Aitken or Lomax, who should be right centre?

Who should be our right centre?


  • Total voters
    91
  • Poll closed .

RufusRex

Post Whore
Messages
62,231
I’ve gone against the grain as Aitken has been in extremely good form of late

see this is the thing ... he hasnt .. he has been in better form yes - but extremely good?

Look at how many times Ravalawa has to catch a contested ball - This is on Aitken - his postitional play on kicks is appalling and he can not protect his wingers .. Never has been able to ...

Look at how many time Aitken has passed to his winger this year .. i think the count is zero at the moment .. a couple of offloads last game inside but he is yet to find Rava ... Our 2nd leading try scorer is a wing with zero assits coming from his centre.

The usual defensive lapses.

He is running hard and strong in the first 15 minutes of a game but typically after that he lacks punch.

The thing that is going for him is those strong runs in the first 15 sit in peoples minds and at the end of the game they remember this and think wow - Aitken played well.

He is an appalling team player, has zero match awareness and is nothing like the player Gitano wishes he was.
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
see this is the thing ... he hasnt .. he has been in better form yes - but extremely good?

Look at how many times Ravalawa has to catch a contested ball - This is on Aitken - his postitional play on kicks is appalling and he can not protect his wingers .. Never has been able to ...

Look at how many time Aitken has passed to his winger this year .. i think the count is zero at the moment .. a couple of offloads last game inside but he is yet to find Rava ... Our 2nd leading try scorer is a wing with zero assits coming from his centre.

The usual defensive lapses.

He is running hard and strong in the first 15 minutes of a game but typically after that he lacks punch.

The thing that is going for him is those strong runs in the first 15 sit in peoples minds and at the end of the game they remember this and think wow - Aitken played well.

He is an appalling team player, has zero match awareness and is nothing like the player Gitano wishes he was.
Very well put.
 

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Aitken the Dragon with the toughest job on Anzac Day
Christian NicolussiApril 21, 2019 — 2.47pm
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Euan Aitken has the most daunting job in rugby league later this week - stopping a red-hot Latrell Mitchell on Anzac Day, fresh after his match-winning heroics in Melbourne.

Aitken admits he held his own with Mitchell in the corresponding fixture last year, but proved no match for the young Roosters pin-up when he went''put on a clinic'' the second time they met in round 20 and bagged three tries.

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Tough ask: Euan Aitken must try to stop a red-hot Latrell Mitchell when the Dragons face the Roosters on Anzac Day.Credit:AAP

The excitement about Anzac Day started almost immediately among the Dragons players as they hit the showers at WIN Stadium after Saturday night's 12-10 win over Manly. New recruit Corey Norman was told he would experience one of the game's great spectacles.

As for Aitken stopping Mitchell, the right centre told the Herald it was almost a case of looking for ''redemption'' after the 21-year-old's last-start carve-up.

"Everyone knows he's a gun player, he's something special, he's a dynamic ball-runner, and we need to get up and take his time away,'' Aitken said.

"When the Storm left him a bit of space you could see how powerful he was and when he winds up he's quite quick. We need to get up and take his time away.

"He's very strong, he's 100-plus kilos, he has a palm and a good motor.

"The times you do struggle against him is when you give him space. He has that big left foot.

"The last game he got the wood over me. He was impressive that day. Anzac Day was a good duel, but later in the year they had a really good win and he put on a bit of a clinic.

"It's a challenge for me, I need to come back from that one and step up and there's a bit of redemption.''


"It's a big challenge for me, but coming up against the best players only makes you get better.

"He can get chirpy. He always gets chirpy. That's who he is as a person. It's fine, everyone is different off the field. We just have to try and take his time away.''

Even though the Dragons have had a dream month of results, including a couple of close ones, Aitken knows they need to go to another level to match it with the Bondi boys.

While defence had been solid in recent weeks, Aitken said their attack could improve.

"There's a lot of improvement, but good teams win the tight games, even when you're not playing at your very best - our best and worst games are getting closer together,'' he said.

Norman, who has always admired the lead-up and sentiment surrounding the Anzac Day games, said his teammates had told him what to expect at the SCG as they scrubbed up.

"I was in the shower then and the boys were talking about the atmosphere and how it's a game you just get up for. I'm really looking forward to my first experience,'' Norman said.

"The boys said it's electric out there. It's a short turnaround so we need to get our bodies right.''

Norman also had a lot of time for Mitchell and said: "He's one of those players you just have to try and do your best, take his time away from him and get in front of him. It's a hard task but it's what you have to do.''

St George Illawarra were brilliant against the Roosters last year as Tariq Sims went on a one-man mission and terrorised Cooper Cronk. Jack de Belin also had a big game as Brad Fittler stood on the sidelines for Channel Nine and realised he could have had up to half-a-dozen Dragons players in his first NSW Origin team.

The Roosters, however, have now won five on the bounce and have the benefit of Cronk and James Tedesco, two key members of their spine with a whole season under their belts at the club.


https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ai...oughest-job-on-anzac-day-20190420-p51fw2.html
 

ebbedfred

Bench
Messages
3,696
I can't see Mary changing a winning side, but in my opinion sooner rather than later he should start Lomax for a few reasons.

Obviously goal kicking is the big one.

I do think Aitken has started the season well but in my opinion his game has 2 glaring issues. Number 1, his passing game is non existent, and when he does attempt to pass it's so bad it's comical, he looks so uncomfortable passing, like he's never seen it done before. Number 2, not his tackling, but his defensive decisions, he can tackle fine, but he frequently is out of position to make the tackle, he's jamming up too fast, or hanging back too long. Lafai has been excellent the last few weeks getting this timing right and it's critical.

Now for Lomax, he is absolutely wasted sitting on the bench, he's there until either someone gets injured, or the game is over one way or the other. I would start Lomax and move Aitken to the bench. If an injury occurs anywhere in the backs, Aitken comes on into the centres and the back line reshuffles. If however, an injury does not occur, you can still use Aitken in the middle to cover 13 and give Lawrie a rest.

Doing this, Lomax is on the field for 80 mins and you have a gun goal kicker, we are not wasting a bench spot having a guy sit there for 80 mins just in case. Aitken can play in the middle, he can run hard, does not have to worry about passing and can defend in the middle where he does not have to make those defensive decisions on when to jam in, he can just get in and tackle.

I think this is best for Lomax's development, but more importantly, best for the team.
 
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2,866
Last edited:

gitano

Juniors
Messages
2,364
Probably not...
Lomax has played a grand total of 10 minutes of football in 2 weeks.
I have no idea he is supposed to come on as a replacement and click straight into gear without any real game time.
Reggies this year for Zach. Spot on he absolutely needs game time and is too green for FG at this stage
 
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