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!

2021 pre-season.

sup42

Juniors
Messages
1,983
Where is the Trump thing coming from?

if we want to compare with politicians (if held one) and I don’t, then his communication skills make Ardern look more Primary School than she is... he’s brilliant imo, obviously tactically he was a genius but he can can inspire and communicate without talking to you like you’re a child (or profoundly stupid)... quite something when his audience is often league players
It is just a throw away line for a charismatic figure who has many adoring followers.
Make Origin great again and all that. Gus does like to spin. I'm anti Trump but pro Gould. I am absolutely certain that he is having a profound impact on the club.

He is a legend, an NRL true expert, so they are very lucky to have him around. He was a brilliant coach.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,738
It is just a throw away line for a charismatic figure who has many adoring followers.
Make Origin great again and all that. Gus does like to spin. I'm anti Trump but pro Gould. I am absolutely certain that he is having a profound impact on the club.

He is a legend, an NRL true expert, so they are very lucky to have him around. He was a brilliant coach.
I was a Penrith fan back in 90-91. Agree 100% the guy is a genius, anyone who doubts that hasn’t been paying attention... and should read Mario Fenech’s book, Gus was effectively player coach of those really good Souths sides
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
Interesting to note we have Lachlan Timm on a train and trial deal too.

Big wraps on him when he was at the dragons lower grades
 

SmashEmBro

Juniors
Messages
638
Interesting to note we have Lachlan Timm on a train and trial deal too.

Big wraps on him when he was at the dragons lower grades

Is this recent? Haven’t seen anything written about this and the guy sounds like a gun, how has he not had a run with anyone, especially the 2020 Warriors desperate for a prop
 

SmashEmBro

Juniors
Messages
638
Browns indicated that BMM will be used as an edge forward this year. Said he’s been training as a middle also, and depending on injuries and training etc, but sounds like he’ll be on one edge.

That means that Tohu at lock and Katoa on the other edge? That’s an exciting back row.

And to think, this time last year we were looking forward to the combination of Tohu, Papalii and Blair...
 

Penrose_11

Juniors
Messages
1,266
Murchie and Sironen will be too of the list trying to force their way into that group starting group as well. And with AFB, Au Mau, Evans, JTB as possible front row, things looking ok 50+ days out
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,738
Lots of good options

Sironen looked good for Souths, had expected BMM would be in the middle

let’s hope we have luck with injuries and Brown works out quickly what the best pack is
 

Big Marn

Juniors
Messages
2,318
With BMM playing in UK for a few years, im not expecting him to be more than 40mins a game due to fitness. maybe later in the year, his workload will be better, so should be plenty of opportunity for the likes of Sironen and Murchie. Katoa and Tohu have big motors so not likely to be rotated out so much.
 

Rich102

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,524
Warriors coach Nathan Brown has confirmed one of the club’s major off-season signings has already recovered from what could have been a disastrous pre-season injury blow.

A report out of Australia earlier this week claimed Ben Murdoch-Masila had suffered a suspected torn pectoral (pec) before scans confirmed it was only a strain.

A torn pec could have been season-ending and even a high-end strain could lead to weeks on the sidelines but Brown said the Tongan powerhouse, who has joined the Warriors from Super League club Warrington Wolves, is back in full training but not in the position many expected.

”It was very minor,” Brown said. “He might have missed two or three days training.”


There are still 51 days until the Warriors kick off their season against the Gold Coast Titans on March 13 and plenty of water to flow under the bridge yet, but at this stage, Brown has almost a full roster to work with.

Besides utility Karl Lawton and wing Iliesa (Junior) Ratuva – who is yet to make his NRL debut – the club has no other long term injuries.

Before the 2020 season kicked off, then coach Stephen Kearney had already lost props Bunty Afoa and Jackson Frei with another middle Leeson Ah Mau going down just two games into the season and a string of other injuries to key players followed.
“There’s plenty of blokes that get niggles in the pre-season,” Brown said.

Middle forward Jyris Glamuzina, who is on a development contract, has a minor knee injury but should only miss a couple of weeks training.

“If that's the worst of it, then that's not too bad,” Brown said.

Brown also confirmed Murdoch-Masila, who many NRL pundits have pegged as a starting prop or coming off the bench to play in the middle, is more likely to play as an edge forward in the second row, at this stage.
“He can play two spots,” Brown said. “He can play middle and he can play on the edge and at the moment he's doing, certainly, a lot more of his training on the edge and he's a player who certainly adds some strike when he plays out there.

“The form of other people and the form of Ben, all these things will play a part,” Brown said of his team selection for round one.

Murdoch-Masila spent much of his time with Warrington on an edge after mostly playing as a prop in his NRL stints with the Wests Tigers and the Penrith Panthers but the Warriors considering him as an edge could be due to the strength of their middles on the club's roster.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport
New signings Addin Fonua-Blake and Kane Evans join the fit-again Afoa and Ah Mau plus last year's Warriors rookie of the year Jamayne Taunoa-Brown as well as exciting young prospects Frei, Tom Ale and the hard-working Jazz Tevaga.

Brown is optimistic the addition of a player such as Fonua-Blake and his experience will take the less experienced forwards to a new level.
Twelve months ago Taunoa-Brown was on a train and trial deal but ended up playing all but one of the Warriors 20 NRL matches.

“Jamayne's really trained on well. He’s come in last year on the back of his first proper pre-season ever after a couple of years in the Q [Queensland] Cup and made a good account of himself, and he certainly looks like he’s doing this with a lot more confidence this year,” Brown said.

With last year’s boom rookie Eliesa Katoa, the big end of season improver Jack Murchie, Tohu Harris, new recruit Bayley Sironen and Josh Curran all capable of playing on an edge, competition for spots in Brown's forward pack is going to be hot.

With Harris and Sironen also able to play in the middle, Brown has plenty of versatility.

With just one trial game, also against the Titans, fringe players must impress Brown and the rest of the coaching team at training in the next two months to help cement a spot in the game-day 17 for the opening NRL match of the season.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...dochmasila-is-ready-to-go-for-start-of-season
 

SmashEmBro

Juniors
Messages
638
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Evans
11. BMM
12. Katoa
13. Tohu

14. Ah Mau
15. Tevaga
16. Bunty/JTB/Ale/Murchie
17. Sironen

Thats a good looking team. I like Evans starting, never really considered it (although he’s said this is something he wants to do), and will add some fire power in those opening 15, 20 minutes.

A few of these players won’t be there nek year too, my guess would be Jazz, Bunty, Lawton, Curran to be moved on nek year and free up a bit more cap space for at least one significant signing hopefully.
 

Rich102

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,524
George!

NRL pre-season trials
February 12
Sharks v Dragons: 5.30pm (AEDT) (players with 12 games from 2020 or less trial) at PointsBet Stadium.

February 18
Eels v Dragons: TBC at TBC

February 20
Wests Tigers v Roosters: 6.30pm (AEDT) at Kirkham Oval, Camden

Warriors v Storm: 7.30pm (AEST) at Dolphin Stadium, Redcliffe

NRL All Stars: Indigenous v Maori women's game 4.40pm (AEST); Indigenous v Maori men's game 7pm (AEST) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

February 27
Storm v Knights: 5.30pm (AEDT) at Casey Fields, Melbourne

Roosters v Raiders: 5.30pm (AEDT) at Leichhardt Oval

Sharks v Bulldogs: 6pm (AEDT) at Netstrata Stadium.

Titans v Warriors: 6pm (AEDT) at Oaks Oval, Lismore

Rabbitohs v Dragons: 6.30pm (AEDT) at Mudgee

Eels v Panthers: 7.30pm (AEDT) at Panthers Stadium

Broncos v Cowboys: 7pm (AEST) at Dolphin Stadium

February 28
Wests Tigers v Sea Eagles: 5pm (AEDT) at Leichhardt Oval
 

Rich102

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,524
Only a few years ago, Euan Aitken was at the top of his game and a genuine NSW State of Origin centre candidate.
He started 2018 on fire, as did his team - St George Illawarra, but James Roberts was instead given the Origin nod by Brad Fittler in a closely contested selection race.

When Aitken memorably stood up South Sydney champion Greg Inglis and brushed him aside to score early that season, the young outside back appeared destined for the representative arena.

But the Dragons have been in decline since and Aitken has perhaps suffered from being in a struggling side.
Having now joined the Warriors - a club seemingly on the rise after their inspirational efforts amid extreme adversity in 2020 and a recruitment spree - Aitken is poised to shine again.

The 25-year-old has admitted he wasn't at his best in 2019, though he pointed out he didn't get as many attacking opportunities, and if he can continue last season's improved performances, he could be just what the Warriors need out wide.

"I think the [Warriors] squad we've got here can hopefully turn in some good footy, and obviously when the team's playing well, players usually well play too," Aitken told reporters in January.

"I'm looking forward to the couple years I've got at the Warriors [signed until end of 2023] and I'm happy that I'm here."

euan-aitken_20210206.jpg

Statistical comparison
Maybe he was overlooked due to St George Illawarra's shoddy form, but Aitken averaged 150 metres per game - the most of his six-season career - with Newcastle's Bradman Best (153.4m per game) being the only specialist centre ranked above Aitken in this aspect.

Best played 11 matches compared to Aitken's 17, and the latter consistently dented defences with his powerful running.

In 2018, Aitken averaged only 114m per game, although there were more Dragons players around him contributing strongly every week.

The Shellharbour Sharks junior averaged the fourth-most metres for his team in 2020, behind winger Jordan Pereira (167.8m), prop Paul Vaughan (153.1) and fullback Matt Dufty (151.5).

That was despite Aitken missing selection for the first two games and then coming off the interchange in rounds three and four.

Elsewhere, Aitken produced his highest tackle-efficiency rate so far with 91.33 percent, missing just 15 tackles all year.

He hadn't tackled with such efficiency since his debut season in 2015, where he had a percentage of 89.31% after 23 appearances.

Aitken's tally of four tries last year was his lowest to date, but that may improve if he's given clean ball in a competitive team.

A change in scenery and a new coach in Nathan Brown could reinvigorate Aitken, who hails from the Illawarra and came through the Dragons system, and push him back towards rep honours.

There's still areas that need improvement - setting up his wingers more often is one, having only recorded two try assists last season - but at his age Aitken has plenty of upside.

https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2021/02/09/bouncing-back-aitkens-edge/
 

Rich102

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,524
The game against the Titans in Lismore, northeastern NSW, is now the Warriors' only pre-season match before they open their 2021 campaign against the same team at Central Coast Stadium on March 13.

Sky Sport 4 in NZ or feed on Warriors site.
 

Latest posts

Top