2020 season

[franklin2323]

If he does, then I'd like to see Luai move to fullback. With his speed, footwork, passing and short kicking game, he has everything we lack at fullback with Edwards playing there. A spine of Luai, Burton, Cleary and Koroisau would certainly help our attack.

I know it won't happen though, the safe way to start the season is Cleary and Luai in the halves and Edwards at fullback.

We will start that way but it takes a few games where we don't end sets well. Or injuries in other positions for a change

 

[franklin2323]

Burton will push Luai out before the year is done. Im very confident about this

As am I. Room for both in the 17 that said

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

If he does, then I'd like to see Luai move to fullback. With his speed, footwork, passing and short kicking game, he has everything we lack at fullback with Edwards playing there. A spine of Luai, Burton, Cleary and Koroisau would certainly help our attack.

I know it won't happen though, the safe way to start the season is Cleary and Luai in the halves and Edwards at fullback.

According to Penrith Panthers stat attack Edwards had the leading tackle breaks in the club. https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2019/10/21/2019-stat-attack-tackle-breakers/

I think moving Lui to fullback would be a poor option. Why not play him at 14. Bring in on and have 3 halves playing, Works well against tiring forwards. Cleary did this in a couple of games this year. We won all of them. I think it was against the Chooks at home, Knights at home and the dragons at home.

 

[betcats]

We know my thoughts on Burton but he is still a rookie with a lot to prove. That being said he is 6 foot 5 with brilliant footwork and very good pace, he has a great kicking game long or short. This we know, he’s shown it off plenty in the lower grades. In his nrl debut he showed a maturity and decision making and leadership in spades, if that wasn’t a fluke he will be starting in our halves sooner rather than later.

 

[franklin2323]

We know my thoughts on Burton but he is still a rookie with a lot to prove. That being said he is 6 foot 5 with brilliant footwork and very good pace, he has a great kicking game long or short. This we know, he’s shown it off plenty in the lower grades. In his nrl debut he showed a maturity and decision making and leadership in spades, if that wasn’t a fluke he will be starting in our halves sooner rather than later.

I had my doubts over Luai to play halves for a while the fact Burton is good only helps that.

I don't think Staines or Laurie will be ready this year. Aekins isn't very good so for me if Edwards goes down Luai should go back there. Or same with centre I think he is better than Naden or Crichton at this moment.

Both I see as better options then not picking one or the other

 

[mxlegend99]

Luai at fullback was a disaster when Hook put him there. Its possible he could improve. But you're not strengthening the team by doing it IMO.

Edwards has flaws. But ticks more boxes at fullback than Luai.

If we need to shift him to fit Burton in. Doing it to our weakest position makes more sense IMO. Centre is by far our biggest issue at the moment. Not sure Luai fixes that. But his one game at centre was far better than his one game at fullback.

Main thing though is Edwards is a good solid fullback. Our centres are a bloke who has been destroyed by injury and a bloke who cant pass or tackle but is great at finishing and good on the end of kicks.

 

[Crashtest]

According to Penrith Panthers stat attack Edwards had the leading tackle breaks in the club. https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2019/10/21/2019-stat-attack-tackle-breakers/

I think moving Lui to fullback would be a poor option. Why not play him at 14. Bring in on and have 3 halves playing, Works well against tiring forwards. Cleary did this in a couple of games this year. We won all of them. I think it was against the Chooks at home, Knights at home and the dragons at home.

You need more than tackle breaks from your fullback though, especially when playing against the better defensive teams.

 

[franklin2323]

Luai at fullback was a disaster when Hook put him there. Its possible he could improve. But you're not strengthening the team by doing it IMO.

Edwards has flaws. But ticks more boxes at fullback than Luai.

If we need to shift him to fit Burton in. Doing it to our weakest position makes more sense IMO. Centre is by far our biggest issue at the moment. Not sure Luai fixes that. But his one game at centre was far better than his one game at fullback.

Main thing though is Edwards is a good solid fullback. Our centres are a bloke who has been destroyed by injury and a bloke who cant pass or tackle but is great at finishing and good on the end of kicks.

I don't think either are long term options but short term while the Flegg guys develop more. Some tough decisions come up that is for sure

 

[franklin2323]

You need more than tackle breaks from your fullback though, especially when playing against the better defensive teams.

That is it for me. Lose nothing if Edwards is on the wing but my point was he has yet to play a full season yet so at some stage we need cover

 

[Crashtest]

Main thing though is Edwards is a good solid fullback

That’s part of the problem though, having a good solid fullback in such a vital position isn’t enough if we want to beat the better teams.

 

[betcats]

I had my doubts over Luai to play halves for a while the fact Burton is good only helps that.

I don't think Staines or Laurie will be ready this year. Aekins isn't very good so for me if Edwards goes down Luai should go back there. Or same with centre I think he is better than Naden or Crichton at this moment.

Both I see as better options then not picking one or the other

Yeah if it works out that he isn’t in the halves i wouldn’t mind playing him at fullback or centre, same for Burton. Burton would be easier to shift tbh maybe a year or two at centre or fb(If Edwards isn’t doing the job) would be good for him but I just see him as the best long term prospect in the halves we have.

 

[franklin2323]

Yeah if it works out that he isn’t in the halves i wouldn’t mind playing him at fullback or centre, same for Burton. Burton would be easier to shift tbh maybe a year or two at centre or fb(If Edwards isn’t doing the job) would be good for him but I just see him as the best long term prospect in the halves we have.

Both could no doubt handle centre or Fullback. Both are left footers but for me I need to see a decent kicking game from Luai to be sold on him

 

[kinghippo]

We know my thoughts on Burton but he is still a rookie with a lot to prove. That being said he is 6 foot 5 with brilliant footwork and very good pace, he has a great kicking game long or short. This we know, he’s shown it off plenty in the lower grades. In his nrl debut he showed a maturity and decision making and leadership in spades, if that wasn’t a fluke he will be starting in our halves sooner rather than later.

I didn’t realise Burton was so tall. 6’5, he will be a unit when he fills out.

 

[Kilkenny]

You need more than tackle breaks from your fullback though, especially when playing against the better defensive teams.

it was a pretty significant achievement given how poor our offence was.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I didn’t realise Burton was so tall. 6’5, he will be a unit when he fills out.

He's listed as 190cm, which is just under 6'3

Still very tall for a half

https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/teams/telstra-premiership/penrith-panthers/matt-burton/

 

[Zampaa]

Luai at fullback was a disaster when Hook put him there. Its possible he could improve. But you're not strengthening the team by doing it IMO.

Edwards has flaws. But ticks more boxes at fullback than Luai.

If we need to shift him to fit Burton in. Doing it to our weakest position makes more sense IMO. Centre is by far our biggest issue at the moment. Not sure Luai fixes that. But his one game at centre was far better than his one game at fullback.

Main thing though is Edwards is a good solid fullback. Our centres are a bloke who has been destroyed by injury and a bloke who cant pass or tackle but is great at finishing and good on the end of kicks.

It's hard to say it was a disaster when he had a season ending injury after about 20 minutes.

 

[mxlegend99]

It's hard to say it was a disaster when he had a season ending injury after about 20 minutes.

Doesn't get much more disastrous than that does it?

His 20 minutes before injury were pretty bad though. Broncos halves weren't very good but they still managed to expose his flaws as a fullback pretty quickly for us to see its not his best position.

Not that he couldnt improve them a bit. But unless we had injury again forcing us its not a risk you would want to take.

 

[betcats]

I remember him being a bit shaky back there. I wouldn't rule him out of the position permanently though.

 

[franklin2323]

I remember him being a bit shaky back there. I wouldn't rule him out of the position permanently though.

Who knows how much practice he had before that. he was decent in NYC back there. I would have him and Burton do some pre season there

 

[roofromoz]

Are we still switching to O'Neills or staying with Classic? They have announced their new partnership with Newcastle but nothing on Penrith.