Blake Austin is a better 5/8 than Anthony Milford & Mitchell Moses

[Pete Cash]

Big Pete is also right. Austin is only a piece of the puzzle. The raiders spine is good at covering the weaknesses of the other members. Williams is very laid back and can direct the side across the park and kick which Austin isn't great at but Austin has a first rate running game which compliments Williams. Its almost an old school 6 and 7. I have no doubt that next year sezer will do great but I'm glad to see Sammy step up and not sulk.

Hodgson having an above average kickinh game should not be underestimated either.

Hodgson and Williams allow Austin to just run and occasionally put a short ball onto papalii to keep the defence honest. Stick moving papalii back to the second row also helps Austin because it stops defenders just doubling in on Austin because if he does pass papalii will go straight through.

Austin is great but players like hodgson should be getting the same wraps. That said Austin seems like a top bloke who does loads for the community so he ain't a bad public face for a team.

Edit

Oh yeah baptiste has been huge. It was almost comical the way the raiders would collapse as soon as hodgson went off.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I can understand Milford but why are you so butthurt about Moses? It makes no sense.

I'm not hurt..lol? :? I just think the Tigers kept the wrong player and it's an apt comparison. He's probably the most overrated rookie I've ever seen in my 26 years of watching Rugby League. I just don't see what the hype is all about.

He also hates gay people (last year's Origin under 20's suspension), so I don't understand why wittyfan likes him.

 

[betcats]

I'm not hurt..lol? :? I just think the Tigers kept the wrong player and it's an apt comparison. He's probably the most overrated rookie I've ever seen in my 26 years of watching Rugby League. I just don't see what the hype is all about.

He also hates gay people (last year's Origin under 20's suspension), so I don't understand why wittyfan likes him.

You should be grateful for Moses though, without him you wouldn't have Austin. It certainly comes across as if you have a chip on your shoulder about them though imo. Anyway Austing is playing brilliantly, you don't need to bag Moses and Milford constantly to prove that.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Signing Milford to a 1m per year contract would have been suicide. Only megastars who can define a team like JT, Smith, SBW and DCE are worth that much.

If you can't get one of those guys then you're better off getting a trio like Austin, Sezer and Hodgson for perhaps only a couple hundred k more.

That's much better value and then allows you to build a quality team with other additions like Soliola and Waqa.

There's no doubt that losing Milford is the best thing that could have happened to the Raiders. And ironically, gaining Milf may cost the Broncos Ash Taylor who I suspect will turn out to be a much better option in the halves.

 

[nick87]

If the Broncos ended up losing Ash Taylor, that would be delicious!
But the point re: Losing Milford is one well worth making, i dont think a single Raiders fan in the world would trade Hodgson, Austin, Sezer for Milford straight up. Which is essentially exactly what we did

 

[Pete Cash]

I wouldn't even trade hodgson for Milford in a straight swap. Its so good to have a quality hooker.

 

[Chief_Chujo]

You should be grateful for Moses though, without him you wouldn't have Austin. It certainly comes across as if you have a chip on your shoulder about them though imo. Anyway Austing is playing brilliantly, you don't need to bag Moses and Milford constantly to prove that.

It's just forum banter mate. Bit of fun, no need to read too much into it.

 

[betcats]

It's just forum banter mate. Bit of fun, no need to read too much into it.

Fair enough I just get grumpy and worked up in the mornings lol.

 

[Kiwi]

Why would we be upset about Milford. He's a huge talent but if we had signed him to a million dollars would we have hodgson who I'd take every day of the week over Milford.

Say we kept Milford then its the same side we had last year. Buttriss in the 9 and mccrone in the halves.

It sucks to lose a kid the club has put so much money into but if we still had Milford we would be a shitty team waiting for Milford to do something.

Was the Raiders cap that stretched and poorly managed? I ask because with the players they had it should have been a case of even if they kept Milford they should have still been able to recruit what they have on top of that.

 

[Kiwi]

Signing Milford to a 1m per year contract would have been suicide. Only megastars who can define a team like JT, Smith, SBW and DCE are worth that much.

If you can't get one of those guys then you're better off getting a trio like Austin, Sezer and Hodgson for perhaps only a couple hundred k more.

That's much better value and then allows you to build a quality team with other additions like Soliola and Waqa.

There's no doubt that losing Milford is the best thing that could have happened to the Raiders. And ironically, gaining Milf may cost the Broncos Ash Taylor who I suspect will turn out to be a much better option in the halves.

I dunno bout losing Taylor, latest rumours have him sticking with the Broncos. Jayden Nikorima is the one we might end up losing. He is behind Hunt, Milford, Kodi, Taylor and McCullough who are all still very very young. Jayden would be a bigger loss than Taylor, but can't keep them all.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Well after reading this thread I'll be shocked if the raiders lose another game this decade.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I'm not hurt..lol? :? I just think the Tigers kept the wrong player and it's an apt comparison. He's probably the most overrated rookie I've ever seen in my 26 years of watching Rugby League. I just don't see what the hype is all about.

He also hates gay people (last year's Origin under 20's suspension), so I don't understand why wittyfan likes him.

A raiders fan saying another teams rookie is over rated

Wow

 

[Tommy Smith]

I dunno bout losing Taylor, latest rumours have him sticking with the Broncos. Jayden Nikorima is the one we might end up losing. He is behind Hunt, Milford, Kodi, Taylor and McCullough who are all still very very young. Jayden would be a bigger loss than Taylor, but can't keep them all.

If you can convince Taylor to stay at the Broncos to play reserve grade year after year then Bennett deserves a medal.

 

[redvscotty]

Milford will become worse than Ben Barba.

Wouldnt be surprised to see him join the EBC in the next offseason.

 

[Tommy Smith]

A raiders fan saying another teams rookie is over rated

Wow

Wait, are you suggesting that Matt Gaffa WON'T be an Immortal?

 

[Kiwi]

If you can convince Taylor to stay at the Broncos to play reserve grade year after year then Bennett deserves a medal.

I imagine if Milford stalls in the next 12 months or if Taylor gets so good in that time Bennett has to shift Milford for him he will. Bennett this year has openly admitted when he was wrong and has done something about it. Start of the year he openly admitted to getting the bench wrong for round 1 and stuffing up the interchange, and he told Ofahengaue he wouldn't play first grade this year but selected him when his attitude, training and form demanded it. So I have faith that if it needs to happen Taylor will play in place of Milford in the halves. I can see Taylor sticking around till his current contract runs out end of next year. Then if Milford and Hunt are dominating he will leave.

 

[blaza88z]

Milford will become worse than Ben Barba.

Wouldnt be surprised to see him join the EBC in the next offseason.

Milford has done more in 9 games than Barba did in an entire season, he's getting better each and every week too.

 

[Vic Mackey]

Wait, are you suggesting that Matt Gaffa WON'T be an Immortal?

He still has time.

Anyways I can't wait til this time next year when Austin signs with the dogs/roosters and all of a sudden he is the worst player in the world and kris keating whoever is replacing him should be playing origin.

 

[wittyfan]

He also hates gay people (last year's Origin under 20's suspension), so I don't understand why wittyfan likes him.

It wasn't meant in a homophobic way.

 

[nick87]

He still has time.

Anyways I can't wait til this time next year when Austin signs with the dogs/roosters and all of a sudden he is the worst player in the world and kris keating whoever is replacing him should be playing origin.

:lol: Come on now.
The tigers were dumb enough to release him, but to expect there is 2 clubs as f**king bone headed as them in the NRL is quite laughable.