Epalahame Lauaki

[Iafeta]

No mate, you were talking about the Warriors unleashing a 115 kilo ball player. You tipped him to be rookie of the year.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

...and I certainly don't "hold a grudge" lol, I actually quite like him as a player and want him to succeed. At this stage though, he's a guy who has battled away looking distinctly sub-par for most of his almost 4 season long career.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

No mate, you were talking about the Warriors unleashing a 115 kilo ball player. You tipped him to be rookie of the year.

No I didn't

I'd never seen him play until he started out in first grade

You've got me confused with someone else, maybe

 

[Stagger eel]

I thought he started very well, however I'd be pretty concerned with his fitness level, either that or Cleary was over using him.

 

[Murphdogg1]

He's been up and down this year alone. He's had a couple of rank shockers. Prior to this year he was below par as a first-grader.

I agree he has been average prior to this year

However this season he has needed a few games to get going. Over the last 10 weeks hes been outstanding - even during our famous losing streak he was really contributing off the bench.

I think the fact that he has been up and down signals his turnaround - i seriously think he has turned the corner - its his defensive effort that does it for me. He hasnt had a consistent period like this before in his career and if he continues it he will be one of the more destructive forwards in the comp.

 

[petetheileet]

Henry speaks the truth, looks lethal, yet only still in patches

 

[Fast Eddie]

He would have played more minutes today then he usually would.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

He was lethal today, can't say I have seen much of him in the past but he has all the tools to be a super player..

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

The number of people saying "I haven't seen much of him", about a guy who debuted in round 1 2004, pretty much tells the story.

 

[Panther_Daz]

New Zealand have some awesome talent coming through, i believe they can really challenge Australia consistently in the coming years. Alot is made of Penrith's awesome juniors at the moment, and alot of them are Kiwi.

 

[Murphdogg1]

The number of people saying "I haven't seen much of him", about a guy who debuted in round 1 2004, pretty much tells the story.

I agree

But you fail to acknowledge the possibility that this season he may have turned the corner - it is possible you know, look at guys in all positions who have been late bloomers such as Thurston - he had plenty of exposure in first grade before he really took off.

I am personally in the camp that believe this season he is by far playing his best football and starting to reach his potential - such as today - now if he keeps it up the sky is the limit. I guess we will have to wait and see.

I believe he is a much harder working player than he was 12-18 months ago - in those days he was just plain lazy (like much of the team to be honest) with sporadic first grade appearances. This season he has cemented a position on the bench and really seems to understand what being a proffessional footballer is all about.

the same exact thing applies to Evarn Tuimavarve - he was running around in 2003 and yet it is only in late 2006/2007 that he has really started to play to his potential. The Warriors are in a unique situation where they havent often had a premier league side so they dont have the same breeding ground and schooling of talent that other teams have. In that area we are starting to catch up but i believe guys like Tuimavarve/Lauaki are perfect examples of the differences in footballing structures between the Warriors and the rest of the NRL.

 

[Inferno]

Lauaki and Rapira have been outstanding for the warriors off the bench this year. I'd have them both in my side in a heartbeat.

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Guys, look at Sam Perrett, he debuted in 2004, didn't play FG again till late 2005 & was consistent at best, 2006 he was awful defensively at the start of the year & was dropped, only to come back strongly at the end of 2006. But now look at him, the kid is an absolute gun, strong, busts tackles at will, is a solid defender, safe under the high ball, & plays with more heart than players twice his size.

 

[Dragonsforthewin]

good player, had a great game today as soon as he came on, pity about the result and the cheating of nate myles tho

 

[JJ]

imagine if they could convice Sione to switch, he's even more of a beast...

Good to see Lauaki and Tuimivave finally playing well

 

[SpaceMonkey]

imagine if they could convice Sione to switch, he's even more of a beast...

Good to see Lauaki and Tuimivave finally playing well

Tuimavave's been consistently good since early last season. As for the Lauakis, yeah imagine having both of them on the park at once, they'd be unstoppable!

 

[Skram]

I gave up on Lauaki at some point last year after a dismal game where he just seemed uninterested. He just seemed like another 'huge potential - wrong attitude' player. Something has changed, be it the offseason or the fact that Cleary has persisted with him this season but it has worked wonders.
I'm loving his footwork at the moment, when you get someone that big moving that fast towards the line and throw a spin move in there its great to see and near impossible to stop. The other thing he's corrected is the timing of his offloads, he seems to have learnt the all important difference between when and when not to throw them.

 

[Maori-Boy]

Lauaki and Rapira have really picked it up this season. This season Lauaki seems to be more aggressive in his running and continually fights after first contact is made.

 

[JoeD]

Needs a more phonetic name, but I dig him.

Epalahame is more phonetic than Stephen.

 

[kav]

Luaki is an example of a raw kid getting some experience in the top grade, developing under the guidance of a couple of old hands and now having the knowledge and confidence to use his natural skills and his size to good effect. There are any number of E. Luaki's awaiting their chances to advance their careers.

Kav