Euan Aitken

[TruSaint]

Aitken will start as will Lafai.
His shortcomings will be bleeding obvious but it will take 2-3 howlers for Mary to drop him. If he does.

Meanwhile, Lomax will have to play ( if he does ) out of position.

How many seasons does one get to lock down a spot ? He has had his chance and then some. Calls of SOO, etc are ludicrous. So many talented centres ahead of him.

 

[Old Timer]

Mate I have no doubts Aitken and Lafai will start in Round 1, but surely Mary/Young/Hornby will realise they have better options if they don’t perform ie Lomax, Mann and even Pierera and Pearson have played centre.
Anyway, hoping EA comes out firing as he did this year and maintains form this time.

Aitken very much reminds me of Steve Matai and even he wouldn't cut it in todays game and he was a lot better than Aitken.
The game has changed and requires more than a player who just runs head long into the opposition.
If the game was refereed as it was for the 1st part of last season where rules were in-forced and players binned then he would have more upside within the opposition 20 but we all know that the rules will not be in-forced so he will be smothered and held down and slow play the balls will result.

 

[hazzbeen]

Aitken will start as will Lafai.
His shortcomings will be bleeding obvious but it will take 2-3 howlers for Mary to drop him. If he does.

Meanwhile, Lomax will have to play ( if he does ) out of position.

How many seasons does one get to lock down a spot ? He has had his chance and then some. Calls of SOO, etc are ludicrous. So many talented centres ahead of him.

Lomax needs to be there he proved himself in pressure games and more than held his own .... Atikin reminds me a lot of Duges , all heart will give his best good ball runner , but not a ball player . If he has not got that at 24 he will not be someone that will set up a player ... His instincts is to run , it goods at times but not always the right option ... For me Lomax must be there , but I know what our coach will do ....

 

[TruSaint]

Lomax needs to be there he proved himself in pressure games and more than held his own .... Atikin reminds me a lot of Duges , all heart will give his best good ball runner , but not a ball player . If he has not got that at 24 he will not be someone that will set up a player ... His instincts is to run , it goods at times but not always the right option ... For me Lomax must be there , but I know what our coach will do ....

agree Hazza,.. Not saying the kid doesn't have ticker or power, but he has deficiencies in reading defence, and a poor passing game . Give Lomax a go ffs

 

[watatank]

I don't understand all the crap our supporters, majority of, put on Aitken. He is still young for a 1st grader, still improving his game, and his poor form was only due to injury. He was mentioned as a possible for SOO this year by guys who know more about footy talent than us. Yet, most of you want to cut him. He has strength, he has power, he is quick, he has passed the ball to a support before. Maybe his defence is lacking a little, but it is no worse than half of the centres who played first grade this year with all clubs. There are only a handful of centres with impeccable defensive skills. I dont think Euan and Nightie was good combo to defend together on the right side this year, and I blame someone else for that, not Euan.

I would still pick Lomax over him at right centre for 2019, but with our shortage of experience in the backs, the last thing we need is to cut a player with the ability to attack like Aitken does. Play him on the left, if need be. Try Lomax on the left, maybe. I do wonder how many games Lomax gets in, or many tries he lets in, before all you experts call for the club to sell him.

Thankfully the recruitment team know what it is all about and don't listen to you. Otherwise we would either fail to field 17 every week, or we would be able to name a Kangaroo team every week.

One of the better posts I've read on the topic.

 

[ouryears]

Aitken will start as will Lafai.
His shortcomings will be bleeding obvious but it will take 2-3 howlers for Mary to drop him. If he does.

Meanwhile, Lomax will have to play ( if he does ) out of position.

How many seasons does one get to lock down a spot ? He has had his chance and then some. Calls of SOO, etc are ludicrous. So many talented centres ahead of him.

Now that Aitken somehow made the emerging blues SOO squad, he will be a permanent fixture in our team.

Thanks for nothing Freddy, what are you thinking!!

 

[Crush]

Aitken and Lomax would be my starting centres. Show flickety flick pass to the second row the door. Drop him and wait for him to ask for release to go play OS because no other NRL club would sign him.

 

[dragon thomo]

How about we swap Aitken for Norman.

 

[possm]

agree Hazza,.. Not saying the kid doesn't have ticker or power, but he has deficiencies in reading defence, and a poor passing game . Give Lomax a go ffs

Rather than put him in first grade to see if he will improve, we should be putting him in ISP to see if he can improve enough to displace Lomax.

It is Aitken who showed poor form and Lomax who showed good form last year.

 

[possm]

Aitken and Lomax would be my starting centres. Show flickety flick pass to the second row the door. Drop him and wait for him to ask for release to go play OS because no other NRL club would sign him.

I doubt any other Club would want Aitken or Lafai at their current salary or their asking price. But yes, the only way to get rid of these two is to upset them enough to ask for a release and then grant it on the condition that we will not subsidise their salary.

I'd say that an ESL club would be the only opportunity for both of these players. They should never have been sighed long term; as far as I know, there were no clubs chasing them at the time.

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

I doubt any other Club would want Aitken or Lafai at their current salary or their asking price. But yes, the only way to get rid of these two is to upset them enough to ask for a release and then grant it on the condition that we will not subsidise their salary.

I'd say that an ESL club would be the only opportunity for both of these players. They should never have been sighed long term; as far as I know, there were no clubs chasing them at the time.

So you let them both go, Lomax gets injured, Mann gets his release to Knights......who are you going to play in the centres? McGregor?

Lomax will not go a whole season without injury or fatigue.

 

[Crush]

I doubt any other Club would want Aitken or Lafai at their current salary or their asking price. But yes, the only way to get rid of these two is to upset them enough to ask for a release and then grant it on the condition that we will not subsidise their salary.

I'd say that an ESL club would be the only opportunity for both of these players. They should never have been sighed long term; as far as I know, there were no clubs chasing them at the time.

I think you will see a big season from Aitken if he can stay fit. Big IF though.

 

[possm]

So you let them both go, Lomax gets injured, Mann gets his release to Knights......who are you going to play in the centres? McGregor?

Lomax will not go a whole season without injury or fatigue.

At the moment it is fairly clear that there is about 500k to 600k left in the cap so, if Aitken goes, his 350k odd salary will be added to that figure. Then if Lafai goes, again his salary would be added to that figure. Mann released the same. Go to the market and sign a couple of first grade outside backs; maybe Johnston and R Jennings from Souths or Leilua from Canberra.

With the above in mind, add in Norman and we have good quality depth and would rid ourselves of the dead wood.

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

Leilua is not available, Johnson and Jennings are not centres and may not be available soon. You want to cut Aitken and Lafai and then go to market. Could probably get Chayse Blair for $800k.

I would rather both Aitken and Lafai before Joey Leilua and Blair.

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

The thing is possm, we can still sign Johnson or RJennings without weakening our centre strength.

 

[Gareth67]

Aitken - Johnston - Norman , we could just get Whamsley to break his ESP contract and get him to play in the centers .

 

[Dorothy the Winowhore]

Oh well, hopefully Mark Coyne can sort it all out. Hey possm

 

[possm]

Oh well, hopefully Mark Coyne can sort it all out. Hey possm

I would love to know why he's not there this year, did he get sacked or did he just leave for no reason?

 

[BLM01]

I would love to know why he's not there this year, did he get sacked or did he just leave for no reason?

Sacked on the recommendation of Ian Millward apparently
POSSM...so now he got a job on the Independant Nowhere to be seen Commission

 

[possm]

Sacked on the recommendation of Ian Millward apparently
POSSM...so now he got a job on the Independant Nowhere to be seen Commission

Probably said it was a mess ……… a MILLWARD MESS