Jack's jumping at chance to make it

[Disco]

Adam Lucius
08Nov06
A PLAYER once rated the equal of Bulldogs superstar Sonny Bill Williams has arrived at Manly declaring he wants Ben Kennedy's old backrow spot.

Jack Afamasaga, 22, has shifted from Parramatta to the Sea Eagles with an eye on a lock or second-row berth.
If he fulfils the promise he showed as a teenager in New Zealand, the Sea Eagles may be on a winner.
Afamasaga played for Auckland against a touring Eels side in an under-17 tournament in 2001 - and played so well Parramatta brought him back to Sydney with them.
Manly recruitment officer Noel ``Crusher'' Cleal, who was with the Eels at the time, remembers the impact the 105kg, 184cm forward made.
``The Parramatta side we sent over had seven players with NRL experience and they only just beat Auckland,'' Cleal recalled.
``Sonny Bill was the player of the tournament but Jack was a close second behind him.
``He didn't lose much in comparison.
``The Dogs already had Sonny signed up but we brought Jack back with us.
``He played a fair bit of first grade early but he's had a bit of a battle with injury the last two years.
``But he can play. He's got good speed and balance and is a nice edge player.''
Afamasaga's entry into rugby league was all the more remarkable given he was earmarked for a rugby union career.
``I was with the Hurricanes development squad but after playing in that tournament I switched to league,'' he said.
``It wasn't planned at all.''
Now Afamasaga, who has a three-year-old son, is targetting Kennedy's old spot in the backrow.
``There is an opening there and that's what I am aiming at,'' he said.
``There were a lot of good players in front of me at Parramatta and I saw a chance at Manly.
``It's up to me to grab it.''
Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler said of Afamasaga: ``He is a likely looking player and Crusher speaks very highly of him.
``Everyone starts the season with a clean slate so he'll get his chance to impress.''
Manly begin pre-season training on Monday.

 

[Stagger eel]

Load of sh*te!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark Horo found Jack and not Cleal...Cleal didn't even find Lyon he was only recommended by John Harvey and Brad Levy to go and see him.

Load of sh*te!!!!!!!

 

[The Colonel]

Best of luck to Jack - I hope he can make it back into the NRL.

Noels memory must be fading though......

http://cache.zoominfo.com/cachedpage/?archive_id=0&page_id=702795985&page_url=%2f%2fwww.nzherald.co.nz%2fsports%2fsportsstorydisplay.cfm%3fstoryID%3d3569331%26thesection%3dsport%26thesubsection%3drugbyleague%26thesecondsubsection%3dkiwis&page_last_updated=5%2f30%2f2004+2%3a59%3a36+AM&firstName=Jack&lastName=Afamasaga

His potential came to the attention of former Kiwi international Mark Horo when he toured New Zealand in 2002 as coach of a Parramatta under-16 team.

The Parramatta team played a Manawatu under-18 comprising mostly Levin schoolboys at the Levin Domain.

Although they lost that night, Afamasaga had impressed Horo and the Parramatta coaching staff enough for them to exchange phone numbers and offer him an airfare and a position with an age-grade team in the club.

 

[Disco]

Who cares guys, lets not turn this into a parra manly b*tchfight

Its simply a thread to talk about Afamasaga's potential and whether he will make the SeaEagles 17

 

[Stagger eel]

Who cares guys, lets not turn this into a parra manly b*tchfight

Its simply a thread to talk about Afamasaga's potential and whether he will make the SeaEagles 17

yeah! and goodluck to him he's a decent player and a good bloke, but the amount of f**ken sh*te you guys go on about how good Cleal is at his job is laughable..I guess that's what happens when both him and Peters work for the same organisation.

I'll say this about Cleal, the only value Manly will have with him is the ability to get Judas there...that's it.

 

[Harold Bishop]

I must be missing something in the article. I dont see where it says that Crusher bought Jack over by himself to Parramatta.

 

[Stagger eel]

I must be missing something in the article. I dont see where it says that Crusher bought Jack over by himself to Parramatta.

it was the implication that Crusher found him..the reality is he was sh*t at his job.

 

[willvillain]

It says that Cleal was with the recruitment team at the time (which I believe is true) - not that he was the one who unearthed him specifically.

It's an article from the Manly Daily for f*cks sake, of course the journo is going to search for links to the Manly club at every opportunity.

 

[Briza]

Sour Grapes taste sweet!

 

[RainMan]

I won't be satisfied until I see at least another 20 parra supporters post in here, then a thread start in the Parra Forum which goes on for pages and pages saying how sh*t Cleal really is...

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Afamasaga is a good player. I had raps on him about two years ago, but he has had a few injuries since then. Hope he comes good.

 

[swoop]

How good is it seeing these Eels supporters going nuts!! We have signed Lyon and now Jack while their club has turned to shyte!! Players leaving in droves.

I wonder how Tahu is going to feel when Hagan puts him on the wing, that's the reason he left Newcastle so as he could play in the centres. Hagan didn't rate him as a centre!!

20 years or so of mediocrity! You guys must be loving that.;-) :lol:

 

[chileman]

I hope Jack turns his footy career around with us and he gets a good run injury free to show what he really can do on the footy field!

 

[The Colonel]

I hope Jack turns his footy career around with us and he gets a good run injury free to show what he really can do on the footy field!

It would be good to see. Most because he is a really great kid and hasn't had much luck with injury in the past two years. Good back rower - not sure he is a lock at all but is great running wide. Spent twelve months on the wing with Guildford before he started at Parramatta.

 

[Disco]

i'd assume that if he is good enough, he would be second-row with Menzies at lock

 

[Sea Eagle Scuba]

i'd assume that if he is good enough, he would be second-row with Menzies at lock

Yeh, tend to agree Disco. Also, if we take a look at our JF and PL packs, our depth is increasing and signs are looking bright.

PL:

8. Glen Hall
9. Matt Ballin
10. Mailangi Styles
11. Jack Afamasaga
12. Adam Cuthbertson
13. Glen Stewart

14. Jason Wells
15. Nathan Tutt
16. Phil Morwood
17. Jim Curtis
18. Sione Finefeuiaki

JF:

8. Chris Trembath (JF Player of the Year 2006)
9. Trent Rose / Wayne Boorer
10. Vic Mauro (c)
11. Mark Offerdahl
12. James Barker
13. John O Sullivan

Both packs looks like they'll be competitive next year! Which is great to see!

 

[Disco]

I'd like to see Offerdahl and Trembath step up to PL sometime next year, also i think Grieve will be in the JF pack

 

[girvie]

Yeh, tend to agree Disco. Also, if we take a look at our JF and PL packs, our depth is increasing and signs are looking bright.

PL:

8. Glen Hall
9. Matt Ballin
10. Mailangi Styles
11. Jack Afamasaga
12. Adam Cuthbertson
13. Glen Stewart

14. Jason Wells
15. Nathan Tutt
16. Phil Morwood
17. Jim Curtis
18. Sione Finefeuiaki

JF:

8. Chris Trembath (JF Player of the Year 2006)
9. Trent Rose / Wayne Boorer
10. Vic Mauro (c)
11. Mark Offerdahl
12. James Barker
13. John O Sullivan

Both packs looks like they'll be competitive next year! Which is great to see!

I think Trembath, Mauro and maybe O'Sullivan and Boorer are too old for Flegg next year.

I think Inoke Tapaatoutai will be in there.

 

[jason taylor]

Afamasanga Is a prety good player. But too many injurys

 

[Sea Eagle Scuba]

I think Trembath, Mauro and maybe O'Sullivan and Boorer are too old for Flegg next year.

I think Inoke Tapaatoutai will be in there.

You may be right. I'm still not too sure about the ages of those players. But yeah, Inoke is a very promising young player. Looking forward to seeing him in action in Flegg next year. ;-)