What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Opinion Joseph Suaalii is being set up to fail

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,676
It's a complete myth regularly perpetuated by panthers fans.

Freddy is obvious.

I am struggling to remember another one in the NRL era. Can you name any other decent players?
Off the top of my head, Micheal Jennings, Matt Sing, Ned Catic.
 

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,676
Ned Catic is arguably decent. lol

Matt Sing although a Queenslander came through at Penrith & played origin before heading to Bondi. George Rose & Richie Fa'aoso had their moments as well.

There have been a few decent players go from Penrith to Easts in the last 30 years, but Freddy is by far the standout. Him aside there are plenty of Clubs that pick the eyes out of Penrith ranks well ahead of the Roosters.

Edit, Mick Jennings would rank as a pretty good pick up for the Roosters as well.

Honestly the only other one I can even remember is Tinirau Arona who was hyped as the next big thing at Penrith before being pinched by the Roosters. As it turns out he never really did much.
Beat me to it. I forgot about big Georgie. What a character he was.
 

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,676
It’s a testament to the good work Penrith are doing but just on Matt Sing, we’ve developed a number of players that have come down as 15/16 year olds from Qld or northern NSW. Doesn’t seem to count when we do it somehow. Not having a go at you personally btw.
Is the Central Coast a feeder area?
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,455
tell you what though, if the media are concerned about his welfare, they could always just stop reporting on his every bowel movement.

Did they indicate they were? Because the media never does. If they said they were concerned, it would only be to create a new angle to sell papers/get clicks. The media only cares about what gets people talking or reading or sharing or reacting, nothing else. And if they say they do, it's horse shit.

Is he being set up to fail? Not necessarily. If the kid is strong enough, with the right support, he'll make it. Is it less than ideal having this level of hype around a teenager? My oath it is. But this game survives on hype and entertainment and money and the broadcasting rights. The game needs narratives and big stories to sell itself and sustain itself. And this guy's management team created some of it by the way they shopped him around etc. So I don't really have a problem with much of it. You need to be tough to make it in the NRL, and this kid might need to be even tougher to make it with all the hype and expectation that will be on him.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,193
Off the top of my head, Micheal Jennings, Matt Sing, Ned Catic.

Those have already been discussed. hardly a big list for a club that is allegedly constantly poaching players you guys developed.

Besides Sualli, you can only name one first grader in the last 15 years.
 

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,676
The Mick Jennings who Penrith ran out of their club when Jennings had 3 years left on his contract because "Mr Chinny" said he wasn't "providing value for money"? (source: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/i-never-wanted-to-leave-penrith-jennings-20130117-2cvey.html)
No mention that he was turning up to training withnpiss on the breath. And when he did it again,
Those have already been discussed. hardly a big list for a club that is allegedly constantly poaching players you guys developed.

Besides Sualli, you can only name one first grader in the last 15 years.
Look at reply #63. I posted before I read soc123_au's post. You asked for players, and I replied to your question. All you had to do was agree.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
17,855
I see that the off season hasn’t tempered the insufferable nature of some Panthers fans.

Can we get @The_Frog in here for the exacta?
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
And there were circumstances at play in Freddy’s departure too, wasn’t there? He wasn’t keen on going to Super League or something of that nature. I also thought he was looking at a Manly move too but Gus convinced him to come to us.

I think Super League was just a means to an end.

1. They offered him the captaincy of Australia about 5 years before he should have got it.
2. Penrith was still a basket case following the death of Ben Alexander.
3. Fittler wasn't performing to anything like his capability and wanted to be with Gus, perhaps the only coach who laid it on the line with him and didn't piss in his pocket. This is maybe the biggest factor.

Few things in life have been more satisfying than seeing him grovel as the losing captain in the 2003 GF.

I was reading the other day what Barry Walker had to go through to stay at Penrith in the back end of his career. Loyalty agreements signed under duress. It was a dirty war.
 
Last edited:

Pork Hunt

Juniors
Messages
49
Zero shits given about Suaali here. My concerns and respect are more directed towards a young kid coming from a disadvantaged background trying to make a fist out of his life by getting up at 3am for a couple of hour commute to work in a warehouse getting paid $10 an hour. Not some upstart with Politis' silver spoon jammed up his arse who will be driving an 'incentive' Bentley for his first car. Nothing against the kid but wouldn't mind seeing the whole charade blow up spectacularly in the Roosters faces.
 
Messages
12,486
I think Super League was just a means to an end.

1. They offered him the captaincy of Australia about 5 years before he should have got it.
2. Penrith was still a basket case following the death of Ben Alexander.
3. Fittler wasn't performing to anything like his capability and wanted to be with Gus, perhaps the only coach who laid it on the line with him and didn't piss in his pocket. This is maybe the biggest factor.

Few things in life have been more satisfying than seeing him grovel as the losing captain in the 2003 GF.

I was reading the other day what Barry Walker had to go through to stay at Penrith in the back end of his career. Loyalty agreements signed under duress. It was a dirty war.



I forgot how much the Ben Alexander tragedy f**ked things up at the club. Many fractured relationships that took years to mend.

It’s a pretty good summation but can you confirm another thing for me? I have a memory of Freddy complaining that the club had signed en masse with SL behind his back while he was away or something like that. He was kept in the dark about the move?
 

Smug Panther

First Grade
Messages
7,004
Zero shits given about Suaali here. My concerns and respect are more directed towards a young kid coming from a disadvantaged background trying to make a fist out of his life by getting up at 3am for a couple of hour commute to work in a warehouse getting paid $10 an hour. Not some upstart with Politis' silver spoon jammed up his arse who will be driving an 'incentive' Bentley for his first car. Nothing against the kid but wouldn't mind seeing the whole charade blow up spectacularly in the Roosters faces.
You sound poor
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
19,850
Zero shits given about Suaali here. My concerns and respect are more directed towards a young kid coming from a disadvantaged background trying to make a fist out of his life by getting up at 3am for a couple of hour commute to work in a warehouse getting paid $10 an hour. Not some upstart with Politis' silver spoon jammed up his arse who will be driving an 'incentive' Bentley for his first car. Nothing against the kid but wouldn't mind seeing the whole charade blow up spectacularly in the Roosters faces.
He sounds like a dumb merkin. I bet he walks barefoot uphill in the snow from the station to warehouse both ways too. No warehouses closer to home?
 

oinkoink

Juniors
Messages
14
You sound poor
he sounds like a poor cnt.
Seeing Freddy mentioned here makes me wonder if he has been called out on this forum for his substandard (compared to his normal standard) performances for the majority of his career in big games.
IMO Freddy didn't really aim up in Origin or finals for the Roosters until later in his career.
 

BranVan3000

Coach
Messages
12,289
I’m yet to see what the hype is about - though I’ve only ever seen highlights

Seems like a big kid with good athleticism but he doesn’t seem to have ungodly levels of speed or football ability

Angus Crichton schoolboy highlights blew me away. Suaalii I haven’t seen it yet but I could be wrong
 

Latest posts

Top