Kevin 'What do we do with you' Naqaima

[Joker's Wild]

Vuna would take a tonne of work to be a FG centre.

Not any time soon fellas

 

[Allstar Knights]

Vuna would take a tonne of work to be a FG centre.

Not any time soon fellas

He's played some centre in Union, so I think he'd have a decent passing game and a basic knowledge of how to defend there. Admittedly, most of his Union career has been on the wing, though.

It may not be an easy transition for him, but it's well worth giving it a go IMO. He's too talented to pass up. Surely he could be better than Leilua if he puts his head down and works hard on it. He's great for the club and will bring in the crowds as well.

 

[Yosh]

I watched the game again today and Gus Gould was talking up kev heaps. Don't know if i was reading too much into it.

 

[Rod]

Vuna was great for us and a good clubman to boot. However I don't think Wayne would see much sense in getting rid of Naiqama only to turn around and bring in Vuna.

 

[rnb11]

Yeah, Uate said Vuna is coming back to League so the first place you'd think is Newcastle since he's said from day 1 he'd always talk to the Knights first if he ever came back but if he can't play centre then there's no point at all.

As for Kev, it's definitely done.

 

[Silent Knight]

1. Darius Boyd
2. James McManus
3. Dane Gagai
4. Cooper Vuna
5. Akuila Uate

Goddamn that's tasty

Droooooollllllll.

 

[Rolla]

Yeah, Uate said Vuna is coming back to League so the first place you'd think is Newcastle since he's said from day 1 he'd always talk to the Knights first if he ever came back but if he can't play centre then there's no point at all.

As for Kev, it's definitely done.

Great news,

I would think he could handle Centre, he has played well offensively there for us in the past..... Just was terrible defensively, but he may have sorted that out. Then when Boyd goes he can fight Gagai for the fullback spot!!!

 

[Big Tim]

COOOPPPPPPPPPPPEEEERRRRR.

I would jizz for 4 days straight if he was announced as returning to the club.

 

[perverse]

I'd love to have Cooper back at the club, great clubman and a powerful, exciting player at his best. Sadly, as a few have said, unless he can play centre better than BJ - he'd be in the same position as Kev. He's too good to play reserve grade.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Would love him here, but I think it is unlikely. Too many players in front of him and we may end up paying reasonable money for him to improve our reserve grade performances. I dare say there will be another NRL club that will offer him a good contract and he'll take it. When he said the knights were his number one club, that was a few years ago and his passion may have changed.

 

[Joker's Wild]

He's played some centre in Union, so I think he'd have a decent passing game and a basic knowledge of how to defend there. Admittedly, most of his Union career has been on the wing, though.

It may not be an easy transition for him, but it's well worth giving it a go IMO. He's too talented to pass up. Surely he could be better than Leilua if he puts his head down and works hard on it. He's great for the club and will bring in the crowds as well.

Playing in the centres in Union is very different to league, especially in defence.

I just cant see Wayne taking that kind of risk

 

[Yosh]

I love Cooper but is he a better winger than Uate or McManus? Or a better centre than Gagai or Leluia?

 

[Stick]

Playing in the centres in Union is very different to league, especially in defence.

I just cant see Wayne taking that kind of risk

I've seen most of his games playing union and while I've seen him play centre, I've never seen him DEFEND at centre.

In fact, I've never seen him defend at wing either. Pretty much: he doesn't defend.

I'm no expert on the requirements of a league centre but putting a turn-style like Vuna inside Uate is asking for trouble in a big way. Defensive structure and reading a play aside, he just can't tackle.

Huge fan of Vuna as an offensive threat though, the guy is a weapon regardless of code.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Did you watch Joey Leilua play today? Not in a billion years would Jimmy play centre over him. Jimmy is a winger.

Yeh, i hadnt watched that game yet, i just remember Jimmy was a centre in reserves.

Oh well, bye Kev. Maybe we can get him back once Bennebt leaves and Boyd follows him to the retirement home.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I've seen most of his games playing union and while I've seen him play centre, I've never seen him DEFEND at centre.

In fact, I've never seen him defend at wing either. Pretty much: he doesn't defend.

I'm no expert on the requirements of a league centre but putting a turn-style like Vuna inside Uate is asking for trouble in a big way. Defensive structure and reading a play aside, he just can't tackle.

Huge fan of Vuna as an offensive threat though, the guy is a weapon regardless of code.

Pretty much

I think there is a touch of the "rose coloured glasses" effect when some of us think about Cooper and his time at our club. Im sure he was a wonderful bloke and loved the club but he was a rough diamond at best. His defence was atrocious a fair bit of the time and he was ordinary as under the high ball.

Perspective people

 

[Silent Knight]

Look at the positives Waldorf.

If we sign Vuna we find yet another reason to boo the Knights. HAW HAW HAW!

 

[Rolla]

Pretty much

I think there is a touch of the "rose coloured glasses" effect when some of us think about Cooper and his time at our club. Im sure he was a wonderful bloke and loved the club but he was a rough diamond at best. His defence was atrocious a fair bit of the time and he was ordinary as under the high ball.

Perspective people

When he finally strung a bunch of games together towards the end of his last season with Jimmy's injury he was outstanding. He scored More tries per game than Aku (or any other player in the comp) with 16 by the end, outside none other than 'I shall not pass' Jnr Sau. Their flank wasn't exploited defencively either. His kick returns were amazing, Aku's charges get the crowd going but they are nothing compared to Coop's. He made great yards out of our half.

I agree he would be behind a few but only for one season til Boyd leaves. Also it would only take one injury in our backline 1-5 for him to get a run so i dare-say he would play first grade more often than not, even if he couldn't force his way in (which he could do).

 

[League_God]

In defence of Aku, despite being out of form he still makes more runs than any other winger in the comp each game, and only George Taufua has made more metres (from an extra game, similar average over all). He also still scores a try a game.

A lot is said (deservedly) about Jimmy's heart, but Aku's work-rate is second to NONE in the NRL in his position. For seasons now he has used his body as a battering ram week in week out, even when our forwards wouldn't. This hasn't stopped since his contract signing either, even out of form he is one of the best in the game. You only have to look at the Dally M winger results in recent times to see how consistent he is. It could be argued that even with Mr Consistency on the other wing, Aku has been our most consistent performer in first grade over the last few years by a fair way. He is entitled a rough patch but i doubt it will last, he has responded well to negative press in the past (look at his post origin form last year), he will be back soon.

I don't think questioning his effort is really fair

Terrific post.

 

[Tom155]

there is a lot of footage of vuna in the first 2 videos, impressive too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrJm8cW5p3I (2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIzIKf0BIlY (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSfrss_euMA (2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CdtCoSndRc (2012)

 

[chinorocks]

Penrith press conference at 12 tomorrow. Expected to announce Kev signing.