Lance Hohaia

[mean_maori_mean]

Now, I'm not one to get stuck in to individual players or hold a grudge against players I don't like and keep bringing it up over and over again, but...(lol who am I kidding)

...am I the only one who noticed that Lance Hohaia was by far the worst player on the field tonight- and by worst player on the field I mean, he looked as if he'd never played rugby league before.

Furthermore, has he or has he not been giving off that very impression for his entire career..????

I'm interested to see what people think as I've always thought Hohaia was useless and hence am probably pretty set in my ways. I thought tonight NZ's forwards made good metres almost at will but we never looked like scoring near the line due to a lack of cohesion when we went wide. This was mostly due to Hohaia (Leuluai was better) who makes simple things like catching and passing look like pulling teeth.

f off - worse player on the field - its definately your bias.

the main problem was that Hohaia and Leulauai were playing as two halfbacks having turns.

Backline including centres has no structure - lack of training with these combonations wouldnt of helped.

In terms of being rusty - of course he is

Defensively both him and Thomas are much better than Roberts and Smith, combined they have a much better kicking game aswell. Both having a better running game aswell.

What I reckon they will go for:

6.Hohaia/Roberts 7. Leulauai 9. Hohaia/Roberts 14. Halatau

Is Eddie Paea over in the UK yet? I hear he may flown over to play against france - he his full of attacking spark both him and Roberts can provide that - possibly as bench hooker.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

If I'm biased you're biased. I have nothing particular against Hohaia apart from that he is sh*t. If you don't think he was sh*t yesterday morning I think you're kidding yourself.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

If I'm biased you're biased. I have nothing particular against Hohaia apart from that he is sh*t. If you don't think he was sh*t yesterday morning I think you're kidding yourself.

To a degree I think he was sh*t - but he is miles better player than both smith and better than Roberts.

Its easily to label him worst player on the park - when you were watching the game with that bias.
I am bias because I believe Hohaia has more talent than both Leulauai and Smith - Hohaia if given complete rains could of emulated

But there were so many other players on the park who offered little or were non existant - tuiaki, eastwood even rapira and mannering did little other than the basics.

Essentially I believe with the inclusion of a additional creative player such as Roberts will create more opportunities whether from 6 or 9.

 

[The Observer]

f off - worse player on the field - its definately your bias.

the main problem was that Hohaia and Leulauai were playing as two halfbacks having turns.

Which is what they are, good point. During the All Golds game, Leuluai showed quite good pace running off wide at 6.

 

[Mr Angry]

stacey never had a #6 outside of him tho, he had hohaia (who i believe is a good hooker, not a half) ropati, motu, vagana and faumuina. apart from ropati, none were what you'd call 5/8s and history has shown ropati wasnt a very good one.

so, stacey was basically a 1 man band. Would have been an interesting halves combo of jones/benji.

the big problem with the wankers selecting the team is lack of balls, they try a combo , get beaten and then immediately change it f**king up the whole team. thomas leuluai has always potentially been a bloody good halfback. Took an ESL club to develope it though.

we have had players before stace who ran the show, ridgey and freeman spring to mind immediately, darryl williams and filliapina are 2 more.

Agreed Poor Stacey was on his own.

Leuluai looks good when Barrett is outside him.

 

[ozbash]

true, thats why joey was so good (apart from his obvious natural talent). he always had a good 5/8 and we havnt had one for a long time. probably since olsen or darryl williams.

benji has always been either hurt or played out of position.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Roberts and Leuluai should have be our combo. Hohaia should be used as a hooker.

 

[Iafeta]

I still can't work out the criticism to be honest. I dare say that Kemble had asked Leuluai and Hohaia to pump the corners, get through the sets, and for the team in general to run a lot from dummy half and play as square end to end as possible. That seemed fairly obvious the way they all played.

If that was the game plan, Thomas and Lance played it to a tee. After weeks of seeing Grant Rovelli knock it down the fullbacks throat or out on the full, I was quite happy with the kicking game from the two halves, and given the ball was largely kept in the pack I think my assessment on the game plan is close to the mark.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Hohaia f**kin sucks...always has done, always will do. He's a reserve grader. If anyone thinks he's a better 5/8 than Rangi Chase you need your head read.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I still can't work out the criticism to be honest. I dare say that Kemble had asked Leuluai and Hohaia to pump the corners, get through the sets, and for the team in general to run a lot from dummy half and play as square end to end as possible. That seemed fairly obvious the way they all played.

If that was the game plan, Thomas and Lance played it to a tee. After weeks of seeing Grant Rovelli knock it down the fullbacks throat or out on the full, I was quite happy with the kicking game from the two halves, and given the ball was largely kept in the pack I think my assessment on the game plan is close to the mark.

I'm not criticising the kicking game. I'd give it about a B- which by NZ standards is ok.

You basically seem to be saying "I'm not criticising Hohaia because the gameplan revolved around him doing absolutely nothing except kicking". Well fmd, if that really was the gameplan then we have big problems. Very occasionally we actually did try to run the ball wide, and when we did, as always, Hohaia was like a human road block, or human quicksand, I dunno which fits best. The ball would get to him and then the customary "I have nfi what to do" commenced. He failed to throw a single good pass or show one iota of vision throughout the entire match, and worse than that, the simple function of crisply catching and passing (no thought or vision required!) remains way beyond his powers.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

Hohaia f**kin sucks...always has done, always will do. He's a reserve grader. If anyone thinks he's a better 5/8 than Rangi Chase you need your head read.

Its easy to hide behind - boom youngsters - like luke, chase etc who have shown heaps of talent in patches but too say he is a better all round player right know - he is not.

Possibly after another full offseason and once he improves upon his defense and also develops his offense to extend upon what up until know his adlibbing.

Have you actually watched Chase play? Or have you only watched the highlights - even then you would of seen him both score a lot of tries but also let in nearly as many.

Though his attacking spark would of helped the kiwis particularly in the U.K leg.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

I'm not criticising the kicking game. I'd give it about a B- which by NZ standards is ok.

You basically seem to be saying "I'm not criticising Hohaia because the gameplan revolved around him doing absolutely nothing except kicking". Well fmd, if that really was the gameplan then we have big problems. Very occasionally we actually did try to run the ball wide, and when we did, as always, Hohaia was like a human road block, or human quicksand, I dunno which fits best. The ball would get to him and then the customary "I have nfi what to do" commenced. He failed to throw a single good pass or show one iota of vision throughout the entire match, and worse than that, the simple function of crisply catching and passing (no thought or vision required!) remains way beyond his powers.

But you would of also seen that once received the ball both Lance and Thomas would have nobody to pass it to - hence they were playing halfback in rotation - they would look and have to dummy or step in side.
Most of the metres made were through broken play or offload from a forwards.

This week they should have some time to get some moves going. Its going to be some old warriors Leulauai, Hohaia, Toopi and Hape.
If you see no improvement then you can re-hash the same thread.

 

[Sugar]

Eddie Paea has been called into the NZ squad as a possible replacement for Hohaia

 

[hutch]

Eddie Paea has been called into the NZ squad as a possible replacement for Hohaia

the same eddie paea who played for tonga last year? uh oh, here we go again! (yes i know he played for the junior kiwis recently but has he asked the rlif if he could switch?)

 

[Micistm]

I feel for the guy a bit. Ignored for months, then expected to go straight into the side completely match unfit and do wonders.
Thought he did okay- Nothing more nothing less. Quite frankly they did a damn sight better and showed more passion than the halves during the NZ vs Aussie embarrassment. I have faith he'll do okay in game 2&3.

 

[Iafeta]

Agreed with the above. If anything, I thought our problems offensively were out on the fringe and the fact we really didn't dominate in the ruck. The halves were always going to cop it, but as I've said, all that could have been expected of them given the outside support players seemed mostly to be poorly positioned and the forwards didn't offer a load of offloads or parity at the ruck was to control the end of the set, which they did well. It baffles me how some people have NFI how league is played sometimes, it's a fairly simple concept.

About the only time the outside men seemed to tune into what the halves was doing was Hape's try, and even then it was 50/50 that he'd overrun Thomas Leuluai.

 

[Skinner]

the same eddie paea who played for tonga last year? uh oh, here we go again! (yes i know he played for the junior kiwis recently but has he asked the rlif if he could switch?)

Actually....who gives a f**k.

 

[hutch]

Actually....who gives a f**k.

actually, i do dickhead. you obviously have no idea how international sport is run.

 

[Blaze]

:crazy:

What do people see in him?

 

[ozbash]

he,s a very good hooker but has proven to everyone (cept the kiwi selectors ) that hes not a 5/8's rectum.