Match Discussion: Round 3 vs Wests Tigers @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[Jono078]

This is a perfect game to blood Young. Hunt to centre, Young to wing

Really wish this were the case.

This game has such an ambush feel about it now.

 

[Yosh]

Could be an argument for not bringing kids on too early in their career. Same thing happened with the young Australian fast bowlers 6-7 years ago when they were constantly getting stress fractures etc. Best might be built like a man, but he is still only 19 and his body has a lot of maturing to do.

I think this is spot on. He is only 19 so perhaps it's better he gets some rest during the season so he can fill out that man body first.

 

[PhilGould]

Hoy has shown he can be safe and dependable at the back, now it's time for him to show some of the flair and attacking ability he had coming through the grades. We're going to need it.

 

[Yosh]

Hoy has shown he can be safe and dependable at the back, now it's time for him to show some of the flair and attacking ability he had coming through the grades. We're going to need it.

I think his attacking ceiling isn't as high as we all hoped for. Isn't that fast, big, elusive or skillful. I hope it's a case of him playing safe and not showing his whole package yet but I'm personally not expecting much attacking flair from the lad on the weekend.

 

[ryana87]

If anyone here is religious.... Can you please pray that we don't get any long term injuries like the rest of the entire competition

 

[Burns]

Big game today. Time to make a statement methinks about where we are at.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Hold the ball and thus will be an easy win. No need for anything flash.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Big rain cloud coming over the stadium...

 

[Tom155]

Boom excited to see how he goes

 

[Jono078]

f**k yes! I'm so excited to see how he goes today! I'm sure there'll be some nice touches and perhaps some things not so nice - but let's unleash the beast!

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

I wonder who he's coming in for

 

[slotmachine]

Toa out injured

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Dom might add some attacking flair but I'll focus on his defence. If he doesn't get defence right he'll be useless.
Looking forward to a great game from him.

 

[Jono078]

Curious if he actually plays wing or if he goes centres and move shib or tuala to wing.

 

[K-Man]

I think his attacking ceiling isn't as high as we all hoped for. Isn't that fast, big, elusive or skillful. I hope it's a case of him playing safe and not showing his whole package yet but I'm personally not expecting much attacking flair from the lad on the weekend.

Talking about it and doing it on the field are obviously two very different things, but I was encouraged by Hoy's comments along the lines of being happy with his overall performances so far but knowing he needs to do more in attack. At least the awareness is there. And while a good debut doesn't always mean much, I do think he showed in his debut that he's a player capable of stepping up both mentally and physically. The way he demanded the ball when we needed someone to take control, coming in to his own the longer the game went, and then firing that instinctive cut out pass to the left instead of going for the futile field goal attempt... it was a play that essentially "won" the game against the eventual grand finalists, if Best hadn't totally bombed a 2 on 1 with about 30 metres of open space.

None of this means Hoy will be a success at NRL level. But my hope is that we haven't quite seen the best of him yet. Maybe.

 

[K-Man]

Toa out injured

Even if not injured this would've been the right call. I'd been wondering if this might happen when Young kept his place in the 19, who knows maybe it was always the plan to keep him out of the firing line. Either way it's exciting, Toa hasn't impressed me offensively or defensively.

 

[K-Man]

Curious if he actually plays wing or if he goes centres and move shib or tuala to wing.

From left wing to right wing I imagine it will be Hunt, Tuala, Shibisaki, Young.

Tuala is better on the left, and Shibisaki is the proven NRL defensive centre over Young. Maybe Shibs and Dom swap around a bit during the game, with Young attacking in closer at times?

 

[slotmachine]

Even if not injured this would've been the right call.

I wouldn't be hoping for too much from him defensively.
I think he'll look like a kid with one game of reserve grade under his belt at times

 

[Jono078]

I don't know what history Young has as a winger that's why I'm curious. He's already shown he's got some tricks up his sleeve as an attacking centre.

 

[K-Man]

I wouldn't be hoping for too much from him defensively.
I think he'll look like a kid with one game of reserve grade under his belt at times

No I'm not. Realistically he might struggle, but he's clearly very talented. It would be different if Toa was already the real deal and we were taking a big risk, but Toa has not been convincing defensively at all, and he gets pretty dominated with ball in hand too.