Off Season 2024/25

[Shaun Hewitt]

1. RTS
2 Vatuvei
3 Hape
4 Toopi
5 Hoppe
6 Johnson
7 Jones
8 AFB
9 Fien
10 Price
11 Lautiti
12 Mannering
13 Campion

14 Hohaia
15 Wiki
16 Harris
17 Barnett

__

Side unrelated note.
I do miss the days of Paleaasina, Tookey, E Tuimavavue. Big fellas who knew how to return a football. Leagues changed, so these types of players aren't suited to todays game, but Paleaasinas kick returns were a thing of beauty. Tookey, with the crowd going 'TOO' everytime he ran with the ball.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Side unrelated note.
I do miss the days of Paleaasina, Tookey, E Tuimavavue. Big fellas who knew how to return a football. Leagues changed, so these types of players aren't suited to todays game, but Paleaasinas kick returns were a thing of beauty. Tookey, with the crowd going 'TOO' everytime he ran with the ball.

Hell yea man… the ones who get excited today about Leniu off the back fence would lose their shit over Paleaaesina.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Rumour - Sharks offering Mulitalo to the broncos

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

It's a pitty Faumuina didn't carry the form he had, I think it was in 2002, or 2003. I recall (bare in mind, this is over 20 year ago now) that he too was a bit of an off-load machine, complemented Lautiti really well

 

[Matua]

1. RTS
2 Vatuvei
3 Hape
4 Toopi
5 Hoppe
6 Johnson
7 Jones
8 AFB
9 Fien
10 Price
11 Lautiti
12 Mannering
13 Campion

14 Hohaia
15 Wiki
16 Harris
17 Barnett

__

Side unrelated note.
I do miss the days of Paleaasina, Tookey, E Tuimavavue. Big fellas who knew how to return a football. Leagues changed, so these types of players aren't suited to todays game, but Paleaasinas kick returns were a thing of beauty. Tookey, with the crowd going 'TOO' everytime he ran with the ball.

He played 28 matches in three seasons and not all of them were at centre. Not sure what criteria he's been selected on.

 

[JJ]

Peak Matulino was over 150 matches.

strange that people seem to be overlooking how good he was for how long, both as a backrower and a prop...

automatic choice imo

 

[Penrose Warrior]

strange that people seem to be overlooking how good he was for how long, both as a backrower and a prop...

automatic choice imo

Yeah and I'm at fault here, I just remember him being really disinterested at the back of of his career and that's obviously (wrongly) coloured my view.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

He played 28 matches in three seasons and not all of them were at centre. Not sure what criteria he's been selected on.

TBH, it was out of 3. Ropati, Tate and Hape.

Position wise, well I put Johnson at 5/8th so I haven't been 100% on positions anyway.

I think thinking of longevity with Hape. I seem to remember him playing for the Kiwis longer (which he did until 07). Albeit, that's not for the Warriors - and looking into it now, it was even after he finished up with us - Memories of 20 years ago isn't so clear! Had a decent step, defensively pretty strong and had a decent boot on him too

I went with him over the other 2 because Ropati I felt was hot and cold, and I remember him getting injured quite a bit. On his day, he was excellent, but he frustrated the heck out of me sometimes.

Tate I might be unfairly comparing his time with us, compared to how he was at the Warriors. He was great for us for sure and I can certainly understand why he (and Ropati) have been selected in others teams.

 

[Matua]

TBH, it was out of 3. Ropati, Tate and Hape.

Position wise, well I put Johnson at 5/8th so I haven't been 100% on positions anyway.

I think thinking of longevity with Hape. I seem to remember him playing for the Kiwis longer (which he did until 07). Albeit, that's not for the Warriors - and looking into it now, it was even after he finished up with us - Memories of 20 years ago isn't so clear! Had a decent step, defensively pretty strong and had a decent boot on him too

I went with him over the other 2 because Ropati I felt was hot and cold, and I remember him getting injured quite a bit. On his day, he was excellent, but he frustrated the heck out of me sometimes.

Tate I might be unfairly comparing his time with us, compared to how he was at the Warriors. He was great for us for sure and I can certainly understand why he (and Ropati) have been selected in others teams.

It's your team, so all good, and as long as you don't go Kata I'm happy. Hape is the one who got away, could have been great for us but seemed to leave too early.

TBH, the more I think about I think I might go Vagana, I know that we mostly think of his time overseas but he did have three pretty good years for us.

But it's weird how we don't have standout centres. A guy as average (I know he has a fanbase here) as Berry has already clocked up 40+ appearances for us. And we have a bunch in the mid 50s who are again not much more than average.

I think I went with Hiku in my theoretical team for his ability to put his wingers away. Imagine him feeding Hoppe.

Johnson doesn't make my team, not a 6 or bench player and not better than Stacey at 7.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Yeah and I'm at fault here, I just remember him being really disinterested at the back of of his career and that's obviously (wrongly) coloured my view.

Yea likewise.

That said, while I know he played backrow coming through, he played the majority of his first grade games upfront so that's how I looked at him - and prop is one position we've been really really well served in over the years.

As much as I liked him (and I really did rate him, especially early on), I'd struggle to ultimately rank him over Price, Wiki, AFB, Jerry and Joe Vagana.

 

[Matua]

Yea likewise.

That said, while I know he played backrow coming through, he played the majority of his first grade games upfront so that's how I looked at him - and prop is one position we've been really really well served in over the years.

As much as I liked him (and I really did rate him, especially early on), I'd struggle to ultimately rank him over Price, Wiki, AFB, Jerry and Joe Vagana.

TBH, I'd rank him easily over Jerry, probably over Joe, over Wiki for pure on field performance (Wiki is more about mana when it comes to the Warriors) and behind Price and AFB. I think he's being hugely underrated. I don't remember the form drop off as much as everyone else, maybe it was during one of the many times the Warriors have broken me and was watching with less passion than usual?

 

[hitro]

Who is kicking this season?
Conversions?
Short kicks?
Long kicks?
Field goals?
Possible answers might be Tuaupiki (good all round) TMM (good short game) Capewell (can kick a field goal) Boyd (goal kicker but is he in team) CHT (can kick goals from one side and is he in the team and on the field)
Anyone else I am overlooking?
Please Warriors use Jazz/Shaun/Tohu money to buy/poach even someone like Zac Lomax who is an excellent fast centre and kicker

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Who is kicking this season?
Conversions?
Short kicks?
Long kicks?
Field goals?
Possible answers might be Tuaupiki (good all round) TMM (good short game) Capewell (can kick a field goal) Boyd (goal kicker but is he in team) CHT (can kick goals from one side and is he in the team and on the field)
Anyone else I am overlooking?
Please Warriors use Jazz/Shaun/Tohu money to buy/poach even someone like Zac Lomax who is an excellent fast centre and kicker

Lomax strikes me as a prima donna. And he's just signed for Parra. I know you mean someone like Lomax, and how many goal kicking centres are there of substance? Nick Meaney might've been a good one before the Storm got hold of him. Maybe that's what we need to target from NSW Cup/SG Ball etc.

As for who is kicking, Metcalf, for goals I'd reckon. Short kicks, TMM. Long kicks, TMM. Field goals, f**k knows but we need to get better.

I don't think we get to spend the SJ/Tohu/Jazz money this year, it'll be about finding out who's the best fit for 2026.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

But it's weird how we don't have standout centres. A guy as average (I know he has a fanbase here) as Berry has already clocked up 40+ appearances for us. And we have a bunch in the mid 50s who are again not much more than average.

I'm in this fanbase, I still think he plays 200+ games for us and goes down as a NRL-class centre. He's not there yet but he's had 4 seasons for his 43 games, including injury, COVID, learning a new sport etc. With more time on the field and more consistency of appearances, he'll get there (in my opinion).

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Matulino gets routinely left out of these teams despite playing 212 games, most of them at a pretty elite level....whereas someone like Kevin Campion will walk into teams for playing 44 games at, let's be real about it, tough journeyman level. Or more pertinently, the slightly washed end of career version of Wiki gets picked over Matulino. It's funny how people's perception and cognitive biases and all of that stuff works.....

Also re: centres, I don't think Ropati is such a crazy choice but my personal fave is Vagana, who I think was a better Warrior than people tend to remember (based on Aussie media you'd think he started out at the Dogs).

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

It's a pitty Faumuina didn't carry the form he had, I think it was in 2002, or 2003. I recall (bare in mind, this is over 20 year ago now) that he too was a bit of an off-load machine, complemented Lautiti really well

Faumuina's best years were 2003-2005, particularly 2005. Unfortunately his best years were when Lauiti'ti was injured or had left.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

I wouldnt mind seeing peoples 2nd 17.

We'd have some pretty strong candidates

 

[Matua]

I'm in this fanbase, I still think he plays 200+ games for us and goes down as a NRL-class centre. He's not there yet but he's had 4 seasons for his 43 games, including injury, COVID, learning a new sport etc. With more time on the field and more consistency of appearances, he'll get there (in my opinion).

I honestly don't see it. I can't remember anything outstanding from those games, he doesn't beat people regularly, he doesn't hit hard, I can't remember him setting up his wings. Apparently he chases kicks well.

Probably what most bemuses me is that he doesn't seem a physical player yet that was what his old mans game was based around. I reckon his old man if he'd converted would have been a much better league player.

I hope you're right and he gets there, but I'm not going to lie, I'm not confident. I'm not getting my hopes up again like I did with Egan.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I honestly don't see it. I can't remember anything outstanding from those games, he doesn't beat people regularly, he doesn't hit hard, I can't remember him setting up his wings. Apparently he chases kicks well.

Probably what most bemuses me is that he doesn't seem a physical player yet that was what his old mans game was based around. I reckon his old man if he'd converted would have been a much better league player.

I hope you're right and he gets there, but I'm not going to lie, I'm not confident. I'm not getting my hopes up again like I did with Egan.

Seen him run some tough lines in close. That block play on the right where SJ (or whoever) either hit Berry short, or played out back to CNK. They rarely got the timing right but they sure tried it often enough - too often - and each time Berry needed to run a tough line.

Only one example obviously, but IMO, it shows he's happy to mix it up.

 

[Izz]

I honestly don't see it. I can't remember anything outstanding from those games, he doesn't beat people regularly, he doesn't hit hard, I can't remember him setting up his wings. Apparently he chases kicks well.

0.62 try assists per game in 2023 regular season, according to zerotackle, exact same as Dally M Centre of the Year Stephen Crichton and far better than the 0.13 of the other Dally M Centre, Herbie Farnworth