Official team V Souths

[Serc]

Yep, Pete hasn't been terrible this year, but he isn't exactly knocking the door down either.

 

[roopy]

Pete is a funny type of player.
Firstly, he looks about 80kg, but he is well over 90kg and has the impact of a 100kg player. I have no doubt that he is big and strong enough to play firstgrade, and in a few years he will be the type of player who breaks tackles with his strength all the time.
As to skills, he sees things and does things that other players don't, but he is also prone to go silly - as he was doing in the pre-season. In the pre-season he was trying to do something amazing every time he touched the ball, and most times it just went bad.
Now, he has gone right into his shell and is doing nothing but go through the motions, and I suspect the coach has told him to stop with the fancy offloads and attempts to break every tackle etc etc etc.
I think he is physically ready to step up, but he needs to get his mojo back.
It will take him time to settle into firstgrade when he finally steps up, because he is not a robot who does his job - he is the type of player who does unexpected stuff and loves doing it.
I've shown this pic a dozen times, but I think Pete running at the line with an idea for a step and a huge grin on his face just shows what he is all about.

 

[Pika]

Pete is a funny type of player.
Firstly, he looks about 80kg, but he is well over 90kg and has the impact of a 100kg player. I have no doubt that he is big and strong enough to play firstgrade, and in a few years he will be the type of player who breaks tackles with his strength all the time.
As to skills, he sees things and does things that other players don't, but he is also prone to go silly - as he was doing in the pre-season. In the pre-season he was trying to do something amazing every time he touched the ball, and most times it just went bad.
Now, he has gone right into his shell and is doing nothing but go through the motions, and I suspect the coach has told him to stop with the fancy offloads and attempts to break every tackle etc etc etc.
I think he is physically ready to step up, but he needs to get his mojo back.
It will take him time to settle into firstgrade when he finally steps up, because he is not a robot who does his job - he is the type of player who does unexpected stuff and loves doing it.
I've shown this pic a dozen times, but I think Pete running at the line with an idea for a step and a huge grin on his face just shows what he is all about.

Agree with most of that mate. Exception being the Coach suggesting that he stops trying to break every tackle.....

I think he is just trying to hard.

There is a fair bit of pressure on the kid. Tetavano and Josh trained up in NRL but we are stacked for front and back rowers.

Pete is carrying the weight of "guy most likely" at the moment and I think its a heavy burden for him.

Give him a few more rounds to settle into NYC and he will shine.

Maybe then his chance will come.

But right now he is looking pretty awkward in NYC and the step up to NRL looks to big.

 

[Karmawave]

Some players just don't respond well to playing at a level inferior to their talent.

Sometimes you can put a champion player in reserve grade, and he ends up playing like a reserve grader.

Some people just have those characteristics.

Somehow I think Pete is that type of player and simply needs to be tested at the highest level in order for us to see him at his best.

On the flipside, seen Wes Naiqama play this year?

 

[BG]

Some players just don't respond well to playing at a level inferior to their talent.

Sometimes you can put a champion player in reserve grade, and he ends up playing like a reserve grader.

Some people just have those characteristics.

Somehow I think Pete is that type of player and simply needs to be tested at the highest level in order for us to see him at his best.

On the flipside, seen Wes Naiqama play this year?

There's also the risk of having their confidence dented though. People remember the young guys who get promoted early and are immediate success stories; they tend to forget the plethora with big wraps and potential who fall by the wayside. I don't have a particular opinion on promoting Peter Mata'utia at this stage as I haven't watched his games, but obviously the consensus is that he isn't looking confident. Fans are always keen to promote the talented youngsters asap, especially when a club is struggling, and while that's totally understandable, imho it's rather shortsighted. If he is going to be a good or even great first grader in the long term, there's plenty of time for that to happen anyway.

It might be frustrating to know that we have to settle for a rather average player in Wes for a few weeks, but at least it's not going to affect the arc of that player's career. Wes's mediocrity is pretty well established.

 

[Karmawave]

It just depends how you handle a young player in first grade if tough times come along. The Canberra kids are handling it fine after all.

For all Ricky Stuarts critics, the way he handled Albert Kelly after Kelly made error after error in first grade was the best thing he could have done.

If you're good enough, you're old enough.

There's been just as many late bloomers that went well for a while that fall by the wayside as well who are in their 20's.

I cannot fathom the persistence of Wes Naiqama in first grade one bit. Whether it be Pete to replace him or someone else.

I don't think Pete's confidence can be questioned, but his interest/enthusiasm probably can be - and I put that down to him simply not really being challenged at NYC level.

The kid would rather be playing the next level up, and I don't blame him.

If you were Pete, and saw Wes Naiqama being picked over you, how would you feel each week :lol:

I guess the way I see it is we can either stick with a subpar Wes Naiqama who doesn't have any improvement in him at all because of his age, or we can give a young bloke a crack and see how he goes. A youngster who has the world at his feet as far as improvement is concerned and the sky is the limit. I know what I'd prefer. If it doesn't go as well as planned, well you'd still expect it to be better than Wes out there anyway.

 

[Pika]

I cant argue with your comments on Wes.

In regards to Pete and the comparisons to Canberra. Vidot and the like were stand out super stars in NYC. They forced themselves to be picked with actions.

To suggest that Pete is not being challenged in NYC is a stretch. He is being outplayed be his team mates and by his opposite numbers in most matches. I would expect someone who is simply above the standard to show at least some glimpse of potential, even if it was to simply show off his talent and make a statement he is to good to play where he is.

As far as being picked behind Wes, tough as it sounds, if the kid is sulking about not getting picked, then he deserves to stay where he is.

In my opinion, this is not the case. Pete is a competitor who is out of form. He neither sulks, nor is he too good for NYC.

 

[Karmawave]

To me , while Pete might not be this seasons ' star ' of the NYC, his talent and potential above anyone else in that team still stands out like dogs balls - in form or not.

Defensively he is a tough bastard and well advanced for his age. And in attack he shows strength levels way beyond that befitting of a guy his size. His fend is a stand out.

I look beyond his personal form. How are the NYC playing as a team? What style of football are they playing? Does their style of football show off the talents of Pete and give him the opportunity to stand out?

Is he getting quality ball from his halves? ( who are to be honest very good ball hogs )

The style of football the Knights have been playing in NYC has often been based right up the middle. The fullback featuring around the rucks.

But the fullback is 2010's new ball hog, and while he looks great in NYC, he is as far away from being picked for first grade as it gets.

All of this affects the chances of Pete being a superstar at NYC level.

Based on his skills and talent, he is by far and away the most NRL ready of the bunch.

That Josh Alomai lazy bugger ain't even close to the NRL until his own attitude changes on the field. But as you pointed out, Josh has plenty of quality players preventing him from playing 1sts.

Pete Mata Utia has Wes Naiqama.

It's time to give the kid a go.

 

[Jobdog]

I agree 110% with Karma.

So what exactly is it that's holding Pete back? Is it because he's not knocking the door down, so we'll stick with mediocrity in the form of Lulia or Naiqama, instead of giving him a go and seeing how he goes.

 

[Yosh]

I 100% agree about Wes and you can add Lulia to that list. Isn't a perfect time to blood in Pete while Mad Dog is injured for a couple of weeks? If not now when?

Something like this:

1. Shannon
2. Uate
3. Sau
4. Vuna
5. Pete

Could work no yes maybe? Or just put Mata'uai into centre? What is there to be so afraid of that we put in stop gap measures who have no future at the club?

 

[Karmawave]

I am confident that Pete Mata Utia would not perform any worse in first grade right now than either Lulia or Naiqama would perform - regardless of current NYC form.

 

[The_Joey_Show]

I never thought the day would come, but here goes...

I agree entirely with Karmawave.

That is all.

 

[Karmawave]

Oh its not the first time Joey Show!

Surely? ;-)

 

[whistler]

Just throwing this out there,but what makes you guys so confident he will make it in the NRL?. Roopy would know more than me about this than me,but we seem to have had a heap of junior rep stars over recent years who have just disappeared into the wilderness. Our recent record with these guys kicking on seems awful. I just hope Pete doesn't end up the same.

 

[Karmawave]

Just throwing this out there,but what makes you guys so confident he will make it in the NRL?.

Toughness, vision, presence, strength, poise, skill and most of all incredible balance.

The fact that unlike most good young athletes playing the game, the kid is also a footballer.

He is a footballer as well as an athlete. The two aren't all that common anymore. There's plenty of NRL players who get buy purely on size and shape.

Even the standout Australian Schoolboys aren't always footballers. They're just athletes.

Pete's both.

 

[Jobdog]

Well, there's only one way to find out ...

 

[roopy]

Just throwing this out there,but what makes you guys so confident he will make it in the NRL?. Roopy would know more than me about this than me,but we seem to have had a heap of junior rep stars over recent years who have just disappeared into the wilderness. Our recent record with these guys kicking on seems awful. I just hope Pete doesn't end up the same.

If you do the math, we only need maybe 3 new firstgraders a year and we buy in players these days - so any player who makes firstgrade is exceptional.
It's a sad fact that I can name 10 kids i'd love to see make firstgrade from our current juniors, and if 3 make the grade it will be a bumper year.

 

[Jono078]

Why is he doing so sh*t lately?

And from memory he wasn't all that good last year in under 20s?

I hope you guys a right, I havnt heard a bad word about him.

 

[Serc]

He was a fair standout in most games last year I think Jono...in fact carried us in some matches.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I for one hope Pete gets picked sooner, rather than later. I'd hate to see the club go back to the Hagan days.

That is where reserve graders know that they will not get picked for first grade unless there is a mountain of injuries and first graders know they can play in a comfort zone for years because they know that they will not be dropped...

One of the pluses of putting Pete into the team is that it will demonstrate to the reserve graders that being chosen for first grade is a possibility even if their aren't a heap of injuries.