Poll: Aitken or Lomax for right centre

[Slippery Morris]

I would actually start both and not Lafai.

 

[RufusRex]

Eaun is NOT a very good centre. He is a strong runner but the nuances of the position in terms of positioning, distribution, communication, teamwork are lost on him.

The curious thing is - comparing Aitken and Lafai's running stats and it is all very similar reading in terms of metres per carry, tackle busts and the like. Aitken has it over him in errors and top end speed but every other aspect of the game lafai is at minimum aitkens equivalent and in most cases far superior.

That is more an indication of how bad aitken is and not how good Lafai is.

Start Lafai and look for his long term replacement. Lomax is already Aitkens replacement.

 

[RufusRex]

Busted his hand boxing. Out for most of the season.

Butterfy effect - if Lomax was in the starting team is he doing that boxing practice ;-)

 

[Como Connection]

Eaun is NOT a very good centre. He is a strong runner but the nuances of the position in terms of positioning, distribution, communication, teamwork are lost on him.

The curious thing is - comparing Aitken and Lafai's running stats and it is all very similar reading in terms of metres per carry, tackle busts and the like. Aitken has it over him in errors and top end speed but every other aspect of the game lafai is at minimum aitkens equivalent and in most cases far superior.

That is more an indication of how bad aitken is and not how good Lafai is.

Start Lafai and look for his long term replacement. Lomax is already Aitkens replacement.

Silverman is the long term replacement I reckon!
CC

 

[gitano]

Silverman is the long term replacement I reckon!
CC

I'm a massive Aitken fan obviously but would be hard to argue. Silverman is something else

 

[Crush]

I'd be starting with Aitken and Lomax as my centres. If either of those guys failed I'd bring in ANYONE but Lafai....

But Mary will stick with Aitken and Lafai so everyone is unhappy.

 

[possm]

I'd be starting with Aitken and Lomax as my centres. If either of those guys failed I'd bring in ANYONE but Lafai....

But Mary will stick with Aitken and Lafai so everyone is unhappy.

Don't be so sure Crush. We have just seen the plan for Widdop at fullback and Norman at 6 playout. Now it will be the Lomax/Lafai centre combination and then the Pearson/Ravalawa pairing on the wings.

To top it all off will be the McInnes/Robson hooker rotation decision leaving Dufty and Aitken to fight their way back into first grade through ISP.

 

[RufusRex]

there is that other thing of both Lomax/Aitken being natural right side centres and Lafai being a left.
Aitken gets lost at the best of times swapping him to the left is a complete recipe for disaster.

 

[Drakon]

there is that other thing of both Lomax/Aitken being natural right side centres and Lafai being a left.
Aitken gets lost at the best of times swapping him to the left is a complete recipe for disaster.

I heard sometime that Aitken played left centre in his younger days but plays right centre now to accomodate Lafai. This accounts for Aitken not being an accomplished left to right passer to his right winger. can anyone confirm he used to play left centre?

 

[Crush]

Don't be so sure Crush. We have just seen the plan for Widdop at fullback and Norman at 6 playout. Now it will be the Lomax/Lafai centre combination and then the Pearson/Ravalawa pairing on the wings.

To top it all off will be the McInnes/Robson hooker rotation decision leaving Dufty and Aitken to fight their way back into first grade through ISP.

Hey Possm, how have we seen the Widdop to fullback thing play out?
Can you show me some quotes of Mary or anyone at the club stating that Widdop will start at fullback?
Thanks mate, I missed it.

 

[Frank Facer]

I heard sometime that Aitken played left centre in his younger days but plays right centre now to accomodate Lafai. This accounts for Aitken not being an accomplished left to right passer to his right winger. can anyone confirm he used to play left centre?

I can confirm that Aitken did play left centre, as I have seen him play their in highlights reels. I think he actually started off his first grade career at left centre, but I am not 100% sure about it. I do recall noticing Aitken's lack of passing ability in his first season. I was hoping that he would develop and open up his game as he gained more experience, but he has failed to do so.

My first memory of seeing Aitken play was in a highlights reels in the under 20's. He was playing right centre then. He was scoring tries from close range, but even then lacked a passing game.

 

[Ted bartolo]

I always thought Aietken bench strike player..I would have Dufty Lomax as the centres.need best players on the paddock

 

[RufusRex]

I always thought Aietken bench strike player..I would have Dufty Lomax as the centres.need best players on the paddock

Bwahahahahahaahahahahaha

pause

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha

Dufty defending at centre trying to stop a bloke like Mitchell ...

Bwahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[possm]

Hey Possm, how have we seen the Widdop to fullback thing play out?
Can you show me some quotes of Mary or anyone at the club stating that Widdop will start at fullback?
Thanks mate, I missed it.

Please refer to the Hunt article which is on this forum and all over the media.

 

[possm]

Hey Possm, how have we seen the Widdop to fullback thing play out?
Can you show me some quotes of Mary or anyone at the club stating that Widdop will start at fullback?
Thanks mate, I missed it.

How Ben Hunt helped lure Corey Norman to Dragons
Dragons

• January 30, 2019 2:09pm
• Source: AAP

Ben Hunt has revealed how he helped lure Corey Norman to the Dragons.Source: AAP
St George Illawarra star Ben Hunt has revealed how he urged club officials to look past Corey Norman’s chequered history and lure him to Wollongong.

Almost seven years after battling for Darren Lockyer’s famed No.6 jumper in Brisbane, the pair are set to form a lethal halves pairing in the Red V in this NRL season.

Despite Hunt and captain Gareth Widdop leading the Dragons to the top of the table for half of last season, the club opted to chase Norman over the summer.

St George Illawarra signing Corey Norman at Dragons

And Hunt was immediately on board with the plan which sees Widdop play fullback before returning to England at the end of the season.

SIGN UP NOW!

“I definitely had a few chats with (coach Paul McGregor) and the recruitment staff down there before they decided to sign him,” Hunt told AAP.

“I was all for it. They were really excited that I wanted him to come down and had played with him before. We definitely had those discussions.”

Both players rose through the ranks together at the Broncos before Hunt made his first grade debut in 2009, and was followed by Norman the next season.

Corey Norman and Ben Hunt during their time at the Broncos. Picture: Glenn BarnesSource: News Limited
However only once in four years did the pair combine at the scrumbase before Norman secured a lucrative deal with Parramatta.

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“I told them I always enjoyed my time playing with him, and I knew he was a great competitor no matter what sort of situation he was in,” Hunt said.

Norman arrives at the Dragons with some heavy off-field baggage, including an eight-week suspension and $20,000 fine in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to drug possession at Sydney’s Star casino.

The NRL-imposed penalty also related to a police warning for consorting with criminals and filming and distributing video of incidents including apparent drug use and sexual activity.

Corey Norman has a chequered past. Picture: Zak SimmondsSource: News Corp Australia
And the ink had barely dried on his new deal when historic footage emerged on social media of him with another male snorting an unknown substance, though no action was taken by the NRL.

Hunt believes Norman has grown from his mistakes.

“He’s obviously made a few mistakes — which a lot of us have — but he’s definitely grown up from the bloke I used to know and he just wants to play some good footy,” he said.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/525d4ab1cf8937354fafb11c2e8f1ac5

 

[RufusRex]

That is the opinion of the writer and not a quote.

 

[possm]

That is the opinion of the writer and not a quote.

Hunt is happy with the plan. This does not infer it is the witer's idea. I read this to be the Clubs plan. For goodness sakes, the writer does not make selections plans for a Club and neither does Hunt. It is the Club that makes such plans.

 

[Crush]

Hunt is happy with the plan. This does not infer it is the witer's idea. I read this to be the Clubs plan. For goodness sakes, the writer does not make selections plans for a Club and neither does Hunt. It is the Club that makes such plans.

The title of the article by Peter Crawley in the other thread "McInnes to lock" is titled "Paul McGregor is yet to decide what to do with Widdop and Norman"
Now that isn't a direct quote from McGregor either but its a quote from a reporter that has just interviewed McGregor.
Just another reporters view.

 

[possm]

The title of the article by Peter Crawley in the other thread "McInnes to lock" is titled "Paul McGregor is yet to decide what to do with Widdop and Norman"
Now that isn't a direct quote from McGregor either but its a quote from a reporter that has just interviewed McGregor.
Just another reporters view.

In the Hunt article it was reported that Hunt is happy with the plan of Widdop at fullback and Norman at five-eighth. If Hunt is happy with the plan as reported, then we must assume there is a plan and that is the plan.

 

[True_Believer]

In the Hunt article it was reported that Hunt is happy with the plan of Widdop at fullback and Norman at five-eighth. If Hunt is happy with the plan as reported, then we must assume there is a plan and that is the plan.

In the Mary article it was reported that Norman and Widdop are training in both positions and that Mary hasn't decided what position they will play in. If Mary hasn't decided where each player will play as reported, then we must assume there is no plan and there is no decision made yet.