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Rumours and Stuff

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
65,922
I hope the Eels resign Tom Opacic...He has been very solid...mightn't win you a game - but won't be the cause of losing many..

My issue with this guy is not the player himself but the squad. We lack speed and skill in the backline.
Gutherson is great but slow and same goes for Sivo. Opacic,And Fergo also add to a sluggish backline. Blake is the only guy with some toe and footwork.
Fergo leaving is the right call. We need to inject more in that area.
Guth and Sivo are lock ins. So is Blake. Opacic is fine if we can find a centre or wing with a bit more electricity about their game.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
65,922
Yeah, I know all that, but, why would 2 clubs basically not give a toss about him? Doesn't make much sense, when you look at his background. Lets hope that they have simply under estimated him and he ends up being at least NRL standard to bolster our stocks.

When I watched NSW cup he was the best player on field. I thought he was some old journeyman. Outplayed Hipgrave by some margin.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
65,922
Didn't say he wouldn't turn our ok, just that two other clubs didn't have him in their plans or think he was priority. Just wondering out loud as to why seeing that I haven't seen him play?

Reasonable question mate. Sorry that you think that I can't speculate.

But maybe I should of made my reservations sound more left wing somehow, then all would be ok with you.

You make plenty of sense Ram. He is most likely seen as a guy with not a very high ceiling. A take it or leave it player. Perhaps another Ray Stone.
In saying that look at Tyrell Fuiamoano. Plenty of clubs let him leave and its not untill this season he has established himself as a very good player.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
97,541
Yeah, I know all that, but, why would 2 clubs basically not give a toss about him? Doesn't make much sense, when you look at his background. Lets hope that they have simply under estimated him and he ends up being at least NRL standard to bolster our stocks.
You make a fair point, and it's not only two clubs who didn't want him. Any player on a part time contract is a player that all 16 NRL clubs didn't want in their top 30. In fact they couldn't even fit him into their development list (who are full time trainers).
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
18,999
Yeah, Mahoney will likely get to play plenty of Origins. Harry Grant has spent more time out of the game injured in 1 1/3rd seasons than Cam Smith did in almost two decades.

Probably because harry runs the ball and actually gets tackled. More chance of getting hurt. Cameron could go a month without being put to the ground after running the ball
 

lingard

Coach
Messages
11,572
My issue with this guy is not the player himself but the squad. We lack speed and skill in the backline.
Gutherson is great but slow and same goes for Sivo. Opacic,And Fergo also add to a sluggish backline. Blake is the only guy with some toe and footwork.
Fergo leaving is the right call. We need to inject more in that area.
Guth and Sivo are lock ins. So is Blake. Opacic is fine if we can find a centre or wing with a bit more electricity about their game.

Waqa has electricity ………………. but he keeps short-circuiting.
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
18,999
I hope the Eels resign Tom Opacic...He has been very solid...mightn't win you a game - but won't be the cause of losing many..

Could be a Smokey for QLD in origin if they keep getting injuries Gagai and capewell were the centres last year. I wouldn't say QLD have a lot of depth in that position.

Paul green signed him to the cowboys so he obivously rated him a few years back.
 

Gazzamatta

Coach
Messages
16,151
Could be a Smokey for QLD in origin if they keep getting injuries Gagai and capewell were the centres last year. I wouldn't say QLD have a lot of depth in that position.

Paul green signed him to the cowboys so he obivously rated him a few years back.
I mentioned that pre season and got bashed from pillar to post. Careful KG94. Some on here have far greater footy nouse than us. I reckon Tommy boy is great. I'd prefer him to Mennings.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
97,541
I mentioned that pre season and got bashed from pillar to post. Careful KG94. Some on here have far greater footy nouse than us. I reckon Tommy boy is great. I'd prefer him to Mennings.
Mennings is still a better player but Opacic nearly has it all - strength, footy smarts, lateral movement. All he lacks is speed.
 

Chipmunk

Coach
Messages
18,190
Probably because harry runs the ball and actually gets tackled. More chance of getting hurt. Cameron could go a month without being put to the ground after running the ball

Smith still would've made on average 40 tackles per game. I suspect if you take a look at Grant's injuries, most of them seem to be occurring in defence.

My theory is that Smith was just that split second ahead of everyone else on the field and tried to ensure he didn't get his body in the wrong positions to get himself injured.
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
157,682
Smith still would've made on average 40 tackles per game. I suspect if you take a look at Grant's injuries, most of them seem to be occurring in defence.

My theory is that Smith was just that split second ahead of everyone else on the field and tried to ensure he didn't get his body in the wrong positions to get himself injured.
Hr got flattened twice against the Sharks when one of the props when over the top of him. His defence is easily the weakest part of his game.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,911
When I watched NSW cup he was the best player on field. I thought he was some old journeyman. Outplayed Hipgrave by some margin.


I like it Hindy, if you say he played well, it lends some wait to it. He might be just one of those players that slipped through the hands of a couple of clubs. Might be another astute signing also.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,911
You make plenty of sense Ram. He is most likely seen as a guy with not a very high ceiling. A take it or leave it player. Perhaps another Ray Stone.
In saying that look at Tyrell Fuiamoano. Plenty of clubs let him leave and its not untill this season he has established himself as a very good player.

Great pickup Hindy, I have noticed him this season too, which has been his best year for sure.
 
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