Team list Tuesday - trial vs Knights - 5.55pm Friday 17th Feb

[Poupou Escobar]

My early prediction that Zac Cini would make the team appears to be justified by his selection and performance in the first trial. A big step up for this match considering the talent around him. Another good performance may mean elevation into top 30 and more game time in the top grade.

What was wrong with him for it to take this long? I feel like Legal_Eel with my lack of understanding. Maybe I should start putting shit on the players who kept Cini out of the team?

 

[Soren Lorenson]

What was wrong with him for it to take this long? I feel like Legal_Eel with my lack of understanding. Maybe I should start putting shit on the players who kept Cini out of the team?

How's his D? Looks good with ball in hand, but there's plenty who do and can't tackle.

 

[yy_cheng]

If Asi fit think he'll be 14

Not playing the trials will be detrimental to this.

He will not crack it into first grade unless injuries, we are going real bad or ja effs up

We have no idea about his defense in the middle and whether he has trained at hooker to relieve hodgo

So i don't see ba playing him unless the above happens

If yates defence holds up against the knites, i see him the next 14 after ja

 

[Gronk]

Not playing the trials will be detrimental to this.

He will not crack it into first grade unless injuries, we are going real bad or ja effs up

We have no idea about his defense in the middle and whether he has trained at hooker to relieve hodgo

So i don't see ba playing him unless the above happens

If yates defence holds up against the knites, i see him the next 14 after ja

He offers more utility value than Jake and unless they actually want a hooker/lock 14, then shouldn't be written off so quickly. Long term we are all excited about Yates and rightly so.

Daejarn Asi - Playing Career - Positions - RLP

A stats breakdown of positions played by Daejarn Asi, a rugby league player who represented Samoa, and also played for the North Queensland Cowboys, the Warriors and the Parramatta Eels.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If Asi fit think he'll be 14

He is a utility back, coming off the bench only twice in 18 games. You want your bench players to provide value in the forwards, either attacking punch or defensive effort. A back on the bench usually just means injury cover. If you can get that from elsewhere in the 17 you don’t need to waste a bench spot on a back.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Not playing the trials will be detrimental to this.

He will not crack it into first grade unless injuries, we are going real bad or ja effs up

We have no idea about his defense in the middle and whether he has trained at hooker to relieve hodgo

So i don't see ba playing him unless the above happens

If yates defence holds up against the knites, i see him the next 14 after ja

Yates would be a much better bench player than Asi. And Asi is a significantly more dangerous attacker than Yates. Horses for courses.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He offers more utility value than Jake and unless they actually want a hooker/lock 14, then shouldn't be written off so quickly. Long term we are all excited about Yates and rightly so.

View attachment 70299

Daejarn Asi - Playing Career - Positions - RLP

A stats breakdown of positions played by Daejarn Asi, a rugby league player who represented Samoa, and also played for the North Queensland Cowboys, the Warriors and the Parramatta Eels.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

I’m not excited about Yates. He is Jake Arthur without the playmaking.

I am excited about Asi. Huge potential.

 

[hindy111]

Which is why clubs prefer young players, because they are more likely to improve from one year to the next.

There obviously are no better options.

Because the conditions in a trial match (or any match) are more random and less subject to the control required to make an objective assessment.

This is why pre-season training is so important. All the things that indicate game performance can be isolated and tested during the pre-season. Players can be compared against each other in similar situations.

This sort of thing has already been observed by the coaching staff over countless conditioning and opposed sessions prior to last week’s trial.

The decisions are already informed. If you think Brad Arthur has no idea look at how other coaches selected their trial teams this week and last. Their methodologies are all the same because they are proven.

Mataele will be a much better player than Makatoa (and is no doubt more athletic already) but he obviously still has flaws in his game that will far outweigh the positives in NRL situations. Makatoa has been around long enough that he doesn’t have these flaws.

Your problem is that you think lack of outstanding attack is a player flaw. In fact, the things considered flaws in NRL players are defensive weakness (including lack of effort) and high error rates. These flaws are tolerable (in moderation) in a team’s top attackers (e.g. Paulo) but not in the team’s role players. Those merkins just need to be safe, and leave the big plays to the stars.

Which is why I’m trusting the experts rather than trusting you.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about Mataele and I’m not excited about Makatoa or Jake Arthur. I just recognise that raw talent doesn’t transfer to NRL success. Mataele would be heavily targeted in first grade much like Papali’i was, but without the several seasons in the NRL to know how to handle it.

Mataele defense was poor when I saw last year. Fix that and he is in the side

 

[eel01s]

Mataele defense was poor when I saw last year. Fix that and he is in the side

Agree. I saw him let in two soft tries against the Panthers last year at Commbank.

 

[84 Baby]

How's his D?

Well he’s no Ryan Morgan

 

[84 Baby]

He offers more utility value than Jake and unless they actually want a hooker/lock 14, then shouldn't be written off so quickly. Long term we are all excited about Yates and rightly so.

View attachment 70299

Daejarn Asi - Playing Career - Positions - RLP

A stats breakdown of positions played by Daejarn Asi, a rugby league player who represented Samoa, and also played for the North Queensland Cowboys, the Warriors and the Parramatta Eels.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

Or that could show he’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
Which I guess the same could be said of Jrthur.
So…. Russell on the bench?

 

[84 Baby]

Agree. I saw him let in two soft tries against the Panthers last year at Commbank.

How’d he go in the other games you saw him in?

 

[hindy111]

Or that could show he’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
Which I guess the same could be said of Jrthur.
So…. Russell on the bench?

But did you see that pass? The balls skills. Majestic

 

[hindy111]

How’d he go in the other games you saw him in?

His defense improved as season went on.

I thought Tevita had some talent but he looks to have dropped off the radar now.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

He offers more utility value than Jake and unless they actually want a hooker/lock 14, then shouldn't be written off so quickly. Long term we are all excited about Yates and rightly so.

View attachment 70299

Daejarn Asi - Playing Career - Positions - RLP

A stats breakdown of positions played by Daejarn Asi, a rugby league player who represented Samoa, and also played for the North Queensland Cowboys, the Warriors and the Parramatta Eels.

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

Who's excited for Yates? He's turning 23 and yet to crack a starting spot even in reserve grade. He could be a late bloomer, he works hard and with time could be a solid back-up or bench option but that's probably his ceiling. You need to pump the brakes on players you haven't seen much/any of.

 

[hindy111]

Who's excited for Yates? He's turning 23 and yet to crack a starting spot even in reserve grade. He could be a late bloomer, he works hard and with time could be a solid back-up or bench option but that's probably his ceiling. You need to pump the brakes on players you haven't seen much/any of.

Yes agree. Hands looks better and probably won't even make the NSW cup starting side. Yates is a park footballer.

Any word on Tevita? I thought he might be a suprise for this year but barely heard his name mentioned.

Also how do we find out the jersey flegg squads?

 

[84 Baby]

But did you see that pass? The balls skills. Majestic

For someone who kept harping on about it just being a trial game, you keep harping on about things that happened in that trial game.

 

[hindy111]

For someone who kept harping on about it just being a trial game, you keep harping on about things that happened in that trial game.

84 Baby you can't get stoned by Obie. You 84yr old. You don't know me

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How’d he go in the other games you saw him in?

That’s the only game that matters ffs!!!

 

[hindy111]

That’s the only game that matters ffs!!!

f**k of merkin