Team v Dragons.

[Meth]

I dont get all the ayshford love.

But still... I guess anything to get tui out of the team.

Not sure it's so much Ayshford love, as much as feeling like we have a need for a genuine centre who can set up his outside man. Fusitua isn't that (yet) and neither is Kata- and he probably will never be. The winger outside Kata may as well be the touch judge.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Lolohea is named because they don't want to switch Fusitua out of the centres and Vatuvei is down. I get it. I don't agree with it, but I get it.

So, effectively, Foran and RTS is. Manu and Clark out.

We saw Lolo get mucked around last year changing positions every few weeks, which many believe stuffed him up.
Kearney obviously believes Fus is a long term centre, so doesn't want to move him around like Lolo 2016.

We need a specialist winger instead of Lolo, which Asyhford isn't, but he is still more consistent than Lolo based on 2016 form.

 

[vvvrulz]

I dont get all the ayshford love.

But still... I guess anything to get tui out of the team.

Ayshford should have been terrible, it was another Danger Neilson signing.

But against all logic, he turned in a very good season by simply doing his job properly.
Found his outside man, defended hard and showed a decent turn of pace too.
Didn't fall asleep on the job either.

Speaks more of the rest and this club really, he *should* be outclassed by the guys around him.

 

[vvvrulz]

We saw Lolo get mucked around last year changing positions every few weeks, which many believe stuffed him up.
Kearney obviously believes Fus is a long term centre, so doesn't want to move him around like Lolo 2016.

If that's Kearney's thinking it's a geniused argument given we've got two empty wing spots and Fus has already demonstrated ability there.

I'm just thoroughly against this re-engineering of him into a centre.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

am I still the only one that thinks maumalo should be on the wing every week

 

[TheDMC]

am I still the only one that thinks maumalo should be on the wing every week

He is doing pretty well so I'm with you mate. Especially in the absence of Manu. He is like Manu, perhaps with slightly better hands, and definitely worse try scoring ability.

 

[ozbash]

am I still the only one that thinks maumalo should be on the wing every week

No.. I like him, he's young and will develop into a very good winger..

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Or Kearney has been told to pick local talent ahead of imported.
Look at all our recent signings.

Why wouldn't he, that's how he got the job himself in the first place.

I'm not a massive Ayshford fan myself (I think he goes okay, even well-ish), I just think Aysh/Fus is better than Fus/Tui.

At the end of the day, our propping stocks are still rubbish and that's going to hold us back again this week. The Dragons have a very solid, well performing pack who will be licking their lips.

 

[Rich102]

+ Packer.

 

[Benek]

I dont get all the ayshford love.

But still... I guess anything to get tui out of the team.

I've been a strong supporter of bring in Ayshford at centre and pushing Fusitua to the wing. As Meth said it's not so much about loving Ayshford (although for the record he was very solid last year and given current form of other players he'd probably be our best centre if he started this weekend), it's just that Aysh + Fus is far better than Fus + Tui.

I totally get that SK want's to turn Fusitua into a centre. It get's his hands on the ball more, and I can see that he's the type of player that has the skills to turn into a damaging centre one day.

However right now, what we need are good talented wingers with strong finishing ability and safe under the high ball and kick returns. Fusitua is great at that. better than anyone else we've got. So we're losing a lot of value on the wing by turning him into a centre, and were yet to see much return for it. Long-term, it might be seen as a smart move. But right now the team is hurting and we need improvement there quickly.

Tui needs a stint in reserves to teach him to get his head in the game. He's experienced enough now to stop playing like a rookie.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Was about to post the team too. Kearney is showing some serious loyalty here. I cannot believe that Lolohea is there. Everyone else has shown SOME good patches.

Foran will be better for a run in reserves.

Tui requires a chance to settle into wing without moving him around. I believe SK is doing the right thing by selecting Lolohea as he stated he is a winger for this team and hasn't had much time/chance to solidify that spot with injuries. We persisted with Manu over and over so we need to give Tui some room to grow I believe he will come right and so does the coach.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Both Lolohea and Maumalol should be nowhere near first grade. Surely CNK should have one of their spots.

CNK is good but he only came back from injury and had a good game back with ISP.

Maumalo is playing better and Tui as I said before in previous post that he needs time to solidify that wing spot by not moving him to FB to cover injuries.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Personally I'd have Foran in ISP for a week.

I disagree. We need to put him in now. A rusty as Foran over fully fit Johnson any day.

 

[jaseg]

Maumalo is playing better

I'll agree with you on Foran though - it would be silly IMO to play him in reserve grade. Just risking injury for a NSW cup game... if he's fit to play then he plays NRL.

As for Tui... I agree that he should be playing wing if that's the spot earmarked for him (still is probably the spot that makes the most sense in this squad, because we're unbalanced). In NSW cup though, probably. I'm happy enough to give him this week, but I think he's one bad game away from reserve grade.

 

[JJ]

My 2c - Tui hasn't proved himself to be decent in 1st grade in any position - whatever the club reckons his position is (they clearly don't know) he should play reserve grade there and learn to play it well and consistently

Fusitua has shown an ability to be a very good 1st grade wing, and also I thought was looking very good at fullback until McFadden had his brain fart last year - but if they're now adamant he is a centre then he should be developing I that position in reserve grade too - Ayshford isn't a world beater but IMO is a consistently better centre than either Kata or Fusitua at the moment. In terms of actually winning games now, surely Fusitua should be on the wing now (Ayshford at centre) and the full back cover if RTS is out?

 

[Iafeta]

My god there's some rose tinted glasses work on Blake Ayshford. He epitomises plodder-ville.

 

[Benek]

My god there's some rose tinted glasses work on Blake Ayshford. He epitomises plodder-ville.

I'd take solid plodder over the backline that's likely to be named this weekend.

 

[vvvrulz]

My god there's some rose tinted glasses work on Blake Ayshford. He epitomises plodder-ville.

You're making him sound like Plod Lowrie, credit where it's due mate

 

[jaseg]

Yep, Aysh is no plodder on last year's form. Decent centre - not a #1 guy, but a very handy #2 or #3. Had quite a good year for us last year. The only centre we've had in years that looks to be able to do all the basics of the role (like defend, and set up the guy outside you)... apart from Ngani really. What I wouldn't give for that guy back.

 

[Iafeta]

Number three at best. There's a reason he was playing reserve grade at Cronulla and is here now as well. Kata had a very strong year last year, certainly better than Plodfords, and Fus was probably our best back last year.

Plodford was great back in 2011. Times moved on. He's a bloke you have to cover injury. I like him, seems a good bloke, but lets keep it real. What next, Allplod to fullback?