The Rumours Thread

[BLM01]

maybe hes a hotel porter in disguise lets ask andrew johns he should know him .....

Probably another Eto Nabuli..we need established 1st grade flyers not reserves

 

[SaintPauli]

Probably another Eto Nabuli..we need established 1st grade flyers not reserves

I hope he does not defend or have same defensive reads as Eto. N.

 

[Brutalitops]

The fact he is simply being compared to Eto Nabuli at all, let alone being assumed to same the exact same deficiencies, is disgraceful and honestly a bit racist.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Probably another Eto Nabuli..we need established 1st grade flyers not reserves

I saw him play once against us in isp....he moves quicker than eto kebtabuli....he made our wingers look pedestrian

 

[BLM01]

I saw him play once against us in isp....he moves quicker than eto kebtabuli....he made our wingers look pedestrian

Good

 

[SaintPauli]

The fact he is simply being compared to Eto Nabuli at all, let alone being assumed to same the exact same deficiencies, is disgraceful and honestly a bit racist.

Vunivalu is an absolute champion player, Athlete and Personality ! I'd sign him today if at all possible. The point is we judge players on their performances and abilities to be the best for the Dragons, not nationality or religion. After all we simply want to win comps.

 

[Frank Facer]

The fact he is simply being compared to Eto Nabuli at all, let alone being assumed to same the exact same deficiencies, is disgraceful and honestly a bit racist.

So do you think comparing Dufty to Quinlan is a bit racist too?

 

[blacksafake]

So do you think comparing Dufty to Quinlan is a bit racist too?

Because of their skin colour probably not

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Probably another Eto Nabuli..we need established 1st grade flyers not reserves

My problem is that I have no faith in SGI's judgement of talent. Mary said that he finally had the team that he wanted when he landed Ben Hunt. On overall performances in 2018, we have paid (reportedly) over $1million per season for a half back who would not rank in the top 8 NRL half backs. I would put Thurston, Cronk, Pearce, Reynolds, Townsend, Cherry-Evans, Cleary and Johnson ahead of him- Comment?

 

[Saints Forever]

My problem is that I have no faith in SGI's judgement of talent. Mary said that he finally had the team that he wanted when he landed Ben Hunt. On overall performances in 2018, we have paid (reportedly) over $1million per season for a half back who would not rank in the top 8 NRL half backs. I would put Thurston, Cronk, Pearce, Reynolds, Townsend, Cherry-Evans, Cleary and Johnson ahead of him- Comment?

I would rank them in the following groups:

Group 1 Cleary, Reynolds, Johnson,
Group 2 Hunt, Cherry Evans, Cronk
Group 3 Townsend, Thurston 2018 version

When the forwards were going great guns this season, Hunt was tremendous.

Judging Hunt on the final 10-11 games of the season is very unfair.

When a forward pack relies on its wingers to get on the front foot, the half back has zero chance of dominating a game.

Being asked to create field position when you are the only kicking option and are kicking from your own half of the field as your forward pack struggles to get to 40 metres from its own try line is a bridge too far for the majority of half backs. Very few of the current crop are accurate, long distance kickers.

Our centres showed very little ability to penetrate opposition defences out wide for most of the season.

Aitken and Lafai cannot be compared to Gasnier and Cooper.

It is a team game guys. On paper Souths have a far superior back line to ours.

Making Hunt the whipping boy for Saints finals exit is unfair and illogical.

 

[dannyt]

I will not miss you in the off season you f**kin c**k.

Put him on your ignore list.

Does wonders for blood pressure.

 

[ALSGI]

I would rank them in the following groups:

Group 1 Cleary, Reynolds, Johnson,
Group 2 Hunt, Cherry Evans, Cronk
Group 3 Townsend, Thurston 2018 version

When the forwards were going great guns this season, Hunt was tremendous.

Judging Hunt on the final 10-11 games of the season is very unfair.

When a forward pack relies on its wingers to get on the front foot, the half back has zero chance of dominating a game.

Being asked to create field position when you are the only kicking option and are kicking from your own half of the field as your forward pack struggles to get to 40 metres from its own try line is a bridge too far for the majority of half backs. Very few of the current crop are accurate, long distance kickers.

Our centres showed very little ability to penetrate opposition defences out wide for most of the season.

Aitken and Lafai cannot be compared to Gasnier and Cooper.

It is a team game guys. On paper Souths have a far superior back line to ours.

Making Hunt the whipping boy for Saints finals exit is unfair and illogical.

Very well said.
Hunt is as good as any half in the NRL.
Not much said about Cleary’s missed FG last week in a clutch play.
Hunt hasn’t had the luxury of a potent back line to link with.
Our own fans need to stop following the media BS about $1m a season too. Milward has publically said it’s no where near that. He would be on similar coin to Widdop and what Dugan was asking for.

 

[BLM01]

My problem is that I have no faith in SGI's judgement of talent. Mary said that he finally had the team that he wanted when he landed Ben Hunt. On overall performances in 2018, we have paid (reportedly) over $1million per season for a half back who would not rank in the top 8 NRL half backs. I would put Thurston, Cronk, Pearce, Reynolds, Townsend, Cherry-Evans, Cleary and Johnson ahead of him- Comment?

He would be in Top 8 now as Thurston gone, Cronk soon and better than Townsend (who thrives of a good / quick pack too). Cherry Evans has got to do more for his team to prove his worth too.
I am with you on your fear re spotting talent but we are a lot better now than we have been for a while, especially when Craig Young & Doust were handling recruitment about 5-6 yrs ago..
Hunt I have been told is on about 950K a year (6 over 6 years sounds better...the media keep conveniently forgetting that minor detail about the 6 mill reported deal included his 6th year option)
Still good money..nearly worth it in the first 9 rounds, not the latter, but he is the best 7 of potential individual talent we have had since god knows when.
But the coach has to take most flack as I have spoken about many of times in regards to the teams performance slipping..It was not all about ORIGIN and resting players which is the convenient excuse Mary and the media say..that we will do better next year and buys himself more time with a review.
Different individuals form was sliding at different times earlier in the year in Rounds 5-11 and most wins masked this,
The coaching staff failed to identify, rectify and change game plans to suit other teams getting better and growing into the season or drop and reward lower graders. He thought it worked early... it will work all year.
Origin,Denver and niggling injuries just added to the mental fatigue of all. But immediately post Origin did not sem to affect Sims,Vaughan and Frizzell, JDB playing with injury which most players do back half of a year espeially forwards.

 

[blacksafake]

I would rank them in the following groups:

Group 1 Cleary, Reynolds, Johnson,
Group 2 Hunt, Cherry Evans, Cronk
Group 3 Townsend, Thurston 2018 version

When the forwards were going great guns this season, Hunt was tremendous.

Judging Hunt on the final 10-11 games of the season is very unfair.

When a forward pack relies on its wingers to get on the front foot, the half back has zero chance of dominating a game.

Being asked to create field position when you are the only kicking option and are kicking from your own half of the field as your forward pack struggles to get to 40 metres from its own try line is a bridge too far for the majority of half backs. Very few of the current crop are accurate, long distance kickers.

Our centres showed very little ability to penetrate opposition defences out wide for most of the season.

Aitken and Lafai cannot be compared to Gasnier and Cooper.

It is a team game guys. On paper Souths have a far superior back line to ours.

Making Hunt the whipping boy for Saints finals exit is unfair and illogical.

I agree SF.
As ALSGI said in an earlier post not one mention of Cleary missing in front & imo from a better position than Hunt.
The majority of his kicks are from around the 40 metre line due to our lack of go forward at times.
It can be hard to compare No 7’s at times as circumstances such as form can change. Reynolds (who I really like) on last years form wouldn’t have rated in the top 10. Some were calling Cronk a dud buy in the first half of the season until his forwards found some go forward. Johnson to me is the most disappointing half going around if you’re talking about ability. Hunt behind the Souths pack as well as having cook would be dynamite with his running game.

 

[Frank Facer]

I agree SF.
As ALSGI said in an earlier post not one mention of Cleary missing in front & imo from a better position than Hunt.
The majority of his kicks are from around the 40 metre line due to our lack of go forward at times.
It can be hard to compare No 7’s at times as circumstances such as form can change. Reynolds (who I really like) on last years form wouldn’t have rated in the top 10. Some were calling Cronk a dud buy in the first half of the season until his forwards found some go forward. Johnson to me is the most disappointing half going around if you’re talking about ability. Hunt behind the Souths pack as well as having cook would be dynamite with his running game.

I would take Hunt over Adam Over Rated Reynolds any day of the week. The only thing that Over Rated Reynolds brings to the table is a good kicking game.

 

[FlameThrower]

I agree SF.
As ALSGI said in an earlier post not one mention of Cleary missing in front & imo from a better position than Hunt.
The majority of his kicks are from around the 40 metre line due to our lack of go forward at times.
It can be hard to compare No 7’s at times as circumstances such as form can change. Reynolds (who I really like) on last years form wouldn’t have rated in the top 10. Some were calling Cronk a dud buy in the first half of the season until his forwards found some go forward. Johnson to me is the most disappointing half going around if you’re talking about ability. Hunt behind the Souths pack as well as having cook would be dynamite with his running game.

Shaun Johnson really should get out of NZ. Imagine him at a top 4 Aussie side.

 

[Forster Dragon]

Hunt will. Do me fine thank you very much.He will only get better for us.

 

[Frank Facer]

Shaun Johnson really should get out of NZ. Imagine him at a top 4 Aussie side.

I agree. I think he is a 5/8.

 

[KogarahWarrior]

are you joking? for all we know he could be the next vunivalu but straight away, some of you are saying "ETO NABULI ETO NABULI." not every fijian winger has to be a hotel porter. smh

 

[Carlton]

are you joking? for all we know he could be the next vunivalu but straight away, some of you are saying "ETO NABULI ETO NABULI." not every fijian winger has to be a hotel porter. smh

He is exactly the sort of young player we should be taking a chance on, size, speed, physical. In fact we should have a production line of these young players, moving them in and out of the squad and only keeping the very few who are going to be more than just good first graders.

Sometimes there is too much sentiment around our juniors, as a club we need to be brutally honest about their potential and act decisively when they are showing they are not capable of progressing to the top echelon of first graders.