Vai Toutai

[Poupou Escobar]

I watched Vai Toutai (Fairfield Utd) for a number of years in the juniors - he has talent and will only turn 20 this year.

He should not be in 1st grade but in the U20s this year and in reserve grade (Wenty) for a couple more after that; but such is the ineptitude of Parramatta's recruitment and junior rep selectors that this young bloke has been rushed in to an very ordinary side where he is clearly out of his depth.

The funny part is that there were at least 2-3 players from other teams that would control Vai when these teams played Fairfield; while they received minor rep honours at junior level these guys were continually overlooked by Parramatta.

Wow, it took 2-3 players to stop him? No wonder he's getting a chance in the NRL.

Errors aside, Toutai has been strong with the ball in hand. I know it's too small a sample, but in his three games he has scored a try, made three linebreaks and broken ten tackles. He has also run for over 300 metres. Sure he made three errors tonight, but he only made one in his previous two games. He also broke as many tackles tonight as the rest of the team put together.

He has serious potential. But I agree he probably needs to go back to Wenty or the Holden Cup to get his confidence back. Because the Sharks halves will be sending plenty of bombs down his (and Sio's) way next weekend. Unless we can actually slow their ruck and put some pressure on their kickers.

Now as an ex-footballer (but looking at it like a coach) I ask the following question - who do I want in my future teams - the junior star (Vai) or the player/s who controlled him whenever they met - to be honest probably both, but if I had to pick one - the kid in the lesser team that was able to control the star in the star team. That what your so-called talent scouts don't have the talent to see.

You've got no idea you mad merkin. That's why you're on here bitter about why scouts never gave your kid that shot in the fourth quarter of the big game. Or something.

Parramatta and Penrith have the same problem - they bring in junior rep players (usually from the gun local district teams) from junior rep teams that have not lost too many games over their junior years and suddenly they put up against players that now are not under sized or over-awed - they then need to get into the trenches, get dirty and battle in each game for the win, but having never done this before they don't know how to and everyone scratches their heads (talent scouts and fans) and say, what is wrong?

Kids don't learn how to play NRL rugby league in their weekend comps. It is a completely different game. That's why there are junior rep teams (and even then the style of football is vastly different to NRL). But at least the kids are all of similar ability, so the physically gifted kids can start learning (out of necessity) how to be more than a one-trick pony.

But you need to start with physically capable kids (like Vai Toutai) because genetics is the one thing you can't teach.

Answer - your talent scouts and rep selectors don't have any talent to pick the right players for the future open age competitions.

So, if the kid was good enough then the good scouts from Melbourne and Canterbury and wherever Brian Smith is coaching these days would sign him up.

Vai Toutai might never play first grade again. But he also might go on to play 200+ NRL games and score 100 tries.

If Luke Burt can do it any merkin can.

 

[Eels Dude]

I think magpie4ever makes some very good points and it's worthwhile hearing someone's opinion who's actually been involved with the junior leagues instead of talking out of their ass.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's ok, I have been involved in junior rugby league too. In fact, I was selected by the junior club I was coaching at to be involved in Brian Smith's youth development program. This was around 1996.

I might have been a shit player, and I might still be a shit human being. But I know a lot about rugby league, as well as everything else including human development and organisational behaviour.

You should be f**king thankful you get to read my shit for free.

 

[magpie4ever]

Wow, it took 2-3 players to stop him? No wonder he's getting a chance in the NRL.

Errors aside, Toutai has been strong with the ball in hand. I know it's too small a sample, but in his three games he has scored a try, made three linebreaks and broken ten tackles. He has also run for over 300 metres. Sure he made three errors tonight, but he only made one in his previous two games. He also broke as many tackles tonight as the rest of the team put together.

He has serious potential. But I agree he probably needs to go back to Wenty or the Holden Cup to get his confidence back. Because the Sharks halves will be sending plenty of bombs down his (and Sio's) way next weekend. Unless we can actually slow their ruck and put some pressure on their kickers.



You've got no idea you mad merkin. That's why you're on here bitter about why scouts never gave your kid that shot in the fourth quarter of the big game. Or something.



Kids don't learn how to play NRL rugby league in their weekend comps. It is a completely different game. That's why there are junior rep teams (and even then the style of football is vastly different to NRL). But at least the kids are all of similar ability, so the physically gifted kids can start learning (out of necessity) how to be more than a one-trick pony.

But you need to start with physically capable kids (like Vai Toutai) because genetics is the one thing you can't teach.



So, if the kid was good enough then the good scouts from Melbourne and Canterbury and wherever Brian Smith is coaching these days would sign him up.

Vai Toutai might never play first grade again. But he also might go on to play 200+ NRL games and score 100 tries.

If Luke Burt can do it any merkin can.

I didn't say 2-3 players from another team; I stated 2-3 players from other teams - you dumb shit.

I agree he does have serious potential, but placing a kid, who has always played centre as a junior, on the wing alongside another rookie in Loko was like sending a lamb to the slaughter - it was always going to end like it did tonight.

You dickhead, he picked up a serious back injury in round 5 and had not played from that point on until the grand final; was given a clearence and was thought high enough of to be named in the 17 and played. So, why would I be bitter.

Where do they learn to play, if not in their weekend comps - talk about merkin, that's you.

As stated you were a shit footballer because you have no idea. Brian Smith must have been on the piss for a week to offer you a junior coaching role.

You seem to always quote statistics, as said there are statistics and there are damn lies. From your stats young Vai should be 1st pick when your team is selected -agreed.

My issue is not with the rep players who go to other clubs, it's with extemely talented footballers who are not sighted or overlooked in junior teams because the Parra talent scouts and selectors have no idea of what to look for as far as picking future 1st grade footballers.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I didn't say 2-3 players from another team; I stated 2-3 players from other teams - you dumb shit.

Just because a player plays well in junior footy doesn't mean he will make it in the NRL. Where are those 2-3 players now?

I agree he does have serious potential, but placing a kid, who has always played centre as a junior, on the wing alongside another rookie in Loko was like sending a lamb to the slaughter - it was always going to end like it did tonight.

And Sticky said there would be games like tonight. The key for Toutai's development is to remind him of his first two games to keep his confidence up, while giving him a few weeks to recuperate against easier opposition.

You dickhead, he picked up a serious back injury in round 5 and had not played from that point on until the grand final; was given a clearence and was thought high enough of to be named in the 17 and played. So, why would I be bitter.

I dunno, you seem to have your knickers in a twist over some of the scouts that didn't rate your kid while ignoring the dozens of other scouts that didn't rate him either.

Where do they learn to play, if not in their weekend comps - talk about merkin, that's you.

They learn individual skills (sometimes poorly) playing club footy and they also learn how much they actually want to play the game. They learn the majority of the technical and mental side of the game from professional coaches once they start playing rep footy.

They learn very little from the clueless dads and uncles that tend to volunteer as junior coaches.

As stated you were a shit footballer because you have no idea.

No I was shit because I was lazy and weak and slow and I hated that the standard of footy I was involved with looked like a completely different game to what the professionals were playing each weekend. I could kick a footy like a mad merkin but.

Brian Smith must have been on the piss for a week to offer you a junior coaching role.

He didn't offer me the role; he offered each junior club the opportunity to send one of their coaches along to Parra Stadium each week to learn how he wanted the junior teams to be taught.

He actually got the shits at me for grilling him on his team selections and choice of tactics. That's how I learnt that none of us knows a coach's team better than he does. And that's why I laugh when useless merkins pretend to know the game better than the pros.

You seem to always quote statistics, as said there are statistics and there are damn lies.

If statistics are worthless why are there companies that make their money by copiling and selling those statistics?

The only people that put shit on statistics are the dopey merkins that don't understand them.

From your stats young Vai should be 1st pick when your team is selected -agreed.

Well Sticky has picked him three weeks in a row. But I guess you know better hey?

My issue is not with the rep players who go to other clubs, it's with extemely talented footballers who are not sighted or overlooked in junior teams because the Parra talent scouts and selectors have no idea of what to look for as far as picking future 1st grade footballers.

And what about the scouts from the other 15 clubs? Or do you think Eels scouts are the only ones that attend games in Parramatta?

 

[strider]

I didn't say 2-3 players from another team; I stated 2-3 players from other teams - you dumb shit.

I agree he does have serious potential, but placing a kid, who has always played centre as a junior, on the wing alongside another rookie in Loko was like sending a lamb to the slaughter - it was always going to end like it did tonight.

You dickhead, he picked up a serious back injury in round 5 and had not played from that point on until the grand final; was given a clearence and was thought high enough of to be named in the 17 and played. So, why would I be bitter.

Where do they learn to play, if not in their weekend comps - talk about merkin, that's you.

As stated you were a shit footballer because you have no idea. Brian Smith must have been on the piss for a week to offer you a junior coaching role.

You seem to always quote statistics, as said there are statistics and there are damn lies. From your stats young Vai should be 1st pick when your team is selected -agreed.

My issue is not with the rep players who go to other clubs, it's with extemely talented footballers who are not sighted or overlooked in junior teams because the Parra talent scouts and selectors have no idea of what to look for as far as picking future 1st grade footballers.

dude, realise you are talking to The Great Pou here - knower of all, legend in his own lunchtime, king of the merkins

firstly, you have to learn to pull apart each post and quote every paragraph separately - then put a degrading comment which is irrelevant to the point being made as part of each reply .... then talk about and prove something else totally off point :thumn

 

[Twizzle]

some one had to be this weeks scapegoat

 

[oldmancraigy]

Vai had an absolute shocker last night.

It was his, what, 5th game of first grade?

Hopefully he learns from it. Don't drop him, at least he was trying....

 

[Bigfella]

It's an emotional time for everyone ...

 

[Forty20]

Vai had an absolute shocker last night.

It was his, what, 5th game of first grade?

Hopefully he learns from it. Don't drop him, at least he was trying....

I'm pretty sure it was only his third game (although I think Ricky said it was his fifth game in the press conference for some reason.) He debuted against the Dogs in Rd.2 along with Kelepi.

 

[Chipmunk]

Wow, it took 2-3 players to stop him? No wonder he's getting a chance in the NRL.

Errors aside, Toutai has been strong with the ball in hand. I know it's too small a sample, but in his three games he has scored a try, made three linebreaks and broken ten tackles. He has also run for over 300 metres. Sure he made three errors tonight, but he only made one in his previous two games. He also broke as many tackles tonight as the rest of the team put together.

He has serious potential. But I agree he probably needs to go back to Wenty or the Holden Cup to get his confidence back. Because the Sharks halves will be sending plenty of bombs down his (and Sio's) way next weekend. Unless we can actually slow their ruck and put some pressure on their kickers.



You've got no idea you mad merkin. That's why you're on here bitter about why scouts never gave your kid that shot in the fourth quarter of the big game. Or something.



Kids don't learn how to play NRL rugby league in their weekend comps. It is a completely different game. That's why there are junior rep teams (and even then the style of football is vastly different to NRL). But at least the kids are all of similar ability, so the physically gifted kids can start learning (out of necessity) how to be more than a one-trick pony.

But you need to start with physically capable kids (like Vai Toutai) because genetics is the one thing you can't teach.



So, if the kid was good enough then the good scouts from Melbourne and Canterbury and wherever Brian Smith is coaching these days would sign him up.

Vai Toutai might never play first grade again. But he also might go on to play 200+ NRL games and score 100 tries.

If Luke Burt can do it any merkin can.

Luke Burt was an amazing junior player, who I recall as a 15 year old in the Harold Matthews at Newcastle. I think he broke some trying scoring record for the Harold Matthews or something that year. He was big and fast for a 15 year old, unfortunately like alot of top line footballers at 15 year olds, he was the same size when he was 20!

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Vai had a shocker but don't drop him, he looks like he has some potential and the more experience he gets the better the squad will be for next year. Also as bad as he was it wasn't his fault we lost the ruck battle, which ultimately lead to our loss.

 

[Gronk]

some one had to be this weeks scapegoat

He was shit. Own it.

 

[Noise]

He can't catch and he can't deal with the high ball. Kind of important parts to a wingers game. If he doesn't get sent back to Holden Cup on that performance to 'regain confidence' then we are just accepting mediocrity.

 

[byrner]

He had a bad game, but give him 2 years and he will be damaging with loco

 

[Pazza]

No one is writing is kid off being a good first grader but he needs to work on aspects of his game before he can do that! ATM Blair is the better option

 

[Eels Dude]

All this waiting for players to come good. We cant afford to keep someone who puts in such a horrible performance in first grade just to give them more experience. He's clearly not up to first grade yet so drop him and let him work on the simple things in his game, like catching the ball and contesting bombs.

 

[Gronk]

All this waiting for players to come good. We cant afford to keep someone who puts in such a horrible performance in first grade just to give them more experience. He's clearly not up to first grade yet so drop him and let him work on the simple things in his game, like catching the ball and contesting bombs.

Agree. Sticky said in the presser that they were our best 17. Find another kid FFS. Vai T is crap.

 

[Craig Johnston]

it wouldn't have mattered if his name was billy slater, the go forward and kicking accuracy of the chooks was first class. geez they impressed me.

 

[mickdo]

Sticky said in the presser that they were our best 17

FMD. Best 17 at what?