Waqa Blake appreciation thread

[lucablight]

Just wanted to give a special shout out to Waqa Blake who I thought really came into his own at the back end of the season. He copped a lot of criticism at the start of the season for his defence and I was genuinely confused as to how he wasn’t going better than he was. I remember when he used to play for the Panthers he would always carve us up and I didn’t think it was a case of him losing his talent. He showed what he was capable of when he carved up Crichton and single handedly beat Penrith last season. It seems like when he and Fergo were separated he found a new lease of life and he started running good lines and being a threat with the ball in hand again. His defence at the back end of the season was outstanding as well. We’ve been waiting for the emergence of a strike centre pairing for a few years and and things are looking up with Blake and Penisini. If there’s one criticism I still have it’s that I think he needs to add a passing game to set up his winger a bit more. Here’s hoping he can keep it up and maybe even get better next season.

 

[Gary Gutful]

He sucks.

 

[strider]

yeah he seemed really switched on down the end of this season .... and his defense has improved alot - maybe one of our terrible assistants didn't talk to him .... he probably still needs to develop his ability to use his winger tho

I was impressed he came back on last night too .... I thought for sure he was no chance of passing the HIA

 

[hineyrulz]

He sucks.

Dickhead.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Dickhead.

 

[hineyrulz]

TiMe And PlAcE mErKin!!!!

 

[Gary Gutful]

TiMe And PlAcE mErKin!!!!

Stop interrupting the Waqa Blake thread FFS!

 

[hineyrulz]

Stop interrupting the Waqa Blake thread FFS!

DICKHEAD!!!

 

[Gary Gutful]

 

[Noise]

Waqa Blake and Shaun Lane were my 2 most despised players. Waqa has improved a lot. He still has no idea how to draw and pass though defensively I am liking his progress.

That leaves Shaun Lane as the laziest, dopiest merkin on the team.

 

[hineyrulz]

Waqa Blake and Shaun Lane were my 2 most despised players. Waqa has improved a lot. He still has no idea how to draw and pass though defensively I am liking his progress.

That leaves Shaun Lane as the laziest, dopiest merkin on the team.

Lane played almost double the mins of Papa, WTF Bea????

 

[strider]

Lane played almost double the mins of Papa, WTF Bea????

edge vs middle .... seriously - have a bit of perspective on the outrage

i agree lane is not mr fantastic, but your middle forwards are a very different role to the edges .... you expect big minutes of an edge ..... we lack impact in the middle once rcg and paulo go off - step in papa

would it have made a difference playing papa 70 mins out wide? probably not, penrith are solid edge defenders

 

[lucablight]

I haven’t given up on Lane either. He was fantastic in 2019. If we can find a way to get him running into gaps close to the line he’s pretty hard to stop. I think he’s being used as a battering ram when he always played his best when he was used as a hole runner. He does need to cut the errors out of his game though.

 

[TheParraboy]

Impressed with Waqa

Just needs to develop a pass when something potentially on

At times seems theres an overlap developing and a chance to draw and pass, but Waqa goes himself at full throttle in the other direction

 

[hineyrulz]

edge vs middle .... seriously - have a bit of perspective on the outrage

i agree lane is not mr fantastic, but your middle forwards are a very different role to the edges .... you expect big minutes of an edge ..... we lack impact in the middle once rcg and paulo go off - step in papa

would it have made a difference playing papa 70 mins out wide? probably not, penrith are solid edge defenders

yeah Papa played middle but Lane for 72mins??? Seriously??? FFS Please way overused especially when he gave his usual missed soft tackles and away a dumb penalty. He was spent way before he was eventually taken off.

 

[strider]

yeah Papa played middle but Lane for 72mins??? Seriously??? FFS Please way overused especially when he gave his usual missed soft tackles and away a dumb penalty. He was spent way before he was eventually taken off.

it is what it is .... edge players play practically 80 minutes these days ..... its how you manage to get some impact in the middle and not get exhausted and fall to pieces in the middle

whoever gets named on an edge, expect that mofo to play big minutes ... period!

 

[ALX25]

Had a dig last night even when slightly injured. Hope his good form continues next season.

 

[Eelspride]

Just wanted to give a special shout out to Waqa Blake who I thought really came into his own at the back end of the season. He copped a lot of criticism at the start of the season for his defence and I was genuinely confused as to how he wasn’t going better than he was. I remember when he used to play for the Panthers he would always carve us up and I didn’t think it was a case of him losing his talent. He showed what he was capable of when he carved up Crichton and single handedly beat Penrith last season. It seems like when he and Fergo were separated he found a new lease of life and he started running good lines and being a threat with the ball in hand again. His defence at the back end of the season was outstanding as well. We’ve been waiting for the emergence of a strike centre pairing for a few years and and things are looking up with Blake and Penisini. If there’s one criticism I still have it’s that I think he needs to add a passing game to set up his winger a bit more. Here’s hoping he can keep it up and maybe even get better next season.

I would love to see him tried at fullback next season I think his strength and body strength is suited for the position and switch Gatho to center
He has shown a lot of improvement in his game and I believe he can go up to another level next year with a positional switch.

 

[Noise]

I would love to see him tried at fullback next season I think his strength and body strength is suited for the position and switch Gatho to center
He has shown a lot of improvement in his game and I believe he can go up to another level next year with a positional switch.

He can’t pass and certainly couldn’t organize a defensive line.

 

[Eelspride]

He can’t pass and certainly couldn’t organize a defensive line.

You would never know until you try it everyone said that Mitchell can’t make the switch for the bunnies he proved his critics wrong we have nothing to lose if we tried.