If defence is about attitude, then when you are looking at 14 year old, I guess you are assessing their character not their technique.
Their willingness to engage in physical contact, not shrink when a big forward runs at them. Racing to get back in position when they make a tackle, diving on loose balls. Standing up to aggression. Character is hard to teach, the building blocks have to be there and a good culture will help develop that.
Sure, the technical aspects of defending can be taught and is not important when assessing kids. I think Luke is referring to that when he talks about defence. Without that Character, you don't have the basis for an NRL player regardless of how skilled and speedy they are.
Our players seem to have been picked because of their character. Commentators rarely complement our defensive technique.
Are the Panthers technically better than any other team when it comes to defence? I think no, but technique doesn't make Kenny dive on a loose ball, or try and smash a prop twice his size. It doesn't make Marto try and put the opposition into the front seats, or make Leota square up to rampaging props like Fonua Blake. It's all about character. Character = defensive resolve. Find the youngsters with that and you are on the way to building a good team. Find them with character + "X" and you are championship material.
You nailed the last sentence.
Plenty of young blokes get picked on skill and lack a bit of character..
Fans that dont follow flegg and the juniors as much probs dont see the guns fall through the cracks cause they lack that character..
Some guns make it on skill alone but get shown up at nrl cause cruising through on talent might get you through the juniors and cup but nrl is a different beast...
Just for us we had a few blokes that really couldve been anything.
The late masada iosefa... probs the most gifted 9 ive ever seen in the juniors.. got named in the senior kiwis team on the extended bench from memory before even debutimg in the nrl. He had it all but just lacked charecter and attitude.
But he got picked up and taken a chance on because he was a freak..
Joel romelo was another same as above who has been in the media recently.
William beale...
Vapiuana tai kilifi....
As i memtioned in another post cartwrights attitude to defence was abysmal.. jennings wasnt much better in the juniors.
Of course the majority of kids need to show resolve and charecter...
But its not the sole reason for getting picked up and plenty of kids with star quality get picked just on that..
People only watch nrl and think man we have such good kids... plenty drop out every year at matts, ball, flegg level who are very good..
