What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Will Kikau take a hit up in his own half? And other grand final questions..

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
Its not a criticism - simply put hit ups aren't in his job description. They generally save him til he can either run at backs in space or close to the line - when he's at his most dangerous. All the other forwards, and the back three will do the heavy-lifting to get him in that position, which is good for the team. And they're in the GF. There's no player that can run "downhill" (as I call it) as good as him.

Dont try and make it a reasonable thread. He doesnt take a lot of hitups in the middle because he plays on an edge, that shouldnt be hard to understand. Every good back rower tries to run at halves as much as possible. For you to say he never runs at forwards show you must really not pay attention. He runs at and over forwards often and he is taking runs in our own half often, if you think him running on an edge means its not a hitup well that just shows you're an idiot.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,897
Dont try and make it a reasonable thread. He doesnt take a lot of hitups in the middle because he plays on an edge, that shouldnt be hard to understand. Every good back rower tries to run at halves as much as possible. For you to say he never runs at forwards show you must really not pay attention. He runs at and over forwards often and he is taking runs in our own half often, if you think him running on an edge means its not a hitup well that just shows you're an idiot.
You’re going to have to be a bit more patient with our fans.

After following a team that plays with zero tactical nous for ten years, most of us have forgotten the basics.
 

Hutty1986

Immortal
Messages
34,034
You’re going to have to be a bit more patient with our fans.

After following a team that plays with zero tactical nous for ten years, most of us have forgotten the basics.
Exhibit A: the once-damaging T.Frizzell. By the time we were done with him, he hadn't made a line break in 2 years.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,447
Exhibit A: the once-damaging T.Frizzell. By the time we were done with him, he hadn't made a line break in 2 years.
Well you should enjoy Hook then. Our attacking plan under him was to pass it to the big Fijian. At least he was used on the edge where he belongs. I don't get why some coaches feel that because a player is a beast on the edge that they should become a battering ram in the middle. It happens a fair bit though.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,897
Exhibit A: the once-damaging T.Frizzell. By the time we were done with him, he hadn't made a line break in 2 years.
Yep. Friz’s demise is a crime against rugby league.

Sam f**king Thaiday managed to score a bunch of tries running off Ben Hunt’s hip, and we couldn’t manage to make it happen with Frizzel. I can guarantee no one would have given a shit how many hit ups he made if he was playing to his potential on an edge.

Good luck to Kikau. He’s having a cracking season. Panthers fans should enjoy him while they can still afford him.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,447
Good luck to Kikau. He’s having a cracking season. Panthers fans should enjoy him while they can still afford him.
The bolded part makes me sad. I'll be happy for him to earn the crazy cash when the time comes, but it sucks that the cap will bite us hard in the next few years. Although I shouldn't complain, I don't recall the circumstances of why he left the cows, I assume it was cap hangover from their premiership. Surely they wanted to keep him.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,897
The bolded part makes me sad. I'll be happy for him to earn the crazy cash when the time comes, but it sucks that the cap will bite us hard in the next few years. Although I shouldn't complain, I don't recall the circumstances of why he left the cows, I assume it was cap hangover from their premiership. Surely they wanted to keep him.
Yeah. It’s a shame. The Panthers are going to have to make a decision on his future at some stage. Obviously he is going to have some significant offers come contract time.

He adds that special dynamic that helps finish a good team. But he doesn’t lay the platform. Tough balance to maintain in the cap.

As a league fan I just hope that he doesn’t get paid massive overs to go and play for a club that can’t win the middle and give fast wide ball to let him do his thing. It’d be a real loss if he is turned into another frizzel.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,897
Smart clubs know you don't spend a fortune on edge forwards.
Fortune is a pretty vague word.

Smart clubs certainly don’t over spend on edge forwards, but a good edge forward can still be worth big dollars.

SBW, Watmough, Graham are recent examples of edge backrowers who played vital roles in premierships.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,407
Fortune is a pretty vague word.

Smart clubs certainly don’t over spend on edge forwards, but a good edge forward can still be worth big dollars.

SBW, Watmough, Graham are recent examples of edge backrowers who played vital roles in premierships.

OK, smart clubs dont spend more than $650k on edge forwards.
 

soc123_au

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
18,447
OK, smart clubs dont spend more than $650k on edge forwards.
There is no cookie cutter solution to what a position is worth. It really depends on a clubs circumstances.

Hypothetically lets say the Dragons have an offer of 650k on the table for Kikau, Penrith can only go to 550k or they bust the cap. Kikau is leaning toward staying put for the 100k loss.
Dragons are also in a tussle with the Dogs for Burton, both offers are pretty similar.
Dragons throw an extra 150k at Kikau to get him over the line. if you are Burton, where do you go? Jackson or Kikau running off your left hip.
You could say why not throw the 150k at Burton, now you have both & are a much more attractive proposition to a young centre & winger looking for a chance for not a lot of cash.
 

SBD82

Coach
Messages
16,897
There is no cookie cutter solution to what a position is worth. It really depends on a clubs circumstances.

Hypothetically lets say the Dragons have an offer of 650k on the table for Kikau, Penrith can only go to 550k or they bust the cap. Kikau is leaning toward staying put for the 100k loss.
Dragons are also in a tussle with the Dogs for Burton, both offers are pretty similar.
Dragons throw an extra 150k at Kikau to get him over the line. if you are Burton, where do you go? Jackson or Kikau running off your left hip.
You could say why not throw the 150k at Burton, now you have both & are a much more attractive proposition to a young centre & winger looking for a chance for not a lot of cash.
The thought of Burton and Kikau on our left edge?

I need a cigarette.
 

AJB1102

First Grade
Messages
6,339
Take my pick of 0 hit ups in that clip.

Of the 8 times he took the ball in his own half, none were hit ups, out in the backline running hard. Arguably the first break against Cronulla was the only one he wasn’t in the back line running at backs. Although I wouldn’t expect genuine hit ups to be in a highlight reel even if he does them.

I’ve genuinely can’t recall seeing him take a hit up in his own half into the teeth of the defence in the middle. It’s not his thing. He’s an absolute weapon though and I’d love to have him in my team. Even if he only runs at backs all day he’s the most devastating player that does it. And he could win Penrith a GF for doing it. Good luck to him.

So, will he take a hit up in his own half in the GF... time will tell.

You could put a tow bar on your Rolls Royce SUV and just use it to lug shit around the property on weekends but it'd be a bit of a waste.
 

Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,914
How long after kick off will the nine commentators go on and on about origin.

how many times will Rabs plug the voice
 
Top