Matai Update

[Kiwi Eagle]

Few people have been wondering what he is up to, just watching the test match, and they said after the 4 nations he will be having a shoulder op that won't impact on his pre season

Onto the actual game, 50 mins gone, NZ 24 Tonga 18

Ball hasn't really gone Matai's way, his few touches have been powerful though. Defensively has been good. Scored a try from a Tonga mistake just before halftime, they dropped it 10m out, made a nice 1 handed pick up in wet conditions and finished off nicely in the corner. Has been having his hamstring stretched a couple of time, and has just left the field to give Soliola a run in the centres

Thought Tony Williams was going to play but he isn't out there

Lastly JWH. haven't been a big fan of his Manly outings, but gotta say he has been impressive tonight. His charges have been extremely powerful, I don't remember him running this strongly for us. Defensively has made a couple of good shots, was 1 arm grab though but he is into everything since coming on. His 1st touch was a drop kick return, and he came back Moi Moi style, got sat on his arse, but was commited

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The one quality JWH has (apart from his size) is that he always gives 100%. That indicates to me he will continue to improve and it's a shame it won't be with us.

 

[DSM5]

I can't say I'll be to sorry.  His defensive work left to much to desired.  Way to many arm grabs, shoulder charges and other fancy stuff without the grunt.  All looks and no substance.  24 to 18 doesn't sound to healthy. 

 

[Matabele]

How can Matai's pre-season not be affected when this nuffie tournament doesn't conclude until after we start pre-season training?

 

[eggson]

The important question is: at any time did he clutch at his neck/shoulder/wrist?  He's not really playing if he hasn't done that!

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Mata, presumably the rep players have a different time starting back than the rest of the squad

Game finished 40-24, was a very patchy effort

Eggson, didn't clutch at them once

 

[Matabele]

Mata, presumably the rep players have a different time starting back than the rest of the squad

  Which buggers around with the proper club-based off season.  This is becoming an interminable off-season discussion, Matai should not play these mean nothing games and get himself right for his employer.

Can you imagine what would happen if any of us went galivanting around on a 6 week root-around-Europe Contiki tour and it impacted on our employment for the next 2-3 months?

 

[missing_something]

[quote author=Kiwi Eagle link=topic=181902.msg244460#msg244460 date=1255578773]
Mata, presumably the rep players have a different time starting back than the rest of the squad

 Which buggers around with the proper club-based off season.  This is becoming an interminable off-season discussion, Matai should not play these mean nothing games and get himself right for his employer.

Can you imagine what would happen if any of us went galivanting around on a 6 week root-around-Europe Contiki tour and it impacted on our employment for the next 2-3 months?
[/quote]

I own my own business so the boss would be wrapped

 

[Fro]

[quote author=Kiwi Eagle link=topic=181902.msg244460#msg244460 date=1255578773]
Mata, presumably the rep players have a different time starting back than the rest of the squad

  Which buggers around with the proper club-based off season.  This is becoming an interminable off-season discussion, Matai should not play these mean nothing games and get himself right for his employer.

Can you imagine what would happen if any of us went galivanting around on a 6 week root-around-Europe Contiki tour and it impacted on our employment for the next 2-3 months?
[/quote]

I dont think I could handle 6 weeks of that.

The boss wouldnt care, thats what holidays are for.

 

[Matabele]

I don;t think too many bosses in a manual labour environment would look too kindly on an employee walking back into their first day back, arm in sling from an operation the previous day, on an injury sustained several weeks previous.

 

[Fro]

Maybe you should tell orford it's a manual labor environment

And it's don't..

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

[quote author=Kiwi Eagle link=topic=181902.msg244460#msg244460 date=1255578773]
Mata, presumably the rep players have a different time starting back than the rest of the squad

  Which buggers around with the proper club-based off season.  This is becoming an interminable off-season discussion, Matai should not play these mean nothing games and get himself right for his employer.

Can you imagine what would happen if any of us went galivanting around on a 6 week root-around-Europe Contiki tour and it impacted on our employment for the next 2-3 months?
[/quote]

The employer is obviously quite happy for these blokes to play the highest levels of the game Mata, which is something all players aspire too when they start playing the game

The any of us line is really a waste of time anyway, as like it or not, they are involved in a different world to the regular bloke laying bricks down the road. The bricklayer can go out, get on the piss, cause some trouble, and head to work next day like nothing has happened, the footy player can't