Api is a 9

[BOZO]

Exactly that in bold........he is so bad, that he can't possibly get worse, so naturally can probably only improve

I don't see him that bad as a player but at least we do agree on one thing and that is he can only improve as he is still only 24

 

[cherry_poppins]

Mate I'd give him a solid five.

Someone like Trent Barret maybe an 8.

Brad Pitt is probably a 9.

I've got a bit of a Tom Hardy man crush and he'd get a 9.5.

Each to their own I guess.

On that scale Api is a 0.00000000009

 

[cherry_poppins]

I don't see him that bad as a player but at least we do agree on one thing and that is he can only improve

Like the whole team from 2015 to 2016

Oh wait

 

[Snake]

You absolutely can and I absolutely will. Just because you played there most of your career doesn't make you good at it!

You missed the point.

Over the last few months in numerous threads, people have been incorrectly implying that he is a half who plays hooker when required, when in actual fact, he is a hooker who plays half when required.

He came to grade as a hooker and the club see him as a hooker. He will play 9 next year. I don't care if you don't rate him, or if anyone else doesn't rate him but I started this thread to simply point out a fact; he is a 9 whether you or anybody else likes it or not.

 

[Dan]

You missed the point.

Over the last few months in numerous threads, people have been incorrectly implying that he is a half who plays hooker when required, when in actual fact, he is a hooker who plays half when required.

He came to grade as a hooker and the club see him as a hooker. He will play 9 next year. I don't care if you don't rate him, or if anyone else doesn't rate him but I started this thread to simply point out a fact; he is a 9 whether you or anybody else likes it or not.

Which kind of disproves your over arching point. He is a master of no position but has utility value.
Unless he has been doing some major practice though, he doesnt have the passing game to be a solid hooker

 

[manlyfan76]

Trex is a winger, played jnrs on the wing and at two nrl clubs on the wing.

Just saying because we need a winger this year.

 

[BOZO]

Which kind of disproves your over arching point. He is a master of no position but has utility value.
Unless he has been doing some major practice though, he doesnt have the passing game to be a solid hooker

I guess we will just have to wait and see how the new season unfolds and we will see if Api is a hooker , a utility value or no value what so ever

 

[Dan]

I guess we will just have to wait and see how the new season unfolds and we will see if Api is a hooker , a utility value or no value what so ever

Any result better than last year is good, but I see no better structure to this team than last years besides having two options average option as 5/8th rather than 2 terrible ones

 

[winnyason]

He can't pass a football from the ground nor acurate he a dud

 

[HoldenV8]

I like how "grand Final winning" gets thrown around like he carried the team through that win and they wouldnt have won without him.

The guy obviously has some ability to play football, its just a completely different style of football to the one the rest of the team is playing

In the form they were in, Souffs would have won that GF even if they had played their U/20's hooker. Api just happened to be in the right place at the right time to benefit from Luke's suspension, otherwise he would not have been in the 17. Remember, Api then left Souffs as a premiership winning hooker to go to Penrith and STILL played second fiddle to Segeyaro.

If Api can greatly improve his passes from dummy half then sure, I'd be happy for him to be our #9. But if he doesn't that stuffs our attack from its starting point.

 

[manlyfan76]

In the form they were in, Souffs would have won that GF even if they had played their U/20's hooker. Api just happened to be in the right place at the right time to benefit from Luke's suspension, otherwise he would not have been in the 17. Remember, Api then left Souffs as a premiership winning hooker to go to Penrith and STILL played second fiddle to Segeyaro.

If Api can greatly improve his passes from dummy half then sure, I'd be happy for him to be our #9. But if he doesn't that stuffs our attack from its starting point.

Souths forwards could have won with me playing hooker that year.

 

[andyvb]

Luke Lewis was a winger his junior career, won a grand final playing on the wing, is he a genuine winger or not? I don't mind seeing api and Hastings share 9 and 14

 

[HoldenV8]

I'm not saying Api didn't do a good job in the 2014 GF because he did, but the reality is that he would never have won a premiership if Luke hadn't been suspended. Good on him for winning a premiership and no one can ever take away that he is a legitimate premiership winning hooker. But don't be deluded into thinking that he was a major reason Souffs got to play in and win that Grand Final.

Yes hooker is his best position, that I agree with. But his skills at hooker are, for the most part (i.e. his passing game), not first grade quality. Those passing skills need to be addressed before he should be thought of as the first choice #9 because if Barrett wants a hooker who just passes and doesn't run, then right now I'm sorry to say but Api should not be the man for the job.

In saying that though, I do love the fact that he plays with a Geoff Toovey like heart. He's the little guy who's not afraid to put his body against those who look like they would squash him like a grape. He's not as polished as Tooves was, nor is he as skillful, but we do know that he won't die wondering out there.

 

[nightster]

Jamie Buhrer would of been my first choice hooker leaving Lewis Brown and Api back in Penrith

... moving right along ..🙂

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

Hooker needs to be a bit of a playmaker he doesn't have that.If he could develop a bit of an enis style game it would be perfect.

 

[1969]

Anything to keep API out of 9 should be a positive thing for Manly, but I worry about Hastings attitude and ethics rubbing off on some of our more impressionable players

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with this. Api will show his goods this year, a workhorse on the improve, and 20 with have worked on his passing.

As to Hastings, he is young, but has all the right skills, don't worry about his attitude, it will be tamed by our great club.

I'm so excited, I think we have a shot this year, but next will be our time!

 

[rifraff]

Has to be Hastings otherwise we have a 60% goalkicker.. Well at least it should be for the first few games...

Was it Bozo who brought Ridgey?

 

[HoldenV8]

Was it Bozo who brought Ridgey?

Nope, again that was Graham Lowe.

 

[BOZO]

Nope, again that was Graham Lowe.

Graham Lowe never delivered a premiership but Bozo did 🙂

 

[Bearfax]

Are we too hasty with Hastings and should we be Happy with Api.