[Resurrected] Gordon Chan Kum Tong

[castle eagle]

they owned the ruck, simple as that. we were penalised for ruck infringements almost every set early on(and they were penalised for quick off the mark, i know). the flow on effect was whenever manly players made a tackle they got off the player immediately to stop giving away repeat sets thus giving the riff a roll on each set. the riff managed to clear the ruck in time to keep the ref happy yet always slow the play the ball down.
for example, each time dce was to kick on the 5th,he was lucky to take two steps whereas they were able to run a bit prior to kicking enabling them to apply pressure to saab mostly

 

[Disco]

I think its a little too soon for Gordie.

Rushing him in now is likely to only hurt his development.

 

[frank stokes]

Agreed

they owned the ruck, simple as that. we were penalised for ruck infringements almost every set early on(and they were penalised for quick off the mark, i know). the flow on effect was whenever manly players made a tackle they got off the player immediately to stop giving away repeat sets thus giving the riff a roll on each set. the riff managed to clear the ruck in time to keep the ref happy yet always slow the play the ball down.
for example, each time dce was to kick on the 5th,he was lucky to take two steps whereas they were able to run a bit prior to kicking enabling them to apply pressure to saab mostly

... and when we did get to start a set in good position we gave the ball up (Saab knock-on, Keppie ball stolen etc)...

Did the riff make a handling error in 80min? They were pretty clinical and every pass from Api to a charging forward was right on the advantage line...

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Its simple, we need a running 9, in the games against the top teams we are easily contained as we don't get any thrust or crispness!

Des has a history of preferring non running dummy halves and the game has long moved on from that style of play. Des needs to evolve.

 

[KNUCKLES]

Croker doesn't jump out of dummy half and engage a marker before passing. He needs to work on this. Plays more like a scrum half

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Its simple, we need a running 9, in the games against the top teams we are easily contained as we don't get any thrust or crispness!

exactly the problem... Croker's service is bad BUT you need a dummy half who has the defence also worried if he is going to scoot. At the moment teams can forget him and tee off on the runner. Not sure the young hooker can do that. Segyaro used to be able to keep the defence honest... no idea now... he needs to show that at Blacktown on the weekend.

 

[Dinga7]

I think Weakes should be our 9 he looks to have all the attacking skills we need to allow our fast backs to score points.

 

[maxta]

I think Weakes should be our 9 he looks to have all the attacking skills we need to allow our fast backs to score points.

Weekes very impressive in trials and has come through the system in style - definitely another option...would terrorise with his darting in attack....Tong I feel would just get the forwards onto the ball really well and has as crisp a pass as Ive seen from a 19 yo rookie and has that heads up style , enabling him to play whats in front of him around the ruck.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I think Weakes should be our 9 he looks to have all the attacking skills we need to allow our fast backs to score points.

Big jump in class and very very hard to manufacture a young half into a hard nosed hooker. Croker does a million tackles... no way Weekes handles that workload. A seasoned half could make the swap but as Croker is showing it is a huge step... even bigger for a young budding player.

 

[mickqld]

It's become a young man's game. Look at the exciting young attacking players in Penrith. They can also defend and hit hard. We are slow, easily fatigued and full of plodders. Guys like Koula, Weekes, Tuitavaki, Roumanos, Sione Fainu, GCKT, Tuipolutu will be needed to step up because our current crop of plodders won't bring a premiership

 

[Snake]

I agree with the Croker criticism but don’t think Gordy is the answer. He might fix a problem with the ball but he is a long way off defending in the middle against seasoned packs. He was originally a half and has obviously spent some time at hooker, but young 9s need to be prodigious special talents...Gordon is not that...he is just promising. That is, you might get away with blooding a Harry Grant at a young age, but not all young 9s are ready for the step up in the most physical of positions on the field.

 

[Cliffymagic]

Hoping Seggy proves himself worthy and demands a spot.

 

[Rocky]

It's become a young man's game. Look at the exciting young attacking players in Penrith. They can also defend and hit hard. We are slow, easily fatigued and full of plodders. Guys like Koula, Weekes, Tuitavaki, Roumanos, Sione Fainu, GCKT, Tuipolutu will be needed to step up because our current crop of plodders won't bring a premiership

I'm starting to come around to this line of thinking. Des wont do it but the smarter thing would be is to blood these promising youngsters ASAP. We may take a step back this year but pretty clear that we wont win the premiership with the current lineup. Penrith just outmuscled, out enthused and showed as you said above its become a young mans game. That's not to say we run out a U18 team...but we should really be looking to the future in those positions where we realistically can.

For me there are easier kills in the backline (than the forwards) and this is what we should work towards this year.

1. Turbo
2. Saab
3. Tuipulotu
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Schuster
7. DCE

For me the forward situation is a lot murkier. Besides Jake and Guaca, I couldn't tell you who should be walk up starters. Happy to have Davey for his toughness and enthusiasm in there for now in the backrow if fit (or give bullemor more of a chance is also fine)

We have 6 props (MT,SK,TP,TS,SK,JA) that are all good first grade players but they are nothing more than that. Id rather have two dominant props and 3 tradesmen than our current mediocre rotation. Who's next in line in terms of our youngsters? Can we use Marty's money to attract a top10 prop for next year?

And the hooker situation is far from ideal. In terms of youngsters, GCKT seems too young, and Weekes too slight to be thinking they can meaningfully contribute this year. Besides Fainu miraculously coming back this year to his old form I don't have a solution.

 

[Disco]

We are bringing young players through but if you do it all at once you end up being the Broncos.

Shuster, Olakau'atu, Keppie, Saab, Paseka, Bullemor through

Koula, Tuipulotu, Weekes, Tuitavake coming through now

Fainu, Gordie, Humphies, Sa Fainu behind that

Trust the process.

We dump 6 kids in first grade tomorrow and we wreck them and our season

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I'm starting to come around to this line of thinking. Des wont do it but the smarter thing would be is to blood these promising youngsters ASAP. We may take a step back this year but pretty clear that we wont win the premiership with the current lineup. Penrith just outmuscled, out enthused and showed as you said above its become a young mans game. That's not to say we run out a U18 team...but we should really be looking to the future in those positions where we realistically can.

For me there are easier kills in the backline (than the forwards) and this is what we should work towards this year.

1. Turbo
2. Saab
3. Tuipulotu
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Schuster
7. DCE

For me the forward situation is a lot murkier. Besides Jake and Guaca, I couldn't tell you who should be walk up starters. Happy to have Davey for his toughness and enthusiasm in there for now in the backrow if fit (or give bullemor more of a chance is also fine)

We have 6 props (MT,SK,TP,TS,SK,JA) that are all good first grade players but they are nothing more than that. Id rather have two dominant props and 3 tradesmen than our current mediocre rotation. Who's next in line in terms of our youngsters? Can we use Marty's money to attract a top10 prop for next year?

And the hooker situation is far from ideal. In terms of youngsters, GCKT seems too young, and Weekes too slight to be thinking they can meaningfully contribute this year. Besides Fainu miraculously coming back this year to his old form I don't have a solution.

I think you have undersold Marty's effort last night. He really did have a dig and without him and Jake and a lesser degree Haumole gee would would have got a bigger hammering. But totally agree with the rest of your post - spot on.

 

[47MVEagle]

We are bringing young players through but if you do it all at once you end up being the Broncos.

Shuster, Olakau'atu, Keppie, Saab, Paseka, Bullemor through

Koula, Tuipulotu, Weekes, Tuitavake coming through now

Fainu, Gordie, Humphies, Sa Fainu behind that

Trust the process.

We dump 6 kids in first grade tomorrow and we wreck them and our season

Agreed.

I'm also mystified at the reappearance of the "Des never gives the young guys a chance" mantra when we saw Koula make his debut last night from off the bench, taking the place of a reserve forward to do so.

The last young player deemed not given a run by Des was Albert Hopoate & we all saw how he turned out when finally played. While I wish him all the best at Canberra, I noticed he wasn't named in their squad this week so maybe, just maybe, Des has a bit of an idea...

 

[Stewbojevic]

Agreed.

I'm also mystified at the reappearance of the "Des never gives the young guys a chance" mantra when we saw Koula make his debut last night from off the bench, taking the place of a reserve forward to do so.

The last young player deemed not given a run by Des was Albert Hopoate & we all saw how he turned out when finally played. While I wish him all the best at Canberra, I noticed he wasn't named in their squad this week so maybe, just maybe, Des has a bit of an idea...

I’m happy with the way Des brings juniors on… it’s his pick and stick mentality with plodders that bothers me.

 

[mickqld]

I'm starting to come around to this line of thinking. Des wont do it but the smarter thing would be is to blood these promising youngsters ASAP. We may take a step back this year but pretty clear that we wont win the premiership with the current lineup. Penrith just outmuscled, out enthused and showed as you said above its become a young mans game. That's not to say we run out a U18 team...but we should really be looking to the future in those positions where we realistically can.

For me there are easier kills in the backline (than the forwards) and this is what we should work towards this year.

1. Turbo
2. Saab
3. Tuipulotu
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Schuster
7. DCE

For me the forward situation is a lot murkier. Besides Jake and Guaca, I couldn't tell you who should be walk up starters. Happy to have Davey for his toughness and enthusiasm in there for now in the backrow if fit (or give bullemor more of a chance is also fine)

We have 6 props (MT,SK,TP,TS,SK,JA) that are all good first grade players but they are nothing more than that. Id rather have two dominant props and 3 tradesmen than our current mediocre rotation. Who's next in line in terms of our youngsters? Can we use Marty's money to attract a top10 prop for next year?

And the hooker situation is far from ideal. In terms of youngsters, GCKT seems too young, and Weekes too slight to be thinking they can meaningfully contribute this year. Besides Fainu miraculously coming back this year to his old form I don't have a solution.

Agree totally with that backline but Des will never do that this year. In the forwards I'd go with
8. Aloiai
9. Segeyaro
10. Taupau
11. Olakuatu
12. Davey
13. Jake T

14. Walker
15. Bullemore
16. S. Fainu Or Alec Tuitavaki
17. Sipley/ or Paseka/or Keppie but they are seriously on their last chance

 

[Budgie]

Matt Parcell?

 

[castle eagle]

Agreed

... and when we did get to start a set in good position we gave the ball up (Saab knock-on, Keppie ball stolen etc)...

Did the riff make a handling error in 80min? They were pretty clinical and every pass from Api to a charging forward was right on the advantage line...

on the line/over the line- same thing when you have flag carriers that only mark where a ball was kicked into touch & tell the ref if a goal is converted. seems they have forgotten how to indicate a forward pass these days