Hiku madness

[Alan]

Hiku goes OK, he will be an OK 1st grader (nothing to sneeze at) but he lacks the speed, hands and anticipation to be exceptional.

I don't get the Hiku is our most wonderful future star madness.

Graeme is the Bulldogs most valuable player in relation to win % when he plays, he is a hard, go forward no quarter given old school prop with an offload. And I gave him a points decision victory over Sam Burgess last time they went head to head.

Anybody who watched last weeks game who doesn't thing we have a major problem upfront is in dreamworld.

I would do a swop deal in a heart beat.

PS. (Anybody who bites Billy Slater can't be all bad)

 

[bob dylan]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

 

[Pepi]

I hate to call a player too early but I think in the next 2 or so years Tom T will be a special player. Gutherson reads the game very well and was probably NSW's best player in the under 20's SOO game last year.
Hiku, a good player will make 10 tackle breaks a game, but probably no line breaks and no try assists. Lots of running metres. Not a playmaking fullback IMO.

 

[faithful]

Snake injured panic button is getting a work out at the moment lots of people have access to media technology and reading instantly churned out updates and rumors getting overly excited and we are only just finished round one!!

 

[anthonyb1965]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

I have no idea why he does not have a bright future at 22? I think he is a great prospect for us!!

 

[Alan]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

I didn't see it then either, but it's not that I don't value or want Hiku, it is just that I want, and think we need Graeme a WHOLE lot more

 

[Shoe1]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

If you can stand to watch the 2nd half you'll see his two drops on tackle 1, and later "forward pass" were big factors in the momentum shift to Melbourne. The first drop was when he was running back from a kick return & he got hit hard, so just one of those things. The second drop was on the very next set of six from memory, and was due to him shifting the ball from hand to hand like a lair as he got to the defence on a kick return. Utterly infuriating, you'd think ball security would be paramount after the previous blunder.

The forward pass was an unlucky call, but the lollipop pass he put in after a half break was asking to be called back.

I'd keep him for sure, hopefully this is his wake-up call.

Like Alan I'd seriously consider a swap for graham (but realistically can't see it happening)

 

[Arko-admirer]

Hiku might have run a lot of metres in that SF but we did not score a point. That's much more unlikely with Stewart, even if he only runs 10m. It's fair to say Hiku has done some good and bad things so far but I don't see him as a match-winner. To be a "solid" option as fallback fullback he had better improve his ball security.

 

[Stevo]

If I'm being a glass half full type of guy I'd say Hiku has the potential to be a pretty good player.

If I'm being a glass half empty kind of guy I'd say that I'm not sure he has the tools to be a modern ball playing type fullback.

At the moment he's a hand back up. But is he the long term solution? I don't see it.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I would do a swop deal in a heart beat.

IT makes just as much sense to compare Hiku with Artie Beetson. And there is just as much chance of that swap occurring.

 

[StuBoot]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

If you can stand to watch the 2nd half you'll see his two drops on tackle 1, and later "forward pass" were big factors in the momentum shift to Melbourne. The first drop was when he was running back from a kick return & he got hit hard, so just one of those things. The second drop was on the very next set of six from memory, and was due to him shifting the ball from hand to hand like a lair as he got to the defence on a kick return. Utterly infuriating, you'd think ball security would be paramount after the previous blunder.

The forward pass was an unlucky call, but the lollipop pass he put in after a half break was asking to be called back.

I'd keep him for sure, hopefully this is his wake-up call.

Like Alan I'd seriously consider a swap for graham (but realistically can't see it happening)

Saying he was "shifting the ball from hand to hand like a lair" is harsh.
Others may see it differently but I think he initially saw some space on the left and was looking to draw and off load but changed his mind and then looked to take the tackle and got smashed, unfortunate timing.
Yep, I practically smashed the TV and yelled profanities but at least he was having a go and didn't go into his shell. He's obviously one that doesn't mind trying to break the line.

 

[jbb/james]

The pommy prop is a good one. He is a manly style player that doesnt give an inch and would be a great leader to a great pack, and probably what the pack needs. Every pack in the comp needs him.

Hiku is a good player with potential plus and is coming through the system well. I see him as a centre replacement rather than a fullback long term. The ball playing fullback is a big part of the game but at Manly they have cherry, foz and lyon dominating the cap . We probably need a bit more from them rather than rely on snake as much as we seem too

If the deal is real, and if Manly are chasing big name props as they should be its hard to see why we wouldnt make the trade. If it were me i would make the trade next week, and while it would be a loss saying goodbye to hiku i would be more excited about what we were getting

 

[Chip and Chase]

Name me a first grade player that hasn't had a bad game at least once in their career ?? Gifty was last years whipping boy for a while there. DCE has his moments too, he had a big one on Saturday that definitely cost us the game.

I like what I see with Hiku and that is a willingness to get involved, confidence in his ability and above all a decent skill set. To say that he lacks hands and anticipation is a big stretch, unless I am watching a different Hiku. Sure he doesn't have blinding speed, not everyone does. He'll probably make a good centre, he reminds me of Justin Hodges, strong, able to break the line, deceptive running style, and a good offload. Hopefully he is less of a cat then Hodges.

I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

 

[The Who]

Name me a first grade player that hasn't had a bad game at least once in their career ?? Gifty was last years whipping boy for a while there. DCE has his moments too, he had a big one on Saturday that definitely cost us the game.

I like what I see with Hiku and that is a willingness to get involved, confidence in his ability and above all a decent skill set. To say that he lacks hands and anticipation is a big stretch, unless I am watching a different Hiku. Sure he doesn't have blinding speed, not everyone does. He'll probably make a good centre, he reminds me of Justin Hodges, strong, able to break the line, deceptive running style, and a good offload. Hopefully he is less of a cat then Hodges.

I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Spot on.
I do see Tom Turbojet being our next permanent fullback.

 

[tookey]

The pommy is looking for $750kpa a year for his next contract so how is a trade with Hiku going to work? Ridiculous to contemplate such a trade would even be considered by either club.

 

[mickqld]

Hiku just needs to play solid from FB nothing fancy. A team that has DCE,Foz,Lyon,Gift should have enough skill to win every game. What other teams have that much skill. If we can't win games with those guys then we should pack up and go home.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Peta's uncle is a member here so maybe he can put this rumour to bed.

 

[Alan]

I would do a swop deal in a heart beat.

IT makes just as much sense to compare Hiku with Artie Beetson. And there is just as much chance of that swap occurring.

In what alternate use of the English language did I compare Hiku to Graeme? If any, the comparison would be their respective value to Manly in 2014.

Unless you believe Manly require a handy backline replacement more than a first-rate hard hitting international front rower, you would have to do the swap in a heart beat.

As to the chances of it happening....stranger rumours have been true.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Graeme must have been a real standout for you seeing you haven't gotten his last name right !!

 

[Shoe1]

I haven't seen the Storm game but Hiku has gone from MOM vs Roosters in 2013 SF and after round 1 2014 is unwanted by both fans and club.

Please explain what happened!

If you can stand to watch the 2nd half you'll see his two drops on tackle 1, and later "forward pass" were big factors in the momentum shift to Melbourne. The first drop was when he was running back from a kick return & he got hit hard, so just one of those things. The second drop was on the very next set of six from memory, and was due to him shifting the ball from hand to hand like a lair as he got to the defence on a kick return. Utterly infuriating, you'd think ball security would be paramount after the previous blunder.

The forward pass was an unlucky call, but the lollipop pass he put in after a half break was asking to be called back.

I'd keep him for sure, hopefully this is his wake-up call.

Like Alan I'd seriously consider a swap for graham (but realistically can't see it happening)

Saying he was "shifting the ball from hand to hand like a lair" is harsh.
Others may see it differently but I think he initially saw some space on the left and was looking to draw and off load but changed his mind and then looked to take the tackle and got smashed, unfortunate timing.
Yep, I practically smashed the TV and yelled profanities but at least he was having a go and didn't go into his shell. He's obviously one that doesn't mind trying to break the line.

yeah ok fair enough I withdraw the "lair" remark, he was at least scheming something. Live, it looked like he was swapping the ball between his hands when security on a wet night, tackle 1, was needed.