Lehi Hopoate

[Ryan]

Played like a veteran, and a bloody good one. In fact, I'd say after Will, the most impressive debut for a Hopiate. Full strength, he has to be in there surely. Anyways, that's what injuries do. Provide opportunities. And he took it with both hands!

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Trbo, Garrick, Coca Koula, Talau, Hoppa, Saab, Viagra fighting it out for the back 5……nice to have some depth!

Viagra certainly stiffened the defence last night.

 

[globaleagle]

Awesome debut, and well done Lehi.

Wouldn't mind one of those chocolate Lei's he was wearing post game!

 

[master blaster]

Awesome debut, and well done Lehi.

Wouldn't mind one of those chocolate Lei's he was wearing post game!

P.S turbo, take your time, we have a new fullback...

 

[Nordburg]

It was a performance very reminiscent of his brother Will.Very solid and minimal fuss.If nothing else,other than injuries,it should see the end of Paulo

 

[master blaster]

And now we have to hang on to this kid long term and hope his father doesn't get in his ear and try and shop him around

 

[stoodamire]

Cool how DCE has been there since Will, Albert and Lehi.

 

[Waz13]

agree. just glides around the field but has a blistering turn of pace

Looked deceptively strong on that run where NAS nearly maimed him. Ffs how was that not a pen even a bin!

 

[Nordburg]

And now we have to hang on to this kid long term and hope his father doesn't get in his ear and try and shop him around

He will because he won’t get first crack at FB every week

 

[madmax]

Viagra certainly stiffened the defence last night.

And hard to tackle!

 

[Dion Johnson]

And now we have to hang on to this kid long term and hope his father doesn't get in his ear and try and shop him around

He is signed up until the end of 2026, Turbo and Jake off contract than also, for me if he does continue to play well in the next 12 months then the club should pay what he is worth like they have done with other players.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Looked deceptively strong on that run where NAS nearly maimed him. Ffs how was that not a pen even a bin!

How he got up as if nothing happened was sublime. Tough kid and so cool like his good brother Will.

 

[KNUCKLES]

Since the original… Long way to go before he holds a candle to the old man… (on the footy field)

Well yes agreed. I'd say will was better than John even though John had more accolades. Prob due to the bozo effect and the force manly were at the time helped his cause. Lehi only has one game under his belt, plenty of time to get that candle

 

[mave]

How good is it, seeing a young man play well on debut....in his preferred position.

Gave some really good early ball to Garrick, who coincidentally also had his best game of the season.

 

[47MVEagle]

Well done young fella, my concerns were dismissed with his first touch of the ball.

 

[manly al]

Terrific debut , didn't look out of place at any stage and so much self confidence and good instinctive play .

 

[frank stokes]

Well yes agreed. I'd say will was better than John even though John had more accolades. Prob due to the bozo effect and the force manly were at the time helped his cause. Lehi only has one game under his belt, plenty of time to get that candle

Will was amazing that 2011 season and has had a good career since (although personally I don’t think he ever got back to his pre-pilgrimage level)…
John was an absolute beast throughout his career and would be regarded as a Manly legend if he had not gone off-the-rails when he left for the tigpies (and then brought that sh^t back with him - eg. Keith Galloway)…
Mind you, if his name ended in Mitchell he would have copped 3 weeks and been a chance at selection for origin within the month… Would have loved to see those 2 play each other actually, Trell would have gone back in his box real quick I reckon if he tried his crap on big Hoppa…
Anyways I went way off on a tangent there… lol

 

[lsz]

If you watch any manly games during the 95/97 run and even his last run you see how impressive Hoppa snr was - lots of grub in his game but man his meters etc…

 

[frank stokes]

If you watch any manly games during the 95/97 run and even his last run you see how impressive Hoppa snr was - lots of grub in his game but man his meters etc…

Do you recall Terry Lamey and Hoppa Snr swinging them in the in-goal at WIN @lsz?
I grew up with tozza and the boy could throw them…

 

[Jay Eagle]

1 Hopoate
2 Saab
3 Koula
4 Trbojevic
5 Garrick
6 Brooks
7 DCE

But I can't leave out Talua

We are in a good spot in the backline


Please Seibs.. I know Tom Turbo is a gun fullback but he needs less workload and playing center will allow him to roam and pick his moments..Alla Origin.. almost like playing 2 fullbacks