LeonardCohen
Bencher
Guy is classy! I was getting frustrated with Tom’s Paul Gallen/James Tedesco impression of too many touches. Lehi is not as busy but all his touches, positional play and defence are classy.
Lehi Hopoate
- Thread starter Dion Johnson
- Start date
The kid oozes class and looks at home in first grade. Keep him there Seibs!!
At this stage, I’d be moving him and not because of workloads.
If Turbo moves to centre it changes the game plan of the opposition coach, I think it would be effective.
Could we put Turbo at lock? He has size, plenty of speed and can ball-handle. He’d be explosive and dangerous there. I guess questions around how he would handle defence there….
Yeh the defence would be the key, though the last ten minutes of each half would be worth a crack.
Cant think of a mistake in all 3 games so far!
Ron E. Gibbs
First Grader
He has been outstanding, hasn't he? Deserves to hold his sport on form alone. He is not a reserve grader.
Spot on Tom’s metres gained per game is really misleading. His runs on the 4th tackle are a prime example of trying to get his yardage up.
He has the size but I’m not sure his tissue body is up to it.
Quite frankly, his tissue body isn’t up to any position on the field… so, my thinking is to put him in a position that could work better for the team harmony, and not disrupt us too much if or when he goes down again. We could certainly use a decent lock.
GeneralToovey
Rookie
I believe Trbojevic needs to move to the centres. I don't know if the tests they have undertaken, with the load differences between fullback and centre, take all things into account. However I do know that he will not need to chase down or be in as many last line situations at centre. Lehi Hopoate is a class act at 1, and I get the impression that this young man wants to be a long term Sea Eagle too
Agree. Im O/S so have missed the last few games but the highlight reel shows the class of hoppa. Be surprised if he plays Reggie’s again. Although, seibs may send him there at some point to freshen up.
double hoops
First Grader
Garrick.
NO TURBO, NO WORRIES
All the talk will be about Manly’s gutsy win with only one man left on the bench against St George Illawarra on Sunday, but it should be about boom fullback Lehi Hopoate.
Especially with the return of superstar Tom Trbojevic from a hamstring injury scheduled for round 18.
Coach Anthony Seibold has been coy about whether he plans to move Trbojevic from fullback into the centres when he returns, in a bid to prolong his injury-prone NRL career.
That decision is surely becoming clearer on the back of Hopoate’s emergence.
Yes, the wily fullback has only just played three games of NRL but again showed against the Dragons he belongs on the big stage.
Hopoate finished with a game-high 168 metres, seven tackle busts and two linebreaks, a try assist and a four-pointer himself.
Lehi Hopoate has one more week in the fullback jumper.
The youngster will have one more game in the No.1 jumper, against the Rabbitohs, before Trbojevic returns.
It does leave Seibold with a selection headache in the outside backs and one of either Tommy Talau, Tolu Koula, or Reuben Garrick on the chopping block.
But it’s a move that allows Seibold to have Hopoate on the field learning off the player he could succeed long-term, all the while prolonging Trbojevic’s Manly career.
All the talk will be about Manly’s gutsy win with only one man left on the bench against St George Illawarra on Sunday, but it should be about boom fullback Lehi Hopoate.
Especially with the return of superstar Tom Trbojevic from a hamstring injury scheduled for round 18.
Coach Anthony Seibold has been coy about whether he plans to move Trbojevic from fullback into the centres when he returns, in a bid to prolong his injury-prone NRL career.
That decision is surely becoming clearer on the back of Hopoate’s emergence.
Yes, the wily fullback has only just played three games of NRL but again showed against the Dragons he belongs on the big stage.
Hopoate finished with a game-high 168 metres, seven tackle busts and two linebreaks, a try assist and a four-pointer himself.
Lehi Hopoate has one more week in the fullback jumper.
The youngster will have one more game in the No.1 jumper, against the Rabbitohs, before Trbojevic returns.
It does leave Seibold with a selection headache in the outside backs and one of either Tommy Talau, Tolu Koula, or Reuben Garrick on the chopping block.
But it’s a move that allows Seibold to have Hopoate on the field learning off the player he could succeed long-term, all the while prolonging Trbojevic’s Manly career.
Uk eagle
Bencher
I think it's part of the gameplan rather than him trying to improve his own stats. But whatever suits your narrative 🙄
Bit of both I reckon. I just don’t think his metres are as effective as usual.
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