Lehi Hopoate

[Raffa]

Lehi makes me think we should say goodbye to the Turbo brothers and spend the money elsewhere. Turbo: $1.2m, just simply doesn’t play enough to be worth it. Jake: $1.0m, worth $500k at best. Ben: I would pay somebody to take him off our hands, worst player I’ve seen play consistent first grade for manly in a very long time.

Lehi could be our full time 1 and we could reinvest in the rest of the squad.

 

[smithy]

Of course but watching a players highlights is always going to be easy on the eye.I could cobble together highlights of Manly’s efforts last night and you’d think they’re playing well

Good luck, I applaud your optimism.

 

[Phobia]

Hopefully, Ashton Large is available to play early next year. Obviously, older bro Onitoni is all the talk, but this kid looks very special at 9. Just saw his Highlights on YouTube for this year, and has all the tools. He is top age Matts, so he is 18 next year and then able to be picked. He already did a pre-season last year, so he must be close.

Pretty sure he was born in 2009, so that means he won't be 18 until 2027. Correct me if I am wrong, and you have a more recent source.

I believe he's been well ahead of his age level since he was about 14.

 

[BOZO]

Lehi makes me think we should say goodbye to the Turbo brothers and spend the money elsewhere. Turbo: $1.2m, just simply doesn’t play enough to be worth it. Jake: $1.0m, worth $500k at best. Ben: I would pay somebody to take him off our hands, worst player I’ve seen play consistent first grade for manly in a very long time.

Lehi could be our full time 1 and we could reinvest in the rest of the squad.

No one is BIGGER than the club and Loyalty Priority must go to the club
There comes a time where Bold decisions are made .

 

[smithy]

Pretty sure he was born in 2009, so that means he won't be 18 until 2027. Correct me if I am wrong, and you have a more recent source.

I believe he's been well ahead of his age level since he was about 14.

I'm not sure of his DOB, but he played Matt's last year with the Magpies. My understanding was you weren't allowed to play Matts more than one year young.

 

[mickqld]

No one is BIGGER than the club and Loyalty Priority must go to the club
There comes a time where Bold decisions are made .

They may already be planning it. Already got rid of DCE. The Trbojevics and some deadwood forwards are next. Watch this space. Surely this club knows by now we are going nowhere with this current roster.
Only ones worth keeping for future past next year are Hoppa, Saab, Koula, Garrick, Olakau'atu, Bullemore , Paseka. All the rest need to go.

 

[niccipops]

Lehi is the player I've been most excited about in years. He's a very talented and gutsy player. I hope he spends his career at Manly.

 

[Phobia]

I'm not sure of his DOB, but he played Matt's last year with the Magpies. My understanding was you weren't allowed to play Matts more than one year young.

According to the Tigers, he was 14 in September 2023, which should put him at about 15-16 right now. Would presume he is currently 16 then, maybe born late 2008.

If his birthday is the 5th of October, 2008, he is destined for absolute greatness here, that's for sure!

 

[Eagle 1]

Lehi makes me think we should say goodbye to the Turbo brothers and spend the money elsewhere. Turbo: $1.2m, just simply doesn’t play enough to be worth it. Jake: $1.0m, worth $500k at best. Ben: I would pay somebody to take him off our hands, worst player I’ve seen play consistent first grade for manly in a very long time.

Lehi could be our full time 1 and we could reinvest in the rest of the squad.rsffa.

Know what you're sayin', but I'm still addicted to Turbo and what he's capable of doing to opposition sides. Its an addiction that I can't shake off unfortunately raffa.

 

[Carl]

Know what you're sayin', but I'm still addicted to Turbo and what he's capable of doing to opposition sides. Its an addiction that I can't shake off unfortunately raffa.

I don't understand why people are coming up with team suggestions that don't include Turbo. I get the injury thing, but It's hard to come up with a manly team that's seriously competitive in the next few years without him. Solution: keep him.

 

[Raffa]

Know what you're sayin', but I'm still addicted to Turbo and what he's capable of doing to opposition sides. Its an addiction that I can't shake off unfortunately raffa.

Don’t get me wrong, I think he is one of the best players of all time… but for the 45% of the time he plays!

 

[Raffa]

I don't understand why people are coming up with team suggestions that don't include Turbo. I get the injury thing, but It's hard to come up with a manly team that's seriously competitive in the next few years without him. Solution: keep him.

Because I don’t think you can win a comp with your best player only playing less than 50% of games. You just can’t. I see a clearer path to a premiership if you took the money and spent it other +$1m players who could actually play every week.

 

[Uk eagle]

Because I don’t think you can win a comp with your best player only playing less than 50% of games. You just can’t. I see a clearer path to a premiership if you took the money and spent it other +$1m players who could actually play every week.

But you can. Penrith proved that last year when Cleary was missing for over half the season

 

[Pete W]

Hopefully, Ashton Large is available to play early next year. Obviously, older bro Onitoni is all the talk, but this kid looks very special at 9. Just saw his Highlights on YouTube for this year, and has all the tools. He is top age Matts, so he is 18 next year and then able to be picked. He already did a pre-season last year, so he must be close.

I think the club is planning for a Zaidas/ Ashton dummy half pairing, with Zaidas ready for NRL first (probably as early as next year, or even some stints at the back end of this year).

Ashton likely to be our 14 in 2027. They would be similar to the B.Smith/Grant combo at Storm, with Zaidas able to switch to lock, which would likely be shared in turn with Navale.

These 3 guys, along with Hopoate, Walsh, and Onitoni would make a potentially great spine. If they could be supplied with an elite, modern day pack with older guys like Paseka and Ola'akautu, and importantly the right coach (definitely not Seibold), then 2027 could be the start of an exciting era.

Until then however, we are in for a rough time

 

[Phobia]

Lehi and Reuben appearing on the Matty Johns show couch on Sunday. Given Lehi appears to have the same amount of media training that I do, this could be gold.

 

[BOZO]

Surely this club knows by now we are going nowhere with this current roster.

We are not going anywhere with our current coach either
You can not keep the coach and have a half fix and expect to go all the way

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

I don't understand why people are coming up with team suggestions that don't include Turbo.

I love Turbo but understand this completely. Having Turbo in your team means you need to carry a back on the bench or be prepared to re-shuffle your backline (which never works out well: see the Newcastle game last week) at any time. It's always a risk. It comes down to whether or not you consider it to be a risk that's still worth taking.

 

[Pete W]

I love Turbo but understand this completely. Having Turbo in your team means you need to carry a back on the bench or be prepared to re-shuffle your backline (which never works out well: see the Newcastle game last week) at any time. It's always a risk. It comes down to whether or not you consider it to be a risk that's still worth taking.

Turbo is worth it, provided the back we do put on the bench should also be able to play in the backrow. In the event Tom doesn't go down, this player should be able to inject some x-factor either at 13 or able to play solid as an edge forward for example. Unfortunately, someone like Faulalo doesn't cut it. He's either run on, or beefs up and gets some reps in the forwards. On the other hand, guys like Koula, Talau, Schoupp probably more suited to this rotation.

As well as this, we probably shouldn't be carrying 2 specialist hookers either. If Turbo plays, we must pick our best 9 for the 80, with a player in our middles who could do a makeshift job at 9 if needed, e.g. Tevaga

If the bench is carefully selected, he's still worth the risk (at the right price!)

 

[Nike]

Turbo is worth it, provided the back we do put on the bench should also be able to play in the backrow. In the event Tom doesn't go down, this player should be able to inject some x-factor either at 13 or able to play solid as an edge forward for example. Unfortunately, someone like Faulalo doesn't cut it. He's either run on, or beefs up and gets some reps in the forwards. On the other hand, guys like Koula, Talau, Schoupp probably more suited to this rotation.

As well as this, we probably shouldn't be carrying 2 specialist hookers either. If Turbo plays, we must pick our best 9 for the 80, with a player in our middles who could do a makeshift job at 9 if needed, e.g. Tevaga

If the bench is carefully selected, he's still worth the risk (at the right price!)

That is misusing so many players strengths to accommodate a guy who looks pedestrian at times.

Hopoate is the future at fullback when Tom's contract is up tbh, he can move to the centre's and take a paycut to reflect it's not 2021 anymore. At least if he goes down at centre that's a lot easier to replace than a spine player. Not to mention young Hoppa is actually ready for week in, week out first grade - he looks the goods and has been pretty durable.

 

[Rocky]

Lehi and Reuben appearing on the Matty Johns show couch on Sunday. Given Lehi appears to have the same amount of media training that I do, this could be gold.

But then i have to watch the Matty Johns show