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Onitoni Large
- Thread starter Dion Johnson
- Start date
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He plays pool too?
manly al
First Grader
Might need a poll to gauge what his ceiling may be thenIf he has an extra large home, we're paying him too much
EagleGT
Reserve Grader
Yep. In skirts apparently.
manly al
First Grader
Really hope that Onitoni can kick on and be a real top level back like Koula .
Guess just have to be a bit measured in expectations when the instance of Weekes and others is taken into account .
Though of course and for whatever reason , Weekes is doing better at the Raiders recently .
Still a good policy to target very athletic and speedy backs and as been indicated with the likes of again Koula and Saab as another example , really good natural ability can be converted into top level ist grade standard
Guess just have to be a bit measured in expectations when the instance of Weekes and others is taken into account .
Though of course and for whatever reason , Weekes is doing better at the Raiders recently .
Still a good policy to target very athletic and speedy backs and as been indicated with the likes of again Koula and Saab as another example , really good natural ability can be converted into top level ist grade standard
maxta
First Grader
Both these kids have crazy good potential Al, but will add to nothing without the right attitude, fortunately appears they are well on track and in good company, exciting times.
On Weekes, I seen him make some stunning runs in 2024 and was personally glad for him, however I feel these "magic moments" glossed over a heap of errors as in poor missed tackles, dropped balls and poor passes and numerous kicks out on the full.....I wish him well, but in all honesty see him as an X factor player you can bring on to change the game, but not a well balanced leader who can control a game, more a rocks/diamonds type player.
manly al
First Grader
Yeah , don "t watch a lot of Raiders games but accurate call for sure and even in some limited coverage , could see a few deficiencies still in Weekes overall game .
Was mainly referring to some improvement in his attacking effectiveness and his natural speed coming to the fore more .
Looks likely with Onitoni, more suited to a 6 or centre role and keen again to see how he measures up defensively once he starts to play at a gradual higher competitive level
"Handing his side match winning momentum"
I miss the days when our First Grade team had a hooker like that...
The Indian
Bencher
Indeed. It's weird how all the decisions and the flow on effects pans out. The 4 Fainus are living proof that star juniors are in the lap of the gods at the best of times. Samuela is a good solid player but wouldn't be shocked is Latu is swallowed up and spat out by the Tigers too although its still early days.
One door closes another opens in Rugby League
14K views · 67 reactions | "Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a... | By 1170sen | Facebook
"Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a...
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So just to recap....
We can't have Large play a trial at 17 cause he's too young.
We play the Panthers reserve grade side in our second trial, as the 1sts will be in Vegas.
Sua'ali at 17 does whatever the Roosters want,and play 1st grade.....supposedly to keep him being annoyed and return to Rugby Union.....lmao, that worked out well, didn't it.
Fk the NRL and their not so unbelievable lack of consistency. They are a joke of an organisation.
We can't have Large play a trial at 17 cause he's too young.
We play the Panthers reserve grade side in our second trial, as the 1sts will be in Vegas.
Sua'ali at 17 does whatever the Roosters want,and play 1st grade.....supposedly to keep him being annoyed and return to Rugby Union.....lmao, that worked out well, didn't it.
Fk the NRL and their not so unbelievable lack of consistency. They are a joke of an organisation.
Would have been a lot of interest in watching him in a trial.14K views · 67 reactions | "Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a... | By 1170sen | Facebook
"Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a...
But regardless of that, it's very good news that he has really impressed since arriving at Manly, to the point they wanted to give him a run.
Seibold mentioned in one of his radio interviews he was going to give Onitoni a run.14K views · 67 reactions | "Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a... | By 1170sen | Facebook
"Joseph Sua'ali'i 2.0" 😮 Adrian Proszenko reports that Manly wanted their potential DCE replacement, 17-year-old Onitoni Large, to play trials after a...
The NRL administration leave themselves up for criticism due to their inconsistency in how they come about these decisions, no wonder they can’t get the bunker correct.
Individual interpretation decisions leave clubs trying for the same ruling as the Rorters received feeling hard done by.
Rafferty
Mug punter
Maybe the club should lodge a formal request A) seeking a similar exemption as per the Rorters with Suaalii, (after all it’s only a trail) B) demanding equal opportunity without discrimination. There’s clearly a precedent, denying Onitonio and the Manly club has no merit, furthermore it would require the NRL to validate their reasoning, which would be interesting, to say the least. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Yeah ,its good enough for some, it should be good enough for others
Writ Large: Meet the teen star ready to replace DCE at Manly
Onitoni Large has enjoyed a schoolboy football career every bit as decorated as that of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. That’s why Manly feel their future is bright despite the departure of Daly Cherry-Evans.
Onitoni Large had only just plonked himself down in the meeting room inside Manly’s centre of excellence at Brookvale when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
The next words heard by the teenage phenom, invited to train with the Sea Eagles first-grade squad during the summer, were: “Oi, you’re in my seat.”
Large turned around to discover he was sitting in the chair that belonged to Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans. The youngster was mortified.
“I was like, ‘Oh, do you want me to move?’ Large recalls. “And Chez was like, ‘Nah, it’s all right, I’m just pulling your leg.’ It was pretty funny.”
Given that Cherry-Evans has declared this will be his last season at Manly, it’s only a matter of time before Large takes his spot on the field as well. Large and fellow Sea Eagles young gun Joe Walsh are considered among the best emerging halves in the game, with club officials tipping them to combine at NRL level in the coming years.
Such is the regard in which Large, just 17, is held, Manly tried to play him in a pre-season trial. The club hoped to be granted an exemption after the NRL bent the rules for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who was allowed to make his first grade debut at the age of 17.
However, head office knocked back the request.
“I think I would have [handled it],” says Large, who moves into Manly’s top-30 squad next year. “I did the training with them and was tackling them, doing the dojo sessions and stuff. It obviously shows that they have a lot of confidence in me, so that made me feel more confident in my game.
“Knowing they’re backing me, I was really excited for that to come across. In the end it’s not what happened. I would have taken the opportunity with both hands, but it is what it is.”
Suaalii was the standout schoolboy in both rugby codes when he was coming through the grades, and there is similar hype about Large. The Scots College student joined the likes of Suaalii and Kurtley Beale in making the first XV of a GPS school while still only 15 years old.
He went on to captain the Combined Independent Schools 15s side, leading them to their first win at the Australian championships. The Campbelltown product has also captained the NSW U16 Gen Blues, was the player of the national championships at under-15s league level, and was arguably the most sought-after signature across either code as league and union jostled for his services.
Ultimately, he knocked back the Waratahs to sign with Wests Tigers, before switching to Manly.
A five-eighth with blistering acceleration, he has already been clocked at 10.74 seconds over 100 metres. His goal is to lower the GPS mark set by fellow Manly speedster Tolu Koula, of 10.58 seconds.
“I’m gonna try to beat it; it’s something I wanna go after,” he says. “When we do sprint training [at Manly] they put me up against Koula and I race him. It was pretty cool racing against him. All the boys were getting around it. I think he just beat me, or we drew, one of them.”
You only need to take a cursory glance at the many highlight reels of Large to realise he is something special. A five-eighth in rugby league, there’s the unmistakable burst of speed, but also the vision to set up his teammates.
While not quite as physically imposing as Suaalii at the same age, there are similarities.
“He’s a freak,” Large says. “Like me, he went to a private school and played rugby, played firsts and then played league, so I think that’s probably what we’ve got in common.
“We were both playing at a GPS school and can play league also … It’s just about limiting the distractions and I guess all that outside noise, so I’m just hopefully playing good footy.”
For all of his achievements and potential, there’s still some debate about who is the best footballer in the family.
Brother Ashton, a year younger, is a promising hooker also in the Manly system. Fourteen-year-old sister Olivia is also a standout in her age group, while father Andrew was also one of the best teens of his era, although his career never quite kicked on.
“He [Andrew[] mainly talks about what he did wrong, where he stuffed up is where he wants us to do right,” Large says.
“He’s really strict on us, he had some road bumps, and he really wants us not to be like that. He hasn’t really spoken about it heaps, just how he played at the Roosters.
“He said when he trained he had some of the greats like Brad Fittler above him.”
While disappointed Cherry-Evans is leaving, Manly believe in Large and Walsh they have their long-term halves pairing. That’s why if the club misses out on the signature of Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty, they will switch Tom Trbojevic from fullback to five-eighth to hold the fort until the youngsters are ready for grade.
Currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, Large feels the Sea Eagles will know when he’s ready to make the step up to NRL.
“It’s about trusting them, they will know what’s right for me,” he says. “It’s a bit scary that it is not too far away, but at the same time it is exciting. For the most part I’m not really like worrying about debuting or whatever.
“I’m just worrying about getting myself right in terms of learning and absorbing as much as I can before any of that and also just trying to enjoy my school years, being a teenager, spending time with my family and my mates.”
Nordburg
First Grader
What I took out of that was,why wasn’t he allowed to play in the trial?I don’t believe in any conspiracy theories or favouritism for the Roosters and Suaalii,I’d just like an explanation to placate those thoughts.Does the NRL have an expert in such a situation to judge whether a player is ready or not?
Writ Large: Meet the teen star ready to replace DCE at Manly
Onitoni Large has enjoyed a schoolboy football career every bit as decorated as that of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. That’s why Manly feel their future is bright despite the departure of Daly Cherry-Evans.www.smh.com.au
Onitoni Large had only just plonked himself down in the meeting room inside Manly’s centre of excellence at Brookvale when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
The next words heard by the teenage phenom, invited to train with the Sea Eagles first-grade squad during the summer, were: “Oi, you’re in my seat.”
Large turned around to discover he was sitting in the chair that belonged to Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans. The youngster was mortified.
“I was like, ‘Oh, do you want me to move?’ Large recalls. “And Chez was like, ‘Nah, it’s all right, I’m just pulling your leg.’ It was pretty funny.”
Given that Cherry-Evans has declared this will be his last season at Manly, it’s only a matter of time before Large takes his spot on the field as well. Large and fellow Sea Eagles young gun Joe Walsh are considered among the best emerging halves in the game, with club officials tipping them to combine at NRL level in the coming years.
Such is the regard in which Large, just 17, is held, Manly tried to play him in a pre-season trial. The club hoped to be granted an exemption after the NRL bent the rules for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who was allowed to make his first grade debut at the age of 17.
However, head office knocked back the request.
“I think I would have [handled it],” says Large, who moves into Manly’s top-30 squad next year. “I did the training with them and was tackling them, doing the dojo sessions and stuff. It obviously shows that they have a lot of confidence in me, so that made me feel more confident in my game.
“Knowing they’re backing me, I was really excited for that to come across. In the end it’s not what happened. I would have taken the opportunity with both hands, but it is what it is.”
Suaalii was the standout schoolboy in both rugby codes when he was coming through the grades, and there is similar hype about Large. The Scots College student joined the likes of Suaalii and Kurtley Beale in making the first XV of a GPS school while still only 15 years old.
He went on to captain the Combined Independent Schools 15s side, leading them to their first win at the Australian championships. The Campbelltown product has also captained the NSW U16 Gen Blues, was the player of the national championships at under-15s league level, and was arguably the most sought-after signature across either code as league and union jostled for his services.
Ultimately, he knocked back the Waratahs to sign with Wests Tigers, before switching to Manly.
A five-eighth with blistering acceleration, he has already been clocked at 10.74 seconds over 100 metres. His goal is to lower the GPS mark set by fellow Manly speedster Tolu Koula, of 10.58 seconds.
“I’m gonna try to beat it; it’s something I wanna go after,” he says. “When we do sprint training [at Manly] they put me up against Koula and I race him. It was pretty cool racing against him. All the boys were getting around it. I think he just beat me, or we drew, one of them.”
You only need to take a cursory glance at the many highlight reels of Large to realise he is something special. A five-eighth in rugby league, there’s the unmistakable burst of speed, but also the vision to set up his teammates.
While not quite as physically imposing as Suaalii at the same age, there are similarities.
“He’s a freak,” Large says. “Like me, he went to a private school and played rugby, played firsts and then played league, so I think that’s probably what we’ve got in common.
“We were both playing at a GPS school and can play league also … It’s just about limiting the distractions and I guess all that outside noise, so I’m just hopefully playing good footy.”
For all of his achievements and potential, there’s still some debate about who is the best footballer in the family.
Brother Ashton, a year younger, is a promising hooker also in the Manly system. Fourteen-year-old sister Olivia is also a standout in her age group, while father Andrew was also one of the best teens of his era, although his career never quite kicked on.
“He [Andrew[] mainly talks about what he did wrong, where he stuffed up is where he wants us to do right,” Large says.
“He’s really strict on us, he had some road bumps, and he really wants us not to be like that. He hasn’t really spoken about it heaps, just how he played at the Roosters.
“He said when he trained he had some of the greats like Brad Fittler above him.”
While disappointed Cherry-Evans is leaving, Manly believe in Large and Walsh they have their long-term halves pairing. That’s why if the club misses out on the signature of Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty, they will switch Tom Trbojevic from fullback to five-eighth to hold the fort until the youngsters are ready for grade.
Currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, Large feels the Sea Eagles will know when he’s ready to make the step up to NRL.
“It’s about trusting them, they will know what’s right for me,” he says. “It’s a bit scary that it is not too far away, but at the same time it is exciting. For the most part I’m not really like worrying about debuting or whatever.
“I’m just worrying about getting myself right in terms of learning and absorbing as much as I can before any of that and also just trying to enjoy my school years, being a teenager, spending time with my family and my mates.”
And if there is such questionable behaviour at the NRL,why hasn’t there been more investigations into it?
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2020 Ladder
| Team | P | W | D | L | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulldogs | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 8 |
| 2 | Sea Eagles | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 6 |
| 3 | Broncos | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 6 |
| 4 | Storm | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 6 |
| 5 | Titans | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 6 |
| 6 | Warriors | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 7 | Rabbitohs | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 6 |
| 8 | Knights | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 6 |
| 9 | Tigers | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 4 |
| 10 | Sharks | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 4 |
| 11 | Dragons | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 4 |
| 12 | Raiders | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -6 | 4 |
| 13 | Panthers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -16 | 2 |
| 14 | Cowboys | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -54 | 2 |
| 15 | Roosters | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -56 | 2 |
| 16 | Dolphins | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -36 | 0 |
| 17 | Eels | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -86 | 0 |
