Tommy Talau

[XV-1]

Not many centres in the game can run for 184m and be called lazy and not cut out for it from people!

All the back 5 had over 150m tonight.

He should be groomed for the forwards for next year.

 

[NYEagle]

Not many centres in the game can run for 184m and be called lazy and not cut out for it from people!

Tommy Talau and Takieaho can hold their heads up high this year. No matter what the game, these two work hard and deliver the goods. I Would take them on any Manly team as long as they want play.

While other players pad their numbers during tbese meaningless games trying get a new or upgraded contracts. the two players above have demonstrated they are true Manly men.

I would also add LeHi Jurbo, and Turbo to that mix too. They have tried hard.

Throw a blanket over the rest.

NYEagle

 

[LeonardCohen]

5 tackles….184m, 61 post contact! Still pretty good.

5 missed tackles for Talau and Brooks (who is in the top3 for worst in the NRL). The next worst in our team was 2 and most our 17 had none. Feagai gave him a bath a few times. The first try was scored with a joint effort from Talau and Saab. Happy with Tommy’s work with the ball but not a great night in D for him.

 

[mickqld]

Poor defensively tonight TT2.

 

[Buughes]

All the back 5 had over 150m tonight.

He should be groomed for the forwards for next year.

Only turbo and Christian T had more run metres than him. He had good post contact also. Every other back for manly and dragons should be dropped before him then. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Phobia]

5 missed tackles for Talau and Brooks (who is in the top3 for worst in the NRL). The next worst in our team was 2 and most our 17 had none. Feagai gave him a bath a few times. The first try was scored with a joint effort from Talau and Saab. Happy with Tommy’s work with the ball but not a great night in D for him.

Missed tackles on their own are not indicative of anything.

I noted two of the occasions where Brooks missed a tackle, as I knew it would be brought up here post-game. This "missed" tackle, would be an ankle grab, or a lifting motion, that stops that defender in their tracks. Because Brooks or another defender would have to rengage contact after this initial touch, it would be counted as a missed tackle. It's stops the defender in his tracks, and slows the PTB tackle; but it's counted as one missed tackle.

Meanwhile, if a forward were to run straight through the GOAT Corey Waddell, run 80m, and score a try, that's also – one missed tackle.

I think this was very apparent between those two players tonight. Some stats are useful as a tool to back up what you might see... But not to base any new opinions upon. Defensive stats are really problematic, and none of them really present who actually defends better.

E.g. the Dogs being one of the best defensive teams, but missing 20 million tackles collectively.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Missed tackles on their own are not indicative of anything.

I noted two of the occasions where Brooks missed a tackle, as I knew it would be brought up here post-game. This "missed" tackle, would be an ankle grab, or a lifting motion, that stops that defender in their tracks. Because Brooks or another defender would have to rengage contact after this initial touch, it would be counted as a missed tackle. It's stops the defender in his tracks, and slows the PTB tackle; but it's counted as one missed tackle.

Meanwhile, if a forward were to run straight through the GOAT Corey Waddell, run 80m, and score a try, that's also – one missed tackle.

I think this was very apparent between those two players tonight. Some stats are useful as a tool to back up what you might see... But not to base any new opinions upon. Defensive stats are really problematic, and none of them really present who actually defends better.

E.g. the Dogs being one of the best defensive teams, but missing 20 million tackles collectively.

I can speak for statistical anomalies but I was at the game tonight and I saw Feagai give him an absolute bath a few times and other teammates saved Talau’s bacon. They were direct misses. So I checked the stats and sure enough, he made the most missed tackles of any player in our team (equal with Brooks). I don’t dislike him and thought he had a red hot crack with ball but I stand by what I saw and that was some pretty average defence at times.

 

[LeonardCohen]

@Phobia i should say, I agree with you about stats being misleading in general though. You’re bang on.

 

[King]

Check his missed tackle stats.

I thought he had a solid game. The missed tackles are misleading because while he may have fallen off a tackle, some of the effort and attempts were enough to slow or stop the player in possession. I’d take Talau in the centres over Garrick.

 

[JakeyB789]

I think even Stephen Crichton would struggle to defend outside $CE and Waddell

 

[manlyfan76]

TT2 was one of our best last year.

I'm not writing him off after a few missed tackles, the guy he replaced wouldn't get close enough to register his "efforts" as a miss

 

[LeonardCohen]

I thought he had a solid game. The missed tackles are misleading because while he may have fallen off a tackle, some of the effort and attempts were enough to slow or stop the player in possession. I’d take Talau in the centres over Garrick.

have to politely disagree. The first of those five missed tackles was on Feagai who made a clean line break, found King Tongia back on the inside and Saints scored. In the second half, there was a clean miss on Christian T at 28:50 that could have shut the play down, instead the ball went back inside and was shifted to the other side. From the ensuing play-the-ball, Talau came up and then suddenly backed off on Gutherson who was able to throw a basketball pass to Christian T for a try. That backing off was arguably a worse defensive play than the initial missed tackle. So there’s three defensive efforts from Talau that directly led to points; I’m aware that defence is a team system and there were other players that made choices, so I’m not suggesting it’s all his fault either.

It’s no big deal, he doesn’t have to perfect and he made many meaningful contributions to our win. At the same time, he’s not perfect and had some troubles in defence. That’s all it is. I haven’t just gone to NRL.com and found a stat and made something up to pick on the guy. I watch the games closely and I noticed he struggled in D, that’s all.

 

[CRPSI eagle]

I thought he had a solid game. The missed tackles are misleading because while he may have fallen off a tackle, some of the effort and attempts were enough to slow or stop the player in possession. I’d take Talau in the centres over Garrick.

100%, we have looked better without him.

 

[Top End Eagle]

100%, we have looked better without him.

Even DCE plays better without Garrick in the centres. If you could have that back five with Garrick on saabs wing and faloulo and Saab as cover that's a pretty good backline.

 

[BirdMan4ever]

my backline preference (no saab)
1. Turbo
2. Hoppa
3. Koula
4. Talua / shouppe
5. Garrick

 

[The Who]

I'd like to see TT2 be given a shot at 5/8. I understand he played in that position as a junior.
We all know what Brooks can and can't do. He is not the answer. If we really want to move forward in 2026 than we need to be bold. Drop Brooks. Give Walsh and/or TT2 a chance at 5/8.
And, of course, freshen up our pack with some of the NSW Cup young forwards.

 

[mutley]

talau had a game at 5/8 last year the week before seibold blooded humpreys and he was terrible. hes a winger/centre nothing more

 

[zfinkels]

my backline preference (no saab)
1. Turbo
2. Hoppa
3. Koula
4. Talua / shouppe
5. Garrick

Saabs defence is beyond bad. Misses tackles then trips over himself. And what’s with these stupid intercept attempts that exposes his wing? He either misses them completely or knocks them on and gives 6 again. He’s a liability.

 

[wombatgc]

have to politely disagree. The first of those five missed tackles was on Feagai who made a clean line break, found King Tongia back on the inside and Saints scored. In the second half, there was a clean miss on Christian T at 28:50 that could have shut the play down, instead the ball went back inside and was shifted to the other side. From the ensuing play-the-ball, Talau came up and then suddenly backed off on Gutherson who was able to throw a basketball pass to Christian T for a try. That backing off was arguably a worse defensive play than the initial missed tackle. So there’s three defensive efforts from Talau that directly led to points; I’m aware that defence is a team system and there were other players that made choices, so I’m not suggesting it’s all his fault either.

It’s no big deal, he doesn’t have to perfect and he made many meaningful contributions to our win. At the same time, he’s not perfect and had some troubles in defence. That’s all it is. I haven’t just gone to NRL.com and found a stat and made something up to pick on the guy. I watch the games closely and I noticed he struggled in D, that’s all.

I’m a big Talua fan. But he had some uncustomary swear words being yelled at him by me. I consoled myself with he hasn’t had much game time all year. But then the lack of aggression from him with Gutho had me yelling at him again. When Tommy plays well, it’s with aggression, jamming in hard and fast and laying blokes on their arses.
He was too timid. Maybe a confidence thing?
With one game to go he needs to rip in hard and fast from the get-go, to finish off the season from hell.

 

[The Who]

talau had a game at 5/8 last year the week before seibold blooded humpreys and he was terrible. hes a winger/centre nothing more

I don't remember this, and can't find the details anywhere. His records show he played in the NSW Cup as a 5/8 once (for Wests in 2023), and he played as 5/8 in the NSW Under 20's team V Queensland in 2020. But he is regarded as a centre or winger so he may not have the passing or kicking skills needed to play 5/8.