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.