Trial V Panthers

[Kalvin]

Well, how encouraging to see we have addressed our systems and self-destructive errors… 🙄

Garrick should have been on wing with Lehi at FB and Faululu at centre… WTF! Who is running this team?

Agree with that... only assume last night it was more of a hint that hoppa will be starting the season on the wing in FG so they were giving him minutes there to get accustomed to it....
I think fualalo is a gun centre (not FB) and Garrick is a gun winger (not centre).. however we all know Garrick will be in the centres regardless

 

[HoldenV8]

Yeah agree 100%. Hoppa looks a bit small fo

Aside from a few stupid penalties I really like the look of Sio will be a great addition to our pack. Great ball to set up the Bulls try.

Sio is an offloader and our players will need to be alert to it.

Its all good getting an offload away, but if none of your team mates know its coming its sometimes a recipe for a turnover.

 

[HoldenV8]

TBH my only complaint about Lehi Hopoate is his size, or lack of it.

Just watching the Charity Shield match and Brandy Alexander was talking about Tyrell Sloan being manhandled last year and that he's noticeably bulked up in the offseason. The same could be said about Hopoate TBF, he does tend to get manhandled in tackles. And we've seen that his smaller size doesn't mean better pace because Turbo ran away from him in the Pacific Championship game in Brisbane last year, so bulking up won't likely slow him down.

He doesn't need to bulk up like Stewie Griffin, just enough to not get manhandled every time he gets tackled by more than one player.

 

[The Wheel]

If you think we have issues after the trials South’s say Hold my Beer

 

[Ryan]

If you think we have issues after the trials South’s say Hold my Beer

Humphreys having a blinder since coming on. 16-0 bunnies since he came on....just got a try assist.

 

[Ryan]

Second try assist 20-0, and the commentators saying he's now dominating

 

[mave]

He's playing himself into a #14 jersey, at a minimum at this rate.

 

[mickqld]

Second try assist 20-0, and the commentators saying he's now dominating

Yeah while we tried to turn him into a #9. Fu*ksake we're a dumb club.

 

[Ryan]

Humphreys try now - **** me he's a player.They are creaming over him.

 

[Ohgeez]

Yeah while we tried to turn him into a #9. Fu*ksake we're a dumb club.

South’s were going to do the same thing tbf. Definitely outplayed Dodd in way shorter amount of time so he might force his way into the 7 jersey

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

This is the Manly backline that the other NRL teams would be fearing.
1. Lehi Hopoate
2. Jason Saab
3. Tom Trbojevic
4. Tolutau Koula
5. Reuben Garrick
Bench: Tommy Talau

 

[HoldenV8]

And the hooker part of the equation is still a concern. Croker looks cooked and GCKT will not be a starting first grade quality player. Simpkin is our hope, but i cant see him being an above average hooker in the NRL.

TBH I see a lot of similarities between Jake Simpkin and Matty Ballin. Not flashy, not big runners of the ball (though I'd say Simpkin is slightly faster), but Simpkin's strength, like Matty in attack, was his dummy half passing. The main difference between them really is that Matty was a better defender, though Jake ain't that bad.

This is how I see our 3 dummy halves:

Lachlan Croker - good dummy half kicker, good defender, mostly poor passing, next to no running game.
Jake Simpkin - Good dummy half passer, decent defender and runner.
Gordon Chan Kum Tong - Good runner, half-decent passer, not the best defender.

I'm betting that Simpkin gets the start with Seibold having Gordon on the bench until Froggy returns. After that, who knows?

 

[mave]

Yeah while we tried to turn him into a #9. Fu*ksake we're a dumb club.

What was the alternative if we wanted to keep him, and play him in 1sts?

Once we signed Brooks , he was going to spend at least another 2 years in 2nd grade at halfback.....

 

[Bird of Prey]

Humphreys having a blinder since coming on. 16-0 bunnies since he came on....just got a try assist.

Yes he is killing them so are the Fanu brothers at the tigers and Weekes at the Raiders . Great retention decisions by Manly we are really a stupid club .

 

[mickqld]

This is the Manly backline that the other NRL teams would be fearing.
1. Lehi Hopoate
2. Jason Saab
3. Tom Trbojevic
4. Tolutau Koula
5. Reuben Garrick
Bench: Tommy Talau

Agreed except Talau at centre and Koula bench.

 

[Ryan]

What was the alternative if we wanted to keep him, and play him in 1sts?

Once we signed Brooks , he was going to spend at least another 2 years in 2nd grade at halfback.....

It's not hard. You play him 14 (especially with Lawton leaving), get him acclimatised to 1st grade. When DCE retires, SNAP, a player in our elite pathways steps up..

 

[mave]

It's not hard. You play him 14 (especially with Lawton leaving), get him acclimatised to 1st grade. When DCE retires, SNAP, a player in our elite pathways steps up..

Sure....I was replying to Mick questioning why we would try and turn him into a hooker.......cause as you say, it was his only pathway to 1st grade here for the next couple of years.

 

[mickqld]

Sure....I was replying to Mick questioning why we would try and turn him into a hooker.......cause as you say, it was his only pathway to 1st grade here for the next couple of years.

Yeah it didn't work, he's clearly a halfback and whilst ever we continue to unload a million and a half onto DCE we'll never move on from the last decade of failure.

 

[Ryan]

Sure....I was replying to Mick questioning why we would try and turn him into a hooker.......cause as you say, it was his only pathway to 1st grade here for the next couple of years.

Incorrect. A 14 can play various roles, including halves. Humphreys has also slotted into centre in the juniors, and Brandy just said he was playing in a 13 type role today initially, specifically mentioning Cameron Murray.

Sorry I'm being prickly, but having a go at someones mental health is as low as the human race goes. I'm sure I'll be back to normal with you, Budgie and Shiek after a good sleep. Just can't fathom how feral people are.

 

[JakeyB789]

I’d rather have Humphreys for the next 10 years than DCE for the next 2