Very strong
Game breaker? No
Top 3 prop? No
But much better than rest of season to date. Should be the baseline.
Official Addin Fonua-Blake
- Thread starter SF
- Start date
Game breaker? No
Top 3 prop? No
But much better than rest of season to date. Should be the baseline.
deep blue jaws
Tiger Shark
Really don't like how Fitz uses him
Seems to be a bit of a theme with bringing him off late in the half and leaving him on the bench till about 20 is left in the game
Seems to be a bit of a theme with bringing him off late in the half and leaving him on the bench till about 20 is left in the game
MMsharks
Jaws
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Proud Shark
Jaws
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Keary's called out a few times that he thinks AFB is the key to taking the step against big teams. What's him to up the intensity and emotion to dominate other big forwards physically and psychologically for the team rather than just being statistically great.
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
Yeah I like it. I wish he was more enforcer like JFH but he's just not.
I wonder if playing Origin might give him a lift?
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
I hope so
He has great footwork at the line and uses it well to skip out of the expected contact zone slightly and forge forward for strong PCMs
But I'd love to see him him aim up against an opposition pack on occasion and leave the footwork out a couple times and skittle some blokes.
Happy for him to give up some PCMs to put the fear of god into the opposition with some more wrecking ball runs and assert his alpha status.
But I'd love to see him him aim up against an opposition pack on occasion and leave the footwork out a couple times and skittle some blokes.
Happy for him to give up some PCMs to put the fear of god into the opposition with some more wrecking ball runs and assert his alpha status.
Yeag, I would like to see him run like Toby every now and then.
Gards
Jaws
AFB is very good, one of our best players and backbone of our pack but it's like he's a bit in self preservation mode. Not trying to burn out and break too early and shorten his career but I think this has also been driven from coaches and started even back at the Warriors somewhat in his finals season with them so as far as we know he is doing exactly as asked
BHU might be gone, Talakai is gone
Who are we going to rely on to offer up a big hit now and then? There's only Teig and he misses most of the time
Who in the forwards will give is a big back of the fence kamikaze hit up? There's only Rudolf doing it
Perhaps in the modern game there isn't as much need or desire for the enforcer type forward as it's becoming all about ruck control and ptb speed but my word you can't say a big angry mongrel ball carry now and then doesn't bring some value to a set
BHU might be gone, Talakai is gone
Who are we going to rely on to offer up a big hit now and then? There's only Teig and he misses most of the time
Who in the forwards will give is a big back of the fence kamikaze hit up? There's only Rudolf doing it
Perhaps in the modern game there isn't as much need or desire for the enforcer type forward as it's becoming all about ruck control and ptb speed but my word you can't say a big angry mongrel ball carry now and then doesn't bring some value to a set
I think Owen Trout will come here with a huge point to prove. Feel he will become one of new enforcers off the bench.
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
What makes you think that? I haven't seen him play.
The fact he's a pom is all I have to go off
but i do believe he is coming here to prove a point which has me thinking he will be coming out all guns blazing to start next season.Also, Fitz had to see something in him to bring him across from the other side of the world. First pom the club has signed in like 40 years or something, he must have something special about him for us to do that. Also, can't even remember the last time we signed a player from the super league (who isn't English).
Vichyssoise
Jaws
The fact he's a pom is all I have to go off
Also, Fitz had to see something in him to bring him across from the other side of the world. First pom the club has signed in like 40 years or something, he must have something special about him for us to do that. Also, can't even remember the last time we signed a player from the super league (who isn't English).
Which pom forwards have been a hit in the NRL?
Gareth Ellis, James Graham, Sam Burgess.
An argument could be made for the twins, but I'm not convinced.
Any other?
Putting our faith into Trout to be a/ effective and b/ an enforcer is a bit optimistic at this stage.
HaroldBishop
Megalodon
Whitehead and Bateman.
I have zero expectations for Trout if I'm completely honest.
Vichyssoise
Jaws
Good call. I guess Hogdson qualifies too although he's not the kind of forward I had in mind.
All as mentioned above, the twins 100% were very good at different stages of their careers.
Adrian Morley, Elliot Whitehead, Kai Pearce-Paul, John Bateman (Canberra days).
Morgan Smithies is doing a solid job, Luke Thompson (when fit definitely held his own). It’s more the outside backs from England who have come here that have really struggled.
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Vichyssoise
Jaws
I'd totally forgotten about Morley.
Too early for the KPP to call him a hit, imo. Jury's out on the other too I think. But yeah, more players than sprung to mind when I posted that reply.
****ing loved Morley. Bloke was a serial killer on the field
