2024 Pre-Season

[Wiz]

Some people have been massively over rating our forward pack. They are middle of the road.

 

[tigeress]

Blore & Nofa at today’s session along with our new Dev recruit Faataape & Onitoni Large.

What is really encouraging is the lack of strapping on any player in these pics.

Is Nofa sporting the blond top hairstyle ??

 

[Merlot]

Is Nofa sporting the blond top hairstyle ??

That's him.early mid life crisis

 

[tigeress]

Is that Noffa who has gone peroxide?

I just asked the same question ..Thanks

 

[tigeress]

If that's the time trial they were talking about, Dave is being beaten by a forward again.

He may just be going slow to give the big fellas a chance ? Ha ha or he may be afraid of losing that hair..

 

[hammertime]

Where's all the apologists for out new and improved forward pack?
10th metres gained!!
Only 110m more than the year before.

That's on average, per match. Its around 8% better. As well as that, our meters given reduced.

I'm not sure what you expect? To double? Its a game of inches my friend.

 

[jrtiger]

Some people have been massively over rating our forward pack. They are middle of the road.

I disagree. Utoikamanu has already played Origin at 23 and is only going to get better, Klemmer is an Origin-calibre forward, Koroisau is the best hooker in the game and Papali'i and Bateman are both internationals who have plenty to give. Twal is a workhorse coming into his peak years and Pole is imo the most exciting young middle in the game.

if you thought Papali'i or Bateman were poor last year, I think Papali'i's issues were not a lack of effort, but the fact that Brooks didn't utilise him correctly. he's not an early ball backrower, he's best used getting the ball on the ad line. as for Bateman he went thru a stack of halves inside him and the lack of a preseason is what hurt him in the end. having a steady halves pairing that utilises both of them correctly will see them improve to no end.

I think the only thing we're missing is a 13, which should be filled by Kit Laulili'i by season's end. Da Silva is the best hooking prospect in the game and there's still a few others to come thru.

 

[twentyforty]

Where's all the apologists for out new and improved forward pack?
10th metres gained!!
Only 110m more than the year before.

However, they did manage to be top of the ladder in stopping offloads.

 

[innsaneink]

He has been back for a week or more - I had a quick g'day with him on Monday

Did he understand you?

 

[batboy]

That's on average, per match. Its around 8% better. As well as that, our meters given reduced.

I'm not sure what you expect? To double? Its a game of inches my friend.

I understand what it is - it’s also running 10th in the comp.
Reading here you’d think our pack was in the top 4…
I don’t know how many times I’ve read our pack was ‘dominant’ in 2023…

Dominant… but 10th in metres

 

[Tucker]

Some people have been massively over rating our forward pack. They are middle of the road.

Fox sports didn’t give them a great rating.
It’s funny that a lot on here have developed such amnesia of last season.
They blame it all on our halves.
It’s a cop out.
Our team has not gotten noticeably stronger considering our last 2 seasons.
Our pack needs to stand up and have a crack. I understand the bench is weak, but without a strong middle, our average backs and newbie halves will struggle.

 

[Magpie_Magic]

Where's all the apologists for out new and improved forward pack?
10th metres gained!!
Only 110m more than the year before.

Good point.

But due to our poor halves and backline they were often isolated running without cover and support.

Thinking what Bateman and Paps could've done with decent centres as foils and support.

Defensively they were loads better.

 

[Roar_Power]

I disagree. Utoikamanu has already played Origin at 23 and is only going to get better, Klemmer is an Origin-calibre forward, Koroisau is the best hooker in the game and Papali'i and Bateman are both internationals who have plenty to give. Twal is a workhorse coming into his peak years and Pole is imo the most exciting young middle in the game.

if you thought Papali'i or Bateman were poor last year, I think Papali'i's issues were not a lack of effort, but the fact that Brooks didn't utilise him correctly. he's not an early ball backrower, he's best used getting the ball on the ad line. as for Bateman he went thru a stack of halves inside him and the lack of a preseason is what hurt him in the end. having a steady halves pairing that utilises both of them correctly will see them improve to no end.

I think the only thing we're missing is a 13, which should be filled by Kit Laulili'i by season's end. Da Silva is the best hooking prospect in the game and there's still a few others to come thru.

100%. Great summary!

 

[hammertime]

And those stats are being unfair on Batemans contribution.

It only includes forward meters, not sideways

 

[batboy]

Good point.

But due to our poor halves and backline they were often isolated running without cover and support.

Thinking what Bateman and Paps could've done with decent centres as foils and support.

Defensively they were loads better.

... Really?
You're blaming the halves for the pigs not getting up the middle?
Halves barely touch the ball for the first couple rucks....

It's not all the forwards fault we're so shy in getting up the park, Most teams have backs that make good grass out of trouble....
Ours run in circles or crab sideways until they get tackled.

 

[Enmore_Tiger]

I understand what it is - it’s also running 10th in the comp.
Reading here you’d think our pack was in the top 4…
I don’t know how many times I’ve read our pack was ‘dominant’ in 2023…

Dominant… but 10th in metres

I think if the stats from the first half of the season might better reflect their performance. The failure to score points and win games was an energy killer. I'm sure if more wins were recorded when they dominated field position would have resulted in better stats in the second half of the season. It's a tough game and wins are essential to maintaining consistent top level performance.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

I think if the stats from the first half of the season might better reflect their performance. The failure to score points and win games was an energy killer. I'm sure if more wins were recorded when they dominated field position would have resulted in better stats in the second half of the season. It's a tough game and wins are essential to maintaining consistent top level performance.

I agree. If you are a forward slugging it out for 10 weeks for piss poor results it must be so very hard to get yourself mentally up to it week in week out.
I think they did well to psych themselves mentally into having half a chance of a win only to see our halves with no idea how to convert their efforts.
It would have been soo draining on them to recover from.
Imagine you were in their position, how long could you sustain the enthusiasm when so many opportunities squandered?
The big dollars would not be in the game day calculations.

 

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

 

[Sully]

View attachment 9555

Nice to put some of our players in Purple singlets to ease him in.........

 

[tigerballs]

... Really?
You're blaming the halves for the pigs not getting up the middle?
Halves barely touch the ball for the first couple rucks....

It's not all the forwards fault we're so shy in getting up the park, Most teams have backs that make good grass out of trouble....
Ours run in circles or crab sideways until they get tackled.

... Really?
You're blaming the halves for the pigs not getting up the middle?
Halves barely touch the ball for the first couple rucks....

It's not all the forwards fault we're so shy in getting up the park, Most teams have backs that make good grass out of trouble....
Ours run in circles or crab sideways until they get tackled.

I don't think you quite understand how to apply those stats. Maybe if you watched a game instead of just reading stats you'd be able to work it out.