No It alls post resonated with me that Ale got into it as the game progressed and had better returns later
But let’s analyse that
If that’s true it means he struggled to make PCMs against Klemmer and the first graders and then got great stats against the NSW cup tigers when they came on the field
I suggest humbly we can’t use those stats to compare Bunty and Ale as they played against a different mix of players notwithstanding that they both started the game
According to my eyes Bunty outplayed Ale
But I could be wrong and I also concede Ale had a very good second stint
I'm not brave enough to call it between Bunty and Ale.
Both were excellent. In my minds eye it was a tie.
You make a fair point about those boys struggling against the first grade props.
Bear in mind that there is a role for guys who do not start well, but thrive off the bench.
To me Ale and Bunty are both Bench forwards rather than starters and there is nothing wrong with that so long as they match their opposition Bench opponents, very few teams have starting pack type Props on their benches.
If you start guys like Asofa Solomona, and Tom Burgess who are renowned bench Props, expect a drop off in their performance based off being incorrectly used for maximum output.
Starting Props are Wiley intelligent cunning animals in the modern game, not crash bash bush pigs, starting props have amazing timing and foot work.
While everyone is gagging over
Halasima and
Zyon Maiu’u Laban has gone quietly under the radar till this weekend.
At Prop he has the balance and footwork, the speed, the explosive power, the hands, the pass, the fend to be good for the Warriors.
You only have to go back and look at tries
Laban bags off catching kicks to know that he is in the moment in games.
He plays like a back and is built like a forward.
Screams 13 lock forward to me and utility Prop forward.
Watch him angle away from the tacklers in every contact, watch him put his head in the gap between a two man tackle, thus ensuring he cannot be folded backwards, and watch him in full flight change the angle like a back and look for a second phase option rather than die with the ball.
Those are skills usually reserved for players who have learned them over time later in their Warriors careers.
If there is a potential replacement for
Tohu it is
Laban, while not the ball playing half
Tohu is (no one is as good as Harris)
Laban is talented enough in every metric with his speed and footwork to be his own style of 13.
