General Blessing in disguise for Warriors

[jono_t2000_old]

Blessing in disguise for Warriors

After a superb 26 - 10 victory over the West Tigers in the weekend, George Gatis has suddenly found his name in lights after putting in a man of the match like performance.

The ex North Queesland Cowboys hooker playing his first NRL game since 2003 provided the much needed spark against an understregth opposition.

The selection of Gatis at hooker in place of the energetic Lance Hohaia had been a surprise one with former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe stating that Hohaia had done nothing wrong to be dropped.

However with a good sense of option taking and crisp passing skills, Gatis may have forced his way into the starting line-up against the Knights this weekend.

This may come as a blessing in disguise for the Warriors who will start next season with a significantly reduced salary cap.

If new Warriors signings such as Luck, Rovelli and Gatis can continue to play well and get plenty of game time it should reduce the pressure on Warriors management to hold on to their higher payed atheletes.

With Hohaia looking to play halfback, dont be surprised if next season he will be one of the Warriors let go to play in the ESL.

 

[uncle wiredimu_old]

on the money

agree totally jono
on the money post ,so far it looks like they will be awesome players for the money that was spent :arrow:

 

[Northern_Union]

not sure i like the idea of letting Hohaia go, he has a lot to offer BUT at half back not hooker.

 

[Iafeta_old]

Wayne Scurrah said all contracts would be honoured and he'd work to create an environment whereby no player wanted to leave. Sure as the sun will rise, if Lance is patient he will get an opportunity in the #7 jersey - his form for Waicoa Bay on the weekend apparently was top class, he claims he's worked very hard on his kicking game both goal kicking and general field.

I have a question on Lancey - does anyone think he could do a "Shaun Berrigan" and re-emerge as a centre?

 

[Skinner_old]

Wayne Scurrah said all contracts would be honoured and he'd work to create an environment whereby no player wanted to leave. Sure as the sun will rise, if Lance is patient he will get an opportunity in the #7 jersey - his form for Waicoa Bay on the weekend apparently was top class, he claims he's worked very hard on his kicking game both goal kicking and general field.

I have a question on Lancey - does anyone think he could do a "Shaun Berrigan" and re-emerge as a centre?

Mate, I really enjoy and respect your posts but you have a definite
penchant to having players completely out of their position. To be
fair it's not just you - most Warriors fans are the same....

On Lancey at centre - I don't think he has the upper body strength
to pay the position it's due. I think his body size is generally wrong
for an outside back.

It raises the question of course - what position will he play. The way
he was dropped smells of other issues outside of form and I just don't
know what's going to happen with him. I can't see him playing for the
Stallions for the balance of his Warriors contract.

Cheers
Skinner

 

[Iafeta_old]

Well, I'm looking at it more that I feel that player's are often wrongly typecast into positions at a young age. Certainly if you look at studies of various sports they reveal this - they'll reveal for instance that international batsmen often started their careers as bowlers, and vice versa, or often big guys were put into halfback roles because thats how an inexperienced informal coach conceptualised them best to be. And if you look at rugby league in particular, players 'develop' and move, as they age their skills become more apparent or change. Wiki for instance started as a winger, became a lock, a backrower, then a prop. Berrigan went from halfback, to hooker, to centre. Brad Fittler started as a centre, worked into lock, then back to five eighth, same as Daley to a degree.

I've done a bit of coaching, and I was always a fan of nominating three of four key roles for each position. For instance, if I was looking at centre, you need speed, you need footwork, you need the ability to get out of dummy half, and you need to be able to defend space more so than an actual man - often time's breaks down the sideline come through the creation of space and holes in the defence rather than physical mis-matches. Perhaps Lance has those skills, he has the speed, he has the footwork, he gets out of dummy half well, defence would be the key factor. Compare it to hooker, to most it was obvious he was starring there, but he didn't perform one vital role - passing quickly out of dummy half, George Gatis did him like a done dinner there the other night, and if you assess it basically, thats the key role of a hooker, clearing the ruck.

 

[Northern_Union]

He made his debut at center against the Tigers durring the Anderson days but i think he offers far more at half back.

 

[LeagueSuperstar_old]

He made his debut at center against the Tigers durring the Anderson days but i think he offers far more at half back.

I'm pretty sure he made is debut against the cowboys at dairy farmers stadium back in 2002, when on the actual team sheet and hour before kick off he was named at Prop of all positions but actually played outside stacey jones at 5/8.

 

[Iafeta_old]

Yeah League is right, he started at five eighth v North Queensland in 2002.

 

[Northern_Union]

I stand corrected.

 

[KeepingTheFaith_old]

I brought that up last year as well. The thing I liked about Hohaia was he always hit the ball at pace and often broke the first tackler rather than the standing still indecisive Hohaia we saw playing outside Stacey. Defensively I'd be curious to see how he handles it as he can be lazy on our goaline at times. On attack I think he would be good.

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

The way I see it he's definitely a halfback not doubt about it. And sometimes it takes time for players to get what they want. he'll get his chance he just can't get too concerned about when and where it happesn. Good things come to those who wait.