General Ones To Watch

[MarkW]

Obviously we want the whole team to perform to the peak of their abilities, but is there any one player that fellow forumites will be paying particular attention to this year to see if they step up?

For me it’s Thomas Leuluai. I’m really keen to see how he handles a full season of NRL after being away from the comp for so long. I’m hoping his wealth of ESL/International experience helps steer the team in the right direction on the park and that our other halves in Johnson, Siejka and Godinet can learn a thing or two from him.
Fingers crossed that he doesn’t cop any major injuries this year too!

Who do you think will do the biz in 2013?

 

[Sup42]

Konrad Hurrell.

Not my favorite player or the one I want to be the one to watch per se

Raw debut last year , showed tremendous promise , shut a few up on the ' he won't be able to bowl the big boys ' theorists

All Hurrell needs is lots of patience from Coach and Fan alike....he should be out there making mistakes and learning positional play......he's good enough talent wise.

Where else do you play an up and coming world class NRL player.


The other is Shaun Johnson , his stocks live and die by the Sword of 2013 , he's got Thomas to make him look good , can't ask for anymore or go looking to blame other players if he doesn't put distance between himself and his replacements.....I will be hugely disapointed and surprised if he doesn't drop the Benji styles and Mature this year.

 

[brutus]

I wasn't so sure about the Leuluai signing but having watched the Hamilton trial its Leuluai for me his direction on the team is already there, he talks & a good reader of the game. Godinet & johnson will only excell from his experience. For me at the moment he's the glue in that team.

Interesting to see how Konrad goes this early season especially the fitness side of things defensively & on attack he was solid in the trial definately want to see more of him come 1st game.

 

[Raurimu Massive]

I'm being a smartarse and going with Matthew Eliot - I think we'll see very plainly whether he's having the influence we expect from a coach.

Player-wise, I'm going with Mannering - I'll be interested to see if his captaincy style changes with the new coach.

 

[Paleaaesina2the20]

I'll throw a bit of a wild card in there, but I have high hopes for Steve Rapira. Done it tough in his NRL career to date, mainly due to injuries but he could be special in my opinon and I reckon after the first month of the comp his brutal defense and good lines on attack will put the past to rest.

Side note: Shaun Johnson starts the year slow, but ends up leading the year in Dally M points for Warriors players.

 

[Qtownwarrior]

I'm keen to see what happens with our outside backs, i'm crossing my fingers that we can pick up a quality disgruntled winger in a mid-season signing to put some serious pressure on the stocks we have there now which to me are pretty thin/fragile and not exactly consistant

 

[Defence]

Ikahihifo- could never understand Taylor and benry getting all the raps in the 20s when this kid was the one doing the damage. Dominated a jr kiwis v Roos game a couple of years back- could be our answer to papalii or watmough- hard running, hard hitting, hard working backrower who is strong enough to play in the middle. Noticed Elliott praised him after both trial games so hopefully he gives him a shot.
Also my daughter named her budgie after him so he better front up

 

[Gizzyfan]

Forwards, Taylor, Sam Rapira, Mateo (my Aussie computer defaulted Rapira to repair, hope not)
Backs Leuluei, Johnson, Hurrell

Nah Bugger it, the whole lot of them.

 

[Paleaaesina2the20]

Ikahihifo- could never understand Taylor and benry getting all the raps in the 20s when this kid was the one doing the damage. Dominated a jr kiwis v Roos game a couple of years back- could be our answer to papalii or watmough- hard running, hard hitting, hard working backrower who is strong enough to play in the middle. Noticed Elliott praised him after both trial games so hopefully he gives him a shot.

I agree, he constantly got praised be Bluey last year (does that carry weight anymore?) I think he is one of the best balanced forwards we have, powerful defender but not the kind to fly up and miss tackles and a powerful runner but has some finesse to his game with a good offload. With all the injuries my updated guess at Elliott's bench for game one now includes Ikahihifo (plus 2x Rapiras and Tuimivave).

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

I have 3 big calls for the year. Carlos, Pita and Big Sam Lousi.

I think Carlos (if given enough field time) will make the utility spot his own and make it a vital part of the team make-up.
Godinet only needs a few chances and (unfortunately) an injury to another player to show his skills. I would still prefer we shifted Leuluai to hooker while Nathan Friend is missing and had Godinet at stand-off.
And it seems that Sam Lousi has done what I had hoped and developed a bit of passion and aggression to his game. He is such a beast, but like so many other giants, is afraid to unleash his full power. A combination of him and Mateo interchanging the 3rd back row spot with Mannering and Lowrie playing 80 is what I want.

 

[Magic Stick]

Ikahihifo- could never understand Taylor and benry getting all the raps in the 20s when this kid was the one doing the damage. Dominated a jr kiwis v Roos game a couple of years back- could be our answer to papalii or watmough- hard running, hard hitting, hard working backrower who is strong enough to play in the middle. Noticed Elliott praised him after both trial games so hopefully he gives him a shot.
Also my daughter named her budgie after him so he better front up

This!!!! it sickens me the amount of fanboys that drop anchor in poo bay with Henry and Taylor

 

[Defence]

Lol for real- that made my beer come out my nose

 

[facefacts]

This!!!! it sickens me the amount of fanboys that drop anchor in poo bay with Henry and Taylor

Maybe those fanboys understand the game and the type of players required to succeed at the top level a lot better than some.

It's understandable though, theres plenty of people out there that dont understand a players worth to a team unless they're told by game day commentators or hyped by the press, or unless they're scoring tries, these sad little people just dont get it......never mind that the people that actually coach the game or play it, gladly drop there anchors in poo bay as you call it when it comes to Henry and Taylor.

 

[fanrrior]

This!!!! it sickens me the amount of fanboys that drop anchor in poo bay with Henry and Taylor

Yeah, how in the world could them fanboys support two players that have high work-rates, leadership qualities, make minimal errors, and show more maturity than their age would suggest. Its just crazy, eh?

 

[Defence]

It's understandable though, theres plenty of people out there that dont understand a players worth to a team unless they're told by game day commentators or hyped by the press, or unless they're scoring tries, these sad little people just dont get it......never mind that the people that actually coach the game or play it, gladly drop there anchors in poo bay as you call it when it comes to Henry and Taylor.

Gotta say that argument doesn't really stack up in this case coz the commentators always talk Taylor and benry up and they are hyped by the press so if magic stick wasn't capable of coming to his own conclusions he would be a fanboy himself and just parrot what they say.
If your referring to me- well I wouldn't call them poo bay but I prefer what seb brings to the table

 

[Miket12]

I'm looking forward to see how anyone goes who is used on the right wing ahead of Billy TuSlow.

 

[Raurimu Massive]

Yeah, that Ben Henry - what a useless git eh? Gets given a completely alien position to learn and ends up being one of the more consistent players in his first year in first grade while he's surrounded by more senior players intent on not performing. Only a gaybo fanboy could see any value in that.

 

[Magic Stick]

Maybe those fanboys understand the game and the type of players required to succeed at the top level a lot better than some.

It's understandable though, theres plenty of people out there that dont understand a players worth to a team unless they're told by game day commentators or hyped by the press, or unless they're scoring tries, these sad little people just dont get it......never mind that the people that actually coach the game or play it, gladly drop there anchors in poo bay as you call it when it comes to Henry and Taylor.

LOL mr i know better facefacts

got myself a personal hater. love it this gona be a fun season on the boards

 

[mt.wellington]

This!!!! it sickens me the amount of fanboys that drop anchor in poo bay with Henry and Taylor

This from the same idiot who would rather watch the Highlanders game instead of the Charity Shield. Based on that comment alone your League opinion amounts to zero to me...

 

[Apus]

Henry and Taylor seem very Mannering-esque to me, minus the build. No fuss, no flash players who are fairly eloquent, leadership types. Great players for a club that needs that kind of player, I'm just not sure that with Mannering around we need both of them. I'd happily keep either for depth, but I certainly wouldn't want to see both in the side if Mannering is there also.

Anywho, for me it's Hurrell and Fish/Laumape (whoever gets the wing spot over Tupou). I think after a year in the NRL, Hurrell can really make his mark this season, if he stays fit. Fish/Laumape I'm excited to see because it would mean we'd legitimately have threats on either side of the field. If Hurrell/Neisen are the centres, I see no issues with them being able to get the ball to the wingers, so hopefully we'll see a lot more tries down the flanks this year.