Except for Martin (First-born) and Pompey (All-Star), 1-17 last year was the same from the last trial to Round 1- bodes well for us finding out where everyone slots in tomorrow evening
Trial v Storm
Round 1 v Knights
Gameday 2024 Trial 1 - Warriors vs Wests Tigers
- Thread starter WarriorsForever
- Start date
Except for Martin (First-born) and Pompey (All-Star), 1-17 last year was the same from the last trial to Round 1- bodes well for us finding out where everyone slots in tomorrow evening
Trial v Storm
Round 1 v Knights
This is the wording from the email:
“To celebrate a campaign that's been 30 seasons in the making, all ticketed members will get free entry and use of their reserved seating for this preseason fixture.
Tickets for this game will be available in your membership account over the next short while, visible under the 'My Events' tab when you login.
For general admission members without allocated seating, our membership team will send out complimentary tickets for your use”.
Just been re-watching the game (yes it is sad I am re-watching a preseason game) and Bunty looks like he wants to return to FG. He even had some late footwork at the line. Would help our prop stocks if he keeps playing like this. I personally would have him over Ale if there was a choice between them.
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.
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Guys serious question here - were the Tigers better than I thought?
As a totally one eyed warriors supporter I thought they were below par. Every bloody Aussie article I have read today is pumping up the Tigers like they will go undefeated this year!!! Benji and Sezer are as good as Ivan and Nathan haha
As a totally one eyed warriors supporter I thought they were below par. Every bloody Aussie article I have read today is pumping up the Tigers like they will go undefeated this year!!! Benji and Sezer are as good as Ivan and Nathan haha
40 tackles without a miss for a young guy is also awesome!! Pretty sure he done similar defence work on the trial last year.
What are the Tigers forums saying?
Tigers' forum surprisingly not overly hyped about the win, aside from a few pundits oblivious to the fact we rested 10+ of our proposed starting 17 claiming the scalp.
Generally, I feel we have far more to be proud of, like someone here posted earlier......ideal preseason defensive scenario playing with a man down for 60 odd minutes and with only a handful of first grade regulars playing staggered stints.
Generally, I feel we have far more to be proud of, like someone here posted earlier......ideal preseason defensive scenario playing with a man down for 60 odd minutes and with only a handful of first grade regulars playing staggered stints.
Thanks for the research.
Can't really blame any Tigers fans for being happy with the win.
We have been there. Endless misery and no light at the end of the Tunnel.
As a fan they would have looked at us as a top four opponent and a big scalp to take, given their predicament a win under any conditions for them is just so critical to get the ball rolling over there.
Late in the game the Fox call team listed the 8 or 9 first graders not playing, the Tigs fans would have heard that.
Probably more so the fair-weather fans that didn't watch the coverage saying their part, anyone with half a footy brain would've been aware.
Wouldn't be too enthusiastic about that result either if I was them. I wish them well though, Sezer looked good, he's still got it.
Nah they were bad
Does the next trial game count as a missed game for Zyon Maiu’u's suspension?
Having read through the forum post-game, I couldn't agree more that Laban has stepped up (including on D, which was something he struggled a bit with last year in Cup / NZA) and he is definitely an exciting prospect on our edges. However, I was surprised to see that there was only a few comments on Halasima - who I thought was outstanding, albeit mostly against Cup players.
I am not going to go into, and nor do I think it is fair to go into, who is the most exciting prospect - but I thought Leka showed real promise yesterday given he is still only 18 years old... the bloke can still play SG Ball! I thought his carries were excellent (as some noted, he just moves differently - his strength / centre of balance is uncanny for his age) and his technique on D was pretty on point. That being said, he is only 18yo, so they should keep him away from FG this year with a view to giving him a full year in Cup to further hone his craft before unleashing him in 2025 - unless, of course, he carves up in Cup for the first half of the season (i.e., at least 8-9 exceptional games).
Exciting times for this year and beyond with a very talented crop of juniors coming through. Looking forward to seeing what the second trial brings as the excitement for round 1 builds!
I am not going to go into, and nor do I think it is fair to go into, who is the most exciting prospect - but I thought Leka showed real promise yesterday given he is still only 18 years old... the bloke can still play SG Ball! I thought his carries were excellent (as some noted, he just moves differently - his strength / centre of balance is uncanny for his age) and his technique on D was pretty on point. That being said, he is only 18yo, so they should keep him away from FG this year with a view to giving him a full year in Cup to further hone his craft before unleashing him in 2025 - unless, of course, he carves up in Cup for the first half of the season (i.e., at least 8-9 exceptional games).
Exciting times for this year and beyond with a very talented crop of juniors coming through. Looking forward to seeing what the second trial brings as the excitement for round 1 builds!
Very good analysis Wrighty
Thanks
I can’t get these trials on tv yet as I disconnected Foxtel to save $ until the nrl proper starts - suppose I could reconnect early though
I honestly thought it was a solid hit out, in the 20 odd minutes the Tigers had a large contingent of their starting roster on the field and things looked sharp so for them, it's a step in the right direction. As one eyed as a Warriors supporter I am, I'm happy with the output from our lads, almost a dream scenario having to defend under those circumstances with the result not overly important.
Can't wait to see a more familiar looking squad this weekend, with the exception of maybe SJ and DWZ (hip) we should be relatively full strength, at least for a period.
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