Not convinced we needed to see Egan and Clark starting - you know what you get from them and they're both going to have big years. Would have preferred Healey and his understudy. But that's just me being picky.
Caelys Potoko and Harry Inch will be exciting to watch from the bench, same as Fatialofa.
Leka named at centre tho...quite interesting
They rarely run out as named in terms of starters and bench players in trial.
Although
Webster is less inclined to play silly buggers with team naming than previous Warriors coaches - it is very much in his style to pick a starting side based on who trained hardest in preseason as a nod to the 13 best effort guys, a signal to the squad that this is how you get picked at this club.
As with everyone I am very excited, especially seeing
Leka named at Center.
Does anyone think this will be a permanent transition?
I don't think anyone can answer that in any kind of accurate predictive way because he is such a special case the coaches won't even be thinking in absolutes in terms of his handling, I expect they will be humbly accepting that time not them and
Leka will find that place.
Leka is a below par centre that is inadequate in that position while he is the best up and coming second rower in the comp.
You can't make that call yet, he has barely sniffed the air at center.
He could end up being one of the greatest centers in the history of the code, he has all but one of the attributes for it barring experience. Patience grasshopper.
I can't stress enough that
Leka Halasima has every metric that makes a great center, not a good a center a great one:
His build is right, big but not too big.
He is one of the fastest acceleration wise centers in the NRL.
He has the best footwork of any center in the NRL.
He has the most explosive power of any center in the NRL.
He is blooded on making more edge tackles than any center in the nrl - his reads as a back rower are good, good enough to learn the nuances of three quarter line play - he is an assertive defender, something that many current centers lack.
He has a fend, and he draws defenders and makes space.
The problem...and it is one admittedly big work on is ball playing. However when you consider his age, and that he only has one micro skill to learn, for the next 100 games, has access to great coaching....then consider what he could be....he could be anything.
I know that we all worry that he could be the best forward at this club, we worry that he is clearly suited to edge play....but if ever there were a time to park that concern....is it not when this club is struggling to find room in it's forward pack for the Warriors greatest ever production line of potential back row prospects?
A career at center will give
Halasima longevity, it will be kinder on his body, he will have to carry this team on his back less, and he will still be able to convert back to the edge in five years from now and be peaking athletically as a mature endurance athlete.
I recon the coaches have looked at all this and more and seen the light.