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    Not sure if it was already posted, but I've gone through the Code article on who manages who, if anyone is interested:

    Sports Vision
    Bunty Afoa (S. Martin)
    Erin Clark (S. Martin)
    Chanel Harris-Tavita (S. Martin)

    Wasserman Rugby
    Tom Ale (B. Sharrock)
    Rocco Berry (B. Sharrock)
    Leka Halasima (J. Friend)
    Sio Kali (J. Friend)
    Ed Kosi (D. O'Loughlin)
    Jacob Laban (J. Friend)
    Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (D. O'Loughlin)
    Adam Pompey (D. O'Loughlin)
    Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (B. Sharrock)
    Demitric Vaimauga (J. Friend)

    Pacific Sports
    Mitch Barnett (C. Orr)
    Kayliss Fatialofa (M. Parata)
    Sam Healey (G. Ghazal)
    Patrick Moimoi (M. Parata)
    Marata Niukore (C. Orr)
    Taine Tuaupiki (T. Bartlett)

    Titan Sports
    Tanah Boyd (D. Riolo, M. Hudson, or M. Adamson)

    Gillis Schifcofske Sports
    Kurt Capewell (C. Schifcofske)

    Rise Sports
    Wayde Egan (M. Stewart)

    SFX Sports
    James Fisher-Harris (G. Mimis)
    Luke Metcalf (P. Sutton)

    Pulse Talent
    Jackson Ford (C. Rogaris)

    Sportsplayer
    Morgan Harper (T. Smith)
    Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (T. Smith)

    Ultra Sports
    Ali Leiataua (S. Ayoub or N. Wijesekera)
    Freddy Lussick (S. Ayoub or N. Wijesekera)

    Map Sports
    Te Maire Martin (A. Purcell)
     
    Just somthing i've noticed that I personally have not seen over the last 3 years from most of the squad. The ones that are on/are active on instagram posting more about the games they've played. Which could easily just be because they're winning. But mainly they all some to be group photos or related content. Previously it'd be a shot of themselves after a good profmance, where as now each post from metcalf or cht seem to always contain some shot with each other. Others being the whole team, or the group they are mainly in (back 5, leka-demitric-laban-ali) And quite a few players seem to be in the comments amping each other up. Plus any debut and the whole team is posting about it.

    Not trying to say we get to the same heights or anything. But this is all very similar to how the original panthers (2020-2021) were.
     
    Testimonial game he leads the team out against the Broncos for his NRL 100.

    Body language tells you a lot.

    Pompey looks back at his team mates in a mark of humility that he is famous for and when the Camera tracks him in a close up as he runs on field he casts his eyes away and turns his back to the attention.

    The quiet achiever is very much where this guy lives hey and in a era where we have all these cock sure young bucks coming through he is the type you want out there to balance the mojo of this team.

    When fans bemoan his slowness, I see strength and character that offsets those shiny things fans love.



    View: https://youtu.be/6pesIqOQX-8?si=4pszCqj796DwGUel
     
    Five&Last said:
    Interesting, who in particular?

    For example, if I was an Aus club I would be looking hard at Hickley Ioka as a future NRL fullback. Didn't get a look in with Jeremiah Lamana there but has some serious talent and playmaking versatility.
    Click to expand...
    Those two are good examples having both played the game for over 10 years now. Jerry’s best position is centre and I don’t think he’d played any other position in league prior to this years Matt’s campaign. He had one season playing fullback in his first year of school rugby but none in league that I can remember. He won the Matt’s title last playing at centre then played the rest of the year in school rugby on the wing. He also played at the u16s nationals and nz clubs vs schools at centre. So fullback is his third position but he’s such a natural footballer that he was better than most other Matt’s fullbacks. Hinkley was picked at fullback over Jerry in both Nationals and NZ clubs vs schools. In Kelston’s loss against St Kent’s yesterday, Hinkley was at fullback and Jerry was on the wing. It was a similar story for Hinkley, he started last year playing in the halves in the SJ comp and then the Auckland u16s tour to GC then played centre/midfield for most of the year before playing fullback at Nationals. His best position is stand-off but he only played in the Matt’s final there when all the other halves options were injured. His best position in rugby is 2nd 5.

    So how does this all relate to the clubs recruitment and retention plan? This club hasn’t developed a NRL first grade quality fullback since Locke 15 years ago and even he was originally a halfback. Fullbacks are expensive but we are good at developing centres. If you look at the other NRL clubs who have good junior catchments, most of their fullbacks come from their juniors. Our X factor juniors have to be retained and molded into the skill positions that the club has trouble recruiting in.
     
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    I think we are all getting too old for this s***t. Heart attack grill again towards the end but as webby said, despite the scoreboard, this game was much more comfortable than the others. We were clearly the better team- if we don't screw up the short kick off and JFH wraps his arms around the tackle, we are clear 13+ pt winners at 16-0.

    Just a few thoughts ruminating from yesterday.

    1. Defense: In the pre-game thread, we were all freaking out about the silky backline that the dolphins had. Hammer, Herbie, Katoa (aka next Andrew Johns), etc that put 40+ on the storm and almost 30 on the raiders. So what an amazing effort to keep them scoreless for 73 minutes. For the first time all year, Katoa seemed clueless under the pressures of our compressed rushing D. Capes made Herbie his b**ch. Absolutely manhandled him all night.

    2. Forwards: Absolute beasts tonight. Laid the platform very nicely in the first half and defensively were gritty in the second half. Barney with another captain's knock with 170m over 52mins. Erin also busting out another 150+ meters in this game. Leka also toiled hard with 131m over 48m. Finally, shout out to TSS on an amazing debut. Didn't look out of place in the side and was defensively solid. Looks like a smiling convict and played like one. No doubt he gets another run next week with Barney and JFH both out next week.

    3. Niukore: Marata back to his dangerous best yesterday. Although Webby seems set to prefer using him in the middle moving forward, I'm actually not so sure. Offensively, he is clearly our most damaging ball running backrower. Nikorima was freaking out every time he got the ball on the edge. Looks to me that the Leka/Niukore back row combination is our most lethal attacking combo. It really did a job on the Broncos a few weeks back and I'd give serious thought to using it as our first choice option moving forward.

    4. DWZ and RTS: We really need more out of DWZ. He has runs on the board and deserves some loyalty, but running for 75m is really not good enough. Maybe he is still playing a little injured which is why he isn't getting as involved as he should be. At his peak in 2023, he was easily running 150-200m a game. That's where we need him to get back to. RTS on the other hand was very busy: ran for 209m in his first game back. Made a couple of errors that could have been costly but never stopped trying.

    Overall, another great win by the boys. We can now go back home on a 4 game winning streak on the road and look to bury the scars of Vegas. Hope Canberra are ready, because revenge is on the menu next Sunday.
     
    Watched much of the game fairly inebriated, so have just watched the final 30 again to get my head around it a bit.

    Some thoughts:
    - That defence was just epic. Like top 4 epic. We just kept holding on and shutting them down set after set. I tried to find a stat on the 6 agains as they seemed to have shitloads, and along with their penalties seem to be late in the count, but we just kept on holding on.
    - Special shout out to Pompey, a real unsung hero over the last couple of months. IMO worked his way in front of Berry, solid as.
    - We have to stick with Metcalf as I agree that his ceiling is the highest of any halves we have, but he needs to get some try assists going if we are to truly be a premiership threat. Did I see right the stat shown before the game of only 3 try assist this year?! SJ had over 20odd in 2023 from memory.
    - JFH was fantastic to have back, but can someone give us a good take on how long we might be without him? Any chance of an early guilty play and missing no games…? Cause if Barney gets the origin call up we are going to be pretty thin next weekend!
    - Happy for Laban on his first try in first grade, and congrats to 40yo TSS on debut. We have a good thing building here with who is coming through.
    - Capes had a great game shoring that edge, but I have to say I was happy having Roger back on the other edge. Was busy and took some tough carries.

    We just keep on rolling. Unbelievable really. I won’t get carried away until we pants somebody, but am incredibly proud of this team so far
     
    CWC said:
    Yup Leka is forced to pace through 3rd gear (which is better than most players) instead of playing 50 minutes knocking the gates down
    Click to expand...
    I know everyone wants the highlight plays but three 80 minute games for the 19 year old meant he's had to focus on the effort areas. off the ball stuff, and the percentage plays......exactly what he needed to round out his game.......at some point Webby probably will use him in that shorter burst impact role again but the last 3 weeks is exactly what he needed for his development.
     
    How far have we come as an organization in the past 3 years! I can't remember the last time we had so many calls go our way. It really does show when you play positive footy, you'll get the rub of the green. We'll take it!
    Capewah, old dog in the fight, great defence! Erin Clark keeps shooting the lights out, what a great player he really is proving to be, great purchase. Enjoy the W tonight everyone, we deserve every bit of success this far. Cheers.
     
    I gave it A+ because the first half was perfection in my view. Second half was heading that way too if Ref didn't decide to do the usual 'even up' for the TV audience. Our defence was effing impenetrable until the send off. Metcalf' chip n chase related and pass in one motion was organized level.
     
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