2020 in review - Semi Valemei

[greeneyed]

2020 in review - Semi Valemei



This is the seventh instalment of 2020 in review. As is the tradition, now the Raiders' season is over, we are reviewing all 32 players who pulled on a green jersey this year. So far, we've looked at Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Jordan Rapana, Jarrod Croker, Curtis Scott, Nick Cotric and Bailey Simonsson.

Fijian winger Semi Valemei joined the Canberra Raiders in 2018, initially playing for the Raiders' NSW Cup affiliate, Mounties, in Under 20s. He was a part of the Green Machine's 2019 Jersey Flegg team which qualified for the Grand Final - and went on to represent Fiji in the World Cup Nines tournament after that season. He was reportedly targeted by the Melbourne Storm, but he was re-signed by the Raiders on a two year deal, and promoted into the top 30 squad.

He made his NRL debut in one of the biggest games of the year, the Round 10 Grand Final rematch with the Sydney Roosters - a game which ended in a memorable backs to the wall victory. He ended the season by winning the Canberra Raiders Rookie of the Year award on Meninga Medal night. He played a total of 10 games - including every finals game. He came off the bench in his debut, but started on the wing in his other nine appearances. He scored four tries, his first a memorable try which gave the Raiders a lead in the Round 11 clash with the Rabbitohs.

He was good with the ball in hand. He averaged 97 running metres from 10 runs per game, while delivering five line breaks and 23 tackle breaks. He is still developing, and at times was targeted by opposition teams in defence and with the high ball. The edges are, of course, the hardest place on the field to defend. He posted eight line break and try causes and a 70 per cent tackle efficiency rate. He also produced 13 errors, which was second to Jack Wighton amongst the Raiders backs on a per game basis. He'll want to work on both departments in the off season - but he's still just 21, and has plenty of time to develop.

Through the year I rated Valemei an average of 5.2/10 - in part, reflecting limited minutes in two or three games. His overall season rating below takes into account the fact that he appeared in less than half the matches. My highest rating ("7") came in the Round 19 win over the Warriors. He scored a double in that match, while making 177 running metres gained and four tackle breaks. He picked up his single point in Fans' Choice Player of the Year voting in that game.



Valemei is quiet, reserved and humble. He is so unassuming, he didn't let anyone at the club know about the arrival of his first child, a baby girl, Rosie, in Fiji towards the end of the season. In that Round 19 win over the Warriors, he wore a wrist band with her name etched upon it. Initially he told everyone it was the name of his favourite niece. But he later revealed that Rosie is the new daughter he speaks to on Face Time, every morning before training, and every evening after training. With borders shut due to the pandemic, he's hopeful he'll get to meet her in person, sooner rather than later. An eventful year for the young man.

Valemei has a heap of potential. He's also got a lot still to learn about the game. But it is clear he's prepared to make sacrifices to support his family and make it in professional rugby league. He's clearly got determination as well as talent on his side.

How did you rate Semi Valemei's 2020? Tell us below.

Semi Valemei's 2020: 4/10



2020 Statistics: (Stats from Fox Sports Lab)
Games: 10
Average minutes: 71
Points: 16
Tries: 4
Try assists: 0
Try contributions: 0
Total try involvements: 4
Total kicks: 2
Kick metres: 33
Total runs: 106
All run metres: 974
Average metres per carry: 9
Average metres per game: 97
Tackle breaks: 23
Offloads: 0
Line breaks: 5
Line break assists: 0
Tackles: 24
Average tackles per game: 2
1 on 1 tackles: 6
Missed tackles: 9
Average missed tackles per game: 0.9
Ineffective tackles: 1
Tackle efficiency: 70 per cent
Try causes: 8
Line break causes: 8
Errors: 13
Penalties conceded: 0

[Matt]

I was really impressed with the exponential growth of Semi. We had to watch him learn the game at the highest level. He was raw, came straight from u20s, and we saw that. But in 10 games, he went from nervous rookie, to 1 hand on a starting jersey for 2021. If like so many Fijian youngsters, he puts on a few kgs in the offseason, he could well be the tackle busting big body on the wing we want to replace Cotric.

Id be very tempted to give him a 6, because I was so impressed with that growth. However, as mentioned, he played just under half the season and still had some rookie errors in him, so that wouldnt be fair to the system. Im going to say 4.5-5 taking those into account.

[bonehead]

The improvement he showed was immense, loved seeing him step and go down the sideline on kick return in the finals despite all the pressure and expectation.
If he can gain a yard of pace, 3 or 4kg of muscle and continued learning he's got a future.

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[Roger Kenworthy]

I was really impressed with the exponential growth of Semi. We had to watch him learn the game at the highest level. He was raw, came straight from u20s, and we saw that. But in 10 games, he went from nervous rookie, to 1 hand on a starting jersey for 2021. If like so many Fijian youngsters, he puts on a few kgs in the offseason, he could well be the tackle busting big body on the wing we want to replace Cotric.

Id be very tempted to give him a 6, because I was so impressed with that growth. However, as mentioned, he played just under half the season and still had some rookie errors in him, so that wouldnt be fair to the system. Im going to say 4.5-5 taking those into account.

When a system is dictating what a player's score should be it's the wrong system.

6 for me. I was harsh on him early but he came on strong in the finals. You still have to go with Simo in round 1 but I think we'll lose something in the kick returns not having Semi out there.

[Matt]

I was really impressed with the exponential growth of Semi. We had to watch him learn the game at the highest level. He was raw, came straight from u20s, and we saw that. But in 10 games, he went from nervous rookie, to 1 hand on a starting jersey for 2021. If like so many Fijian youngsters, he puts on a few kgs in the offseason, he could well be the tackle busting big body on the wing we want to replace Cotric.

Id be very tempted to give him a 6, because I was so impressed with that growth. However, as mentioned, he played just under half the season and still had some rookie errors in him, so that wouldnt be fair to the system. Im going to say 4.5-5 taking those into account.

When a system is dictating what a player's score should be it's the wrong system.

6 for me. I was harsh on him early but he came on strong in the finals. You still have to go with Simo in round 1 but I think we'll lose something in the kick returns not having Semi out there.

I know the system always gets a ribbing, but essentially Ive agreed with you. For what he did/ added/ personal growth he was a 6. Over the season its a bit less.

[GreenMachine]

I struggle to see why he stands out in front of Timoko and to a lesser extent HSS. He's not a physical specimen nor blessed with blistering speed.
More often than not he was in the wrong place to catch passes that could have resulted in breaks / tries..
Sure he improved, from a very low base..
Lots of arm grabbing too..
4/10 is about right.

[Matt]

I struggle to see why he stands out in front of Timoko and to a lesser extent HSS. He's not a physical specimen nor blessed with blistering speed.
More often than not he was in the wrong place to catch passes that could have resulted in breaks / tries..
Sure he improved, from a very low base..
Lots of arm grabbing too..
4/10 is about right.

What player were you watching?!?! Did you see the scoop and score vs Warriors. The kid can fly.
The next thing is, even you were impressed by the speed of his growth/ learning. Dont you think the coaches saw that every day at training?
Then, I think youll find its 'safer' to have a rookie on the wing over the centres. So, id say those 2 things are why he was ahead.

[greeneyed]

The "system" delivers a couple of ratings: average ratings per match... and the season rating which accounts for season contribution through the number of games played - that is, it rewards consistent performance over the whole year. In this case, I rated Semi a 5.2 on average... the season rating looks low, but if he'd done that over 23 games, he'd have a season rating that translates to a 6.5.

The "system" is valuable, in my view, in that provides a consistent framework for comparative ratings. Obviously, any ratings are going to be subjective, but the ratings out of 10, game by game, and the algorithm for season contribution, puts as much objectivity into it as possible.

Bottom line though is, I think it is great people are jumping in with their own ratings and explaining that assessment... and more than happy for people to say my ratings are wrong.

[GreenMachine]

I struggle to see why he stands out in front of Timoko and to a lesser extent HSS. He's not a physical specimen nor blessed with blistering speed.
More often than not he was in the wrong place to catch passes that could have resulted in breaks / tries..
Sure he improved, from a very low base..
Lots of arm grabbing too..
4/10 is about right.

What player were you watching?!?! Did you see the scoop and score vs Warriors. The kid can fly.
The next thing is, even you were impressed by the speed of his growth/ learning. Dont you think the coaches saw that every day at training?
Then, I think youll find its 'safer' to have a rookie on the wing over the centres. So, id say those 2 things are why he was ahead.

Agree with the Wing / Centre comment....your on a hiding to nothing as a centre in the NRL.
I don't think he was overly fast and his hands worry me...
Good wingers know exactly where to be when attacking and he was lost on a few occasions.
He made up for it with 'strong carries' but to be frank, I'm so sick of this as a measuring yardstick for a winger. Sure the game has changed and calls for 'tough carries' but that isn't more important than knowing where to be on backline movements...
Finally the arm grabbing...what can I say? At NRL level, you need that stuff out of your game. It shows a complete lack of attention to detail which circles back to my point around his positioning...or lack thereof.
I said this in another thread - we need some of these youngsters to make the kind of step that Crichton / To'o did for Penrith...otherwise, we need to dip into the transfer market...Our halves and forwards are enough to get us a top 5 spot....we need more to win it.

[greeneyed]

I think Semi was good in attack, and with the ball in hand, but agree that he was still working out how to position himself in support... and found himself out of position at times. But I don't think it is a big problem to fix.

[BadnMean]

There's certainly the potential there for a good FG winger.

I agree with those impressed by his improvement. He had some improving to do- most rookies do. Unfair to expect him to arrive "fully formed" with no lower grades to get up to speed it.

There's a bit of a choice between him and Simonson- similar size but I think Simo just shades him for pace and involvement/yards. I'd have Simo ahead if I were picking Round 1 right now as he defends better.

But I'm on board with those saying Semi might just be a few minor physical improvements away from being a potential weapon... IF his game also improves.

[Roger Kenworthy]

The "system" delivers a couple of ratings: average ratings per match... and the season rating which accounts for season contribution through the number of games played - that is, it rewards consistent performance over the whole year. In this case, I rated Semi a 5.2 on average... the season rating looks low, but if he'd done that over 23 games, he'd have a season rating that translates to a 6.5.

The "system" is valuable, in my view, in that provides a consistent framework for comparative ratings. Obviously, any ratings are going to be subjective, but the ratings out of 10, game by game, and the algorithm for season contribution, puts as much objectivity into it as possible.

Bottom line though is, I think it is great people are jumping in with their own ratings and explaining that assessment... and more than happy for people to say my ratings are wrong.

I just don't see why you punish someone for not being selected or injured, both factors out of their control. Fair enough if it's an off field incident.

Valumei is punished for not being selected earlier in the year. I'd say this should actually be in his favour - he would have only played a handful of competitive matches in the past 12 months before his FG stint. Considering that it's understandable he was a bit lost earlier on.

[greeneyed]

I wouldn’t say it’s being “punished”. Putting it another way... a “4” is a pretty strong rating for a player who played in 43 percent of the games. In any case, I supply both average and season ratings... and I’m transparent in how they’re calculated. If others have their own systems and ratings within them, I’m interested in hearing their views.

[Matt]

I struggle to see why he stands out in front of Timoko and to a lesser extent HSS. He's not a physical specimen nor blessed with blistering speed.
More often than not he was in the wrong place to catch passes that could have resulted in breaks / tries..
Sure he improved, from a very low base..
Lots of arm grabbing too..
4/10 is about right.

What player were you watching?!?! Did you see the scoop and score vs Warriors. The kid can fly.
The next thing is, even you were impressed by the speed of his growth/ learning. Dont you think the coaches saw that every day at training?
Then, I think youll find its 'safer' to have a rookie on the wing over the centres. So, id say those 2 things are why he was ahead.

Agree with the Wing / Centre comment....your on a hiding to nothing as a centre in the NRL.
I don't think he was overly fast and his hands worry me...
Good wingers know exactly where to be when attacking and he was lost on a few occasions.
He made up for it with 'strong carries' but to be frank, I'm so sick of this as a measuring yardstick for a winger. Sure the game has changed and calls for 'tough carries' but that isn't more important than knowing where to be on backline movements...
Finally the arm grabbing...what can I say? At NRL level, you need that stuff out of your game. It shows a complete lack of attention to detail which circles back to my point around his positioning...or lack thereof.
I said this in another thread - we need some of these youngsters to make the kind of step that Crichton / To'o did for Penrith...otherwise, we need to dip into the transfer market...Our halves and forwards are enough to get us a top 5 spot....we need more to win it.

He hasnt been playing footy long enough to have the footy smarts, which is seemingly a consistent story of kids out of Fiji. They are atheltes, that need to learn the game. Give him time.

As for wingers. Sure finishing is a thing, esp all the spectacular dives etc. But, TBH, its the rucking it out of your own end that is seen as more important. Thats the modern game.

[-PJ-]

I’m looking forward to seeing Semi grow into a very neat footy player.

I liked what I saw in 2020..he has massive upside imo..

[RedRaider]

Off season will be all important. He is in the frame for a starting spot in the 2021 backline because Sticky chose him for finals footy ahead of the other possibilities. With 2 players no longer able to start 2021 = Cotric gone and JC injured, he has every opportunity to cement a FG position. He's young and raw but has a heap of pace. GE will not agree but I think he is a possibility of playing center next year with established players Simonsson and Rapa on the wings.

[Dr Greenthumb]

As bonehead mentioned, that move against Melbourne where he went for the sideline and palmed off Vunivalu was only a tiny glimpse, but showed that he’s got the raw talent. The best bit was when Kaufusi tried to come across and smash him but came off second best. Not seen many forwards hurt Kaufusi with ball in hand let alone a rookie outside back.

[-TW-]

Definitely potential, a few positional issues that will come with experience.. like not running back towards the goalline to gather a kick

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[Botman]

This is a tough one. Because on actual play on the park, it would not be a very flattering rating for me. Probably 4/10 is right, maybe 5.

But there is clearly a lot of physical traits and talent there to work with and he did improve every game and he's my first choice right now over Simo to replace Cotric. I think his flaws were a result of him simply being too green and based on rate of progression, i think he'll be primed for a pretty good 2021

On performance 4/10 for me
On how i feel about him going forward based on this years performance and his growth 6/10