Ruben Daley wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:14 pm
Tapine was awesome in a team that had no clue in attack. Scored a try, saved a try, got heaps of metres, made some big tackles and his short passing was good too.
Timoko looks fast and strong but had a bit of a Barry.
Trey looked very comfortable with the big boys. Worked hard and looked powerful.
Puru didn’t get much time and was largely unsighted.
Overall, happy with our boys.
Good assessment imo.
Would have liked to see Puru get more minutes but these games are what they are. Generally happy to get out of it with solid performances and no injuries.
I do like how an off night for Timoko is 127 run metres (equal team highest w/Tapine), 56 post contact metres (team highest) 4 tackle busts and 1 missed tackle.
Dylan’s Raiders wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:20 pm
I do like how an off night for Timoko is 127 run metres (equal team highest w/Tapine), 56 post contact metres (team highest) 4 tackle busts and 1 missed tackle.
He is an elite centre imo.
haha yeah its a fair point
that's good output for a night where it felt he was off his game a little
I did not know a spine with B. Smith and Hughes in it could be so bad. Tavaga and TM really did not do them any favours and trying to go around the Indigenous side especially in the wet was a poor strategy.
With guler and Mooney probably gone at the end of the season I'd make a play for Xavier Willison. Impact bench player that the broncos surely will struggle to match an offer for so maybe able to get him out of his contract.
Rick wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:25 pm
I did not know a spine with B. Smith and Hughes in it could be so bad. Tavaga and TM really did not do them any favours and trying to go around the Indigenous side especially in the wet was a poor strategy.
Agreed
dreadful performance by the Maori spine... Cheese had his moments and Hughes too, but it was 1-2 times where you were like "ah, there they are!" and then immediately back to being really poor. Bad showing from them.
And im a big fan of both guys as footballers, on their day they're really good... not their day today
That's all we have for tonight. Thanks for following and joining in with the discussion.
We will be back tomorrow with live scores in the Canberra Raiders' junior representative matches against the Sharks. Remember, those games are being live streamed on the NSWRL TV app.
And then we'll cover the Canberra Raiders trial match against the Parramatta Eels at Kogarah Jubilee Stadium from 5:55pm.
Raidernation wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:27 pm
With guler and Mooney probably gone at the end of the season I'd make a play for Xavier Willison. Impact bench player that the broncos surely will struggle to match an offer for so maybe able to get him out of his contract.
Raidernation wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:27 pm
With guler and Mooney probably gone at the end of the season I'd make a play for Xavier Willison. Impact bench player that the broncos surely will struggle to match an offer for so maybe able to get him out of his contract.
Ok for a first hit out for the Canberra guys. Tapine was good, Timoko had an off day, and Mooney and Puru looked good in patches.
The Māori attack was ineffective and Timoko didn’t see much ball when Nikorima and Martin were outside him.
Thompson and Willison were impressive. I liked the run from Royce Hunt that knocked Adam Elliott over. Hunt and Thompson were with us at one point in time but we cannot keep them all. Canberra is a great platform for forwards.
Dylan’s Raiders wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:20 pm
I do like how an off night for Timoko is 127 run metres (equal team highest w/Tapine), 56 post contact metres (team highest) 4 tackle busts and 1 missed tackle.
He is an elite centre imo.
Particularly impressive that he ran 127m without getting any decent ball (other than the one he dropped over the line). I suppose he’s used to that.
The Maori just didn't construct a set. They'd spread the ball after already cutting down their space or without earning a quick play the ball. When they did rarely get a shift on guys like TMM and Howarth would get in each other's way or be out of sync.
Hopgood was great at getting away with really slowing things down in the middle and getting off the mark early without getting pinged.
Bluesbrother wrote: ↑February 17, 2024, 5:28 am
Brandon Smith has gone to **** since joining the Roosters. A better 13/impact middle than he is at 9 IMO.
Agreed. He offered very little last night, which is the same as last season. Robinson won’t persist with him if he doesn’t lift dramatically.
Maori should have won that based on the teams but they played like they'd never met each other.
Conditions obviously not great but overall a really ordinary game of footy
Timoko had a good hitout. 16 runs- more than any other backs on either team- and NRL.com has him at 149 metres. Bit of rust dropping a low pass in the wet with the line begging but that's trials for you.
Tapine just picked right up where he left off. No worries there. Mooney gave a solid showing, played just no frills for the conditions which might please any coaches watching.
I wouldn't say Puru made much impact on the game but he was involved enough.
Agree it didn't reach any great heights as a spectacle but a wet trial game rarely is.
Bluesbrother wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 8:33 pm
Potential doesn't win games though. Thompson is a better player, who is only 2 years Mooney's senior. We had him on our books and we let him go. I'd rather have Thompson on our books that Mooney now and moving forward.
Leo Thompson
46 minutes
11 Runs
86 metres @ 7.8m per run
40 post contact metres
3 tackle breaks
18 tackles
2 miss tackles
Trey Mooney
30 minutes
9 runs
88 metres @ 9.7m per run
40 post contact metres
1 tackle break
18 tackles
1 mis tackle
Bluesbrother wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 8:33 pm
Potential doesn't win games though. Thompson is a better player, who is only 2 years Mooney's senior. We had him on our books and we let him go. I'd rather have Thompson on our books that Mooney now and moving forward.
Leo Thompson
46 minutes
11 Runs
86 metres @ 7.8m per run
40 post contact metres
3 tackle breaks
18 tackles
2 miss tackles
Trey Mooney
30 minutes
9 runs
88 metres @ 9.7m per run
40 post contact metres
1 tackle break
18 tackles
1 mis tackle
Tough scenes, my guy.
Haha.
That's a classic case of stats being very misleading.
Mooney's second stint was much better than his first but Thompson was far more impactful. Which is why he is a starting NRL player and tier 1 international.
He out worked him and out impacted him in 15 less minutes.
The primary difference between where Trey Mooney’s career sits and where Leo Thompson’s career sits is opportunity.
Leo’s been given opportunities and Mooney has not.
As I said, let’s give Trey Mooney 40 FG games and let’s see where he’s at. We as a club owe it to ourselves for the investment made in him to give him the opportunity he’s earned to see him at the next level
If that’s what he can give us in 30 minutes off the bench. Give me that over Saulo and Guler
bonehead wrote:Maori should have won that based on the teams but they played like they'd never met each other.
Conditions obviously not great but overall a really ordinary game of footy
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Yeah. I didn't watch the game because it wasn't on the NRL app for some reason? But pre game, looking at the sides I thought the Maori team looked much stronger and should have easily won. Maybe Adam Blair is as good a coach as player (excluding his period at Storm)?
Agree about Mooney. He got the ‘NSW Cup Guy’ minutes but showed he can easily match it with whoever. There were several sets where he made the first three tackles and he looked powerful in contact.
Thompson was great though. Really hit with impact and you noticed whenever he got involved.
But the takeaway is a confirmation that Trey needs to be given consistent and decent length minutes in firsts starting from Round One.
Raidernation wrote: ↑February 16, 2024, 9:27 pm
With guler and Mooney probably gone at the end of the season I'd make a play for Xavier Willison. Impact bench player that the broncos surely will struggle to match an offer for so maybe able to get him out of his contract.
