Daine Laurie

[Guest]

What is everyone's opinion if Daine Laurie was released by the Tigers? Seems he is a little ticked off about not getting selected in 1st Grade?

If he became available I would think he would be a good buy. Has loads of potential, plays prop and is mobile. With the discipline he would get from Smith could well turn out to be a great buy?

What does everyone else think?

[Guest]

I don't think he is the type of player we need.

We need players who are good honest toilers, who's workrates go unnoticed, but they turn up and put in every week. Guys like Chris Armit, Evarn Tuimavave, Jeff Lima, Michael Henderson...the sort of forwards who will every week get through their 10-15 hitups with minimal errors and little fuss.

Bulldogs did pick up five very good signings in Ennis, Hannant, Kimmorley, Morris and Eastwood, BUT you must remember the importance of them signing David Stagg and Michael Hodgson, who gave their pack a stable foundation.

I can't see Willie Mason, Anthony Cherrington, FP Nuuausala or Setaimata Sa getting us out of our own end by digging in and doing the hard yards. That is what we will lack next year, and I honestly believe we will suffer because of it...

[Chookies74]

Michael Hodgson has been an outstanding buy for the dogs.

Other than Shrek, we haven't had a decent hard toiling prop since Cayless and Cusack (Myles excluded as he plays a lot of backrow)
We still don't.
Hopefully Smith can find some unknown or reserve grader on $80K, ie someone hungry to do the dirty work.

You can't go forward without any go forward.

[Guest]

What is everyone's opinion if Daine Laurie was released by the Tigers? Seems he is a little ticked off about not getting selected in 1st Grade?

If he became available I would think he would be a good buy. Has loads of potential, plays prop and is mobile. With the discipline he would get from Smith could well turn out to be a great buy?

What does everyone else think?

If we got rid of Mason I think Laurie would be a good replacement.

[novice chook]

No thanks.

Doesn't play enough minutes and is an impact type player, and we already have plenty of those.

And he's also ill disciplined. And guess what, we already have plenty of those as well.

We need a workhorse forward. No matter how good Smith our new fitness guru are, to my knowledge they are not miracle workers. And that's what it would take to make Daine Laurie a workhouse.

They'll have enough on their plate as it is with our unfit, undisciplined mob. Why add to it.


NC

[Guest]

Michael Hodgson has been an outstanding buy for the dogs.

Other than Shrek, we haven't had a decent hard toiling prop since Cayless and Cusack (Myles excluded as he plays a lot of backrow)
We still don't.
Hopefully Smith can find some unknown or reserve grader on $80K, ie someone hungry to do the dirty work.

You can't go forward without any go forward.

Myles is a toiling prop, and Martin Kennedy has all the attributes to be one.

The only way those guys can play that sort of role, is if we have a decent hardworkng backrow supporting them. Guys like Mason, Cherrington, Sa, even Symonds...they simply aren't made for the toiling role.

I thought that maybe Rohan Ahern or Dylan Sharp could go for that role, but both are being shafted by the club I believe. Young lock-forward Ethan Lowe and backrower Boyd Cordner are both toilers, but are both very young and need time to develop further.

[Guest]

He can't fit at the club which is a shame. However he is one of those 5% players who actually gets fired up when the going gets tough instead of going missing.

Unfortunately the Roosters forwards are full of blokes that can be put into the latter category.


Watch Daine sign to a club that will nurture him and in return they will get a player who will bleed for their club instead of just collecting their paychecks. AKA Waqa, Paea, Mason (to some extent), Sa, Soliola

[Guest]

I wouldn't put Paea in with the group collecting the paychecks.

Paea plays with a TONNE of heart, as does FPN - which is why I put them ahead of Sa and Soliola - but the problem is that with Paea, he just isn't that talented. He runs as hard as he can, tackles as hard as he can too, and has been our most consistent prop for the previous few seasons. Yes, this year is well down on standards, but we can't write him off just yet. After spending 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 on the sidelines or in reserve grade (I believe he only played 14 games over those 4 seasons), he was easily our best prop in 2007 and 2008, always making around 9 metres per run (averaged 10 runs for 89 metres in 2007, averaged 10 runs for 91 metres in 2008). He was able to break the line occasionally, busted tackles at will, and averaged only 1 missed tackle a game.

This year he is well down on his yardage (averaging 10 runs for 80 metres so far, not bad but not outstanding), but I maintain that his experience and strong go-forward are what will give our team a great platform next year. He just needs good tackling backrowers with him to make the desperate cover tackles that a hitup merchant like himself shouldn't have to be making.

[Guest]

No thanks.

Doesn't play enough minutes and is an impact type player, and we already have plenty of those.

And he's also ill disciplined. And guess what, we already have plenty of those as well.


NC

Well I could argue re point 1 as would love to know who if known as an impact player actually has been????

Unfortunately have to agree with you on point 2!

He is only 25 and chances are Mason will possibily leave early at some point next year and too be honest from what I have seen from Cherrington he has been wanting on occasion.

Would be great to have a guy in the line up the other teams forwards were scared to run at and he would certainly add that factor to our side, IMHO.

[Guest]

I wouldn't put Paea in with the group collecting the paychecks.

Paea plays with a TONNE of heart, as does FPN - which is why I put them ahead of Sa and Soliola - but the problem is that with Paea, he just isn't that talented. He runs as hard as he can, tackles as hard as he can too, and has been our most consistent prop for the previous few seasons. Yes, this year is well down on standards, but we can't write him off just yet. After spending 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 on the sidelines or in reserve grade (I believe he only played 14 games over those 4 seasons), he was easily our best prop in 2007 and 2008, always making around 9 metres per run (averaged 10 runs for 89 metres in 2007, averaged 10 runs for 91 metres in 2008). He was able to break the line occasionally, busted tackles at will, and averaged only 1 missed tackle a game.

This year he is well down on his yardage (averaging 10 runs for 80 metres so far, not bad but not outstanding), but I maintain that his experience and strong go-forward are what will give our team a great platform next year. He just needs good tackling backrowers with him to make the desperate cover tackles that a hitup merchant like himself shouldn't have to be making.

Somewhat related,

i was thinking about this the other day. Are there any islander workhorses in the NRL ? I can't think of one.

[Guest]

useless, slow and lazy, i good run a game is not what we need, i want sika manu, still un signed by melbourne

[novice chook]

Somewhat related,

i was thinking about this the other day. Are there any islander workhorses in the NRL ? I can't think of one.

Big Pietro from the Panthers. He is a rare breed though.


NC

[Guest]

Big Pietro from the Panthers. He is a rare breed though.


NC

Nice one. .

[Guest]

useless, slow and lazy, i good run a game is not what we need, i want sika manu, still un signed by melbourne

Is Sika the guy who fractured his leg against the dragqueens? IF so, how long is he out for?

[Guest]

Petero Civoniceva.

In terms of workhorses in attack and defense (so not just hitup machines)...

David Fa'alogo
Sam Thaiday
Jeremy Smith
Bronson Harrison
Anthony Tupou
Zeb Taia

Guys like Atalea Vea and Wairangi Koopu aren't regular first graders, but they are hard workers too.