SKD should stay

[BUDDY]

I would sign Mini for another year. He played well this year, led the team well, his body held up and his form was fantastic. Why wouldn't you?

I would have him on the wing as per Brett Mullins in 2002, with RTS at fullback. Mini has acknowledged that this may be the case in a past interview.

We are thin on the ground for outside backs. We were very lucky with injuries this year - only losing Moga for any real length of time. Even so, there were times when we had to play Guerra in the backs. With Mini in the team, you have Mini, RTS, Jennings, SKD, Moga and Tupou all ready to play first grade. Let one of them go, and we will have no backup at all. Given Moga is yet to prove his form in first grade (and yet to prove his body can hold up), if we let Mini go, we would have to go and find another outside back as cover. Doesn't make sense.

He would be a waste on the wing. He has no speed and can't break a line. His advantage at fullback this year was organising the defence. He can't do that on the wing. We have Moga, Macdonald, Rueben, Wells and possibly Fergo. Stronger, faster, taller and young. I think the depth is there. We had RTS and Toups on the wing wtih relatively little experience so I don't mind giving the younger guys a go either. We also have leaders in the club which imo would do just as good a job as Mini did this year.

With the delay in contract talks I think he is gone. You don't leave a club captain and legend hanging on to see if there is any money to sign him.

1/ RTS
2/ Moga/Macdonald/Reuben/Wells
3/ Fergo/SKD
4/ Jennings
5/ Toups

#BACK2BACK

[ROC181]

Our fullback is a threat in attack, when someone makes a linebreak he's there in support to either score the try or deliver the final pass and if like you say he's not a threat how did we win the premiership? I'm pretty sure the postman delivered.



Because he's older, he plays a more safe game that requires him to back up linebreaks and be there for offloads etc. he also gets involved a lot in the ball playing side of things.

Mini under the high ball is one of the best. He also is great support for off-loads. The guy did great this year but what stood out for me was the last tackle of the GF where he meets Tafua head on. Watch it and then watch it again in slow motion and see him tackle tafua. The guy is a freak at these tackles and to me it showed how committed he still is. Lastly his leadership is the best so why even event continue this?

[Guest]

So this thread has gone from hating on SKD to Mini. Fark this. See you all next year. The loonies have taken over and R6 is at the wheel.

[tri-hard]

Mini's attacking play is fairly ordinary these days. That said, under the high ball and his positional play are second to none. That gives a team, already abundant with attack, more confidence than anything else. And as such is one of the most essential players in our team!

[Guest]

He would be a waste on the wing. He has no speed and can't break a line. His advantage at fullback this year was organising the defence. He can't do that on the wing. We have Moga, Macdonald, Rueben, Wells and possibly Fergo. Stronger, faster, taller and young. I think the depth is there. We had RTS and Toups on the wing wtih relatively little experience so I don't mind giving the younger guys a go either. We also have leaders in the club which imo would do just as good a job as Mini did this year.

With the delay in contract talks I think he is gone. You don't leave a club captain and legend hanging on to see if there is any money to sign him.

1/ RTS
2/ Moga/Macdonald/Reuben/Wells
3/ Fergo/SKD
4/ Jennings
5/ Toups

#BACK2BACK

Agree. Mini has to play FB or not at all.

[mightyrooster]

All the petition loving Anasta lovers hang out at goeasts.

I seriously find that hard to believe. Bwaith cops it just as much at goeasts as he does here! And deservedly so.

[Rooster_6]

I would sign Mini for another year. He played well this year, led the team well, his body held up and his form was fantastic. Why wouldn't you?

I would have him on the wing as per Brett Mullins in 2002, with RTS at fullback. Mini has acknowledged that this may be the case in a past interview.

We are thin on the ground for outside backs. We were very lucky with injuries this year - only losing Moga for any real length of time. Even so, there were times when we had to play Guerra in the backs. With Mini in the team, you have Mini, RTS, Jennings, SKD, Moga and Tupou all ready to play first grade. Let one of them go, and we will have no backup at all. Given Moga is yet to prove his form in first grade (and yet to prove his body can hold up), if we let Mini go, we would have to go and find another outside back as cover. Doesn't make sense.

Agree with all of this.

[Rooster_6]

A premiership winning Captain

More great analysis from you.

[Andrew Walker]

More great analysis from you.

Just stating the facts Unlike yourself who has been spruiking opinions

As for analysis yours really leaves a lot be desired. Lets see now Maloney was not the right fit for us at 5/8 Wewould not win a competition with Mini at fullback Brilliant stuff R6

[Rooster_6]

Just stating the facts Unlike yourself who has been spruiking opinions

You're being very liberal with the facts. As always speaking in generalisations and cliches rather than actually providing any worthwhile analysis on the game or individuals.

As for analysis yours really leaves a lot be desired. Lets see now Maloney was not the right fit for us at 5/8 Wewould not win a competition with Mini at fullback Brilliant stuff R6

Like I said when the facts change my opinions change and SBW proved me wrong. He offered us as much creativity and flair as any 5/8 or fullback out there.

Do you think we still could have won the premiership without SBW's creativity? I think you're kidding yourself.

[Andrew Walker]

You're being very liberal with the facts. As always speaking in generalisations and cliches rather than actually providing any worthwhile analysis on the game or individuals.



Like I said when the facts change my opinions change and SBW proved me wrong. He offered us as much creativity and flair as any 5/8 or fullback out there.

Do you think we still could have won the premiership without SBW's creativity? I think you're kidding yourself.

I will leave the analysis of players and the like to the so called experts such as yourself You really do such a wonderful and comical job of it

No of course we would not gave won without SBW However you knew SBW would be here when offering your opinions on us not being able to win the competition with Mini at fullback Pure and simply you were wrong on every level on this Not only did we win the competition with Mini at Fullback the side looked somewhat lost without his leadership late in the season when he was injured

[Rooster_6]

I will leave the analysis of players and the like to the so called experts such as yourself You really do such a wonderful and comical job of it

No of course we would not gave won without SBW However you knew SBW would be here when offering your opinions on us not being able to win the competition with Mini at fullback Pure and simply you were wrong on every level on this Not only did we win the competition with Mini at Fullback the side looked somewhat lost without his leadership late in the season when he was injured

Yes I did know SBW would be here but I underestimated him and that's where I admit to being wrong.

My opinion leading into the season was;

That there wasn't enough creativity in our spine to win a premiership and that we should replace Mini with someone who had more flair in attack. I said the people who thought SBW would come in and provide us with enough creativity to mitigate those short-comings were misguided, that there was no way a second rower (no matter how good) could have that much of an impact on our attack. I also said that whilst Maloney individually is a very good player he just wasn't the right fit for us, that he plays too much like a fullback and we needed a creator not a support player. I always felt we were one creative ball player short and we should've been looking to the 5/8 & fullback for that because in modern day structures that's where all the time and space comes for attacking players to weave their magic.

So what was I wrong about? Firstly the theory that a second rower couldn't have a big enough impact on a team's attacking structure, he well and truly put that one to bed. Secondly that SBW couldn't provide us with enough creativity to subsidise for the lack of it in our playmakers, he came back from Union not just still the physical beast he was when he left but as an accomplished ball player, he had matured quite nicely. And thirdly Maloney to an extent, I underestimated his ball playing more than anything else he had some nice combos going down the left edge all season, he created more in attack that I thought he would.

So was I really wrong about Mini? He provided us with very little in attack and played a purely one dimensional defensive role for us which is exactly what I expected from him. What proved me wrong was SBW being able to dominate from the second row, not Mini proving me wrong about his short-commings in attack because even those most one-eyed Mini fan couldn't genuinely claim otherwise.

[Andrew Walker]

Yes I did know SBW would be here but I underestimated him and that's where I admit to being wrong.

My opinion leading into the season was;

That there wasn't enough creativity in our spine to win a premiership and that we should replace Mini with someone who had more flair in attack. I said the people who thought SBW would come in and provide us with enough creativity to mitigate those short-comings were misguided, that there was no way a second rower (no matter how good) could have that much of an impact on our attack. I also said that whilst Maloney individually is a very good player he just wasn't the right fit for us, that he plays too much like a fullback and we needed a creator not a support player. I always felt we were one creative ball player short and we should've been looking to the 5/8 & fullback for that because in modern day structures that's where all the time and space comes for attacking players to weave their magic.

So what was I wrong about? Firstly the theory that a second rower couldn't have a big enough impact on a team's attacking structure, he well and truly put that one to bed. Secondly that SBW couldn't provide us with enough creativity to subsidise for the lack of it in our playmakers, he came back from Union not just still the physical beast he was when he left but as an accomplished ball player, he had matured quite nicely. And thirdly Maloney to an extent, I underestimated his ball playing more than anything else he had some nice combos going down the left edge all season, he created more in attack that I thought he would.

So was I really wrong about Mini? He provided us with very little in attack and played a purely one dimensional defensive role for us which is exactly what I expected from him. What proved me wrong was SBW being able to dominate from the second row, not Mini proving me wrong about his short-commings in attack because even those most one-eyed Mini fan couldn't genuinely claim otherwise.

Yes you were wrong and no amount of spin doctoring you attempt to do will change that. But keep trying it is amusing me and I am sure others as well

[Rooster_6]

Yes you were wrong and no amount of spin doctoring you attempt to do will change that. But keep trying it is amusing me and I am sure others as well

I didn't think you'd have the attention span to read more than one paragraph and actually conjure up a thoughtful reply.

Back off to the local Andrew, another beer, another conspiracy theory about how the 'suits' are planning to screw us in 2014?

[Andrew Walker]

I didn't think you'd have the attention span to read more than one paragraph and actually conjure up a thoughtful reply.

Back off to the local Andrew, another beer, another conspiracy theory about how the 'suits' are planning to screw us in 2014?

Good god Why on earth would bother to reply to such spin doctoring You were wrong end of

Off to hospital for that brain transplant you so desperately require