Does Moga have the maturity to hold down a first grade spot next year

[Yak]

Yeah but he did tend to send it wide early off the back of second phase play and I think that is where Moga will be most productive in his first season. To simply get him early ball would make him a sitting duck in first grade. In a well balanced team you're outside backs should be finishers not creators. And I disagree that he would be getting all his ball coming out of trouble. The one thing we should excel in next season is go forward. If Pearce can kick well Moga should be getting most of his ball on or just behind halfway in a non-attacking set.

I don't think you can justify picking or not picking him based on how the team is performing because there are too many variables that could pan out totally different to the way they did this year. Just pick the kid when you feel he's ready or when he's needed.

[Guest]

If Pearce can kick well Moga should be getting most of his ball on or just behind halfway in a non-attacking set.

This is perhaps the biggest variable. As I have mentioned previously I think Pearce is both a tremendous kicker of the football and also up unitl now, mostly a very stupid one. If he can start to kick smarter it will go a long way towards getting the team winning.

[Guest]

Who is this Moga Kid ??

[Yak]

104kg 192cm 17 year old centre from out NYC side that scored something like 37 tries in 22 games last season across sg ball and Toyota cup. Super quick, super strong and a great fend.

[Geohood]

.... and wears a cape!!! haha

[Gary Worthless]

Who is this Moga Kid ??

Moga is the the next Micheal jennings...but in a Mal Meninga body

RTS is the next Benji Marshall....but in a mal Meninga body

Wells is the next Billy Slater...but in a Mal meninga body (when he fills out like his dad)

All 3 are the NEXT BIG THINGs and will lead us and Brian Smith (aka the NEXT HARRY Bath) to eleven straight premierships.

You read it here first!

[Rooster_6]

Yeah but he did tend to send it wide early off the back of second phase play and I think that is where Moga will be most productive in his first season. To simply get him early ball would make him a sitting duck in first grade. In a well balanced team you're outside backs should be finishers not creators. And I disagree that he would be getting all his ball coming out of trouble. The one thing we should excel in next season is go forward. If Pearce can kick well Moga should be getting most of his ball on or just behind halfway in a non-attacking set.

I don't think you can justify picking or not picking him based on how the team is performing because there are too many variables that could pan out totally different to the way they did this year. Just pick the kid when you feel he's ready or when he's needed.

A sitting duck with early ball? Have you seen this kid play he's most effective when he gets early ball, his ability to create for his outside man is one of his strengths.

Definitely don't agree either that a well balanced side would have all finishers in the backline, Perrett falls into neither category yet he's so valuable to this club and gives us so much more balance than a finisher would. There's nothing wrong with having creative centres either in fact I think Jamie Lyon is just about the most valuable centre at club level.

As for picking youngsters based on the predicted environment they'll be entering I don't see why not, it's very plausible.

[Yak]

Yeah I made it to all but one home NYC game this year so I've seen the kid play a lot more than most. I think it would be foolish to expect him to be as effective in first grade in his first season using the "give it to Tau Tau" method that worked so well for the NYC team this year. The difference in speed off the line, covering speed/anticipation and general one on one defensive capabilities of a first grade edge defender is on a completely different level to that of an NYC player. Sure, give him early ball off the back of an offload (which is what I was saying Braith is good at), but against any half decent defence simply shifting the ball left without drawing defenders means the defence can slide and use the sideline to effectively cover the winger. I agree with you that he is a fantastic player when he has room (I was one of his earliest supporters on here) but we've seen plenty of times before where brilliant centres have become impotent due to lack of creativity in their link half (eg Sutton and Inglis).

As for the finishers comment I probably didn't explain well enough there. I was purely talking about the roles within an attacking movement. Of course there is other attributes to an outside backs game that need to be there. But if you're halves are creating space in front their centres, essentially that players job is to finish off the good work done by others. Obviously it's a bonus if you have a centre like Lyon that can create a try himself, but it should never be the sole responsibility of the centre to create space for himself or his outside man, it should be created well before that. This is what makes Foran a good half, takes the ball to the line draws the centre and makes Matai's job very easy. Runs like a well oiled machine that left side. Might not be that exciting but that's all a good footy side needs to do to win.

[Guest]

A sitting duck with early ball? Have you seen this kid play he's most effective when he gets early ball, his ability to create for his outside man is one of his strengths.

Definitely don't agree either that a well balanced side would have all finishers in the backline, Perrett falls into neither category yet he's so valuable to this club and gives us so much more balance than a finisher would. There's nothing wrong with having creative centres either in fact I think Jamie Lyon is just about the most valuable centre at club level.

As for picking youngsters based on the predicted environment they'll be entering I don't see why not, it's very plausible.

They'll line him up and belt him in first grade.

Pass it to Moga won't work anymore.

That was the point he was making - whereas in lower grades, you can spread it wide and early because Tau Tau is that good, at a first grade level, it'll be much tougher, and we'll have to create space for him inside before shifting the ball.

[Chook Norris]

you guys are placing way too much expectation and pressure on him. This just screams another Ryan Williamson

[Geohood]

you guys are placing way too much expectation and pressure on him. This just screams another Ryan Williamson

That argument has been done to death lol. I think a positive is that supporters of other clubs expect him to do well so it isn't just biased hype. Lets see how he goes though, the best we can ask for is no injuries above all so he can fulfill his potential as much as possible.

[Yak]

Williamson should never have been hyped up so early. He barely played one good NYC game.

And I don't think many of us are being unrealistic when it comes to how he'll play if he is picked some time next year. I think most of us expect him to be largely ineffective when he gets a shot this year when considering the halves that will be controlling what opportunities he gets. I believe what is said on here for the most part only affects the fans' perception of a player, not a player's perception of his own talent. If fans choose to believe the hype then that is their own choice and they should only blame themselves for being disappointed if a player does not live up to those expectations. Tau Tau has a good enough support system around him to make sure he doesn't start believing his own hype. I know I chose not to believe the Williamson hype until I saw it in the flesh, and I never saw anything to get excited about so I wasn't disappointed when he didn't make it.

[Geohood]

Happy 18th bday to Tautau today!

[chook 56]

Happy 18th bday to Tautau today!

Ditto.
Seen this on Facebook today.
Have a good one, Champ

[Guest]

I think Smith would be wise to start him in first grade from the beggining of the year, probably on the wing. He did this with BJ and now BJ is ready to take his spot in the centres. I have heard the opposite of Moga, I have heard that he is a good trainer and a good guy to match. He my struggle a little bit at first in the top grade but I think once his confidence grows and he gets used to the intensity of first grade he will go well.

Smith would know if and when Moga ( strangely pronounced Monga ) is up to playing first grade or not, we have a few talented three-quarters that would get a look in before throwing a seventeen year old in with the wolves. I received a text yesterday that we are after Penriths Michael Gordon.