Promising Juniors Thread.

[Mailroomsgi]

Awesome, Daniel looks in good shape in that video the club posted today.
He’s probably a chance at playing NSW U19’s this year if he keeps on trending upwards.

Timmo has a fair bit of weight in selections, I reckon when Andrew Ryan and co. Pick the side there could be a few dragons boys. IMO Buchanan/Halangahu/Latu are locks and Meafou/Stanley-Trail maybe’s

Reed could do well if selected but Woods/Rodwell/Harrison are ahead of him IMO.

Phillips/Saifiti could maybe make the QLD side

 

[Ryan]

Awesome, Daniel looks in good shape in that video the club posted today.
He’s probably a chance at playing NSW U19’s this year if he keeps on trending upwards.

Timmo has a fair bit of weight in selections, I reckon when Andrew Ryan and co. Pick the side there could be a few dragons boys. IMO Buchanan/Halangahu/Latu are locks and Meafou/Stanley-Trail maybe’s

Reed could do well if selected but Woods/Rodwell/Harrison are ahead of him IMO.

Phillips/Saifiti could maybe make the QLD side

I reckon Reed is way better than Woods but I also know at this level, reputation and influential people behind you means everything. Form means very little.

I know it from personal experience. Anyway, if Woods has all the hype and Bulldogs have to throw a lot of money to retain him, more than we have to pay for Reed, that can only be good.

 

[TheRev]

Noone really knows which halves will make it.. could be both, could be neither... many step-ups still to go.. Reed and Ah Kee are my 2 hopes coming thru currently for us.. but teenagers still... one thing I do find strange with Reed and been meaning to raise (and im nit-picking), is he has a step as big as any player in the game, its so dramatic and im sure hes going to go through the line... but the defence seems to read it very well almost every time...any idea why it isnt working?

 

[Chris M]

Noone really knows which halves will make it.. could be both, could be neither... many step-ups still to go.. Reed and Ah Kee are my 2 hopes coming thru currently for us.. but teenagers still... one thing I do find strange with Reed and been meaning to raise (and im nit-picking), is he has a step as big as any player in the game, its so dramatic and im sure hes going to go through the line... but the defence seems to read it very well almost every time...any idea why it isnt working?

You don't rate LKT? Having a good step is useful but for a halfback, ball skills are much more important.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Noone really knows which halves will make it.. could be both, could be neither... many step-ups still to go.. Reed and Ah Kee are my 2 hopes coming thru currently for us.. but teenagers still... one thing I do find strange with Reed and been meaning to raise (and im nit-picking), is he has a step as big as any player in the game, its so dramatic and im sure hes going to go through the line... but the defence seems to read it very well almost every time...any idea why it isnt working?

I think it’s a combination of factors, his weight + step is quite telegraphed. Junior Amone had the exact same step in the same games in SG ball and he’d make 4-5 line breaks from it but didn’t really translate to first grade so it’s not a big issue for Kade IMO

Kade’s model should be Mitch Moses. Very similar body type at the start of his career and Moses isn’t really a stepper but does have a fair bit of speed.

Speaking of halves. Any idea how Marley Maclaren did for Burleigh this weekend just gone?

 

[TheRev]

I think it’s a combination of factors, his weight + step is quite telegraphed. Junior Amone had the exact same step in the same games in SG ball and he’d make 4-5 line breaks from it but didn’t really translate to first grade so it’s not a big issue for Kade IMO

Kade’s model should be Mitch Moses. Very similar body type at the start of his career and Moses isn’t really a stepper but does have a fair bit of speed.

I feel like Kades running game looks a lot like a young Mitchell Moses when he was the tigers 6.... but Moses tore teams apart with his.. Kade is also travelling across the defence usually when he steps.. that could be the problem.

Something I heard Tedesco say today also.. he said he actually reduced the excessiveness of his step after doing a serious knee injury early in his career... he still bounces around.. but he did have to rein it in a little.

 

[Just a Mug Fan]

Marley Mclaren watch.
He's been a bit quiet the last few games.
I was a bit disappointed in his involvement today with his side being behind the whole game.

 

[Chris M]

I feel like Kades running game looks a lot like a young Mitchell Moses when he was the tigers 6.... but Moses tore teams apart with his.. Kade is also travelling across the defence usually when he steps.. that could be the problem.

Something I heard Tedesco say today also.. he said he actually reduced the excessiveness of his step after doing a serious knee injury early in his career... he still bounces around.. but he did have to rein it in a little.

I'm probably wrong but I feel he doesn't really have "a running game". He takes the ball in both hands and goes right to the line with time to decide what to do. Kick, dummy and run, pass and to who or just run and he has the defence going every which way. In that context he has a running game but it comes about as a result of his ball skills.

LKT who I can't understand for the life of me why no one but me seems to rate also has these skills though not as much but has a better running game. In theory, should be the perfect halves combo.

 

[Just a Mug Fan]

Ollie Burton if he is not scoring match winners he is saving tries.
This one he packed in as lock on the other side of the field, followed the ball across the field aamd came up with he tackle.
We have started talks to extend him, looks like he still has some growth in him started year at 6 foot now 6"1

 

[TheRev]

I mentioned it in my notes, Ollie looks like hes going to get burnt in that first step or 2 after a line break gets made... but he gets up to full speed really quickly from there.. as evident in that try above... he had no right to get there.. same as the ah kee one last match.. he was gone for all money.. but 1-2 steps and he has good pace from there... and he has a habit of wrapping em up ball and all.. defensively really is probably his strength, which is very rarely a thing in my very limited experienced with young fullbacks!

Not the best angle, but to try and show what I mean, this one he is 3-4 men wider and still gets there:


And this one, he has to turn 180 deg to chase Ah Kee, who is at full pace, 15m from the line and with a 3-4m head start.. Ah Kee isnt slow.. he didnt see Ollie coming tbf, he was worried about the other defender.

 

[Runner]

I mentioned it in my notes, Ollie looks like hes going to get burnt in that first step or 2 after a line break gets made... but he gets up to full speed really quickly from there.. as evident in that try above... he had no right to get there.. same as the ah kee one last match.. he was gone for all money.. but 1-2 steps and he has good pace from there... and he has a habit of wrapping em up ball and all.. defensively really is probably his strength, which is very rarely a thing in my very limited experienced with young fullbacks!

Yes he really looks good.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

Love the look of Burton, can’t remember the last fullback we produced who looks like they’ve got a bit of everything in their game. Being 6’1 at 16 YO is quite interesting as well.

Could end up being a 6’3 or 6’4 with a body shape like Tommy Turbo

 

[AyiosYiorgos]

Love the look of Burton, can’t remember the last fullback we produced who looks like they’ve got a bit of everything in their game. Being 6’1 at 16 YO is quite interesting as well.

Could end up being a 6’3 or 6’4 with a body shape like Tommy Turbo

Hopefully not as soft as Tommy Turbo, breaking down every other week..