2020 Pre Season and Trial Games

Billy said:
https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2020/01/02/20-stars-for-2020--jonah-pezet/
NSWRL article - part of the 20 stars for 2020 series. Jonah Pezet.
Huge wraps on the kid.
I watched him play under 16s in 2018 as a 14 year old and I thought the tall, skinny kid was just going to be a running 5/8 because he had a very good running game but not much of a passing and kicking game.
In 2019 he completely transformed to an organising half as good as Brock Lamb or Jock Madden, but still had a killer running game as well. He also kicked goals at over 80% I'd say.
After he led our under 16s to an easy title win, with the only loss for the season coming when Pezet was injured, he spent the rest of the season shadowing Scott Dureau as he coached under 20s, but was too young to play.
I think he is the only 16 year old named for the emerging blues, although there are many names I don't recognise, so maybe there are others.
He is basically a 15/16 year old who is about 6'1" and runs like an outside back while having as good a kicking and passing game as anyone I've seen at his age.
I watched the pasifica v NSW under 16s game and thought Pezet had a hand in every try. They say 5 try assists in that article, which is how I saw it. If the opposition in that game was a bit better, that would have been one of the best games ever from a 15 year old.
I expect him to play Flegg the day he turns 17.
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Lets hope his shadowing Pearce the next 2-3 years.
 
Billy said:
Sounds like Watson will be used as an impact player at hooker or lock or both.
On paper, it sounds like the role he was born to play, but I don't think he has been that impressive off the bench when we have used him that way. He seems to need a bit of time on the field before he winds up instead of coming on and having instant impact like an Issac De Gois.
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De Gois, all heart, no tools, poor bugger.
 
I'd say the laughing is on purpose. Obi (through both Robbo and Bellyache) is very big on body language and not showing the opposition you are hurting. Wanna play like that? Train like that. It will go as far as guys who have their hands on their knees during games will be playing reggies next week. It gives the impression to the opposition that you are never tired and never beaten.

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member 2299 said:
Why are they laughing?

Must be reading these forums .. top four .. Mann at 6 .. teams eating our dust ..

Ohh the hopes of another pre-seaxson.
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For a while there he was very steady, was doing some good short kicks, wasn't hopeless in defence and was distributing the ball to our backs at good times.

He wasn't a whirlbeater, but we don't need a star half we have Pearce, Ponga and Brailey is very good at hooker.
 
Barnett was asked in his interview today if there was a chance he might play more of a "middle" role (asked by Toohey, who probably knows something). He said he might, but at this point the coach was trying different things, so wasn't sure.
If we are looking at a smaller, more mobile forward pack, we might be looking at some smaller, faster second rows like Fermor and Jones and moving guys like Barnett and Guerra into the prop rotation - or maybe the coach is just trying everyone out in different roles to see what they can do.
 
latest training photos show Simi Sasagi, Tyrone Roberts-Davis, Tex Hoy, Jirah Momoisea and I think one out of focus player in the background might be Matt Croker.
 
The be-the-player videos contain such fantastic content. I'm not aware of other clubs doing similar things, but I hope it catches on. Really well done videos which give a great insight into preseason.
 
knightime said:
The be-the-player videos contain such fantastic content. I'm not aware of other clubs doing similar things, but I hope it catches on. Really well done videos which give a great insight into preseason.
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The production values this year are much higher. The cameraman is getting some fantastic footage with drones and some really great angles and a good, steady hand with the hand held shots.
I don't think we are getting much information though. Just a lot of broadcast quality footage.
 
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...bsite&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=latestnews

Article on Luke Huth.
it points out what a good dummy half he is, and he is the best young dummy half I have seen. His good decisions and crisp, accurate passing means he controls under 20s games from dummy half. The team looks heaps better when he is on the field.
The article also covers his health issues and how small he is.
It's a very good article because it fairly covers all the positives and negatives that Huth presents.
 
Frank McWilliams said:
Is size a problem, we have had that previously where player good enough but small in the hooking position
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we'll know if his size is a problem after about 10 games of reserve grade.
Plenty of guys in the past have looked great in juniors and haven't been physical enough for seniors.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
For a while there he was very steady, was doing some good short kicks, wasn't hopeless in defence and was distributing the ball to our backs at good times.

He wasn't a whirlbeater, but we don't need a star half we have Pearce, Ponga and Brailey is very good at hooker.
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If he can be left to play in a single position and get some consistency I expect he'll fit the Sean Rudder mould. There to do a job, not flashy but you know what to expect.
 
From memory it was Rudder who put up the bomb that led to BK's match winning try against Cronulla in the GF qualifier that year. He later joked that it was the first one he'd ever kicked that high that didn't end up in the grandstand somewhere.
 
member 2299 said:
The great thing about Rudder was he knew his capabilities and limitations. His best moment was saving a try in the 2001 GF.
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I've always thought that, if Kennedy passed Rudder the ball and he scored under the posts when BK ended up scoring after the Johns surge, he would have been almost impossible not to be the Churchill medallist after already having a hand in a couple of tries.

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