Biggest disappointments (players)

mozza said:
Korbin was ok. Just ok mind you. Tariq was a complete fraud. Once he left he always played great against us too and carried on like an idiot aswell. As if he didn’t steal 500k a year from us for a couple of years and we somehow owed him. Such a ****.
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I thought Korbin wasted his career.
 
jamesgould said:
Siuatonga Likiliki was another who fell into the same category.
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To this date there has been no more damaging reserve grade player. He used to absolutely destroy teams. However he just couldn’t tackle or make correct reads in defence. I do believe though if Bennett doesn’t come he plays more grade
 
Brad tighe said:
To this date there has been no more damaging reserve grade player. He used to absolutely destroy teams. However he just couldn’t tackle or make correct reads in defence. I do believe though if Bennett doesn’t come he plays more grade
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Bennett definitely made his mind up quickly on getting rid of a lot of players. Only to replace them with a lot of 30+ players with one or two years left. Long term it was a disastrous strategy.
 
mozza said:
He didn’t live up to his potential for sure. I don’t think he phoned it in for us like his brother did though.
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I remember a game after Korbin moved on where Josh King laid him flat. Others might know what game it was, but I clearly remember that part. My favourite moment of King's career.
 
As far as guys who promised big things, there's a few that could be listed. Mullo was a really good player and every year it seemed like he was getting just that bit closer to reaching his potential, only for it all to be cut short by a steroid ban. Sione was the youngest Kangaroo ever and has now retired at 28. Chris Houston was 18th man for NSW once and regressed into an absolute plodder.

Trent Hodkinson and Jesse Ramien were really disappointing signings for different reasons. Jake Clifford burst onto the scene and promised so much, we thought we found our 6.

Isaac De Gois was a handy little player whose time here felt like it came to a close too soon. I'd like to mention Brock Lamb, Jack Cogger and Jake Mamo too as juniors who we were all excited to come into the team, only for their careers to go by the wayside.
 
Brad tighe said:
To this date there has been no more damaging reserve grade player. He used to absolutely destroy teams. However he just couldn’t tackle or make correct reads in defence. I do believe though if Bennett doesn’t come he plays more grade
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Likiliki had 2 or 3 amazing runs per game where he scattered defenders and left a path of destruction, and he spent the rest of the game trying to catch his breath and falling off tackles. He had amazing power and strength, and a tiny, tiny motor.
 
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Billy said:
Likiliki had 2 or 3 amazing runs per game where he scattered defenders and left a path of destruction, and he spent the rest of the game trying to catch his breath and falling off tackles. He had amazing power and strength, and a tiny, tiny motor.
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Is that Toka you’re talking about there? Agree he was always too out of shape for first grade, but he was definitely very fun to watch in NSW Cup lol.
 
Thinking back on some juniors from the mid-2010s (mostly Browny) era:

Brock Lamb & Jack Cogger both thrown to the wolves far too early but were the NSW & Aus schoolboys halves pairing coming through and were touted as our future.

Jaelen Feeney became a meme with his NRL performances but had given reason to be excited about his future, he was tearing up in reserve grade the year prior to his debut.

Probably have to include Jake Mamo just based on the hype but there were always glaring issues if you saw him doing anything other than running.

I was a big believer in Pat Vaivai and thought he looked pretty good in his few early NRL games before getting himself sacked.

Not our own junior but a highly rated one we signed, and probably the literal biggest disappointment, was Pauli Pauli. I remember being unreasonably excited for his potential which never came close to being realised.

Plenty of other juniors I had hopes for never cracked first grade so won't be remembered.
 
Throw Cory Denniss in too. Plucked out of relative obscurity in under 20's and scores a double at home on debut, everyone thinks we've found a new longterm winger and then pretty much doesn't have another memorable moment in first grade. Just looked him up and I'm surprised to see he played 18 games, would've bet it was less than 5.

Just found this amazing Telegraph headline from the week after his debut:

Rookie Cory Denniss has become the face of Nathan Brown's cultural revolution at Newcastle

 
mullenmagic said:
Thinking back on some juniors from the mid-2010s (mostly Browny) era:

Brock Lamb & Jack Cogger both thrown to the wolves far too early but were the NSW & Aus schoolboys halves pairing coming through and were touted as our future.

Jaelen Feeney became a meme with his NRL performances but had given reason to be excited about his future, he was tearing up in reserve grade the year prior to his debut.

Probably have to include Jake Mamo just based on the hype but there were always glaring issues if you saw him doing anything other than running.

I was a big believer in Pat Vaivai and thought he looked pretty good in his few early NRL games before getting himself sacked.

Not our own junior but a highly rated one we signed, and probably the literal biggest disappointment, was Pauli Pauli. I remember being unreasonably excited for his potential which never came close to being realised.

Plenty of other juniors I had hopes for never cracked first grade so won't be remembered.
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Pauli Pauli had a game where he absolutely tore parramatta to shreds on an edge. He just struggled with his size. Never really recovered from the car accident.
 
Often think of what if Clint newton didn’t get flicked by Brian smith where would his career ended up? Yeah he had a good couple of years at Melbourne and Penrith but would’ve loved to see him a one club man
 
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