Bradman Best discussion

[KriKri]

Hope he’ll stay, he should be trying to get as much as he can, why wouldn’t he.
POS has mentioned a few times that we can’t keep them all, was thinking he was talking about Dom Young, hope he’s not talking about Braddy. He is so good defensively, and the only one who gels with Greg defensively too.
Have to remember we’ve signed his brother too, hopefully that means something. (Not like the Thompsons)

 

[R_A]

I thought every player was aware of it, I mean we got taught to always try to get closer to the post if we could even though we had a great goal kicker, just makes things easier and the kicker loves you for it.

I have noticed it subtly at times that they could have maybe some times gone in a little, but when you have defenders chasing you everywhere and the ability to rake the ball out, or make tackles to hold you upright, then I'd rather them get the ball down first and foremost

 

[bremsstrahlung]

2020: 11 out of 21 games
2021: 17 out of 25 games
2022: 14 out of 24 games
2023: 25 out of 26 games
2024: 17 out of 25 games
2025: 18 out of 24 games
2026: 12 out of 21 games

Overall 114 out of 166 games played since permanently breaking into first grade. 31.3% missed. I don't hold injuries against any player, but it would be disappointing if he left given all that, and just as we're becoming a force.

Thanks for the leg work, I was having a look at this the other day.

Like Ponga, we need more games out of them for the $$$ they are on/want.

I think traumatic/in game injuries are a bit of a different story, but the yearly hamstring injuries are getting a little tiresome. Don’t want a turbo situation or even a Latrell situation.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

Actually a lot more confident in Ponga's fitness even though it's a similar # of games missed. The difference for me is that a lot of Ponga's absences are just really unlucky, like he would have ticked off 20+ games easy last season if he didn't do his lisfranc. This year he did his hammy and that might have been on the trainer, he would hit 20 games this year too if they were smarter there.

With Bradman he genuinely struggles, consistently, to play more than 3-4 games straight without picking something up, and it's pretty consistently the same type of injury. It's not fatal to your chances but it has to cap his value.

 

[Treadly]

On a positive note, I did like his comment on one of those Manuleleua videos:

View attachment 8258

Thats a gold quote

 

[Grug]

Seen it on clarkeys column so not sure how valid the source is but I hope something gets sorted soon. It’s night and day when he’s on the left edge compared to when he is not

The problem is that he is not the for a significant amount of the season. He gets paid nearly twice his market rate for the games he actually plays.

 

[Grug]

I have noticed it subtly at times that they could have maybe some times gone in a little, but when you have defenders chasing you everywhere and the ability to rake the ball out, or make tackles to hold you upright, then I'd rather them get the ball down first and foremost

You can’t kick the goal if you don’t score the try.

 

[KPGreatness]

I have noticed it subtly at times that they could have maybe some times gone in a little, but when you have defenders chasing you everywhere and the ability to rake the ball out, or make tackles to hold you upright, then I'd rather them get the ball down first and foremost

True that’s why I said if you can, I understand there are times that you just have to get the ball down as fast as possible but there were times this year that players could have easily come around and didn’t think of it.

I remember half of one early in the season I think it might have been Young that made a break with no one ahead and he didn’t come in at all, that’s very low IQ and makes the kickers pissed.

The smart players think of all this on the fly and know when they can come in or when they have to put it down, the others just think “TRY LINE BABY”

 

[R_A]

The smart players think of all this on the fly and know when they can come in or when they have to put it down, the others just think “TRY LINE BABY”

Kalyn Ponga's was a good example of it against the Raiders, he probably could have stepped in and taken somewhat of a risk with defenders swarming near the try line but instead dived a touch early so that he wasn't being held up when he did reach the try line.