McManus or Naiqama

H

happyg

Con Mika
I'm biased. I am a massive Naiqama fan. I think he has enormous potential and should be persisted with early in the season, so that come semis - he will be there to win us matches.

As much as I like McManus, he doesn't have the X-Factor... + its his last season with us..

Thoughts?
 
Maca should be allowed to see what other positions he can play.
He wants to try fullback, and he has a lot of skills.
He was always a centre in the lower grades and he has all that is needed to play centre in firstgrade.

Kev is just about a pure winger, but he has been encouraged to play fullback and centre at times.

Jimmy has the potential to be better at centre and even fullback than he is at wing, but he has never got a chance.
 
Billy said:
Maca should be allowed to see what other positions he can play.
He wants to try fullback, and he has a lot of skills.
He was always a centre in the lower grades and he has all that is needed to play centre in firstgrade.

Kev is just about a pure winger, but he has been encouraged to play fullback and centre at times.

Jimmy has the potential to be better at centre and even fullback than he is at wing, but he has never got a chance.
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so how would you work it?

boyd wont be moving from fullback.. if he did i'd like to see pete matauia get a run.

maybe shift tahu into the BR and mcmanus into the centres and KN to wing? tahu's time as a centre is surely almost up.
 
I'm really not to bothered either way, they both have separate qualities in their game. If Kevin starts round 1 and we are playing well, I think it will be tough for jimmy to find a place in this team.
 
I don't want Tahu moving from the centres but I definitely do want Naiqama in the team somewhere. He's got too much untapped potential and talent that's just getting wasted in reserve grade. The last year or 2 he's really become an extraordinary player but McManus is the incumbent and deserves to start the season on the wing.

I guess we'll see how McManus goes after a few weeks before deciding.
 
This is tough. McManus is safe as a bank, but I agree as above with Naiqama being a X factor. He could become as good as Uate after a cpl of seasons
 
All Kev has done has shown some great speed down the sideline. Don't make it out like he's Ben Barba.

If you prefer Kev's speed over McManus then that is fine, i'm not arguing over who should be in the team. He has incredible speed but he's shown nothing to be called an x-factor or extraordinary.
 
We have to remember Kev is 24 now, he's only played 9 NRL games mostly because he's been stuck behind more experienced wingers. I don't think he's going to be waiting much longer because he could get a starting gig at nearly any other club, we were lucky he even re-signed for this year. I hope he gets as many chances as possible in 2013 and Bennett is going to have to decide between him and McManus because we really can't keep both.

Josh Hill - you don't think he has x-factor!? Are we even talking about the same person here. He's shown to have brilliant footwork, speed and passing game and scores plenty of tries. He can be as lethal as Uate if he gets given the chance.
 
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Josh Hill said:
All Kev has done has shown some great speed down the sideline. Don't make it out like he's Ben Barba.

If you prefer Kev's speed over McManus then that is fine, i'm not arguing over who should be in the team. He has incredible speed but he's shown nothing to be called an x-factor or extraordinary.
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i dont think anyone made out he was ben barba.

speed down the sideline IS and X factor in todays game for a winger. look at marika koribete for the tigers. I consider kev in the same category. a guy with a bit of space that can effectively finish... it can make or break a game..
 
happyg said:
i dont think anyone made out he was ben barba.

speed down the sideline IS and X factor in todays game for a winger. look at marika koribete for the tigers. I consider kev in the same category. a guy with a bit of space that can effectively finish... it can make or break a game..
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Exactly!

Just look at his game against the Eels an example of this.
 
happyg said:
i dont think anyone made out he was ben barba.

speed down the sideline IS and X factor in todays game for a winger. look at marika koribete for the tigers. I consider kev in the same category. a guy with a bit of space that can effectively finish... it can make or break a game..
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That's fine, to me an x-factor player is someone who creates tries out of nothing like guys like Barba, Thurston, Bowen, Jennings, Benji.

I just see Naiqama being someone who only scores when the space is created for him & he can take advantage of most opportunities coz he's so quick. May change if he gets an extended run at fullback, idk.

I would call him a very good player but not an x-factor, just yet.
 
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Josh Hill said:
That's fine, to me an x-factor player is someone who creates tries out of nothing like guys like Barba, Thurston, Bowen, Jennings, Benji.

I just see Naiqama being someone who only scores when the space is created for him & he can take advantage of most opportunities coz he's so quick. May change if he gets an extended run at fullback, idk.

I would call him a very good player but not an x-factor, just yet.
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To me that's x-factor. He's someone who in a grand final with 30 seconds left, Mason runs up and attracts 2 defenders on the edge and flicks Naiqama the ball, Naiqama has the ability to just take off and step, dummy and use his speed to get past every defender and chaser to score the match winning try. His blistering speed is his x-factor, he's showed countless times just how dangerous he can be once he gets some room.
 
Josh Hill said:
That's fine, to me an x-factor player is someone who creates tries out of nothing like guys like Barba, Thurston, Bowen, Jennings, Benji.

I just see Naiqama being someone who only scores when the space is created for him & he can take advantage of most opportunities coz he's so quick. May change if he gets an extended run at fullback, idk.

I would call him a very good player but not an x-factor, just yet.
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the description of naiqama you just provided is exactly how i perceive billy slater.. who i also consider an x factor...

anyway, just hoping he (KN) starts round 1...
 
It's a tough one.

You would probably have to go with McManus for now just because he's so reliable. He and Tahu work quite well together as well.

But in saying that, the amount of tries that Kev scored down the wing with his blistering speed started to persuade me a bit. McManus is pretty quick, but he wouldn't have that sort of pace to score those tries Kev did.
 
Hasn't Kev screwed up a few tries already in his career, if I remember he either over-ran or dropped balls with open try line last year, pretty sure he did it in the trial game as well. There's no doubt he has speed, but that's all we have seen, I don't remember him ever stepping around or dummying last year, just running down the sideline.

I'd take McManus still, he may not be as fast as Kev, but he's still solid in attack, and great in defense.

Apart from that, we already have Gagai and Uate as x-factors on the right wing, as well as Boyd. Felt like we always went left at the end of the season, Gagai and Uate never saw the ball.
 
Yeah but so has everyone, his hands are a hundred times better than what they used to be. I'd say Uate has stuffed up more tries than Kev, not bagging Uate just putting it into perspective.

I don't think you've seen too many games of his if you've never seen him step around players or dummy or use his footwork and speed to beat them. Every time he touches the ball it's always a powerful run or any chance he gets he's making breaks and scoring tries. His support play, play making skills and ability to burst through broken play is extremely useful too.

His speed alone is his greatest attribute there's no doubt, it helps him not only outrun everyone to score tries and set them up but it also gives us the chance to chase down any opposing player on both sides. Every other skill he has is just a bonus. He's only a rookie still remember, once he gets given a real chance to show everyone what he can do and he knows the coach has faith in him, watch out, I can't wait.

He can do things McManus can never dream of doing and he adds even more amazing strikepower into our backline. Saying that I 100% want McManus to start the season and give him every chance to get into top form before bringing Kev in because I love McManus and love how safe and professional he is.
 
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happyg said:
the description of naiqama you just provided is exactly how i perceive billy slater.. who i also consider an x factor...

anyway, just hoping he (KN) starts round 1...
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Uhh...are you comparing history's greatest fullback to an up and coming, talented winger?

Billy is always backing up, he's bloody strong, one of the fittest men in the NRL, has speed and footwork (the only thing he and Kev can be compared with), probably the safest dude under the high ball and has a decent pass (it isn't extra ordinary). My only criticism is that he can sometimes be overconfident in his own ability and get caught off guard once in a blue moon but if you were picking any rep team, he's the first man in.

Kev is okay under the high ball. He can run fast and he can put on a step if he has to but his hands are still under developed considering what people want him to be. I think everyone is way way way too obsessed with flair in younger players and tend to overlook that they can make some poor decisions in attack and defense and are prone to mistakes here and there, granted the poor decision making in attack is not really applicable to wingers. Remember that form is temporary but class is permanent. Jimmy is all class.
 
hey guys havent posted in about a year and a half but saw this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents....

mcmanus, if he can get fitter and train for the position, could possibly take over from buderus at 9 when he retires. he makes great dummy half runs anyway, he's speedy enough and he's pretty reliable ball handling wise. teach him to pass and he'll be sweet. that way, kev can get his chance on the wing.

also my 2 cents in general about the team....looooooooooooking good! hopeful top 4 predict 6th
 
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