None of our imports are playing as well as they did last year.
Tomkins we've heard it because he has come from a weaker competition even though the worst part of his play this year has been un forced errors ( some people need to look up what un forced means in the dictionary )
Tomkins has hit a flat form patch. He will adjust and stop the panic mistakes , get used to the Warriors and be a dominant force in that team too.
Chad hasn't reached his great form of last year. He is in a different role so he's going good as the bridesmaid , in years to come he will be a dominant half with the kicking game as he was in the NSW cup. Finding his role in the Warriors and back in the NRL ( very inexperienced ) he's having a top season now. Much more to come from that fullah.
Bukyua is well off last year. To me it's pretty obvious why,
He played alongside a better forward pack and a sht back line with one very good player ( Carney ) in it. Cronulla use halfback second row link plays like we used to , and put second rowers in holes , Bukuya has a good instinct for running the hole.
Tomkins arival has changed our style to a structured Backline attacking team.....we used to put Luck and Lowrie _ Taylor in half gaps around the ruck ( Mannering too ) none of those guys have the running game of Bukuya.......we have gone away from that scoring through the forwards because we have the strike power and ball distributors in our spine to make those constant ruck set moves a lesser option.
I think if you switched Bukuya to the left edge besides Townsend you would see what I'm talking about.....that Fulluah Townsend is the one who has a set move with Matulino and Tomkins that would normally be the way Bukuya and Carney played together at the Sharks,
So one solution to get more out of Bukuya is to put him with Townsend...that would get immediate success from any end of the field they could run that move and we'd see Bukuya go through the hole and pass to Tomkins who runs as the support ( ala Matulino passed to TL on to Tomkins rom inside our half V the dogs ) and boom......Warriors have a length of the field try scoring threat off a set play.
That would be the quick fix impatient way to go about it.
The right thing to do is leave things as they are and get
Johnson and Tomkins running that same Move on the right edge.
Hoffmans coming next year and he is better at that left set play than Matulino and Bukuya so putting Bukuya there now is a waste of time.
Johnson's very good at linking with a forward when he gets familiar with them.....
This year
Johnson has used Bukuya as his decoy a lot.....which in a way is a shame.....wrong forward....bit of a waste.....
Johnson has tried to go flat to Bukuya when he runs the decoy and hit him in the way Mateo hits other flat runners ( Simon Mannering V the Titans TRY ) but the issue is they need more time together.....a lot of the time
Johnson picks the right option but their collective timing is out ( both players....just need more time ).
Mcfadden needs to start focusing on getting more out of
Johnson and Bukuya as a pair ......Johnons our best player......Bukuya is a great hole runner....sort it out.
The positives are a lot of our repeat sets come out of the nice understanding Bukuya and
Johnson have with the in goal kicks, we see the odd try being scored there.....more importantly we see the opposition forced to ground the ball in goal because
Johnson has put Bukuya down their necks chasing.
The other positive is that when the Warriors show more faith in Bukuya and make plays to put him in half gaps we have an extra move to fool the opposition into thinking it's going to go to Hurrell.
Boom too much strike power in close and out wide on both sides.......Warriors go top attacking team in the NRL.
Bukuya is not a hit up forward....he's an attack forward.....usually Gallen and Fifita hog all the ball till they use Bukuya like a back coz there backs are shit.
Hoffman coming means we don't need Matangi.
Matulino goes Prop......
Room is made for a very strong back row that has Hoffman who hits up like a fourth Prop.....our three best Props spend more time on the field ( they actually play better with longer minutes...the four prop has become a Myth.....those guys aren't the tear away run over the opposition young bucks they once were when Packer was good......they're all tradesmen Senior Props now....use it.....consistent quality minutes is better for us than an impact Prop like Matangi that may see our go forward lift or drop depending on the mood Matangi is in.....we drop off when the bench come on....I'd prefer grinding Props took all the minutes while Hurrell Laumape Manu and Hoffman eat meters and we look more like the Storm up front with a better back trio of monster backs and a better back row than theirs hopefully = we become a consistent team like them...few mistakes,,,,few brain farts.....experienced machine).
Bukuya Mannering Hoffman Seb.
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