TeamList Rabbitohs vs Warriors - [Round 5, 2024]

I'm not as sanguine about our prospects in this game if it is indeed raining. This year we are clearly employing a different style: instead of attacking with shape, we are adopting a penrith-style gameplan where we dominate field position and essentially kick the other side out of the game once we hit the lead. Seems like the perfect gameplan for the wet against a big but rather immobile souths pack.
From what I’ve seen of Souths is they are a bit lazy. They rely on talent and lack discipline. We are the opposite, we are all about effort. Effort on the chase, our backs bring lots of effort in hit ups and we go pretty hard defensively. I think if we can have minimal mistakes we have the ability to grind Souths down and while they may score some good tries, toward the end of the game their Ill discipline may cost them.
 
I just realized CHT isn't named in the cup team who are also playing in Sydney. You would think this would mean he definitely comes into the 17.
Not necessarily, you can put any player you want in the NSW cup team, it's not like the NRL squad where you have to put the players from your 23 man team named.

Hypothetically, you could name Rene Ranger to play if you wanted to, 🙏.
 
Scrolling through the comments and have noticed a lot of people picking Laban to start when he hasn’t been named. I am excited by this even though I know nothing about him and his ability. If he does play the credibility of this forum will lift a gear. Based on what I’m hearing I hope he is given the opportunity.

I have been following Jacob Laban.

His Uncle was a big engine hard grafting player from the Carlaw park era (played for Wainuiomata in the GF of the Lion Red Cup where they thrashed Otahuhu in the 90's on hallowed ground at Carlaw proper, the first team outside of Auckland to win a GF at Carlaw, I ended up cheering them on when I was supposed to be backing the Auckland boys Otahuhu)

Ken Laban of course is well known as a high achiever in multiple spheres. As is Jacobs Aunt Winnie, these are very high achieving people whose parents came to NZ in the 50's and built the NZ dream for themselves from scratch.

So I guess I was very curious to see what young Mr Laban was like. Born in Samoa, ends up like his Üncle, playing in the Wellington Rugby league system, then gets a spot at Kelston boys in Aucks, becomes a Warrior.

Jacob is like Ali Leiatua in a bigger body. He plays and runs like a center, that is, he will either attack the line with pace, seeking big collision with the intent of a tackle bust, or he will change the angles late at the line with footwork and still gain some momentum in the contact....just like Ali....appearing as though he is on the verge of a break out....making frequent half breaks.

I saw that quality in him (as would many posters here) well before Luke Metcalf came out and Said Jacob is the hardest player to tackle at the club.

The other reason I compare him to Ali is the way he attacks the ball when it is chip kicked, he will race after it, pluck it out of the air, like a back, not like a forward that may let the ball bounce before having a go at it....he did this twice last year to score Try's, reached above his head and took the ball on the fly like a three quarter line player with skills.

The most exciting thing about him (another Ali like trait) is that he is a ultra hard trainer.

So for mine, he is the most promising Junior we have. Significantly bigger ceiling than other Junior forwards that get bandied about here (when you put it all together, Size, Power, Engine, attitude, and that magical thing footwork) he is going to race ahead of the others.

His flaws are pretty standard, ball security, missed tackles....all experience and age related stuff that needs minor tweaks to get him there.

I am one that is not impatient to see him play NRL. When you have players as good as ALi and Jacob, I prefer we don't fk it up.

I prefer players like them, who train hard, who love playing, get held back a little, develop that hunger, round out the small deficiencies in their games, before you throw them into fire.

If you time it right, if you wait long enough, the dominance of these superstar juniors in NSW cup will be manifest in their NRL debuts which will give them the feed back that they are better, they are special, they are at least as good as any break out NRL debutantes.

Compare that prep to throwing in a star NSW cup player right away who discovers that playing their best just looks like an average NRL performance, then realise you have just placed that pressure on them for every NRL performance, that to belong....means that every game has to be the game of their lives at maximum effort.

So, what I am saying is, the more time Laban and Ali spend in cup means the less pressure on them when the time comes, because they will be ready and will not need to give everything plus more to merely cling to their spot in FG.
 
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I have been following Jacob Laban.

His Uncle was a big engine hard grafting player from the Carlaw park era (played for Wainuiomata in the GF of the Lion Red Cup where they thrashed Otahuhu in the 90's on hallowed ground at Carlaw proper, the first team outside of Auckland to win a GF at Carlaw, I ended up cheering them on when I was supposed to be backing the Auckland boys Otahuhu)

Ken Laban of course is well known as a high achiever in multiple spheres. As is Jacobs Aunt Winnie, these are very high achieving people whose parents came to NZ in the 50's and built the NZ dream for themselves from scratch.

So I guess I was very curious to see what young Mr Laban was like. Born in Samoa, ends up like his Üncle, playing in the Wellington Rugby league system, then gets a spot at Kelston boys in Aucks, becomes a Warrior.

Jacob is like Ali Leiatua in a bigger body. He plays runs like a center, that is, he will either attack the line with pace, seeking big collision with the intent of a tackle bust, or he will change the angles late at the line with footwork and still gain some momentum in the contact....just like Ali....appearing as though he is on the verge of a break out....making frequent half breaks.

I saw that quality in him (as would many posters here) well before Luke Metcalf came out and Said Jacob is the hardest player to tackle at the club.

The other reason I compare him to Ali is the way he attacks the ball when it is chip kicked, he will race after it, pluck it out of the air, like back, not like a forward that may let the ball bounce before having a go at it....he did this twice last year to score Try's.

The most exciting thing about him (another Ali like trait) is that he is a ultra hard trainer.

So for mine, he is the most promising Junior we have. Significantly bigger ceiling than other Junior forwards that get bandied about here (when you put it all together, Size, Power, Engine, attitude) he is going to race ahead of the others.

His flaws are pretty standard, ball security, missed tackles....all experience and age related stuff that needs minor tweaks to get him there.

I am one that is not impatient to see him play NRL. When you have players as good as ALi and Jacob, I prefer we don't fk it up.

I prefer players like them, who train hard, who love playing, get held back a little, develop that hunger, round out the small deficiencies in their games, before you throw them into fire.

I dont think AW is the kind of zcoach who eill blood a youngster unless he is ready.
 
I have been following Jacob Laban.

His Uncle was a big engine hard grafting player from the Carlaw park era (played for Wainuiomata in the GF of the Lion Red Cup where they thrashed Otahuhu in the 90's on hallowed ground at Carlaw proper, the first team outside of Auckland to win a GF at Carlaw, I ended up cheering them on when I was supposed to be backing the Auckland boys Otahuhu)

Ken Laban of course is well known as a high achiever in multiple spheres. As is Jacobs Aunt Winnie, these are very high achieving people whose parents came to NZ in the 50's and built the NZ dream for themselves from scratch.

So I guess I was very curious to see what young Mr Laban was like. Born in Samoa, ends up like his Üncle, playing in the Wellington Rugby league system, then gets a spot at Kelston boys in Aucks, becomes a Warrior.

Jacob is like Ali Leiatua in a bigger body. He plays runs like a center, that is, he will either attack the line with pace, seeking big collision with the intent of a tackle bust, or he will change the angles late at the line with footwork and still gain some momentum in the contact....just like Ali....appearing as though he is on the verge of a break out....making frequent half breaks.

I saw that quality in him (as would many posters here) well before Luke Metcalf came out and Said Jacob is the hardest player to tackle at the club.

The other reason I compare him to Ali is the way he attacks the ball when it is chip kicked, he will race after it, pluck it out of the air, like back, not like a forward that may let the ball bounce before having a go at it....he did this twice last year to score Try's.

The most exciting thing about him (another Ali like trait) is that he is a ultra hard trainer.

So for mine, he is the most promising Junior we have. Significantly bigger ceiling than other Junior forwards that get bandied about here (when you put it all together, Size, Power, Engine, attitude) he is going to race ahead of the others.

His flaws are pretty standard, ball security, missed tackles....all experience and age related stuff that needs minor tweaks to get him there.

I am one that is not impatient to see him play NRL. When you have players as good as ALi and Jacob, I prefer we don't fk it up.

I prefer players like them, who train hard, who love playing, get held back a little, develop that hunger, round out the small deficiencies in their games, before you throw them into fire.
Hi Bruce Bruce, thanks for the memories of Carlaw Park ;)
 
A number of posters on the Knights forum were commenting we are the closest team to Penrith in terms of style.
They are right. Webby is slowly turning us into a Penrith-style team. In all of our games, we have had very long periods where we have completely dominated field position and had the opposition down for the count. We've lacked the polish to convert that dominance so far, which penrith are the masters at.
From what I’ve seen of Souths is they are a bit lazy. They rely on talent and lack discipline. We are the opposite, we are all about effort. Effort on the chase, our backs bring lots of effort in hit ups and we go pretty hard defensively. I think if we can have minimal mistakes we have the ability to grind Souths down and while they may score some good tries, toward the end of the game their Ill discipline may cost them.
Latrell is probably the perfect example of that point: he only ran for 96m last week. That is crazy low for a fullback. He only really chimes in when he sees an opportunity to do something on attack. I'm sure the strategy this week is to use SJ's kicking game to make him do so much work that he doesn't have the energy to do anything creative. He is really the one that worries me this week.
 
They are right. Webby is slowly turning us into a Penrith-style team. In all of our games, we have had very long periods where we have completely dominated field position and had the opposition down for the count. We've lacked the polish to convert that dominance so far, which penrith are the masters at.

Latrell is probably the perfect example of that point: he only ran for 96m last week. That is crazy low for a fullback. He only really chimes in when he sees an opportunity to do something on attack. I'm sure the strategy this week is to use SJ's kicking game to make him do so much work that he doesn't have the energy to do anything creative. He is really the one that worries me this week.
With Latrell its an attitude thing.The worry is he can turn that around we he decides to aim up.
 
If is wet then Sjs kicking game and the kick chase eill be vital. What worries .e if Latrell Mitchell gets frustrated he will do one of his dirty tricks, hurt one our guys and as the leagues protected indiginous species will get away with it.

Souths are thugs and Fatrell is king fatshit.

Marata has a big role to play in this game. The only times we have beaten Souths is when we belt them.

They don't like a physical game, because they usually are the ones dolling out the dirt.

Hoping to see well disciplined extreme violence from us. Like the Perth game, where we hit them hard, kept turning up when we got screwed by the Reffs, and the Rabbits ended up dropping balls, the round and the oval kind.

Sam Lisone played his best game, he was ultra aggressive and roughed them up. James Gavet was in that pack and bruising people, Roger had to pull off some superman shit to keep us in it.

I expect Souths will be full of swagger and will bring their A game, expecting the Warriors game to kick start their season and play them into form.

Hopefully Marata and AFB rise to the challenge and fight fire with fire.

We have the tactical game to play smart, add a sprinkle of violence in defence.
 
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Marata vs Latrell Mitchell 🤣

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I'm not as sanguine about our prospects in this game if it is indeed raining. This year we are clearly employing a different style: instead of attacking with shape, we are adopting a penrith-style gameplan where we dominate field position and essentially kick the other side out of the game once we hit the lead. Seems like the perfect gameplan for the wet against a big but rather immobile souths pack. If anything, I think our new gameplan suits the wet better.
Absolutely, we should be double downing on kicking the rabbitoes to death! Turn there lazy forwards around and make thier back three work thier arse off!

I think webby should bring in Laban to cover Niukore.

14 C H Tavita
15 T Ale
16 J Tavaga
17 J Laban
 
I have been following Jacob Laban.

His Uncle was a big engine hard grafting player from the Carlaw park era (played for Wainuiomata in the GF of the Lion Red Cup where they thrashed Otahuhu in the 90's on hallowed ground at Carlaw proper, the first team outside of Auckland to win a GF at Carlaw, I ended up cheering them on when I was supposed to be backing the Auckland boys Otahuhu)

Ken Laban of course is well known as a high achiever in multiple spheres. As is Jacobs Aunt Winnie, these are very high achieving people whose parents came to NZ in the 50's and built the NZ dream for themselves from scratch.

So I guess I was very curious to see what young Mr Laban was like. Born in Samoa, ends up like his Üncle, playing in the Wellington Rugby league system, then gets a spot at Kelston boys in Aucks, becomes a Warrior.

Jacob is like Ali Leiatua in a bigger body. He plays runs like a center, that is, he will either attack the line with pace, seeking big collision with the intent of a tackle bust, or he will change the angles late at the line with footwork and still gain some momentum in the contact....just like Ali....appearing as though he is on the verge of a break out....making frequent half breaks.

I saw that quality in him (as would many posters here) well before Luke Metcalf came out and Said Jacob is the hardest player to tackle at the club.

The other reason I compare him to Ali is the way he attacks the ball when it is chip kicked, he will race after it, pluck it out of the air, like back, not like a forward that may let the ball bounce before having a go at it....he did this twice last year to score Try's.

The most exciting thing about him (another Ali like trait) is that he is a ultra hard trainer.

So for mine, he is the most promising Junior we have. Significantly bigger ceiling than other Junior forwards that get bandied about here (when you put it all together, Size, Power, Engine, attitude) he is going to race ahead of the others.

His flaws are pretty standard, ball security, missed tackles....all experience and age related stuff that needs minor tweaks to get him there.

I am one that is not impatient to see him play NRL. When you have players as good as ALi and Jacob, I prefer we don't fk it up.

I prefer players like them, who train hard, who love playing, get held back a little, develop that hunger, round out the small deficiencies in their games, before you throw them into fire.
Fantastic thank you. Definitely hope he plays if not this week very soon.
 
Absolutely, we should be double downing on kicking the rabbitoes to death! Turn there lazy forwards around and make thier back three work thier arse off!

I think webby should bring in Laban to cover Niukore.

14 C H Tavita
15 T Ale
16 J Tavaga
17 J Laban

Its a well known fact Latrell is a lazy defender.

Those 4th/5th tackle grubber kicks near the corner will pay dividends when deployed.

RTS or CNK swooping in for the TRY
 
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