Who will be the player that either emerges from the clouds, or takes a surprising step forward this year?
I've had mixed success on this front - I didn't make a blog on this last year, but I did write that I expected our young forwards - and named Kelepi, Junior Paulo and Kaysa Pritchard as big chances of breaking through into the NRL side, which all three did. I maybe expected a bit more from Pauli Pauli, but he still progressed through to Wentworthville and probably wasn't far off.
The year before I suggested Justin Horo to finally break through as a class-act after a few years in the wilderness. That came true, but a year later and for a different club.
This year, my tip is Joseph Ualesi to emerge as a staple in our 17.
I'm tipping this based on a couple of fronts - one I think we're horribly short on second rowers, so there is going to be a very definite opportunity for someone to lay claim to one of those spots.
And secondly, I think Ualesi has everything he needs to make it. He's good good size, good speed and power and he can hit a flat pass at pace. In a side that is relatively bereft of players who are capable of making tackle busts on the fringes, and with injury clouds hanging over a number of the other options, I can see Ualesi establishing himself, probably as one of our bench second-rowers. From all reports I've heard on him, he also has a really good attitude, which is something that's key when your looking for players who are going to take that step up. I think he'll be the type of player Brad Arthur will like working with, and having in his side.
Who do you expect to see take their game to a higher level, and step up into a more prominent role this year?
Replies
That blog is about Chris Sandow and was written by NRL.com. This is Phil's own opinion and is about one of our young guns.
Do we? I wasn't on the site much during the Christmas season, so if so can someone drop me a link, and I'll put my comment into there and promote it back up.
We've got a number of good second-rowers: Tanginoa, Terepo, Edwards, Santi, Harrison and Ben Smith. Ualesi may debut this season but he's not in the 17 at the moment.
Hard to disagree with anything you've said, Phil and I'd probably have Ualesi up there as our breakthrough player myself.
Either he or Pauli Pauli who, as we all know, carved the NYC up last year and carried the side at times in some dismal performances.
He certainly has all the tools to succeed but Pauli probably has to really knuckle down and maintain the consistency, given there's reports that suggest he can be a bit lazy at times and that his attitude can be up and down.
Still though, if he gets all that right and makes enough of an impression at Wenty this season, he's another one that can potentially have a breakthrough season.
Ken Edwards
Dominated NSW cup last year and looks ready to kick start his NRL career. In our weakest position we need this man to have a huge season.
To me I can see Ualesi and Edwards basically in a match off to partner Kelepi on the fringes. They both may get a chance given reports of Kelepi still struggling with injury, although I reckon Arthur may play it safe with the likes of Smith and Harrison early in the season.
My mate coached him together with toutai at Fairfield for a few years right up till he was 18, he mentioned ualesi and said he will play first grade and has a very big future ahead of himself if he stays in the right frame of mind.
will i think there going to be more then one player come from the clouds i think sandow going to have a big year and norman and Brendan Santi and Ken Edwards and kelepi tanginoa
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