What are everyone's thoughts on giving Kautoga a shot in the centres next year?
At the moment, we're clearly in the market for a centre. With the club being heavily linked to Best, if we do manage to secure his signature, I'd say there's a fair chance we head into next season without bringing in another specialist centre.
That would leave us with Samrani, Penisini, Kelly/Simonsson, and Nanva as our centre options. I think all of those players are capable of doing a job, but none of them really strike me as game-breaking centres or long-term solutions. They're solid enough, but fairly average by NRL standards.
On the other hand, Kautoga's position in the forward pack could become a lot less secure next season. With Jaydn Su'A arriving, along with emerging youngsters like Petrus and Latu pushing for opportunities, and Jack Williams arguably playing his best football on an edge, Kautoga could find himself fighting hard to hold onto a starting spot.
The thing that keeps me interested in Kautoga is his upside. He's shown at times that he can be a devastating ball-runner witth a handy offload. His biggest issue isn't talent, and rather it seems to be effort and football IQ.
Similar to Kelma, he has a tendency to come up with frustrating errors at critical moments, whether that's a missed tackle, poor defensive read, or a simple knock-on. Personally, I think some of this comes down to fatigue and decision-making under pressure. As an edge forward, he's regularly expected to make 30+ tackles a game while also carrying a heavy workload with the ball.
That's why I'd be interested in seeing him trialled in the centres.
The reduced defensive workload might allow him to focus more on his strengths as a ball-runner and attacking threat. Physically, he certainly looks like he could develop into a centre, and his ability to bend the line and offload could create plenty of second-phase opportunities. Defence would obviously remain a major question mark, but perhaps with fewer involvements throughout a game we'd see fewer of the concentration lapses and costly mistakes that sometimes creep into his performances.
It's also worth noting that Fiji experimented with this during their World Cup campaign. While Kautoga was named in the back row, he often found himself defending and attacking in wider channels, with Sakuru drifting into the back-row role.
What are everyone's thoughts?
Replies
No, he would get found out defensively by centre with a little speed beating him on the outside.
I think you would find he has more speed than Samrani?
That wouldn't be hard poppa, its more his lattrell speed that would concern me, it's also the knock on samrani by many. I would rather samrani at centre than kautoga
Yeh! It's not going to happen but for the sake of the discussion Kelma was always the one with poor lateral ability, I think the opposite with Kautoga, his weakness has always been his consistency and I feel he has improved markedly in this sense, I believe he could be one of the top 4 edge forwards in the game if he continues on his current path.
I also think that he (Kautoga) is a left edge and Su'a a right edge. Jack Williams can play anywhere in the forwards and I would expect him to start in the middle, Junior I believe has more to offer in that second rotation as he sizes up the game from a needs basis when he comes on this way. Lienu is being tipped as a starter and I am ambivalent about that, but I do believe he can play 45 plus in a game, and he should be encouraged to do so. He is more inspirational on the field than off it. Su'a averages high minutes 75 average and that leaves the flexibility for the left edge for Williams in a second rotation, Tuaviti, Moretti, Brown all have roles to play, and whilst it won't happen, I would be starting with Ryley Smith and not TDS but as much as me saying that, I must be missing something that the coach does not see with Ryley that me and many others do see. Balance is the key because they are so different TDS has a lot to offer when the opposition are tired and Ryley really has a full 80 minute game and enhances the line speed enormously. Ryley aorebically is the fittest player at Parra and is the only one ever to beat Gutho's fitness levels.
Injuries of course become the hidden factor in all these discussions and maybe the situation is there to rotate some of our forwards, Junior being one, you can normally can see when he is tired or carrying a "niggle" the opportunity is there to rest him and therefore get maximum benefit.
That's a massive no for me, especially with Ryles appearing keen on JW heading to the middle.
Kautoga is on the way out i feel. He's had enough chances and has been.at multiple clubs.. its time to go
I always thought he should be in the front row and play 30 mins a game, a short spell would suit him better i would have him coming off the bench adding some impact, hes offloads would hurt other teams
I don't think that would work, his fitness and lack of pace would be exploited by opposition teams.
If i was moving him it would be in the other direction (ie toward the center of the feild).
I rate him but it seems obvious that Su'a will be taking his left edge back rower spot and Jack wil be the right edge.
I hope Ryles uses him as an impact sub.
Having a damaging player with a skill set like Katoga coming on for a high effort 30min spell in the middle of a game could be a real bonus for him (not playing big minutes) and the team.
I think our pack and rotation actually looks pretty great next year.
Starting
13 Hopgood / 12 Williams / 11 Sua / 10 Tuivati / 9 TDS / 8 Leniu
Bench
14 R.Smith / 15 Junior / 16 Katoga / 17 Doorey / 18.Volkman / 19. Simonsen
Depth: After the injuy apocoplpse that was 2026 our depth looks more battle hardened and ready.
Guymer / Moretti / Brown / Latu / Talagi / Pryke / Funa / Edwards
Thinking outside the box is something we may need if we don't sign that strike player, but this is a no for me. Too many decisions to make defensively and laterally too slow, will get burned way to often. You also need your centre playing 80 minutes and I just don't see it in him. I feel he will be an impact player off the bench as long as he stays at the Eels.
Are you a spy agent from the Bulldogs
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next