Ma'u for Prop

IF we do sign Watmough next season, he will more then likely start. Kenny and Tepai are pretty much 80 minute players, we also have so good depth in the backrow (Peni, Gower, Pauli.) So would any one else like to see big Manu play in the front row. We are in desperate need of a front rower with some aggression. Mannah is too soft in my opinion. Manu plays most of the game in the middle of the park anyway. He's an absolute animal in defence and he runs the ball with pure determination. Although it's almost a guarantee Mannah will start, it would be awesome to watch Manu and Jr play in the front row. Would be a nightmare for defenders and it would give us the aggression we have lacked the last few years.Manu is almost identical in size and weight to Matt Scott and Sam Moa who are to of the best front rowers in the game. There is no reason why it couldn't work. I highly doubt it will happen, but it's just a thought given the amount if back rowers we have and the lack of depth we have in the front row.

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  • if we r putting Mau as a prop lets get sandow some prop action too...same height

    • Sandow is far from the 1.84 that Manu is..
  • Peni, and Gower mainly play in the middle they only play on the edge when we're desperate. Pauli can play either middle or edge. Manu almost exclusively attacked and defended on the edge, he's just not lazy like a lot of edge forwards and went looking for work and tried to get his hands on the ball. If we are to play Ma'u and Moeroa on the edges, and sign Watmough then a bench consisting of Gower, Wicks, Pauli, and Edwards would be awesome.

    Manu would be a lot lighter than Scott and Moa. I'd guess that those two play between 110-113kg whereas Manu would just be cracking 105kg imo.

    If only Mannah stopped smiling people would stop calling him soft, he was our best prop this year and last year. Junior Paulo has the potential to overtake him because of his size and the way he plays but Mannah would still be in our Top 2 props.

  • Sorry Corey, for years we suffered having a damaging edge forward and I will always maintain it was the single biggest factor in our lack of success. For as much as go forward is important, having edge runners who cause your fringe defenders to hold is in my opinion the single biggest factor is how effective your attack is.

    These guys are so important you need three of them in your 17, and we finally have that with Edwards, Ma'u and Moeroa. You add Cody Nelson and the ability of Pauli Pauli to play wide or middle and we finally have got that part of our roster sorted. No way do we want to weaken that to improve a position where we've already got too much of our cap stacked.

    I'm 100 per cent sure if Ma'u hadn't got injured last year we make the eight. I'd have rated him the second or third most influential player in the side last year.

    You're forgetting we get two new props who add that kind of dimension you're looking for. Both Wicks and Fa'aoso are going to add plenty of grunt to our front row rotation (plus I think their presence is going to force the likes of Lussick and Terepo to up their game too).

    I'm very, very confident in our pack next year. I don't think we've looked better since we stacked up with the Bulldogs imports.

    • Agree. Added to that having Watmough in the lock position allows you even more freedom. He defends well can cart the ball up when needed, and can slot in near the edge forwards when in an attacking position as well. No need to weaken one spot for not much gain.

    • You didn't mention Watmough in all of that. Watmough is starting if we do indeed sign him. Edwards, Tepai, Kenny and Mau should also start aswell. You can't play four out wide, hence the reason I say put one of them in the front row. Manu is a damaging fringe player and it is no doubt his best position. But I think he could make a really good prop too.
    • I realised I named ken twice haha. When I said you can't play four out wide I meant Mau, Ken, Tep and AW. If you want to start them you need to shift then around. Meaning 1 plays out if position. As the great Jack Gibson said, you pick your best 17 then put them in positions.
    • It is good to have depth. I think it'll only make the boys work harder given no one is guaranteed a spot in the 17.
    • Stewart was out all season. But yeah I agree, Watmough played a lot in the middle, he did the same for the blues.
    • Yeah I'm not saying Manu shouldn't play in the backrow, because I think he can be one of the best backrowers in the league next season. I just think if BA wants to play all four of them on the field, he should play Mau in the middle for stretches of the game. I personally don't think it'll hurt the team.
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