Just watching back over some highlights of him as a kid playing in the Under 20's and gee he was as impessive as I remember.
Tepai was actually quite leaner than now, had a good enough step in his game and even had an offload in his artilery.
Tepai predominately played out on the edge and was a weapon in both attack and defence, he would hit hard with his left shoulder and even run good lines and angles playing off the half inside him.
That brings me to the this question, why did they try and transform Tepai into an 80 minute tackling middle forward?
It's been evident for some time that Tepai in his role wasn't working and HIA is an easy example of this, but why havn't they tried to get some weight off him and put him back out on the edge?
Some answers would be nice!
Replies
Last year he was skinny like the whole team
Yes but still playing as a middle forward.
I agree that he is edge but he has not really performed there
Yeah fair enough, I just couldn't understand why they kept using him as that 80min tackling machine when he clearly wasn't physically up to it.
From memory he wanted to be a middle forward after Watmough retired
Time for a new position a new team and a new game for him...... Onwards and upwards . :)
Under 20s they could all look like beasts , it's how hard the go once hit first grade Against faster and bigger bodies
Go and watch his second first grade game as an 18 year old against the Rabbitohs on youtube then come back and tell me how he wasn't up to first grade standard.
Would be sad if your right regarding the shoulder Poppa, it's no different to a young horse going shin sore, you'd put the horse in the paddock with the longevity of it's career in mind.
With nothing to gain in those years you mentioned it looks a pretty silly idea in hindsight now.
Dear Dr Wong - you are WONG again.
Tep did NOT decide about his shoulder op - Mr 45% played him (badly) injured for no other reason than Mr 45% is a dikhed who destroyed a good player.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next