Incoming : Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:09 am  

I have been one of the people most enthusiastic about the signing of Waisale Ligani "Wes" Naiqama by London Broncos for 2015. Unfortunately his last game in Australia was a disaster for him. Playing for Penrith Panthers against Northern Pride, in the first ever grand final between the winner of the NSW Cup and the Queensland Cup, Wes was moved to the wing, while his younger more talented brother Kevin (more commonly known as a full back or winger), played centre.

Penrith was overwhelming prematch favorite. After a tit for tat first half, Penrith established a comfortable lead in the second half. Yet the Northern Pride must have sensed a weakness. Late in the second half the Pride attack directed two high kicks at Wes's wing. Wes dropped both of them. The first resulted in a pickup by a Pride player who scored. The second bounced out of Wes's arms into touch. From then ensuing scrum ten yards out from Penrith's line the Pride took only a few tackles before it scored near the posts. The resulting conversion won the match for Northern Pride. Wes was devastated at his two errors, which clearly lost the game for Penrith.

if there is a lesson to come from this, it is that Wes must only be played at centre. He showed in this game, and in the previous week's NSW Cup final, that he is a first class goal kicker, and a strong defender. But a winger he most certainly is not.

Re: Incoming : Sun Oct 12, 2014 3:38 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

I have been one of the people most enthusiastic about the signing of Waisale Ligani "Wes" Naiqama by London Broncos for 2015. Unfortunately his last game in Australia was a disaster for him. Playing for Penrith Panthers against Northern Pride, in the first ever grand final between the winner of the NSW Cup and the Queensland Cup, Wes was moved to the wing, while his younger more talented brother Kevin (more commonly known as a full back or winger), played centre.

Penrith was overwhelming prematch favorite. After a tit for tat first half, Penrith established a comfortable lead in the second half. Yet the Northern Pride must have sensed a weakness. Late in the second half the Pride attack directed two high kicks at Wes's wing. Wes dropped both of them. The first resulted in a pickup by a Pride player who scored. The second bounced out of Wes's arms into touch. From then ensuing scrum ten yards out from Penrith's line the Pride took only a few tackles before it scored near the posts. The resulting conversion won the match for Northern Pride. Wes was devastated at his two errors, which clearly lost the game for Penrith.

if there is a lesson to come from this, it is that Wes must only be played at centre. He showed in this game, and in the previous week's NSW Cup final, that he is a first class goal kicker, and a strong defender. But a winger he most certainly is not.

He had a very poor game, not just the two errors you mentioned.

He also has spent most of his last three seasons in NSW Cup.

Good to see an Englishman scoring the winning try in that game though.

Re: Incoming : Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:20 pm  

Rooster Booster wrote:

Good to see an Englishman scoring the winning try in that game though.

Tyrone McCarthy, the former Warrington player who scored the match winning try for Northern Pride, is himself incoming in 2015 at Hull KR.

Re: Incoming : Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:19 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

Tyrone McCarthy, the former Warrington player who scored the match winning try for Northern Pride, is himself incoming in 2015 at Hull KR.

And?

Re: Incoming : Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:39 pm  

North London Gooner wrote:

And?

The match had a number of known players, including former Bradfod and Wakefield winger Semi Tadulala for Northern Pride.