Will the Bulldogs Retain Paul Alamoti

D.O.W.

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Hiku leaving the Cowboys for UK Superleague…. Opens up the door to one of our centres.
 

Freakzilla

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I don't know why people are obsessed with Alamoti not being a sprint champion. Neither was Willie Talau and that worked out okay. Neither is Talakai or Penisini who I see Alamoti as a similar style of player to, just not as good yet..

His carries are getting tougher. He's breaking more tackles as he goes along. His defense needs work, sometimes he has shockers and other times puts on big hits and makes important cover tackles.. He can draw and pass.. He has a lot of potential. He's only 19 and is just scratching the surface. Just be patient with him and the other youngsters.
Talau, Timu, McCracken & Harris were all power centres & all were great for the Bulldogs. Alamoti can be also.
 

KLil

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Talau, Timu, McCracken & Harris were all power centres & all were great for the Bulldogs. Alamoti can be also.
Not Harris, the premiership winning slug.

Alamoti will be just as good as all them tbh..
 

kmr07

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I don't know why people are obsessed with Alamoti not being a sprint champion. Neither was Willie Talau and that worked out okay. Neither is Talakai or Penisini who I see Alamoti as a similar style of player to, just not as good yet..

His carries are getting tougher. He's breaking more tackles as he goes along. His defense needs work, sometimes he has shockers and other times puts on big hits and makes important cover tackles.. He can draw and pass.. He has a lot of potential. He's only 19 and is just scratching the surface. Just be patient with him and the other youngsters.
These same people obsessing about Alamoti’s speed are probably the same ones that suggested we sign Justin Olam when he was available. I guess they haven’t seen Willie Talau play either. His game was based on strength and power rather than speed, and was one of our better centres in recent times. Alamoti has the potential to be that same type of player
 

B-Train

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Harris was good in 2004.
He was really good before he got injuries and also from memory he had issues with his wife being homesick which is why he went to the ESL.. After his first couple of seasons he wasn't the same player.
 

Bulldog wazza

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Alamoti is in his first season and we're not even close to seeing his true development into a seasoned FG player. It amazes me how many peeps on the forums want insta rewards for their players and win everything from these kids in such a short space in time. If he was playing really poor from the beginning sure. But we have some witnenessed some great touches in the first half and some lessons to be learnt moment's too. That's everyone's journey in any career. After 50 plus NRL games he is still exhibiting poor reads regularly then perhaps reconsider his place in the centres.. I actually see him playing lock later in his career once he develops and grows into his body..

Definitely I see him as Bulldog and would suggest Ciro and many other coaches would want to have a kid like Paul in their stable.
 

diddly

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These same people obsessing about Alamoti’s speed are probably the same ones that suggested we sign Justin Olam when he was available. I guess they haven’t seen Willie Talau play either. His game was based on strength and power rather than speed, and was one of our better centres in recent times. Alamoti has the potential to be that same type of player
Willie Talau looks fit enough to play today
 

CrittaMagic69

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I don't know why people are obsessed with Alamoti not being a sprint champion. Neither was Willie Talau and that worked out okay. Neither is Talakai or Penisini who I see Alamoti as a similar style of player to, just not as good yet..

His carries are getting tougher. He's breaking more tackles as he goes along. His defense needs work, sometimes he has shockers and other times puts on big hits and makes important cover tackles.. He can draw and pass.. He has a lot of potential. He's only 19 and is just scratching the surface. Just be patient with him and the other youngsters.
I wasn't that worried about his speed originally but I'm slightly concerned now, looks slower than he did in the lower grades and doesn't really have the same explosive power those other players had. As you said he's still only 19 so he might get there but right now he isn't looking anywhere near the sure thing people had him penciled in as.
 

Bulldog1966

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I think some ppl are just suggesting there may not be a centre spot for him in the future so where does he fit? Looks a step slow at least...
I'm not hard knocking or writing off a 19yo of course his footy improves with experience but where does he play, we have Kiks and Preston in the second row so this noise about him moving on might have validity(even though it allegedly took place in a fictional club)
 

B-Train

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I wasn't that worried about his speed originally but I'm slightly concerned now, looks slower than he did in the lower grades and doesn't really have the same explosive power those other players had. As you said he's still only 19 so he might get there but right now he isn't looking anywhere near the sure thing people had him penciled in as.
He's probably bulked up too much.. As long as he can improve his footwork before and after the catch and once he learns how to take better angles and uses his strength more, I think that will make up for his lack of pace.

To be honest he has better hands and a higher work rate than I thought he would. He's definitely not a sure thing but there's a lot to like and I think Penisini is the perfect player for him to try and watch and learn from.
 

CrittaMagic69

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He's probably bulked up too much.. As long as he can improve his footwork before and after the catch and once he learns how to take better angles and uses his strength more, I think that will make up for his lack of pace.

To be honest he has better hands and a higher work rate than I thought he would. He's definitely not a sure thing but there's a lot to like and I think Penisini is the perfect player for him to try and watch and learn from.
I need to see him play on the right, always said he was a right side dominant player and never really looked the same on the left. Hard to make that switch now though with Averillo and Kiraz going so well together.
 

Moey

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His stats after 12 rounds is poor for a rookie trying to stamp his mark

1 try
4 try assists (sure 2-3 were in 1 game)
1 line break !!
3 line break assists
135 tackles
29 missed tackles..

He isnt anywhere near what he showed in Nsw cup. If he goes then it wouldn't be a loss at all with what we have coming and bought.
 

Robbothedestroyer

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He was a gun in under age competition where he could use his bulk and strength to impact games. Against bigger bodies and a step up in class he has been average and without adding a metre or two of pace or finding some new tricks will be up against it.
 

lovemachine

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People keep saying that Alamoti should be persisted with because he’s In the mould of Talau.
No speed, but power and smarts.

Except there are two things wrong with that idea.
The first is Alamoti doesn’t have the power game. I think people just think because he’s Tongan he has power. Alamoti was traditionally a skinny player with footwork like Averillo. He lost this when he bulked up. Same way I bet Mortimer would lose his feet if he added 20kg.

The second thing to consider is the game has changed from 20,15 and even ten years ago. Faster backs are needed much more now.
If Alamoti had genuine power as per my first point we could use him in a similar way to Talakai or Te Where, but he isn’t.
 

KLil

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Harris was good in 2004.
Harris was very good.. Did his job admirably and goes to show a strong center is just as important as a speedy one.

If Averillo builds the same amount of stregnth as Jmoz then he will become a gun centre but in my opinion I believe a strong center is much more important than a fast one.

If you get both your winning.
 
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