CC and Okunbor

[Chris Harding]

What has CC done to Okunbor? He looks like a completely different player. I was expecting him to come up with a mistake but he really surprised me with his defense and made metres easy. I heard he's cut out the mistakes in his game in NSW cup as well.

If he continues to do well, I don't mind him as bench option.

I'd like to see him hitting the line with speed instead of lumbering up. He could be devastating if he had a bit of mongrel to him.

 

[under_Dogz]

Okunbor and Waddell big improvers under CC’s watch

 

[rand0m3r]

What has CC done to Okunbor? He looks like a completely different player. I was expecting him to come up with a mistake but he really surprised me with his defense and made metres easy. I heard he's cut out the mistakes in his game in NSW cup as well.

If he continues to do well, I don't mind him as bench option.

he doesn't have to catch cut-out passes anymore. he's still a pretty crap player overall but we have too many injuries.

 

[D.O.W.]

What has CC done to Okunbor? He looks like a completely different player. I was expecting him to come up with a mistake but he really surprised me with his defense and made metres easy. I heard he's cut out the mistakes in his game in NSW cup as well.

If he continues to do well, I don't mind him as bench option.

Okunbur is an athlete, always has been strong coming out of yardage, doesn’t surprise me he’s transitioned well into the forward’s - he only needed some polish and looks like that’s coming along under CC

 

[NPC83]

3/5 to start the year and very competitive in the loss last week too. Missing key personnel and improvising on the run. Great start Ciro.

 

[Dogs79]

He still gets caught out watching the game occasionally, a few times he looked around to see who was going to do something instead of taking the hit up or making the tackle himself. But, it was a big ask for him to play nearly a full game in the forwards, and some of those spectator moments might have been due to some fatigue, he done alright tonight and under CC coaching, I can see merit with having him on the bench.

 

[ILiveForDib]

Seems like Okunbor is Ciraldos project, we’re down on numbers in the fowards he has to work with what he has and Okunbor got the job done. Great for his confidence to when the coach is backing him and speaking good about him.

 

[KLil]

What has CC done to Okunbor? He looks like a completely different player. I was expecting him to come up with a mistake but he really surprised me with his defense and made metres easy. I heard he's cut out the mistakes in his game in NSW cup as well.

If he continues to do well, I don't mind him as bench option.

He did come up with a mistake, he decided to hip drop in front of the post and give away 2 points whilst getting sin binned.

The mistakes in his game came off the back of pressure plays, you don't get those in the middle. Plus his defense in the middle is still shit, couple of players saved his arse tonight a few times.

I think Morrin played much better for kid half his size.

 

[LordSidious66]

It's simple, he's playing in his proper position as a 2nd row forward and not a winger.

 

[obje]

Ciraldo is elite

 

[B-Train]

Okunbur is definitely filling in well in the middle when needed. Credit to him and to Ciraldo for using him in a totally different role.

 

[maroondog72]

How do hip drops go with the judiciary? Only one I can remember was Fuimaono copping 5 weeks for snapping someone’s ACL..

Hopefully he’ll get a fine , no loading no priors
And mitigating circumstances in the tackle

 

[maroondog72]

3/5 to start the year and very competitive in the loss last week too. Missing key personnel and improvising on the run. Great start Ciro.

Not to mention top eight

 

[JackDog]

Would’ve had a try if he knew how to run into a hole, but ran straight at the defender instead.

When he was out on the wing, Jake looked to pass to him, thought better of it and chose the to take the tackle instead.

Well done for filling in and not fucking up too much but he’s just not a FGer

 

[Alan79]

How do hip drops go with the judiciary? Only one I can remember was Fuimaono copping 5 weeks for snapping someone’s ACL..

IMO it wasn't avoidable. I think it was Taumololo who basically spun into the position trying to break out of the tackle rather than Okunbor bringing him into place to drop on him like that. I doubt it's going to take 5 minutes for the judiciary to dismiss it. Pissed me off that he was binned for it. I'm just glad that we scored while he was off rather than conceding points.

 

[BULLDVGS]

He was a shit winger, but his weaknesses on the wing...the truck turns, below average lateral movement, dick fingers under the high ball, aren't glaring when he's in the forwards while his runs out of yardage, pcm and ability to stay up in tackles really work for a quick ptb.

 

[Sir dogeth style]

he is doing great because he only has to tackle and run, not be fancy and quick minded.. the guy is doing a great job has done no wrong and will get better with more game time.. cc probably got down and actually helped the bloke out instead of hanging him out to dry.. the positional change has been good for us and the future immortal okunbor

 

[senshidog]

Whats funny is even in the Dean Pay era people were saying "he's not a winger/centre, he's a second rower", and nobody thought to play him there.

Who'd have thought he gets put there and actually starts to play well. Plus he's got a sneaky offload on him as well.

 

[Jenson]

Good thread, great observation.

To be fair he’s got better cattle than our last few coaches so has more flexibility in where he deploys them, but he really does seem to clearly define roles and then put trust in blokes.

Jayden, we need you to cover back row and outside backs for HIAs. You’re a key part of the team because of that skill.

Waddell, you’re a middle who covers edge. Get on, run hard, tackle hard.

Avo, you’re a centre. You could be a great one. Get back to your most comfortable position and show us what you’ve got.

I reckon all these guys are carrying themselves differently this year.

 

[Pottz]

Good thread, great observation.

To be fair he’s got better cattle than our last few coaches so has more flexibility in where he deploys them, but he really does seem to clearly define roles and then put trust in blokes.

Jayden, we need you to cover back row and outside backs for HIAs. You’re a key part of the team because of that skill.

Waddell, you’re a middle who covers edge. Get on, run hard, tackle hard.

Avo, you’re a centre. You could be a great one. Get back to your most comfortable position and show us what you’ve got.

I reckon all these guys are carrying themselves differently this year.

This is so right.

I’d also throw in:
- Alamoti, you’re going to dominate in a few years but in the meantime play to your strengths and remember you have the world’s best winger next to you so err on the side of giving him the ball rather than trying the hero play yourself.
- Perham, just catch bombs and direct the defence, the attack will come if you keep working on it.
- Pele, you are massive and unstoppable, start from the back fence and don’t even think about looking sideways.

The only one it isn’t working with (yet) is Flanagan, but like most here I think there’s just nothing else there to wring out of him.