Matt Utai's Best Position

[Junkyard]

I don't think there is a place for him first grade - maybe if there is an injury - but the high ball is his worst enemy on the wing - and a forward he is not on today's performance - maybe centre if there are injuries - but in the end - no longer needed.

 

[Maza]

Other than the one tiny duck and bust through the middle in the second half, I thought Utai done pretty much sh1t all.

 

[B-Train]

Playing Utai in any position but the wing was always a terrible idea and that was proven to those who somehow doubted that today.

Hopefully this puts to bed all of that nonsense and that failed experiment will no longer be an option.

 

[aarooni]

moore is prepared to mix it up which is good but from what i have seen so far we should have 4 fwds on the bench.maybe you could have this.
armit-secret ballplaying prop lol
kite -young battering ram whos still learning
eastwood-giant backrower has that mean factor and dangerous
gorden-another giant backrower who can also run straight up.

 

[xeno]

Utai's problem is similar to putting a midget in Worlds Strongest Man competition.

It simply can't work has he lacks the size and weight of a second rower.

He could possibly play lock (infact I think he played lock when Stagg left the field), but he isn't up to the workload, and Stagg can normally play 60-80 minutes.

I like Utai's attack, he has real mongrel there, but at the moment there isn't a spot in the side for him.

Only place I can think is El Masris wing, but EM had a fairly average game today.

LOL did you watch the game, he was one of the best

 

[bulldogs2010]

[/B]

LOL did you watch the game, he was one of the best

Agreed. I haven't seen Hazem break tackles like that in a long time. Good to see. Under the highball, he didn't get to it but I think that's cause it was all realyl bunched. Hazem is good under the highball tbh.

We'll see. If Haz consistantly plays how he did today, keep him in FG.

 

[Wahesh]

Hope that answers your question

10 minutes of game time and played terrible everyone of those. Let sharks score a try, countless missed tackles.

Utai, back to the wing you go.

 

[XAB14LONSO]

if u put idris next to either one of em it doesnt matter. i dont see why its so hard to switch on the last or 4th

 

[Bob dog]

I dont think Utai is confident as a second rower at the moment, he might be ok after a while but I would rather see him used where he belongs, on the edge of the ruck.

 

[Mr Invisible]

if u put idris next to either one of em it doesnt matter. i dont see why its so hard to switch on the last or 4th

True that.

The only reason Cronulla didn't win today is they failed to exploit that wing of ours.

Most of their kicks when close to our line went way too deep.

However against say Souths, or Storm or Broncos we'd have gotten hammered on that wing.

It's nothing against El Masri, and most obviously nothing he can do to fix. He's just as a height disadvantage.

Having said this with Idris on his inside in previous games El Masri made way for Idris to cover the high ball, whereas Millard didn't have El Masri covered today.

 

[Doggiez08]

After todays game i dont know where Utai fits in our team. I dont agree with him coming off the bench because he looked lost. One high ball Cronulla put up for him in the second half he jumped up and the ball was two metres from him. Sorry Utai i really enjoyed watching him play in the past but with El Masri and Goodwin on the wing i dont see him pushing any of them out the way anytime soon.

 

[Berries]

This is why you dont move players from their prime positions.

 

[astroboy]

He should play Second Row in the reggies and build his fitness and confidence.

 

[terrylamb4lyfe]

guys behind me were audibly watching utai from the second he came on.

i think they counted like 6 or 7 missed tackles before he made his first real tackle.

 

[astroboy]

I can't believe he did some air swings going for some tackles. Probably tried to knock the oppositions heads off.

 

[astroboy]

Utai tackling machine


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oed1DMbsb8

 

[Keefy]

Utai was crap today - To put it nicely!

 

[Abdul..]

I love Utai at his best. But.... he was misreading the attack even on simple hit ups. He was in the middle of the park and going for the wrong player.

On the wing, he would be much worse. Unfortunately, he is not reading the attack at all.

 

[will.i.am]

Was found out in the middle when defending and was ineffective in attack except for one hit up. He is at his best when scooting out from dummy half.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Utai tackling machine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oed1DMbsb8

Well in theory he certainly did stop a try being scored.

Maybe not quite the best way to stop it but hey, saved 6 points!..

Wasn't that like a 6 week holiday from NRL for that?