I have now seen Thompson play the first six rounds in first grade. Not sure what to make of the young man. He should have scored in the corner early in the first half but didn't get there. I remarked to a friend of mine that I thought a really good finisher (eg Perrett or Hazem) would have got there easily with a bit better footwork.
However, it is clear that the young bloke struggles under the high ball with any pressure on him. Whether its off a cross-kick or bomb doesn't really make much difference. The end result has not been of first grade standard on a number of occassions.
Manu if a foot taller than him but the ease with which he was able to cause havoc is a real concern. He made David Simmons (who can't crack first grade at the moment for the Panthers) look like a SOO winger in that game against the Panthers.
Its our most obvious weak link. We were fortunate that in the Roosters game Tupou was marking up on the other side of the field, otherwise, that could have been a real concern.
I am not writing the kid off but I have to say, its really heart in the mouth type stuff when a bomb/kick goes up to his wing.
By the same token, I am not sure Brown has great ability in the air either. He's an honest toiler with reasonable defence. But he's more in the mould of your solid winger than your brilliant one. He should have taken that Hodkinson pass about halfway through the second half and streaked away down the sideline. I was filthy when he lazily stuck out his right hand while looking at where the defence was coming from. He really should have done better there.
I have great faith in our forwards. Our halves are playing out of their skin. Our Centres are strong and Sam Perrett is getting better and better at the back. Our bench is probably the best in the comp. I still feel our wingers are our weak link. Ennis being prone to a brain explosion is also an issue. Other than that, happy days.