Thompson's Usage

wendog33

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I think hes done more than enough to show that hes better than Pay
Probably correct but I'm talking about some creative, long term selection/bench decisions so he can demonstrably show he is a better coach.
 

B-Train

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thompson should be playing almost 80 minutes with napa and tolman rotated.
You could see Thompson throw his hands up in frustration when he was interchanged as he had plenty left in the tank and is probably our fittest player already. And then he sat on the bench for half an hour..

He wants to play big minutes and he's being paid like a superstar so let him play!
 

Bazildog

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Thompson is solely being used as a battering ram when he should be used wider of the ruck and in more space..
Yeah, I mentioned the same in the game thread, he is not being coached or used to his optimum. I get that the SL is a different animal to NRL but anyone can watch his highlight packages and see he is at his best running a bit wider and backing up other hard running forwards for an offload.

If we use him like a battering ram like Despot did with Jacko..., we will ruin another good footy player.
 

diddly

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I think Thompson has been good - speed in getting to the line ensures he makes yardage and has a quick play the ball. Needs to work on defense - initial impact will hopefully improve with a preseason in Australia as will passsing etc.
 

bradyk

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Tolman 50
Napa 40
Thompson 60

To'omaga 40
Sue/Ogden 30
Smith 20

Maybe even start To'omaga and even give him 50 minutes and Napa 30 minutes. All I know is Tolman and Napa's minutes need to decrease and Thompson and To'omaga's need to increase.
 

Sandra's Bollocks

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Your missing one very vital point, how many games has he played this year? 3 or 4, and all of them off the bench. With no canterbury cup for match fitness there is no way he is match fit to start.
Many forwards get interchanged around the 20/30min mark. By the time he's ready to come back, he'd have at least a good 40/50min rest anyway. And then slowly increase his minutes from there if need be.
Considering our start to games haven't been that great, I believe he would have a greater impact at getting us rolling up field.
 

flamebouyant

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Many forwards get interchanged around the 20/30min mark. By the time he's ready to come back, he'd have at least a good 40/50min rest anyway. And then slowly increase his minutes from there if need be.
Considering our start to games haven't been that great, I believe he would have a greater impact at getting us rolling up field.
I hear what your saying, but i dont think he will start this year. If any bench forward deserves to start its To'omaga!!
 

doggieaaron

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Tolman 50
Napa 40
Thompson 60

To'omaga 40
Sue/Ogden 30
Smith 20

Maybe even start To'omaga and even give him 50 minutes and Napa 30 minutes. All I know is Tolman and Napa's minutes need to decrease and Thompson and To'omaga's need to increase.
Spot on everyone seems to know this except our coaches
 

albatross

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Georgallis is doing OK at getting our players to compete but I can't see him as a permanent FG coach. eg sticking with Lewis, not getting Foran more on the ball, dropping Wakeham (picking him again on the bench last week, then dropping him again!), playing Thompson for low minutes, ordinary use of the bench (eg bringing JMK back on last week killed our momentum). I'd also like him to stop saying he's "so proud of the players" after every loss - makes us sound like a basket case that's happy with the 'Tried Hard Today' award. Sure it's only a few games as head coach so far but he's been there all along as an assistant and I thought would have tried some new things, but it's pretty much 'more of the same' IMO.
 

Psycho Doggie

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The flip side of course is you give Thompson more minutes and more work and you increase the chances that he joins 1 out of 5 players who are currently on the sideline with injury. He is getting a decent work out, all the chance he needs to figure out NRL level week in week out competition. If he gets a serious enough injury late in the season he will miss a chunk of pre-season and maybe even not make round 1 next year. Remember his original contract started in 2021. The team isn't going to make the 8 this season, but with 1 or 2 more decent signings, a good pre-season with attack focus from Barrett, and everyone healthy, we will start round 1 with more chance of making the 8 than we have for at least 3 seasons.
 

Yougra

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I think Thompson is doing ok. He has come into a team coming last that has no attacking structures for him to follow, so it looks like it is pretty much just play off the cuff and take a hitup when he can. The rest of the season he can get accustomed to the intensity of the NRL and then with a full off season with a new coach (who I have no doubt will work out how to use him most effectively) he should come out firing. We are fortunate that he did come out early as it has cut 6 months off his learning curve. I think he will be a revelation for us and could be the answer to that line breaking backrower that we need

As for Ogden, he looked impressive. A big off season where he really gets his fitness to the required level and he could be our Junior Paulo style "wrecking ball" prop that we need. He has that bit of mongrel as well. I saw an interview with Campbell-Gillard and he said Brad Arthur put him and Paulo into extra training in the off season and it is paying dividends the way they are playing. I think a similar off season for Ogden and Toomaga could see them as an imposing front row for us with Sue coming off the bench and maybe an experienced signing like James Tamou for a couple of years to show them the way could provide an excellent front row rotation. Napa and Tolman simply don't have what it takes to lead from the front to get us into the top 8. Hopefully TBaz sees that and makes the necessary changes
 

battered sav

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Napa is signed for next season. What chance Barrett and his staff could get him fit and lose a few kg this off-season. If he isn't off loaded something needs to be done to get more from the investment. He was an origin prop, surely that experience counts for something.
 
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DT

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Napa is signed for next season. What chance Barrett and his staff could get him fit and lose a few kg this off-season. If he isn't off loaded something needs to be done to get more from the investment. He was an origin prop, surely that experience counts for something.
Napa is being quietly shopped around and may even end up in a swap deal with a northern club
 

2ndphase

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TBaz will get the best out of Thompson running better lines and with a better attacking structure.
 
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