Lelia Masaga

[Nickdnz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Mar 3 2010, 02:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Why did Roko get so ****? He was a 'revelation' not too long ago and people were saying he is better than Habana (LOL). But seriously though, he was brilliant! What happened? Injury?[/b]

Well, I'd say he was certainly up there with Habana as the best winger in the world. What happened was he got too big (106kgs) in muscle not fat, which meant he slowed down. He's now lost the weight now but dosn't seem to have the same confidence or instinct he once had. I still think he has more to offer and if he gets his confidence and instincts up, and gets a bit more pace back, I think he could really be in contention for the RWC. He will however have to have a great S14 and Air New Zealand Cup if he is to beat the other contestants.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The way I look at it is what wingers do I hate too see lined up against the Springboks. With Masaga, good runner that he is, I would actualy be relieved. Same with Rock.[/b]

Rokocoko does hold the record for most Tri Nations tries, which would indicate he is the most dangerous out of all of them in his prime, however he is not what he was in 2003-2006. Still I think he may find form. Masaga needs more time in Internationals. He can perform real magic, it's just wether he can perform it against the best teams in the world.

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Good thing we have the forwards to dominate if PdV makes the right selections and a better scrumhalf.[/b]

Well, I'd say South Africa will have a poorer front row. Woodcock and Hayman should put together an extremly powerful scrum and Hore and Mealamu are both very good options. South Africa will have the line out, although Chris Jack, Brad Thorn and Ali Williams will no doubt offer great opposition. In the loose forwards, we have McCaw but that's it. McCaw's great but Kaino/Thompson and Ried/So'oialo wont do as well as a loose forward trio of Smith, Spies, Burger. I don't know if SA will "Dominate" however I'd perhaps give them a slight edge in everything but the scrum. The good thing is, we have amazing attacking options that I'd say we're probably the best in the world at the moment, especially with out options in the back three. It'd be an interesting final if it was NZ vs SA...I'd imagine SA will learn from our mistake and have their meals out .

 

[stormer2010]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Mar 2 2010, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Why did Roko get so ****? He was a 'revelation' not too long ago and people were saying he is better than Habana (LOL). But seriously though, he was brilliant! What happened? Injury?[/b]

I think he lost too much speed; look at Habana mid S14 last year but he turned it around in a month. Its a training mismanagement issue. Also, defences are more organised, he is a known threat and the game has slightly changed; less ball out wide with space and wingers need to do more.

 

[jawmalawm24]

Lelia's fast and a definate threat when it comes to offense but defensively he's quite poor. I only watched about the last 15-20min of the Chiefs vs Reds game and Lelia missed a few tackles but his crucial mistake was that he got lazy chasing a lose ball that had been kicked from one of the Reds players assuming his team mate Liam Messam would get it leading to a try which could have been avoided.

I like watching him play but if he could d up a bit better he would be the complete player because while he made a few mistakes in the time I watched the game he also made some awesome runs with the ball especially the one where he ran around Quade Cooper than bunted off Will Genia.

 

[Nickdnz]

Yeah, but Messam really should have got that. He didn't look if anyone was chasing.

 

[Muzzy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (stormer2010 @ Mar 3 2010, 01:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ChiefsFan @ Mar 2 2010, 06:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Muzzy @ Mar 2 2010, 11:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i've noticed when it comes to the all blacks, wingers don't do as well, they hardly get any ball and when they do they run into touch, except for Sivivatu of course who always plays well for the ab's though he has gotten fat this season.

but thats what happened with Hosea Gear, he plays so well for the Hurricanes and Wellington, but when he never did anything special for the AB's suddenly he gets dropped. i think with Masaga he also just finishes off tries, i've never seen him turn a game around either. i hope Guilford can prove himself to be more though, he already has great defence and has just as much speed as Masaga[/b]

What, have you never seen him play before or something?
[/b][/quote]

I have to agree. Guildford nowhere near the pure defence beating running of Gear, Sivi or Masaga nor the skills of Jane. Falls into the same category as David Smith, Rene Ranger and on current form, Rokocoko for me; good but not an All Black.
[/b][/quote]

we'll see we'll see <_< , Masaga has gotten better though, he probably will be in the ab's, Guilford had a quiet S14 last year with the Hurricanes and he was mostly on the bench for the Hurricanes last year, he got two games for the AB's at the end of year tour and did pretty well with what he had, but Guilford has been playing brilliantly in the ANZ Cup in 09 and 08 and has been on great form for the Crusaders too. idk how much of the NZ Cup you get in SA, but David Smith is actually just like Masaga, except Masaga imo is better, but they are very similar players, both very fast and strong on attack but aren't as good in the other areas.

as for Rokocoko imo he's never played as well for Auckland and the Blues as he did for NZ, he's looking a lot fitter now but he doesn't get much ball, i'm not taking anything away from Joe he's played some great games but he even said himself in 03 he was only picked for NZ because Caucau wasn't eligable to play for NZ, and at that time there weren't too many good NZ wingers coz most of them happened to be fijian and ineligible for nz lol.

 

[187]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Muzzy @ Mar 6 2010, 03:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

as for Rokocoko imo he's never played as well for Auckland and the Blues as he did for NZ, he's looking a lot fitter now but he doesn't get much ball, i'm not taking anything away from Joe he's played some great games but he even said himself in 03 he was only picked for NZ because Caucau wasn't eligable to play for NZ, and at that time there weren't too many good NZ wingers coz most of them happened to be fijian and ineligible for nz lol.[/b]

Really?! Roko said that? he was the next best thing though. he was pretty much the best winger in the world at the time.

But yea, i don't think he will ever get his form back. He's lost too much confidence.

 

[Nickdnz]

In 2003 Rokocoko was better then Caucau... I mean in Super 14 Caucau was very impressive but Rokocoko scored twice as many tries as tests in 2003. I'd rate him as one of New Zealands greatest wingers of all time.

 

[candybum]

Yes Caucau was a devastating attacking player but lacked other areas in his game like his work rate in defense, this is where Rokocoko has over Caucau. Its hard to tell how well Caucau would have done if he was eligible for the AB's, if he were i'm pretty sure the backline would have been 15. Howlett 14. Rocks 11. Caucau. Would've have been mean heads!

 

[Nickdnz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (candybum @ Mar 6 2010, 09:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Yes Caucau was a devastating attacking player but lacked other areas in his game like his work rate in defense, this is where Rokocoko has over Caucau. Its hard to tell how well Caucau would have done if he was eligible for the AB's, if he were i'm pretty sure the backline would have been 15. Howlett 14. Rocks 11. Caucau. Would've have been mean heads![/b]

Which is my current Blues backline in Rugby 08. Hurricanes still win with Hosea Gear, Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen.

 

[Muzzy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nickdnz @ Mar 6 2010, 08:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

In 2003 Rokocoko was better then Caucau... I mean in Super 14 Caucau was very impressive but Rokocoko scored twice as many tries as tests in 2003. I'd rate him as one of New Zealands greatest wingers of all time.[/b]

thats because Caucau played for Fiji, Fiji don't play nearly as many games as NZ do, rokocoko was part of a team that were beating teams like italy by 70 points and playing more games

 

[ChiefsFan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nickdnz @ Mar 7 2010, 12:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (candybum @ Mar 6 2010, 09:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes Caucau was a devastating attacking player but lacked other areas in his game like his work rate in defense, this is where Rokocoko has over Caucau. Its hard to tell how well Caucau would have done if he was eligible for the AB's, if he were i'm pretty sure the backline would have been 15. Howlett 14. Rocks 11. Caucau. Would've have been mean heads![/b]

Which is my current Blues backline in Rugby 08. Hurricanes still win with Hosea Gear, Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen.
[/b][/quote]


Both Gear and Lomu could be in the Blues backline too.

 

[Nickdnz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Muzzy @ Mar 7 2010, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nickdnz @ Mar 6 2010, 08:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In 2003 Rokocoko was better then Caucau... I mean in Super 14 Caucau was very impressive but Rokocoko scored twice as many tries as tests in 2003. I'd rate him as one of New Zealands greatest wingers of all time.[/b]

thats because Caucau played for Fiji, Fiji don't play nearly as many games as NZ do, rokocoko was part of a team that were beating teams like italy by 70 points and playing more games
[/b][/quote]
Well mate, he's equal to Cullen in Tri Nations try scoring, most of which he scored in 2003. So no, he didn't score any tries against easy nations in 2003. And despite Caucau playing for Fiji, if he was in the All Blacks I still don't think he would have scored as many tries as Rokocoko. I'm not saying he wasn't a better winger throughout his career, it's just Rokocoko had a freak start to his International career.

Gear was at his best as a Crusader...

And **** the Blues having Lomu.