Matt Papali’i

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strawclearer
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Matt Papali’i

Post by strawclearer »

Thought people might be interested in our soon-to-be-former 12/10...

https://www.playersvoice.com.au/matt-to ... rOj5eYf.97
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Jacko27
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Jacko27 »

Brilliant article - one of the most interesting putting-rugby-in-a-context articles I've read in along time. I do have this feeling that Tigers didn't get their money's worth out of Matt but this article really made me warm to him and respect him as a human being. Thanks strawclearer! By the way I still think Matt Toomua/Papali'i is a super-talented rugby player who has a great deal more to offer - just disappointed that not much of it will be for us.
Scuttle
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Scuttle »

Interesting how he talks of his time over here in the past tense.......I may be missing something.
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sapajo
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by sapajo »

Look forward to him doing his talking on the pitch in Tigers colours for the rest of the season.
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LE18
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by LE18 »

I cant be bothered to read all of this, my admiration for a great player went out of the door when he stitched us up! Yes I know its great to represent your Country, (incidentally shouldn't it have been Samoa, )but we are left with no creditable FH during the Internationals, having to play Ford :smt022 We would have coped much better if we had, Harrison, Toomua, Olowofeloa, Eastmond, Owen, Holmes and Vieanu. If TV had remained fit.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Traveller »

Never doubted him as a human. being. Never doubted him as a player. He is a marvellous talent. But as a professional rugby player he has let Leicester Tigers down very badly.
Leicestertinytiger
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Leicestertinytiger »

Definitely shafted us. Was making out not that long ago that he wanted to finish his rugby playing career in Leicester which was music to all our ears. How quickly things change and suddenly our squad is looking all the worse for it.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by johnthegriff »

If Matt Toomua had not answered the call of the Wallabies I doubt that we would have signed Kyle Eastmond. I still do not understand why so many condemn a player for accepting the honor of playing for his country and criticize Tigers for not preventing it yet revere Waldrom who let us down by playing for England to whom he had minimal connection and criticize Tigers for not offering him more money to keep him. Double standards?
Scuttle
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Scuttle »

Nobody has a right to expect anyone to act or believe in any particular way; we can hope they do but as long as they are within the bounds of law/contracts/agreements/permissions we cannot expect it. In Matt's case he has a right to do what he thinks is best for him, his family and his career and we have no right to expect him to do otherwise, albeit we may have hoped he did.
Equally we all have a right to be disappointed in his choice or to be OK about it, and to express our feelings. Nobody, including Matt, has a right to expect us to respond in any particular way.
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LE18
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by LE18 »

johnthegriff wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 9:58 am If Matt Toomua had not answered the call of the Wallabies I doubt that we would have signed Kyle Eastmond. I still do not understand why so many condemn a player for accepting the honor of playing for his country and criticize Tigers for not preventing it yet revere Waldrom who let us down by playing for England to whom he had minimal connection and criticize Tigers for not offering him more money to keep him. Double standards?
Sorry John, I cant agree with you there, bringing Waldron back into the discussion, as everyone keeps saying (not me) Crane was better than Waldron, therefore we benefited when he was selected!

As for Toomua, we are left, shafted, with Joe Ford. :smt013
Leicestertinytiger
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Leicestertinytiger »

LE18 wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:28 pm
johnthegriff wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 9:58 am If Matt Toomua had not answered the call of the Wallabies I doubt that we would have signed Kyle Eastmond. I still do not understand why so many condemn a player for accepting the honor of playing for his country and criticize Tigers for not preventing it yet revere Waldrom who let us down by playing for England to whom he had minimal connection and criticize Tigers for not offering him more money to keep him. Double standards?
Sorry John, I cant agree with you there, bringing Waldron back into the discussion, as everyone keeps saying (not me) Crane was better than Waldron, therefore we benefited when he was selected!

As for Toomua, we are left, shafted, with Joe Ford. :smt013
Exactly people can dress it up whichever way they want. Cold hard fact is Joe Ford is starting at the weekend because of this....
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by TigerCam »

Leicestertinytiger wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:51 pm
LE18 wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:28 pm
johnthegriff wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 9:58 am If Matt Toomua had not answered the call of the Wallabies I doubt that we would have signed Kyle Eastmond. I still do not understand why so many condemn a player for accepting the honor of playing for his country and criticize Tigers for not preventing it yet revere Waldrom who let us down by playing for England to whom he had minimal connection and criticize Tigers for not offering him more money to keep him. Double standards?
Sorry John, I cant agree with you there, bringing Waldron back into the discussion, as everyone keeps saying (not me) Crane was better than Waldron, therefore we benefited when he was selected!

As for Toomua, we are left, shafted, with Joe Ford. :smt013
Exactly people can dress it up whichever way they want. Cold hard fact is Joe Ford is starting at the weekend because of this....
IMO, TTT over Crane any day of the week!!
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LE18
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by LE18 »

TigerCam wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:19 pm
Leicestertinytiger wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:51 pm
LE18 wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:28 pm

Sorry John, I cant agree with you there, bringing Waldron back into the discussion, as everyone keeps saying (not me) Crane was better than Waldron, therefore we benefited when he was selected!

As for Toomua, we are left, shafted, with Joe Ford. :smt013
Exactly people can dress it up whichever way they want. Cold hard fact is Joe Ford is starting at the weekend because of this....
IMO, TTT over Crane any day of the week!!
Exactly my point, but most people say that Crane was better, so if that was the case Tigers were better off when Waldron was away :smt009 , but its 100% the reverse with Toomua, we are stuffed with J Ford.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Soggypitch »

MT is a great guy and a brilliant rugby player, who can blame him for wanting to play for his country?!

As for "leaving us in the lurch" with JF, what rubbish, blame the Tigers recruitment policy, it has been useless for a few years, hence our gradual demise.......

Good on ya Matt!!
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by BengalTiger »

It is not Matt's fault we have Joe Ford as back up 10, that all comes down to signing his brother George, prior to that we we had two good 10's, after that signing we had one good and one poor, MT was papering over this error in our recruiting, the fact he was better that Joe Ford is irrelevant, almost any squad member could do better, the fact we persevere with Joe shows a total lack of ruthlessness or even common sense from the coaching set up, unless it is a clause in George's contract that prevents Joe being released, I cannot understand why he keeps getting game-time.
Back on topic, I am sure Matt is a fine chap and wish him well for the future but the whole episode leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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