Matt Papali’i

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Leicestertinytiger
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Leicestertinytiger »

Does anyone else feel that Toomua has done a Tim Stimpson and mentally vacated playing for Tigers a few months early?

Considering he is our marquee player and on big money, you would hope he would be at the forefront of trying to get us back to our winning ways. He has the ability to drag us kicking and screaming to a victory. But his recent performances have been massively lacklustre and uninspiring. You can tell his heart is no longer with the club.
CitizenSmiff
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by CitizenSmiff »

For his calibre of player and the money we pay him I'm disappointed too, but a portion of the blame has to rest squarely on whoever OK'd that ridiculous sweetheart deal with the Aussies without lining up a replacement first.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by JP14 »

CitizenSmiff wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:34 am For his calibre of player and the money we pay him I'm disappointed too, but a portion of the blame has to rest squarely on whoever OK'd that ridiculous sweetheart deal with the Aussies without lining up a replacement first.
Kyle Eastmond?
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Scott1
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Scott1 »

Thought Eastmond was a squad filler and nothing to do with Matt?
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JP14
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by JP14 »

Maybe but he was signed after the announcement of Toomua’s impending departure.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by ABClub »

Leicestertinytiger wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:06 am Does anyone else feel that Toomua has done a Tim Stimpson and mentally vacated playing for Tigers a few months early?

Considering he is our marquee player and on big money, you would hope he would be at the forefront of trying to get us back to our winning ways. He has the ability to drag us kicking and screaming to a victory. But his recent performances have been massively lacklustre and uninspiring. You can tell his heart is no longer with the club.
Puerile and uninformed nonsense.

Toomua is a ball playing 12. He can't drag any team 'kicking and screaming' without ball to play with. With our scrum Tigers should be dominating field position and territory. The dire line-out is the main culprit for that not being possible. Nothing to do with Toomua there.

The defence rightly takes a lot of flack but the line-out is the biggest culprit in the narrow games Tigers should have won this season. A line-out like Tigers surrenders field position and heaps pressure on the defence over and over again.

When Matt plays 12 I think it's noticeable that the line is better organised for its first defensive sets. A defence routinely losing structure after 3-4 phases isn't down to any individual but lack of coaching and cohesion.

I also think Manu usually plays much better with Toomua at 12. Without Toomua there Manu often looks like a player trying to do too much himself.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by ourla »

Toomua interview

He's quality and certainly will be a help rather than a hindrance for the rest of the season.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Leicestertinytiger »

ABClub wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:50 am
Leicestertinytiger wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:06 am Does anyone else feel that Toomua has done a Tim Stimpson and mentally vacated playing for Tigers a few months early?

Considering he is our marquee player and on big money, you would hope he would be at the forefront of trying to get us back to our winning ways. He has the ability to drag us kicking and screaming to a victory. But his recent performances have been massively lacklustre and uninspiring. You can tell his heart is no longer with the club.
Puerile and uninformed nonsense.

Toomua is a ball playing 12. He can't drag any team 'kicking and screaming' without ball to play with. With our scrum Tigers should be dominating field position and territory. The dire line-out is the main culprit for that not being possible. Nothing to do with Toomua there.

The defence rightly takes a lot of flack but the line-out is the biggest culprit in the narrow games Tigers should have won this season. A line-out like Tigers surrenders field position and heaps pressure on the defence over and over again.

When Matt plays 12 I think it's noticeable that the line is better organised for its first defensive sets. A defence routinely losing structure after 3-4 phases isn't down to any individual but lack of coaching and cohesion.

I also think Manu usually plays much better with Toomua at 12. Without Toomua there Manu often looks like a player trying to do too much himself.
I would argue the 10-13 axis has looked much better with Eastmond. How many awful showstopper passes has Toomua gone for recently that drift out of play on the full.

Obviously that’s your opinion. But my opinion stands that he isn’t putting in a 100% shift for Tigers.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Soggypitch »

I largely agree with ABClub.

Toomua is one of the good guys, but even he can lose confidence and thereafter some form.....

Playing for Leicester and Australia that's hardly surprising, on current form!!

We really will need him at 10 during the 6Ns, hopefully with Eastmond and Owen outside him and a fit again Harrison firing us up at 9.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by drc_007 »

Toomua is below par at present but backs all suffer when the pack underperforms.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by mol2 »

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?
Perhaps because Tigers are an English club and thus should be supporting England players.

We should not need to bend over backwards to support those who chose to play for other countries. Players who come from overseas suggesting that they have ceased to be internationals may well be paid more than those that are likely to be absent and as a club it might just be reasonable to feel that we are not getting our money's worth.
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by Leicestertinytiger »

mol2 wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:58 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?
Perhaps because Tigers are an English club and thus should be supporting England players.

We should not need to bend over backwards to support those who chose to play for other countries. Players who come from overseas suggesting that they have ceased to be internationals may well be paid more than those that are likely to be absent and as a club it might just be reasonable to feel that we are not getting our money's worth.
Exactly! I have a feeling especially after he’s left that we will feel short changed somewhat!
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by wellstiger »

Country over club?

Being selected for Country is an honour.
Playing for club is a paid profession which should lead to Cup/medal success and selection for you Country.
If you think you are at the twilight of your career,and truly believe International honours have flown by, then surely you go to a club where you can secure a playing career and hopefully help them with cup/medal honours.
Due to the lack of recent success in the Australian camp they have chosen to go route 1 with a trusted level of experience.
Their gain our loss.
If on present form he believes he can play a part in the WORLD CUP.. then good luck to him.
As an England supporter I'd sooner play an Australian team full of post retired personnel with similar form.
Our gain their loss
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Re: Matt Papali’i

Post by ay2oh »

Leicestertinytiger wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:06 am Does anyone else feel that Toomua has done a Tim Stimpson and mentally vacated playing for Tigers a few months early?

Considering he is our marquee player and on big money, you would hope he would be at the forefront of trying to get us back to our winning ways. He has the ability to drag us kicking and screaming to a victory. But his recent performances have been massively lacklustre and uninspiring. You can tell his heart is no longer with the club.
Very unfair to say that his heart is not with the club.yes is form is patchy but that is not surprising considering the poor quality ball that the backs are getting from the forwards. In my view Toomua is a genuine guy who had a very difficult decision to make and as much as I would have loved him to stay it was not to be
A2O
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