Matera

[RagingBull]

Tonight I finally realised what cockers was going on about.

Before he has looked really strong and dangerous.

Tonight he was a liability.

He has so much raw strength and aggression but he needs to channel it and learn how to handle things when against a tougher team (Yes I know he has played against the AB, SA and Aus, but league games imo can get much more frustrating for players.

But I fully understand why Cockers feels he needs a full preseason and season here with Salvi.

A great talent with a big future none the less though.

[kpj tiger]

He was poor today but he just needs to learn how to channel his agression and when to compete for the ball, remember this guy hadn't even played for his amateur clubs first team before arriving here

[sapajo]

Agreed total liability who cost us dearly if he wants to stay then he must learn to channel and control his agression if he is to realise his full potential.

[RagingBull]

He was poor today but he just needs to learn how to channel his agression and when to compete for the ball, remember this guy hadn't even played for his amateur clubs first team before arriving here

that's why I said I understand why cockers wants a full preseason and season to work with him.

Today showed how Raw he is whereas when he played against Newcastle and in the LV he showed what he can do.

[kpj tiger]

To be fair he showed what he can do today, he has buckets of power and is extremely tenacious, it was just a shame that he let the emotion get the better of him, but hey IMO he was no less aggressive than Mike Brown but he somehow got away with it

[WiggoTiger]

Feel he cost us the game. 3 points would have made us win!! A liability....Mafi please

[Bristol Tiger]

I think that is being overly harsh on Matera. He came on much earlier than expected and we ended up with an unbalanced back row (2 x 7s and a 6). Yes he gave away penalties, and yes he deserved the yellow, but why a tip tackle gets the penalty reversed but a forearm smash in retaliation doesn't is beyond me - so I would blame the ref as much as Matera!

In tonight's game, our forwards generally came out second best across the park. We lacked any go forward from any of them. Ben Youngs was constantly going backwards to retrieve the ball and we played straight into the hands of a rush Harlequins defence. Conceding a penalty try before half-time was also pretty poor and again down to collective forwards effort ...

[TigerLad]

To be fair he showed what he can do today, he has buckets of power and is extremely tenacious, it was just a shame that he let the emotion get the better of him, but hey IMO he was no less aggressive than Mike Brown but he somehow got away with it

Completely agree with you. At 20 he has all the talent needed to get to the very top but he does need to work on these things. There's a case for saying Brown's tackle on Flood was worse than Matera's. Matera and Ward were wrestling and Matera won, unfortunately he won by so much that he ended up dumping Ward on his behind. Flood wasn't even looking at Brown when he was tackled, to make it worse Brown basically throttled Flood on the floor. It wasn't the first time Brown was involved in this type of thing either. His anger is clearly an issue for him. Nasty player.

[Ian Cant]

Crane getting injured really cost us as the scrum and defence lost its way afterwards. Sat with Quins fans who are always great and although at first Wrigglesworth wasn't their favourite person he soon became so!
Matera though should have realised we had the penalty, would hve been 7 up and at least a draw secured! Selection more to blame though as Parling should have gone to second row and put Slater in the back row!!!
Apart from the tries I really thought we were poor and need Bowden back and no Matera(until he has a pre-season with us), sorry, but he really did cost us!

[tigerburnie]

I thought we needed more of his type of aggressive play, channel it, but certainly don't curb it. We needed a bit to rub off on the rest of the forwards, sides don't fear us like they used to, we need a farmer White in the side.

[GT1]

Calmed down now but for me Manu tapping that pen to himself was a mistake that ultimately cost us a last chance of win. It should have gone to the corner for catch & drive
I agree that Crane leaving so soon(it didn't seem too bad when he spoke on RL after match) did unbalance us & Parling probably should of come on with Slater to 8!
Wigglesworth is out of his depth reffing at this level but is probably a shoe in for the final

[MrPartridge]

I've said in the Quins v Tigers string we don't 'roll the dice ' enough. Totally agree with others that there was a great opportunity to swap Matera for Parling and move Slater to 8. Missed the chance and it couldn't have gone worse!

I think Matera has potential but he needs work. Mafi next game for me or Croft (if possible).

[covrich]

I was frustrated by what he did, it was that passage which basically turned the result 180.. a 7 point lead could have been a bit too much to come back from , as it was they were right down in our corner and then 1 point ahead..

Not pinning all the blame on him but it was a frustrating moment.

[jgriffin]

It is also why I and others have advocated Slater as an 8 - captain in place and in control. All the attributes and more, Parisi-like in ability.

[Hot_Charlie]

All those in the "he's a liability" camp may like to cast their mind back to our last "liability" who could have cost us dear - Manu ruling himself out of the premiership final in 2011. Who knows what could have occurred in the final had he not over reacted to Mr Ashton's gentle shove.

People should retain a bit of perspective; yes he's an international (albeit still a tyro), but as another poster has said, his experience of week-in week-out intense club rugby is still less than 6 months.

Give the lad a chance. Hopefully the finances will allow the club to do the same.