G&GR Reds Player of the Match (v Chiefs)

[RugbyReg]

brainless? He was on the opposite wing covering one of the most dangerous players in the game. Very strong tackle that went a little bit wrong. He never drove him into the ground or anything.

Regardless, that makes him far and away our worse?

 

[Spook]

I thought Vaaulu had a strong game despite the tackle.

 

[Epi]

brainless? He was on the opposite wing covering one of the most dangerous players in the game. Very strong tackle that went a little bit wrong. He never drove him into the ground or anything.

Regardless, that makes him far and away our worse?

At the time it looked like he deliberately lifted him - not a strong tackle gone wrong.. But I haven't seen the replay.

He had some absolute shockers last year so any mistakes he makes this year are going to be magnified...

 

[TOCC]

i think we all need to remember that Will Genia was suspended last year for a senseless tackle very similar to Vaalu's against the Chiefs

 

[tranquility]

In my opinion Brando's only saving grace was his size, and defensive contribution (barring that tackle) in tight.

He lacks pace, creativity, he doesn't read the game well as he rarely pops up in dangerous positions. He plays the wing game like an under 12 waiting out wide to run around the other backline.

He has struggled his entire career at Super level, surviving on a bloated schoolboy reputation where he bullied smaller backs (along with Charlie Fetoai) in the Brisbane GPS comp for State High. He has played enough games to show that he is really struggling to take the next step.

In my eyes keeping him, just means we are less chance of retaining Toua - who is a far superior footballer.

 

[RugbyReg]

yeah ok, but what you actually said before was

Brando was the worst player on the field by some margin.

I know you have some fairly significant man love for Toua, but I think your being a tad harsh on Brando here. He lacks speed, and was put into space early by Morgan and showed it. Morahan or Davies would have been away. But I thought he played solidly. Did a lot of work off his wing. Tackled well enough.

 

[Redsfan]

I think Brando's tackle was a necessary evil, and he was unlucky to get pinged for it, it didn't seem all that dangerous. It shut down a very threatening movement from the Chiefs, almost saving a try (at least that's what I thought at the time, I haven't watched the game sober yet).

 

[Epi]

i think we all need to remember that Will Genia was suspended last year for a senseless tackle very similar to Vaalu's against the Chiefs

yeah... But it's acceptable when a half-back does it due to the man-shame suffered by the victim...

 

[tranquility]

As a basic formula, the amount of tries the Reds will score will decrease exponentially while we have Brando on one of our flanks.

 

[Scotty]

I thought I recall him making a few handling errors as well as the yellow card. IMO his positives were outweighed by his negatives. Not saying he was that bad, but he was well down when you compare to others.

Who do you think was the worst, Noddy?

 

[RugbyReg]

Chambers I thought was our worse. Vaaulu not too far behind. Houston was pretty anonymous too. But some of the comments on here suggesting Brando's played his last ever game for the Reds and he was BY FAR our worst player - they are a tad over the top.

 

[tranquility]

We must look for different things me and you, nod. I thought Houston was pretty good in tight, plenty of pick and goes and didn't fall of tackles. I also thought Chambers by and large was quite good, he show little glimpses that he is made of the right stuff. However it is painfully clear that he is a 13 and not a wing - and some of his league style defense of running out of the line from wing to break down a movement was terrifying to watch. That's purely an experience thing though, but I glad we've got him.

 

[Doc]

Chambers I thought was our worse.

Think it was one of the worst individual performances in a long time. But I'm sure people will look at him scoring and think he went ok, like when a goal kicker wins man of the match.

Concerns me that the Reds are broke but can afford to lure this clown away from league.

 

[Ruggo]

The difference in Higgers game at 6 instead of 8 was massive.

 

[TOCC]

i thought Houston went well as well, i gotta admit that i didnt even recognise him at first, look so much skinner then he was last year

 

[disco]

3. Braid
2. A. Fainga'a
1. Genia.

I'm only doing one special mention this week as there is about 10 I could list but Ben Daley has to get a mention, I've watched this game 3 times now & Daley on this form is a cert for the Wallabies.

Great ball carrier & briliant defender and his clean out work at the ruck is brilliant.

Re comments from Noddy & Tranquility: I also thought that Chambers was a bits of a passenger on Friday & he still has a long way to go in rugby. Brando won't be playing this week only because Ioane & Hynes will be back & Morahan will claim a wing spot.
Brando will be a very good 13 in a couple of years but he is definitely not a winger same goes for Chambers so maybe by next year they'll be fighting for the same spot.

Houston & Higginbotham both played well & neither of them aren't standing out like they did last year because Mckenzie has them playing a lot tighter.