Steve Matai

[DSM5]

He had a terrific game today.  Took the ball up strongly, gave nothing away, and his play was muscular and strong.  Resign him for another couple and send Perry to England.  Good tough win.   

 

[chrisos]

I agree,i was saying last week how well hes been going so far,he is just so solid in defence and looks good carrying the ball too,hes really playing well.Yes re-sign the man and let Perry go where he wants.

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

Dsm5 i was one of those in the off season that had negative things to say about matai e.g. injury prone & coming off the line to quick i take it back he's been playing well.

 

[DSM5]

Pontian, I was on his tail for the last couple of seasons, but he really has started strongly and is one of our best.  He'd be fine in the second row as well.  I'm loath to say it but Choc and King are playing poorly imo.  Surely there's a product that one can spray on ones hands.   

 

[bhot]

Pontian, I was on his tail for the last couple of seasons, but he really has started strongly and is one of our best.  He'd be fine in the second row as well.  I'm loath to say it but Choc and King are playing poorly imo.  Surely there's a product that one can spray on ones hands.   

agree...choc seems a bit off his game, but I saw a few of his attacking plays where he showed some of the spark of last year...hopefully he can get back to that. It might be the change in halves combo that is affecting his attack.

 

[SilentBob]

He has stepped up this season. Consistently one of the best, he has matured and got rid of some of the junk in his game, he's only 25, plenty of good years ahead of him.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Got the Man of the Match on the radio, personally Kite was mine

We should definitely be trying hard to retain Matai imo, centre is 1 of the toughest places on the park to learn, and Matai is still only 24-25 with improvement left in him

 

[Pepi]

Agree Kiwi, retain Kite and Matai.
Piss Perry off.

 

[court83]

Matai has been great so far!!!can anyone remember the last time he played 4 games in a row without clutching his neck/shoulder???? 4years atleast!

Not too worried bout choc yet,he never hits form til 5 to 7 weeks into the season..remember some ppl wanted him benched or relegated to qld b4 he went on his rampage

 

[Nutzcraw]

I think the new halves is effecting choc in attack... that will come. No excuses why he dropped the pill so often today though. I think the real choc will be back after the first origin!

 

[DSM5]

On current form he won't get picked for Origin, and better for us if he's not. 

 

[Nutzcraw]

you forgetting last years series.... he'll be first picked

 

[chrisos]

I can't believe it! 4 rounds in and havent seen matai go down injured clutching at the neck lol i used to joke that there should have been a sportstab bet to see how many minutes Matai would go without being injured in some shape or form,he is in very good form at the moment and to use a cliche has really hit a purple patch i believe,i just hope he can keep it up,he is a formidable defender and just knows where to position himself,but yeah watmough will get better as the season goes on i think,as long as he can cut out the mistakes he will be back to his best as time goes on,but the dropped balls frrom watmough are a bit of a worry and YES piss Perry off!                                                                                           

 

[DSM5]

Nutz, you forget that Bellemy doesn't like the guy, and there's a load of backrowers who hold onto the ball.  Dropped ball at SOO level can be deadly.

 

[Liueli of Brookvale]

On current form he won't get picked for Origin, and better for us if he's not. 

I hope no Manly players get picked for SOO.. I'm selfish like that. Hopefully Bellyache (Pfffft.. D*ck-head!) doesn't wanna bar of us.

 

[OneEyedEagle]

Pontian, I was on his tail for the last couple of seasons, but he really has started strongly and is one of our best.  He'd be fine in the second row as well.  I'm loath to say it but Choc and King are playing poorly imo.  Surely there's a product that one can spray on ones hands.   

DSM5, I think you will find that Choc is looking for that combination with Hodgkinson as he enjoyed with OX. It will come over time where Hodgkinson can place Choc into the gap.

Although it was a scrappy game yesterday it was a good win to have away and much needed.

 

[Normie]

Agree Kiwi, retain Kite and Matai.
Piss Perry off.

I second that motion!

 

[ConcernedSupporter]

[quote author=DSM5 link=topic=182913.msg257984#msg257984 date=1270378370]
On current form he won't get picked for Origin, and better for us if he's not. 

I hope no Manly players get picked for SOO.. I'm selfish like that. Hopefully Bellyache (Pfffft.. D*ck-head!) doesn't wanna bar of us.
[/quote]

Agreed, after all look what happened last time they snubbed our players completely.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Spoke to Steve at the Auckland post match function, had major off season surgery on his shoulder and said he's never felt better...the Dr who did it is the same one that did my own shoulder when I had a tumble off my motorbike in 2003...when I walked into his surgery and behind him was a signed photo of Greg Norman with a " thanks to you Doc I am back and back winning again"...I knew I'd made the right choice and so it seems has Stevie.

 

[Bradza]

The combo with the halves is not the reason Choc keeps dropping the ball in the tackle and when he is getting up to play the ball and it is not the reason he gives penalties away. I agree that he will be one of the first picked for SOO but on current form he shouldn't be.

On a positive note, when he gets back to top form it is going to be in a team that is going pretty solidly rather than in 2009 when there were only about 3 players in any kind of decent form.