Player Watch #42 Mykelti Lefau

[Sol23]

So far 2 of the returning acl's have both sustained medium and long term injuries. So serpell isn't setting the world on fire

Why on earth we'd risk playing hotton and gibcus this year is beyond me

So you just wrap them up in cotton wool for the rest of the year? Give it a rest.

 

[Tiger_4_Life]

So you just wrap them up in cotton wool for the rest of the year? Give it a rest.

Correct

 

[T4P]

Correct

Honestly they should just retire, can't come back from an ACL at all

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Second ruck?

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Second ruck?

Think he'll struggle unless there's injuries

 

[tiger_tough]

Handy, versatile backup worst case.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Think he'll struggle unless there's injuries

I’m a fan, I think he would be excellent alongside Lynch , he offers something different with his speed and brute power at ground level. Puts the fear into opposition backs and makes the small forwards job a lot easier, when he crashes packs.

BUT the flip side is we’ve got to fast track Faull, Armstrong, Fawcett, Sims and Lalor is a genuine threat in the air. I think unless Lefau is shooting the lights out, developing our next Premiership team gets priority .

But if Lynch is injured/ managed throughout the season he’s a great guy to play alongside our 2nd/3rd year talls.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

BUT the flip side is we’ve got to fast track Faull, Armstrong, Fawcett, Sims and Lalor is a genuine threat in the air. I think unless Lefau is shooting the lights out, developing our next Premiership team gets priority .

But if Lynch is injured/ managed throughout the season he’s a great guy to play alongside our 2nd/3rd year talls.

Agree

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I’m a fan, I think he would be excellent alongside Lynch , he offers something different with his speed and brute power at ground level. Puts the fear into opposition backs and makes the small forwards job a lot easier, when he crashes packs.

BUT the flip side is we’ve got to fast track Faull, Armstrong, Fawcett, Sims and Lalor is a genuine threat in the air. I think unless Lefau is shooting the lights out, developing our next Premiership team gets priority .

But if Lynch is injured/ managed throughout the season he’s a great guy to play alongside our 2nd/3rd year talls.

There are potentially other roles for Lefau apart from key forward. But the same thing is probably occurring in every sector of the ground for us, the youngsters might get priority.

I wouldn't mind seeing us start with a key forward brigade of Lynch, Lefau and just one of the young guns. Playing Armstrong on a wing and Faull as the 3rd tall forward could accommodate this.

I don't envy the selectors. Our best 23 after rd 23 could bear very little resemblance to the team that is picked for rd 1.

 

[THE_GUN]

I like Lefau on the list for another 1-2 years while the kids develop and get games
He adds depth both foward / Defence and as a backup Ruck if required

He also sets standards the kids have to beat to become better players and if playing VFL makes our team more competitive and sets good standards with his preparation.


Very good depth player 30-44

 

[Charlie Pannam]

There are potentially other roles for Lefau apart from key forward. But the same thing is probably occurring in every sector of the ground for us, the youngsters might get priority.

I wouldn't mind seeing us start with a key forward brigade of Lynch, Lefau and just one of the young guns. Playing Armstrong on a wing and Faull as the 3rd tall forward could accommodate this.

I don't envy the selectors. Our best 23 after rd 23 could bear very little resemblance to the team that is picked for rd 1.

I think it’s going to be a squeeze early in the season, fitting all our young talls in. You don’t want to go in unbalanced, but I guess with a bench of 5 this year, there’s room for playing an extra tall.
Are we really entertaining playing Armstrong on a wing? I’ve read this on a couple of different sites, I’m not sure I agree with this. I know Trainor did it a bit last year but imo it makes more sense to get games into him as a kpf.
I’d be starting with Faull and Armstrong ( alongside Lynch) in the forward line and then give the likes of Fawcett and Lefau throughout the year.
It’ll be the same issue in our backline with Gray and Gibcus pushing for selection when you have Balta/Miller/Broad/ Trainor all 193+.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I think it’s going to be a squeeze early in the season, fitting all our young talls in. You don’t want to go in unbalanced, but I guess with a bench of 5 this year, there’s room for playing an extra tall.
Are we really entertaining playing Armstrong on a wing? I’ve read this on a couple of different sites, I’m not sure I agree with this. I know Trainor did it a bit last year but imo it makes more sense to get games into him as a kpf.
I’d be starting with Faull and Armstrong ( alongside Lynch) in the forward line and then give the likes of Fawcett and Lefau throughout the year.
It’ll be the same issue in our backline with Gray and Gibcus pushing for selection when you have Balta/Miller/Broad/ Trainor all 193+.

I have no idea re Armstrong on a wing. Has clearly been training key forward in some recent sessions from the footage. But he has a decent tank apparently, so may be a candidate to play on a wing for us at times. It will partly come down to how the coaches want the wings to operate.

I do think that the physical presence of both Lynch and Lefau would help our otherwise young forward line at this point. I am sure the selectors will be wrestling with this against the need to get games into young key forwards. Playing a player like Armstrong on a wing for periods of games may be one way to alleviate the logjam.

 

[sante]

If he’s not playing VFL, all the young kpf must be injured.

Should only play if Lynch can’t

 

[Infamy]

His biggest knock for me is his age, he turns 28 mid-season.
By the time he gets to 50 games experience he'd be over 30 and that would require him playing almost every game between now and then
Happy to keep him around for depth for now though, he could be a mature body to protect the kids as they develop. Won't be much left of that after Lynch retires.

 

[THE_GUN]

His biggest knock for me is his age, he turns 28 mid-season.
By the time he gets to 50 games experience he'd be over 30 and that would require him playing almost every game between now and then
Happy to keep him around for depth for now though, he could be a mature body to protect the kids as they develop. Won't be much left of that after Lynch retires.

He is only there as back up and depth
He knows that as well

 

[Karp3_dm]

He may not be best 23 but one thing for sure, he be busting his gut to be

He’s exactly what you want to fast track the kids
High never give up standards

 

[Grrr]

Second ruck?

Second ruck has merit. Short yes, but he is very strong and will not get pushed around like say Ryan and OHB will/do. It's a bit like a Hawkins type, but far more mobile. Also a bit like Nank, might lose the tap but make up for it at ground level. Nank smashes mids, Lefau would be much the same but quicker and more agile.

With the new ruck rules, until Sims is ready, and the extra man on the bench, it's a better option I think that Ryan and OHM who are no.1 types, offering very little other than tap work.

 

[Infamy]

He is only there as back up and depth
He knows that as well

Not sure how you know he knows that
I certainly hope the club would never tell a player such a thing

 

[THE_GUN]

Not sure how you think he knows that
I certainly hope the club would never tell a player such a thing

He told me on the phone

 

[Infamy]

He told me on the phone

Poor bloke, sounds like he needs to change his number

 

[THE_GUN]

Poor bloke, sounds like he needs to change his number

I should change mine

Keeps asking me for holiday tips

 

[Infamy]

I should change mine

Keeps asking me for holiday tips

Well that just proved that you're lying, no one would do that

 

[THE_GUN]

Well that just proved that you're lying, no one would do that

Ill send you a recording