Mago to Wakefield/Featherstone??

Got a hot rumour from a source inside the club, or just something you heard down the pub? Then what are you waiting for, post it on The Rumour Mill.
wgwr1999
Posts: 243
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:15 pm

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by wgwr1999 »

Blackpool_Pie wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 4:11 pm
wgwr1999 wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:49 pm
southportcdm wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:41 pm I think lots of us feel that Mago offers something that most of our props don't and that potentially, he has a lot more to offer if he gets fitter. The question is can he? Does he have the discipline/motivation to do it? It's not as if he's a youngster than hasn't had time to learn what it takes to be a professional. He's not a player that played long minutes earlier in his career. He's over in the U.K. because he couldn't get fit enough to hold down a place in the NRL. Why will next season be any different? I don't think anything will change so we need to decide if he's worth keeping on the form that he showed last season. If we have to lose a prop so that we can sign somebody else, I see it as a close-run thing between Mago, Ellis and Singo.
For me, it comes down to simple genetics. England doesn't often produce hulking props that have incredible hand skills. Walmsley, Cooper & Thompson are the only ones that come to mind in recent memory & they are/were some of the best in the world for that very reason.

We realistically cannot replace what he brings from our own academy like we can with Ellis & Singleton.
Tom Burgess says hi
All 3 Burgess brothers -- sorry Luke -- are exceptions to the rule. I was more thinking more about SL talent.
wgwr1999
Posts: 243
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:15 pm

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by wgwr1999 »

nathan_rugby wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 3:23 pm
wgwr1999 wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:49 pm
southportcdm wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:41 pm I think lots of us feel that Mago offers something that most of our props don't and that potentially, he has a lot more to offer if he gets fitter. The question is can he? Does he have the discipline/motivation to do it? It's not as if he's a youngster than hasn't had time to learn what it takes to be a professional. He's not a player that played long minutes earlier in his career. He's over in the U.K. because he couldn't get fit enough to hold down a place in the NRL. Why will next season be any different? I don't think anything will change so we need to decide if he's worth keeping on the form that he showed last season. If we have to lose a prop so that we can sign somebody else, I see it as a close-run thing between Mago, Ellis and Singo.
For me, it comes down to simple genetics. England doesn't often produce hulking props that have incredible hand skills. Walmsley, Cooper & Thompson are the only ones that come to mind in recent memory & they are/were some of the best in the world for that very reason.

We realistically cannot replace what he brings from our own academy like we can with Ellis & Singleton.
Thompson and Cooper aren’t big hulking props.
Luke Thompson is absolutely a hulking prop. He dominates more often than he doesn't against everyone.

Cooper used to be extremely good with ball-in-hand especially for St. George. His dominance has obviously slowed down with time but he showed last year in his short time here that he still stands out for his offloads.
medlocke
Posts: 10628
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:57 am
Location: Millom
Contact:

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by medlocke »

fozzieskem wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:25 pm
medlocke wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:23 pm
Charriots Offiah wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:09 pm

Ah but have you got incredible hand skills? :o
Finest hands this side of Kirksanton (I am currently in Inverness :lol: )
I’m envious,weather treating you well I hope up there?

I’ve seen sideways snow in October before :lol:
Sun was splitting the trees, sat with air con on at moment, up here last year and there was nowt but fog
josie andrews
Posts: 35573
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:17 pm
Location: Wigan
Contact:

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by josie andrews »

medlocke wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 6:02 pm
fozzieskem wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:25 pm
medlocke wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:23 pm
Finest hands this side of Kirksanton (I am currently in Inverness :lol: )
I’m envious,weather treating you well I hope up there?

I’ve seen sideways snow in October before :lol:
Sun was splitting the trees, sat with air con on at moment, up here last year and there was nowt but fog
I seen snow in April & May 😂😂
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
medlocke
Posts: 10628
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 11:57 am
Location: Millom
Contact:

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by medlocke »

josie andrews wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 7:25 pm
medlocke wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 6:02 pm
fozzieskem wrote: Sun Oct 16, 2022 5:25 pm

I’m envious,weather treating you well I hope up there?

I’ve seen sideways snow in October before :lol:
Sun was splitting the trees, sat with air con on at moment, up here last year and there was nowt but fog
I seen snow in April & May 😂😂
:lol: :lol: :lol:
the pieman
Posts: 1310
Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 5:34 pm

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by the pieman »

IMO at the minute he is a poor mans version of Feka

i wasnt Feka's greatest fan, but you couldnt fail to love it when he did run the ball in and skittle the defenders. I think he was fantastic to start off with, but his efforts and impact diminished quite quickly, and was targetted in defence as he was too slow in the line

Mago seems to do similar minutes, but with a slightly different impact. he isnt knocking defenders around, but has the ability to keep the ball alive. Its all then down to the club / tactics, do they want a player who can only do 20 - 30 mins max, but offers something different and can we accomodate that short spell(s), and if we dont have the ball does he become a liability in defence?

I'm torn on this one. Seeing him in the tackle releasing to Field etc and putting them into open play, really does give us another attacking option, but i'm not sure if that is enough to warrant a 1st team slot based on a relatively short number of minutes per game
noncastrato
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2022 11:58 am

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by noncastrato »

I think you're looking at Mago and his position within the squad all wrong! He's an impact prop. He comes on towards the end of the first half and beginning of the second half and busts up an already tired defence. Makes yards, takes 3-4x people to get him down and then he off-loads. Granted he could work on his fitness a little and there's room for improvement but... We score most of our tries during that time period of the game. And this set-up is almost like American football or Ice hockey teams; in that you have a rotating squad, with subs who are equally as good as the players starting the game, but used as a weapon, to bring on and continue the pace/onslaught. I would argue that if we signed someone like Mason Lino, you could even have him on the bench with Mago, not because he/they can't get in the first team but a tactical approach, to up the flow of play and change the dynamic (if it was Mago, moving Cade Cust to hooker to speed up the play the ball and then Mason Lino and Harry smith attacking). Still think we need to sign a prop or two to fully bolster the team. Don't think Ellis or Singleton have the consistency for the Wigan squad
wgwr1999
Posts: 243
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:15 pm

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by wgwr1999 »

I don't ever remember Mago being the main reason we conceded apart from maybe a daft penalty or silly knock on. That's what makes him difference to the likes of Tautai as a live wire but more often a negative one than positive.

If you can 'guarantee' 10-15 minutes of impact rugby that likely results in a clean break for Jai, Cade, Harry, etc. then I don't know how much more you can ask from a rotational prop. I think he's the perfect compliment to the likes of Byrne, Havard & Cooper — possibly Thompson too — who could fill in big minutes around him.
the pieman
Posts: 1310
Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 5:34 pm

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by the pieman »

noncastrato wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 12:12 pm I think you're looking at Mago and his position within the squad all wrong! He's an impact prop. He comes on towards the end of the first half and beginning of the second half and busts up an already tired defence. Makes yards, takes 3-4x people to get him down and then he off-loads. Granted he could work on his fitness a little and there's room for improvement but... We score most of our tries during that time period of the game. And this set-up is almost like American football or Ice hockey teams; in that you have a rotating squad, with subs who are equally as good as the players starting the game, but used as a weapon, to bring on and continue the pace/onslaught. I would argue that if we signed someone like Mason Lino, you could even have him on the bench with Mago, not because he/they can't get in the first team but a tactical approach, to up the flow of play and change the dynamic (if it was Mago, moving Cade Cust to hooker to speed up the play the ball and then Mason Lino and Harry smith attacking). Still think we need to sign a prop or two to fully bolster the team. Don't think Ellis or Singleton have the consistency for the Wigan squad
i get he's an impact prop, the downside is his apparent lack of minutes. i think Paasi as Saints has had a fantastic year. He's made impact but also done big minutes with it (although i dont watch him every week to confirm)
if he could stretch the 2 short spells into 3 or 2 longer with the same impact, i dont think anyone would have any issue. If he comes on after 25-30 mins, he then has 1/2 time to recover. another 10 mins, and then he should still be good for another 10 mins at the end of the game

the defensive side was something i picked up on when Feka was here, and was seriously highlighted when Wire beat us in the CC semi. They had the ball, ran at him constantly and he did nothing with the ball. So was using it to say that Mago's impact could be seriously impacted if we dont have the ball and he is targetted in defence (but i'm not sure if anyone has tried that with Mago yet)
User avatar
Mike
Site Admin
Posts: 7402
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2018 6:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Mago to Wakefield

Post by Mike »

I wonder how many minutes any given member of the Samoan pack would play if transplanted into the Wigan team. When surrounded by smaller, fitter props, perhaps the coach woudl ask for 7 minutes of high impact effort per half from them and therefore they'd be criticized by fans for needing to be fitter?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Locked