I find this whole thread somewhat absurd - both of these young men were drafted with a well-known set of strengths and weaknesses. WE'll need 5 years to tell who is a better play and how. What is more interesting is did they hold their relative value in terms of drafting position. FCS, give them time.

Check the tape and you will find that Warnock was into him whenever he was forward and regularly impeded him when Niknat was trying to ruck.

You reckon it's because it was Naitanui, or because Warnock's job is to keep his man (who at the time was Naitanui) out of the contest?

Either way, it was good play and Naitanui should get used to it. He is stronger than Warnock anyways, or at least equal in strength. Could have fought harder to push him off, and didn't. Welcome to the big league.

Watts will receive the same treatment, and needs to learn to cope as well.

He cant even bounce a footy.

And he barely gets any touches. Its a pattern going back to TAC Cup, then to the WAFL, and it will continue in the AFL.

Just doesnt get it enough.

Will never be a superstar.

Gee you were singing his praises last year, fickle pr@ck

Agree with most of whats been written. Too early to tell with Naita', happy with JW. I'll reserve judgement until at least the end of next year.

Either way, it was good play and Naitanui should get used to it. He is stronger than Warnock anyways, or at least equal in strength. Could have fought harder to push him off, and didn't. Welcome to the big league.

Carp. If the umpires were awake it would not have been. He was taken out and retarded when he had his eyes on the ruck contest. He could not have pushed him off. It has nothing to do with a body on body contest. If the player had been a smaller midfielder the frees would have been paid.

I was not happy with his attitude when he first came out, strutting around like he owned the joint expecting a easy game, then Russian came along.

Didn't see ANYTHING to excite me about him after that, still very early days tho.

Carp. If the umpires were awake it would not have been. He was taken out and retarded when he had his eyes on the ruck contest. He could not have pushed him off. It has nothing to do with a body on body contest. If the player had been a smaller midfielder the frees would have been paid.

On these occasions NikNat was trying to come over the top s the third person at a bounce, and Warnock was just putting his body in the way and keeping him out of it. Before the ump bounces the ball, he has to find one from each side who's going to go for it and they put body on body. Each time it was somebody else, and the Weagles were trying to get NikNat to come over the top & avoid body on body. It was great perception by Warnock to spot this and merely put his body in the way, completely within the rules, so that NikNat couldn't come over the top. At least he didn't do what Selwood was doing to Davey all day and hold him back by the jumper or arm.

Just doesnt get it enough.

Will never be a superstar.

Didn't you write that he was or will be a superstar last week.

Correct.

Carp. If the umpires were awake it would not have been. He was taken out and retarded when he had his eyes on the ruck contest. He could not have pushed him off. It has nothing to do with a body on body contest. If the player had been a smaller midfielder the frees would have been paid.

I watched the replay last night, and in many of those contests it was Lynch doing the rucking and Warnock was trying to stop his opponent (in this case Naitanui), from being the third man up. This sort of thing happens thousands of times over any given weekend, both in centre bounces and ball ups.

He wasn't scragging him behind play, pulling his arm down or pushing him out. Most times, he rested his forearm against his side, just to let him know "I'm here, so don't try anything".

There was little wrong with it, and it has nothing to do with Naitanui, who let's face it, even when not impended, barely managed to contest the ruck even at centre bounces.

Malcolm Blight, while talking [censored] for most of the game, was correct when he said that Naitanui was used to being the biggest and tallest guy on the ground, but that he is now playing AFL and it's time to start jumping and getting physical. He will no doubt learn to do that with time.

I find this whole thread somewhat absurd - both of these young men were drafted with a well-known set of strengths and weaknesses. WE'll need 5 years to tell who is a better play and how. What is more interesting is did they hold their relative value in terms of drafting position. FCS, give them time.

Absurd? Nah. Don't get your knickers in a knot, just some talk about footy, everyone's allowed an opinion, even you

Quote (Brettmcg in the car on the way home from the 'G on Saturday):

"I have only watched him for 5 minutes, but I saw nothing to indicate why he should have been the #2 draft pick."

Bit of deja-vu really.

Honestly though, anyone who expects an 18 year old like Jacky-boy Watts to split open a game in his first, second or third game - especially in a losing team and with the added pressures of VCE etc. - is kidding themselves. Lets wait a few years when he will kick a bag and win us our 13th, 14th and 15th premierships!

Did anyone else think the blocking tactics against NikNat were illegal? I wasn't complaining but I thought the ruckman couldn't be blocked by another player. We employed this tactic very effectively but i was surprised that we got away with it. the good thing was that every time NN went for the ball in general play, he was gang tackled.

196cm ruckman who can't even bounce the ball......

Give me the KPP with a big game temperament. Still very happy with Jackie boy.

201cm.

He's grown

Will be the best follow up ruckman in the game because of his agility. Not sure how much further he'll go.

201cm.

He's grown

Will be the best follow up ruckman in the game because of his agility. Not sure how much further he'll go.

Could probably add another 4 or 5 cm with that hair!

Well when everyone quite gets over bagging each other :D There are some relevant observations from the limited seniors time that both NikNat and Jack have played. If i were totally unbiased I would have to say that both have 'something' its just with NikNat Im really not sure what that is Watts has showed some of his skills and poise together with signs that he 'gets it' and learns from mistakes. You can see he has ability written all over him and hopefully in time and further conditioning along with focus ( i.e no school ) he'll come on just fine. NikNat...geez.. To see someone display fundamental skill inadequacies would for me, if a Weagle-fan be just a might disconcerting. It really is as if he has to learn footy all over again. That to me is the difference between the two. NikNat may well get there but has some serious work ahead before he can bring whatever he does have to the table. As another mentioned it was easy for him playing amongst the kids...now he's playing men...different ball game