Titans Highlight Videos (and related video content)

[K2G]

Thanks for posting this HS. I've re-watched many, many times already. For my own sake, as much as anybody else's... I thought I'd do a little bit of video analysis for fun.

Disclaimer: I am aware that it is more or less arbitrary to analyse a highlights reel of a player, especially one as young as GL. There is simply too much all together left out of the clip for any kind of meaningful conclusion to be reached. I reiterate, this is just for fun, and is something a lot of NFL fans do over at r/NFL (reddit) for no purpose other than to stimulate discussion and negate boredom during pre-season/bye weeks!

PLAYER | Greg Leleisiuao* | 18 YEARS OLD | 90 KGs | 180CM | FULLBACK/CENTRE


Things I like:

- The upper and lower body strength to bump off and break through would be tackles [@3:57; @9:50], push for meters after contact [@3:11] and turn half holes into full-blown open field breaks [@2:21] is very good.
- Ability to fend with both right arm [@00:21] and left arm [@2:38].
- His speed looks around average for an outside back of his build, however what he lacks in blistering top gear pace, he makes up for with explosive acceleration [@2:07; @2:41; @4:24].
- With this limited footage, it's easy to assume that GL is a predominantly direct runnner of the ball, who likes to square defenders up and go through them, there is enough to suggest that he is equally adept at either floating to the outside when the line is sliding [@ 2:37], or change it up and swerve while accelerating passed approaching edge defence that shoots out of the line [@5:12]. So pretty to watch
- His footwork is perhaps his most impressive attribute. What an ars3nal.

* Left foot

* Right foot

* In and away (Left>Right [@7:58] and Right>Left [@8:12])

* Shimmy [@00:44]

* Goose-step [@00:41]

* Benji skip-step [@1:00] and the odd Karmichael jump-step for good measure [@7:42]... He can turn blokes inside out on a dime.

For me, what is perhaps most impressive, is his ability to utilise his wide array of skills just as adeptly on both sides of the field (as seen in the stunning plays @7:58 and @8:12)


Things that need work:

- His ball security [@3:04; @ 3:53; @08:41]. Quite a few dropped/stripped balls in this highlights video and while it's hard to tell how many of these errors come down to his handling - he can be sure that oppositions will test him on this facet of his game with increasing levels of aggression/gamesmanship at each step up towards first grade.
- His offloads. Again, love the urgency in his game and his willingness to extend the play. His ability to get an arm free is exceptional, but as you can see in the tape, many of his offloads go wide of the mark. Hopefully this part of his game is refined rather than coached out of him.
- Passing game. While there clearly is a nice pass in him [@7:22], GL is obviously a run-first guy, which I love. That said, there is evidence to suggest that some opportunities go begging due to this tendency [massive un-utilised overlap at @7:54]. With the amount of defenders he draws to him on every play, I hope he is already working on a nice short pass at the line, and watching guys like Hodges to learn how to line-up his outside men.
- "Hero ball". So called for the (usually young) NFL QB prospects who jump to the low-percentage, hail-mary long-pass without considering all options first. Greg looks to want to score on EVERY play. His sometimes wild offloads, reticence to pass, (and one unsure kick) indicate a desire to be the guy who puts on the winning play when perhaps sometimes it's not needed. This is not an inherently bad tendency, but is something that can potentially undermine a young player's progress if not managed/coached wisely.

Is he a guaranteed superstar who is ready for the NRL right now? OF COURSE NOT! But based on these clips alone (even taking into account everything they don't show like his defence, motor, fitness, injury history etc etc) ... his ceiling seems extraordinarily high.




* In my mind, Greg's last name sounds like "LEH-LAY ISY-YA-OW" with the 'LELEISIUAO' pronounced similar to the Rooster's TAUKEIAHO - but I'm absolutely guessing, and I'd love to know for sure...