Wests Tigers Esan Marsters has month to tempt Tigers into new deal, starting with Latrell Mitchell
ESAN Marsters has the first month of the season to convince the Wests Tigers he is worth keeping beyond this season — and first-up assignments do not come any harder than stopping a fit and fired-up Latrell Mitchell.
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ESAN Marsters has the first month of the season to convince the Wests Tigers he is worth keeping beyond this season — and first-up assignments do not come any harder than stopping a fit and fired-up Latrell Mitchell.
Cooper Cronk and former Tiger pin-up James Tedesco will attract all the headlines at ANZ Stadium tomorrow afternoon, but 20-year-old Mitchell outshone them both in the Sydney Roosters final trial.
A one-time teammate of Mitchell’s in the Roosters SG Ball train-on squad, Marsters has known what his opposite has been capable of for several years.
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“He was a standout back then when he was playing up an age group, and he has a lot of great assets,’’ Marsters told The Daily Telegraph.
“The main one is his speed and how fast he can get around the park.
“He’s also got the big fend and runs a bit like Inglis, so I’ll have to go low and try my best to tackle him around the legs.
“I watched his latest trial and he was really good in that.
“It will be two young guys going up against reach other, so it will be good.’’
Roosters coach Trent Robinson found it impossible not to rap Mitchell after the Manly trial where he scored two tries, including a brilliant long-range solo effort.
Dropped at the start of last season, Mitchell finished the year strongly, and improved again over the summer to the point Robinson was quoted as saying ‘’he’s the fittest he’s been in his NRL career and his lifetime’’.
Marsters, 22, is no slouch himself and won over plenty of Tigers fans when given his chance by coach Ivan Cleary midway through last year.
He finished with five tries in 13 games, and made sure he secured the starting right centre spot outside new wing partner Corey Thompson. He can also play backrow.
Marsters and the Tigers put contract talks on hold at the end of last year and were happy to see how he performed in the pre-season and opening four rounds of the season before they returned to discuss any future deal.
A solid start will only make it easier for Marsters to convince Cleary and management he is worth keeping beyond this season.
Melbourne’s Will Chambers, Brisbane’s Jordan Kahu and Parramatta’s Michael Jennings all await him in the coming weeks.
Marsters wants to lock down the right centre spot and play every game this year. He will need to quickly adjust to being without David Nofoaluma — who was dumped to reserve grade this weekend — and striking a bond with new winger Corey Thompson.
At just 178cm, Thompson will give up 18cm to Roosters rival Daniel Tupou, and sure to be targeted by Cronk under the high ball.
Thompson quipped yesterday: “I have to play to my strengths. I’ve never been 196cm, so I don’t know.’’