I agree, many coaches hide half backs out wide when defending to keep then fresh and It's a good ploy, I'm just pointing out that size or lack of it does not make you a weakness in defence. A good play maker will always be a target for the forwards.

Exactly. Being targeted does not mean you are a weak tackler, it often means you are an influencial attacker.

I read Kevin Walters book a few years ago and he pointed it out then that he was targetted at Brisbane and got some criticism, but they worked on a structure that covered him, not just be putting him out wide, but sometimes putting him in the middle where he was part of a 3 man tackle rather than 1-1. It just depends on what kind of tackler you are.
Long stands on the wing because he is fast enough to catch a winger, but he doesn't stand there when the kick is going in and doesn't often tackle the big forward because someone else gets across to help in the tackle. It takes a very organised defense to switch players round part way through the 6 but that is what the good teams do.

In my opinion, we don't need to replace Obst or Brough and Drew for that matter, but just make sure that targetting them is not effective.

i can't agree with that mate. since korki came back i have been well impressed with his defence. he is lighter and faster and less clumsy. seems to have ironed out a lot of glitches in his game while he has been away. oh and less penalties. must be doing something right. he got mom in the leaguer this week. think bibey is playing pretty well. i have been impressed with his go forward and he gets a few passes away now and again. think he has improved a lot this season.

Fair point, I wasn't so much getting at that incident though. Latu's efforts like that can be valuable, and he clearly is willing to run at the biggest in attack and stand up to them in defence - or throw himself vertically at them in that particular case.

My concern is though is it must take away from the spark in his running game. I'm not sure he'd admit it mind, but he tires easy with it. When people talk about players who 'run through a brick wall for you', there are those who'd do it for the love of the club, game or sheer competitiveness, and there are those who'd probably do it in their spare time for entertainment anyway. I get the impression Latu is of the latter category. Didn't he even once injure himself swan diving unnecessarily to score and popped his shoulder or something?

Wire at home last season.