Quote try scorer="try scorer"No way am I trying to put Johnstone down I rate the kid highly have done in his early academy days but I thought vastman knew a lot about Aussie rugby league but from his comments I don't think he does good as he is Tom won't get the space he does here and all the aussie defences are tough to go round'"
I spent 6 years of my life in Australia, have you? I have been a fan ever since. I used to get sent videos from Channel 9 games in the 80’s from friends when most British RL fans only ever saw touring teams. So o know Aussie RL very well and not just the NRL.
Yes there are plenty of physical freaks in the NRL but there are plenty of wingers built like Tom who are just as good including some recent internationals.
Some are a tiny bit faster, others a bit stronger but TJ is the complete package. He’s hardly a dwarf at 6’ and 15 stone, yet he has pace to burn and superb balance combined with a great instinct a desire. Above all he’s got a unique gift, he’s not just an athlete he’s an acrobat. Others do score those kind of tries but none with the regularity or level of difficulty that he does and I mean none.
As Mopsey has pointed out he needs to up his defensive game a little but let’s not exaggerate he’s hardly a liability. Again despite your myth making there are plenty of NRL wingers wo make a great living who’s defence is far more suspect .
One thing I can tell you right now is that underneath the veneer of the very best most NRL players are no better than there British counterparts. Ricky Stuart has worked that out. They just need refining. There are dozens of SL players who could make it at some level in the NRL because that’s what the NRL does, it makes the best of players where as SL basically destroys most. Many players such as Mike Cooper went up about 3 levels on joining the NRL.
TJ is already there, in an NRL environment he will improve dramatically and if he remains injury free will become a star very quickly.
HTH