Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:01 pm  

Was reminiscing to the days where you could sign world class players.
I was really excited with Toopi, was a current Kiwi international and looked the best player in tri-nations. I know he got unlucky with injuries but never cut it.
What were other peoples thoughts?

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:13 pm  

My memories of him are he was defensively solid but had hands like feet. Could be wrong but that’s how I’d describe him, certainly didn’t live up to my (probably too high) expectations.

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:24 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

My memories of him are he was defensively solid but had hands like feet. Could be wrong but that’s how I’d describe him, certainly didn’t live up to my (probably too high) expectations.

Very funny summary there sir. Still chuckling.....

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:18 pm  

Didn’t mind him but my brother in law who lived in Auckland at time said they were pleased when they found out he was leaving but gutted when they realised he was coming to us,lol for me I liked him!

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:15 pm  

He was one of those players who shone very brightly at the start of his career, and one of the best centres in the game for a short period of time, but he was rarely anymore than solid for us, and his best games were probably in the back row

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Wed Apr 21, 2021 5:08 am  

One of a series of overseas signings we brought in as centres who ended up in the back row. See also Delaney and McKenna.

He definitely under-achieved with the club despite winning a Grand Final with us.

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:32 pm  

He was "okay". Certainly not a bad signing.

On his defence I remember him being a fierce hitter but positionally a bit random. If he got to the runner they were going down for sure.

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:34 pm  

The Ghost of '99 wrote:

One of a series of overseas signings we brought in as centres who ended up in the back row. See also Delaney and McKenna.

He definitely under-achieved with the club despite winning a Grand Final with us.

I don't think he ever played in the back row? Under achievement probably had something to do with his knee reconstruction taking up a significant period of his contract with us.

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:12 pm  

He fizzed at centre but really started to look the part in the back row, despite injuries.

He was a stand-out performer in *that* 2008 play-off against Saints - one of our players who led the way in really smashing the Sts players up. Personally one of my favourite games of the SL era, even though we lost. The following fixture against them in the GF more than made up for the defeat. I don't think Jon Wilkin has managed to get over Sky showing Daniel Anderson losing the plot in the Saints dressing room at HT

[Ex-Swarcliffe Rhino]

Re: Was Clinton Toopi any good? : Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:12 pm  

Exeter Rhino wrote:

He fizzed at centre but really started to look the part in the back row, despite injuries.

He was a stand-out performer in *that* 2008 play-off against Saints - one of our players who led the way in really smashing the Sts players up. Personally one of my favourite games of the SL era, even though we lost. The following fixture against them in the GF more than made up for the defeat. I don't think Jon Wilkin has managed to get over Sky showing Daniel Anderson losing the plot in the Saints dressing room at HT

Its the only game I have ever been to with my old man that straight as the whistle went I was confident enough to turn to him and say "not only are we going to win next week, we are going to muller them next time we play them" You could see that was Saint's high water mark, while you could see in that game that we could go up another two gears, we destroyed Wigan and absolutely beat "The S men" senseless in the GF.

Good Times.