Benjamin Totori

Benjamin Totori

Saw he got 24 goals in the 21 rounds last season, do you guys who have seen him play reckon he would be a top goal scorer in the A-League??

I don't think he yet has the mindset to make it in the A-league. At times he was lazy and he was ineffective in the biggest game of the season, the semi-final, although it is true that opposition teams put tons of men marking him in the second half of the season.

Maybe with another couple of NZFC season's under his belt I think he could be up to A-league standard as hes certainly got the potential.

I'm thinking last season may have been a bit of a fluke for him. Undoubtedly a good player, but a tad selfish and maybe as WillyB said, lazy at times and has a negative mindset when not winning.
In three rounds so far this year (correct me if I'm wrong) he's scored only one goal, and last year (again, correct me if I'm wrong), he scored one in each of his first three games. Opposition defences learnt their lesson from him last year and have shut him down very easily. It's going to take even less time for a professional defence to sort out how to play against him. I cant ever see him being up to A-League standard but in 3 years if he's the Phoenix top scorer, then I'm happy to be wrong.
Not to mention that he'd be at Melbourne after one relatively good season in Wellington.

He's got 2 in 4 games (including O-League) so far this season, and had 2 others disallowed against Waikato - one of which was a ridiculous offside decision (the other was at the other end of the park from me).

Fair enough, my mistake

He's also set up a few for others this season.

I think his link up play really needs to improve but the real issue is that for the moment he is counted as an import.  If he was given local status then I think he'd be picked up quickly as he's definitely got potential.  As others have said I think he's a bit selfish (well at least until he has scored in a match) but he's bloody quick and he knows where the goal is.

selfish at times yes, but arent all good strikers?

The A-league is a big step-up from the NZFC and don't know if he could quite cut it.

Although how much more can he learn in a league where he scored more than a goal in a game in his second season there? He needs a step up I think but its a little tricky to find a suitable place to do that if you're not quite A League standard but more than NZFC standard and you're living in New Zealand. One of the Australian domestic leagues perhaps, the Victorian Premier League seems to be where a few A-League players are coming from. Whats the standard like in that? WillyB2007-11-21 21:42:25

i must say he looked pretty damn useful to me at english park on saturday. he was a  class apart and consistently tore the canterbury defence to schreds with his pace and skill.  it's great to see players of this standard in the NZFC.

I don't think he was lazy. His team play left a bit to be desired. Able to beat 3-4 players with ease but can only remember him once playing a teammate in on goal. Auckland soon woke up to that and took it in turns fouling him so no-one got sent off. That said it was a joy to watch him and the YoungHeart side play last season. Great attacking football and some spectacular goals.