Canuck rookies look good

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This article was published 20/06/2011 (5569 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened training camp early this month with the luxury of three Canadian first-rounders on their roster.

After two weeks of camp, it now seems safe to say that at least two of those three — LB Henoc Muamba and WR Kito Poblah — will be on the roster when the club opens the CFL regular season July 1 in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats.

Both Muamba and Poblah made immediate impressions on the Bombers coaching staff with their maturity and presence on the field.

Muamba has shown himself to be a quick study and the Bombers love his versatility — on special teams and even in a goal-line package they’ve practised in which Muamba gets the ball.

“I feel like I’m confident in my abilities and the coaches have shown some confidence in me. I’m grateful for that,” Muamba said Sunday.

Poblah, meantime, looks, acts and practises like a professional beyond his years and has not looked out of place practising with the first group — as he has most days.

“I expect to be on this team,” Poblah said Sunday. “That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.”

While both men have had injuries — Poblah returned over the weekend after missing close to a week with a bruised achilles tendon, while Muamba is presently day-to-day with a strained knee — there’s no doubt both men have met and perhaps even exceeded even the Bombers’ highest expectations coming into camp.

The lone question mark among the troika of first-rounders has been WR Jade Etienne. The Bombers raised a few eyebrows when they selected the University of Saskatchewan product fourth overall in the 2011 CFL draft, ahead of Calgary Dino’s Nathan Coehoorn, who was the consensus fourth pick.

Etienne has at times during camp rewarded the faith of Bombers’ GM Joe Mack — showing speed and agility during practice and making a catch and drawing a pass interference penalty during a pre-season game in Montreal last week.

But the 21-year-old has also looked overmatched at times, dropping catchable balls and failing to execute assignments and routes — including during practice Sunday when Etienne was singled out for a dressing down.

The general consensus appears to be that Etienne can still make the club — and make the Bombers a perfect 3-for-3 with their first rounders this year — but the time is now and he will have to do something special this week if it’s going to happen.

“I had a rough day today,” said Etienne. “Obviously, I have to perform. There’s little things all the vets do that I don’t do that I have to pick up soon. Little stuff — inside-release, outside-release, snap counts. It’s all simple stuff but when you bunch it together… it starts to pile on and it gets a little confusing. I should know it by now.”

If he doesn’t make the club, Etienne could return to the U of S for another year to refine his skills and bulk up physically. There would also, in all likelihood, be the offer of a position on the Bombers practice roster if he doesn’t make the club outright.

In either event, it now seems safe to say the Bombers have three players with promising futures in Muamba, Poblah and Etienne — with the only question being whether those futures are now.

“One word for those three?” said LaPolice. “Well, they’re great kids — which is two words…

“We haven’t seen a lot of Kito but what we saw of Kito early on, he stands out. He doesn’t look overwhelmed in any way, shape or form.

“Jade Etienne,” LaPolice continued, “don’t forget, he’s (21) years-old. Every day he gets better. I would say the game has to slow down for him. And Henoc Muamba? Same thing. He is somebody who, as he continues to learn systems, I think athletically he is going to fit right in.

“Those three are what you want in draft picks. They’re players that certainly can contribute in the long term for this club. And some of them might even sooner.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca