Round 1 2017

[king_sirro]

ET isnt an edge forward. He is 13 or Bench [comes on after 20min to play out the game in the middle] or not in the team.

Im not 100% convinced on that personally mate.

I think ET has gone good on the edge in the past.

I wouldnt mind him startimg the game there allowing us a bigger lock in the middle early. Then someone like Lawrence can come on fresh on the edge moving ET to the middle for the remiander of the game.

 

[tigger2010]

Likely Rd 1 lineup,Any chance of a smoky for round 1 to play in the number 2 on the wing ?or possibly push simona to the wing and play centre?or will JT play it safe and go with ranking or naquama?

1.tedesco
2.
3.simona
4.idris
5.nofoaluma
6.moses
7.brooks
8.woods
9.ballin
10.grant
11.aloiai
12.lawrence
13.Taylor

14.Ava
15.Sue
16.Liddle
17.Felise

 

[supercoach]

Yep but i think still limits his attacking side of the game,we are in need of a better than average 2nd row forward and ET could fill it.

He is not a edge runner, more a ball player and these days your left and right edge forwards have to be able to hit holes at pace. My concern last year after a handful of games he became a tad predictable sort playing a role James Grahame plays for the dogs. Not blaming him he was probably just playing to the game plan.

Anyway bottom line he can't play front row, we don't need him as a no9 and IMO he is not what we need in the second row and he has to be in the team…that leaves lock or bench and he is to defensively strong to have on the bench

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Yep but i think still limits his attacking side of the game,we are in need of a better than average 2nd row forward and ET could fill it.

He is not a edge runner, more a ball player and these days your left and right edge forwards have to be able to hit holes at pace. My concern last year after a handful of games he became a tad predictable sort playing a role James Grahame plays for the dogs. Not blaming him he was probably just playing to the game plan.

Anyway bottom line he can't play front row, we don't need him as a no9 and IMO he is not what we need in the second row and he has to be in the team…that leaves lock or bench and he is to defensively strong to have on the bench

How are we going to survive with Lawrence and Aloiai? Would have to be the weakest back rowing pairing in the comp.

 

[Tigerdon]

Yep but i think still limits his attacking side of the game,we are in need of a better than average 2nd row forward and ET could fill it.

He is not a edge runner, more a ball player and these days your left and right edge forwards have to be able to hit holes at pace. My concern last year after a handful of games he became a tad predictable sort playing a role James Grahame plays for the dogs. Not blaming him he was probably just playing to the game plan.

Anyway bottom line he can't play front row, we don't need him as a no9 and IMO he is not what we need in the second row and he has to be in the team…that leaves lock or bench and he is to defensively strong to have on the bench

How are we going to survive with Lawrence and Aloiai? Would have to be the weakest back rowing pairing in the comp.

If reports are correct Aloiai has broken his jaw and needs plates in it. So he's going to have a crap preseason. ET at 2nd row or an underdone Aloiai or a rookie.

 

[Nucky_Thompson]

Yep but i think still limits his attacking side of the game,we are in need of a better than average 2nd row forward and ET could fill it.

He is not a edge runner, more a ball player and these days your left and right edge forwards have to be able to hit holes at pace. My concern last year after a handful of games he became a tad predictable sort playing a role James Grahame plays for the dogs. Not blaming him he was probably just playing to the game plan.

Anyway bottom line he can't play front row, we don't need him as a no9 and IMO he is not what we need in the second row and he has to be in the team…that leaves lock or bench and he is to defensively strong to have on the bench

How are we going to survive with Lawrence and Aloiai? Would have to be the weakest back rowing pairing in the comp.

If reports are correct Aloiai has broken his jaw and needs plates in it. So he's going to have a crap preseason. ET at 2nd row or an underdone Aloiai or a rookie.

Idris should tighten the right side which was our biggest weakness. Left side pretty tight with Simona out there and the middle hold their own on a good day. You'd think there will be a lot of focus with edge defense. Some Young guys will have to step up that's for sure.

 

[Nucky_Thompson]

Yep but i think still limits his attacking side of the game,we are in need of a better than average 2nd row forward and ET could fill it.

He is not a edge runner, more a ball player and these days your left and right edge forwards have to be able to hit holes at pace. My concern last year after a handful of games he became a tad predictable sort playing a role James Grahame plays for the dogs. Not blaming him he was probably just playing to the game plan.

Anyway bottom line he can't play front row, we don't need him as a no9 and IMO he is not what we need in the second row and he has to be in the team…that leaves lock or bench and he is to defensively strong to have on the bench

How are we going to survive with Lawrence and Aloiai? Would have to be the weakest back rowing pairing in the comp.

If reports are correct Aloiai has broken his jaw and needs plates in it. So he's going to have a crap preseason. ET at 2nd row or an underdone Aloiai or a rookie.

aloiai not in photo so likely true. that suxks a good off season would have done him wonders wonder who injured him

 

[sheer64]

1.Teddy
2.Nofo
3.Simona
4.Idris
5.Naiqama or ?
6.Moses
7.Brooks
8.Woods
9.Ballin
10.Ava
11.Aloiai
12.Sue
13.Taylor

14.Grant
15.Lawrence
16.Liddle
17.Felise

 

[Telltails]

Lovett will have to play his way out of the the team imo. JT has stuck by him for two years and I expect to see him in the starting seventeen.

 

[Geo]

Taylor is not an edge forward ..he is about the only bloke in our team who knows how to slow down the ruck and can play big minutes..it is a major plus in his game an important and under rated quality..

Sue is a hitter I you want to move him to an edge then yes…One of his best games early in his career was against the Titans ...Moses never missed a tackle that day...You could then push Aloiai to the bench as part of the middle rotation...

 

[Nors05]

1.Teddy
2.Nofo
3.Simona
4.Idris
5.Naiqama or ?
6.Moses
7.Brooks
8.Woods
9.Ballin
10.Ava
11.Aloiai
12.Sue
13.Taylor

14.Grant
15.Lawrence
16.Liddle
17.Felise

Swap Lawrence and Aloai around and I think you are spot on with that team

We are literally 1 classy Back Rower and a decent goal kicker away from a semi-finals team. If we had the likes of Ethan Lowe on the right side and kept Sue in the FR we would be all set

 

[VanillaThunder]

1\. Tedesco
2\. Nofoaluma
3\. Simona
4\. Idris
5\. Heleta
6\. Moses
7\. Brooks
8\. Woods
9\. Ballin
10\. Seumanufagai
11\. Lawrence
12\. Sue
13\. Taylor

14\. Liddle
15\. Felise
16\. Aloiai
17\. Marsters

Aloiai and Sue to alternate between middle and edge, harsh on Grant but I think we may as well commit to the youth movement at the start of the season while things are a bit more open, bring him in as the kids start to struggle and the season tightens up. Plus he'd be good to have down in ressies with Tatola, Jordan Grant and Paseka. Marsters has a lot to offer, and I prefer him to Aloiai but Josh's experience and size gets him ahead in my books, I'm interested to see how he'd fair in an impact role off the bench.
I expect Lovett will be there but I'd rather he not, and as much as I love Rowdy, this would be about the last year I could pick him if the youngsters keep developing. He's a great bloke to have around the club though and if he doesn't spend a few years overseas (or even if he does), I'd have him straight back in a coaching/advisory role a la Halatau.

 

[InBenjiWeTrust]

1\. Tedesco
2\. Nofoaluma
3\. Simona
4\. Idris
5\. Naiqama/Heleta
6\. Moses
7\. Brooks
8\. Woods
9\. Ballin
10\. Seumanufagai
11\. Lawrence
12\. Sue
13\. Taylor

14\. Liddle
15\. Felise
16\. Aloiai
17\. T Grant

18 Marsters, Tatola, Paseka, J Grant

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Lovett will will be on the bench a lot

 

[maxxy86]

Yeah our backrower seems to be hardest to pick and who starts and who benches
You could probably lock in
12 Lawrence
14 Lovett
At this stage

 

[Cosimo_Zaretti]

You guys see the NRL.com round 1 predictions?

http://m.nrl.com/how-your-team-could-line-up-in-round-1/tabid/10874/newsid/102827/default.aspx

1\. James Tedesco,
2\. David Nofoaluma,
3\. Kevin Naiqama,
4\. Tim Simona,
5\. Jordan Rankin,
6\. Mitchell Moses,
7\. Luke Brooks,
8\. Aaron Woods,
9\. Matt Ballin,
10\. Sauaso Sue,
11\. Chris Lawrence,
12\. Josh Aloiai,
13\. Elijah Taylor.

Interchange: 14\. Jacob Liddle, 15\. Ava Seumanufagai, 16\. Tim Grant, 17\. Jamal Idris.

Pretty sure they're copy pasting from last year, I hope they don't have some inside knowledge that Rankin starts on the wing.

 

[maxxy86]

Yeah I'm hoping too that Jordan's not on the wing and that Mitch has brushed up on his goalkicking.
1 Tedesco
2 Nofoaluma
3 Simona
4 Idris
5 Heleta

That's who I'd go with

 

[palms]

1\. Tedesco
2\. Nofoluma
3\. Simona
4\. Idris
5.
6\. Moses
7\. Brooks
8\. Woods ©
9\. Ballin
10\. Seumanufagai
11\. Sue
12\. Lawrence
13\. Taylor
14\. Liddle
15\. Grant
16\. Aloiai
17\. Felise

For mine, Seumanufagi is a much better player with the responsibility of starting. He doesn't seem to get lost in the game like he does coming off the bench. I've started with Sue in the second row to add a bit more punch and I would actually leave him there throughout the game with Lawrence interchanging with Lawrence.
Grant and Felise would keep up the impact and tempo when they come on and i'd use Liddle 15min before halftime and then reassess as the game goes on as to when you would use him.

The second wing spot probably goes to Rankin for his versatility and is a touch more reliable then Naiqama but I don't want either.

 

[Nelson]

1\. Tedesco
2\. Nofoluma
3\. Simona
4\. Idris
5.
6\. Moses
7\. Brooks
8\. Woods ©
9\. Ballin
10\. Seumanufagai
11\. Sue
12\. Lawrence
13\. Taylor
14\. Liddle
15\. Grant
16\. Aloiai
17\. Felise

For mine, Seumanufagi is a much better player with the responsibility of starting. He doesn't seem to get lost in the game like he does coming off the bench. I've started with Sue in the second row to add a bit more punch and I would actually leave him there throughout the game with Lawrence interchanging with Lawrence.
Grant and Felise would keep up the impact and tempo when they come on and i'd use Liddle 15min before halftime and then reassess as the game goes on as to when you would use him.

The second wing spot probably goes to Rankin for his versatility and is a touch more reliable then Naiqama but I don't want either.

Sue won't last 80, none of the edge second rowers will last a genuine 80 week in week out. It makes the interchange messy, especially given we have a 2 hooker rotation with neither of our 2 hookers really an option in the second row. Two interchanges sunk into hooker and four into props doesn't leave you much on second row, lock and injury cover. We'll probably end up too often in the situation of having to run props for 55-60 minutes straight with that system and that's going to leave our middle soft.

The other problem is it means more edge defence combinations that have to be worked on at training. We really need to identify a genuine 80 minute prospect on at least one of the edges…

 

[palms]

Agreed mate but we really need a bit more impact and aggression early on our edges, otherwise our halves, especially Brooks, will continue to struggle. Idris will help relieve this somewhat. I feel we don't really have many options in an 80min edge player. Lawrence runs out of steam around the 60min mark and lacks impact and Aloiai is still young and will have yet another disrupted pre-season.
2018 priority!