Round 1 Team

[Russell]

Aj might be quicker but Talau breaks tackles easy and great finisher! He averaged 2nd most metres behind Alioia last year. Talau over Aj for me.

If Gebbie ever gets here I’d put him on the wing.
Heaps faster and more elusive than both of them.

Can he catch and tackle?
Too many forget this part of the game

I think people are also worried we won't score points..Brooks sucks blah blah Benji gone..

Well for the only team to concede 20+ point per game 10+ weeks in a row (NRL record)..i would say defence will determine our fate more than anything in 2021..if that is not dramatically improved ..forget it..

Well umm we scored points..Brooks didn't suck and Benji who..

Still 2 of Manly's TRIES were soft..need better against better opposition..that is everyone else bar Dragons..

1 was a mistake , the other a magic ball , and the third an individual run. Really 2 moments of brilliance and a garbage try . Still the hole wasn’t filled so Joe o had to sprint across to fill the void . And got stepped inside . Joe was in the tackle , so I don’t know what side of the defence was doing .

The "magic ball" was a misread by Roberts who had a good game except for that

How’s it a misread if the backrower goes through, and you’re looking at your opposite centre ? Other than he didn’t jam in. Every magic ball ever passed is a misread somewhere.


Its a misread because he dosent adjust to a backrow forward coming into his area of defence which he would be coached to do.Apart from that as i said he had a good game

How do you know what their defensive structures are ? He went through just slightly left of the centre corridor , to me it was a lack of communication from all involved , especially AD (I believe it was him). The way I read it , was roberts stayed out , AD was sliding with his inside man , and stopped dead at schuster , where he should have kept going to Turbo junior .

I’m not saying Roberts shouldn’t have jammed , but that’s I read it in the moment , not 1 persons error , but a lack of communication when sliding .

AD got Shuster - which was his man ... what happened after that was not his fault.

 

[momo_amp_medo]

Laurie
Nofa
Roberts
Joseph Leilua
Talau
Mbye
Brooks
Tamou
Liddle
Ofahengaue
Lucy
Simpkins (but pretty sure the coach will go for Garner)
Twal

Garner
Utoikamanu
Mikaele
Simpkin

Jock Madden
Asu Kepaoa
Russel Packer
Alex Seyfarth

 

[tigerbenji]

I think Kepaoa gets a wing spot over Talau.

 

[Tcat]

I think Mbye has to be in fb come round 1. The bloke has been training all off-season there and is apparently killing it. Unfair for the bloke to give up his spot given he hasn't been able to trial.

Laurie is the fill in 6 for round 1.

Then once doueigh is back, we can decide who is the number 1.

Agree, we haven't seen what Mbye can do yet?

I see the point here, but I mean, he has played fullback before at WT, and trained there in previous off seasons.

I thought he deserved to be there by default unless Laurie is a standout in the trials. Yesterday changed my mind.

If Laurie is going to be the eventual fullback anyway, makes sense to put him there from round 1 if he's ready so he grows into the role.

I'm honestly not sure where Mbye fits in now. Possibly at 6, but Madden did a pretty good job there yesterday.

Hopefully the days of players running out for WTs in first grade out of 'default' are gone.

 

[Speed2burn]

I think Kepaoa gets a wing spot over Talau.

I’d be happy with either , both stated their case well yesterday I thought

 

[Deleted member 3518]

Aj might be quicker but Talau breaks tackles easy and great finisher! He averaged 2nd most metres behind Alioia last year. Talau over Aj for me.

If Gebbie ever gets here I’d put him on the wing.
Heaps faster and more elusive than both of them.

Can he catch and tackle?
Too many forget this part of the game

I think people are also worried we won't score points..Brooks sucks blah blah Benji gone..

Well for the only team to concede 20+ point per game 10+ weeks in a row (NRL record)..i would say defence will determine our fate more than anything in 2021..if that is not dramatically improved ..forget it..

Well umm we scored points..Brooks didn't suck and Benji who..

Still 2 of Manly's TRIES were soft..need better against better opposition..that is everyone else bar Dragons..

1 was a mistake , the other a magic ball , and the third an individual run. Really 2 moments of brilliance and a garbage try . Still the hole wasn’t filled so Joe o had to sprint across to fill the void . And got stepped inside . Joe was in the tackle , so I don’t know what side of the defence was doing .

The "magic ball" was a misread by Roberts who had a good game except for that

How’s it a misread if the backrower goes through, and you’re looking at your opposite centre ? Other than he didn’t jam in. Every magic ball ever passed is a misread somewhere.


Its a misread because he dosent adjust to a backrow forward coming into his area of defence which he would be coached to do.Apart from that as i said he had a good game

How do you know what their defensive structures are ? He went through just slightly left of the centre corridor , to me it was a lack of communication from all involved , especially AD (I believe it was him). The way I read it , was roberts stayed out , AD was sliding with his inside man , and stopped dead at schuster , where he should have kept going to Turbo junior .

I’m not saying Roberts shouldn’t have jammed , but that’s I read it in the moment , not 1 persons error , but a lack of communication when sliding .

AD got Shuster - which was his man ... what happened after that was not his fault.

Not really man , as the backrower was now on the outside of schuster , so his man is now turbo jnr . So he has to slide onto him . So schuster now has to be covered by the inside man , who should be the backrower, I believe it was Tuilagi . And a lot of the time defences get the centre and winger to jam in at that point , to force the cutout ball to the winger . I have no idea , whether that’s the structure Madge is running . I was just saying .

 

[TheDaBoss]

2/3 of manly trys looked dodgy to me

 

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


 

[earl]

I was happy for Mbye to start the season at 1 but after yesterday i'm totally sold on Laurie. He has to be at fullback.

I'd never seen him play prior to the trials but he looks like a gun. You have to find a spot for him and if fullback is his spot.

 

[earl]

I think Kepaoa gets a wing spot over Talau.

He has too. Really strong carries and finishes tries. Talau should be first up if one of our centres implodes.

 

[earl]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


Swap Kepaoa for Talua and Tuki Simpkins for Packer.

Musgrove, Blore and AD to come back into the team when they are available. The lowest performing middle to go which means a good player misses out. I assume Blore in for Garner and Blore has to play 80 minutes.

 

[BAGNF05]

Having a crack after today

Laurie
Nofa
Jet
BJ
AJ
Madden (AD back rd 2)
Brooks
Tamou
Liddle
Joffa
Luciano
Garner
Twal

J Simpkin
Packer
Stefano
Simpkins

1. Laurie
2. Nofa
3. Jet
4. BJ
5. AJ
6. Mbye (Madden hoprefully)
7. Brooks
8. Tamou
9. Liddle
10. Joffa
11. Lucy
12. Tuilagi
13. Twal

14. Stefano
15. Simpkins
16. Mikaele or Garner
17. Simpkin

I don’t think they’ll chuck Tuilagi in yet but I was super impressed with his stature as much as his 15 min stint.

 

[fibrodreaming]

I’d be happy with either , both stated their case well yesterday I thought

Agreed. In addition, Tommy's pass to put AJ over in the corner exhibited good vision and execution. That's a side of Tommy's play that I have not seen before.

 

[Speed2burn]

I’d be happy with either , both stated their case well yesterday I thought

Agreed. In addition, Tommy's pass to put AJ over in the corner exhibited good vision and execution. That's a side of Tommy's play that I have not seen before.

People forget Tommy played 5/8 at Aust schoolboys level, he’s an option to play there in round 1 also but I doubt he’ll play there

 

[Harvey]

Aj might be quicker but Talau breaks tackles easy and great finisher! He averaged 2nd most metres behind Alioia last year. Talau over Aj for me.

If Gebbie ever gets here I’d put him on the wing.
Heaps faster and more elusive than both of them.

Can he catch and tackle?
Too many forget this part of the game

I think people are also worried we won't score points..Brooks sucks blah blah Benji gone..

Well for the only team to concede 20+ point per game 10+ weeks in a row (NRL record)..i would say defence will determine our fate more than anything in 2021..if that is not dramatically improved ..forget it..

Well umm we scored points..Brooks didn't suck and Benji who..

Still 2 of Manly's TRIES were soft..need better against better opposition..that is everyone else bar Dragons..

1 was a mistake , the other a magic ball , and the third an individual run. Really 2 moments of brilliance and a garbage try . Still the hole wasn’t filled so Joe o had to sprint across to fill the void . And got stepped inside . Joe was in the tackle , so I don’t know what side of the defence was doing .

The "magic ball" was a misread by Roberts who had a good game except for that

How’s it a misread if the backrower goes through, and you’re looking at your opposite centre ? Other than he didn’t jam in. Every magic ball ever passed is a misread somewhere.


Its a misread because he dosent adjust to a backrow forward coming into his area of defence which he would be coached to do.Apart from that as i said he had a good game

When Nofa does that (or follow inside defenders in) he his crucified. That may be the point. If he came in and Nofa came in on the centre, then we could have blamed him when the ball hit an unmarked winger.

 

[cleanskin]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


Swap Kepaoa for Talua and Tuki Simpkins for Packer.

Musgrove, Blore and AD to come back into the team when they are available. The lowest performing middle to go which means a good player misses out. I assume Blore in for Garner and Blore has to play 80 minutes.

Can't leave AD out. Mbye needs to go and play 6.

 

[isaaktigers]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


Swap Kepaoa for Talua and Tuki Simpkins for Packer.

Musgrove, Blore and AD to come back into the team when they are available. The lowest performing middle to go which means a good player misses out. I assume Blore in for Garner and Blore has to play 80 minutes.

Tbh, never liked Packer due to his decoy runs or laziness.

But this year I think he has a point to prove, yesterday he seemed like he was the up In the top 3 forwards for me.

But as everyone knows, he disappears randomly so I’d like to know if he stars in his contract year to get another contract elsewhere so he can bludge out that contract.

 

[The-moP]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


Swap Kepaoa for Talua and Tuki Simpkins for Packer.

Musgrove, Blore and AD to come back into the team when they are available. The lowest performing middle to go which means a good player misses out. I assume Blore in for Garner and Blore has to play 80 minutes.

Tbh, never liked Packer due to his decoy runs or laziness.

But this year I think he has a point to prove, yesterday he seemed like he was the up In the top 3 forwards for me.

But as everyone knows, he disappears randomly so I’d like to know if he stars in his contract year to get another contract elsewhere so he can bludge out that contract.

I have no doubt he played with an injury all last season .. he'll be very handy and used in 20 minute spells .. he has that mongrel factor that a lot of other forwards dont .. can see him being a surprise selection early in the season till Musgrove comes back.

 

[Toowoomba_Tiger]

Packers had his chances. Time to move on from him and let the younger guys get the experience. Handy backup but doesn't make my team

 

[Aubanon]

Wests Round 1 Updated Predicted Team
Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/29/wests-tigers-2021-round-1-predicted-team/


From what I've heard we won't carry a 2nd hooker. Instead we'll have a utility.

Money on Mbye as 14